Vehicle Description
1981 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
OK, so it's nothing like 1934. But that year, Nissan Motors was
formed from the merger of two Japanese car companies: DAT
Automobile Co. and Jitsuyo Automobile Co. But instead of using the
new, Nissan name plate for the front of their cars, they chose to
brand them Datsun - the moniker DAT Automobile Co had been using
since the previous year - which was a variant of Datson, the name
used since the company's first car the year before that, changed
because it sounded too much like a Japanese phrase that means "to
lose money". Come 1984, and with the Datsun brand firmly
established across the world, Nissan decided it was about time it
marketed its cars under the parent brand's name plate. Datsun was
dropped. But it was a pricey decision. Changing signs at the 1,100
Datsun dealerships cost $30 million. Changing the marketing epithet
from "Datsun, We Are Driven!" to "The Name is Nissan" cost $200
million. Then there was another $50 million spent on approved but
redundant Datsun adverts. All in, it was a $500m exercise...
For consignment a Datsun 280 ZX T top. The definition of pony car
with its long, long front hood, and snub rear, sporty styling, and
throw in a turbo just for some extra kick, or should I say
ZX-itement!
Exterior
Covered in its original Thunder Black, this unrestored survivor had
the hood and 2 front fenders repainted due to scratches (garage
scars), but otherwise original. There is no filler on the car. Gold
spears race across the belt line, and nicely polished rocker trim,
and wheel surrounds show off themselves in chrome. Plastic, all
clear, covers the deeply inset headlights and add to the aero look
of the long hood. Removable T (K?) top sections, also in black, are
nice and tight and show no leaking areas, or the residue thereof.
Lattice on the rear fastback glass is noted and shades the rear
storage compartment. Gold snowflake pattern wheels show off on all
4 corners, and have a nice Z labeled cap in the center in polished
chrome.
Interior
Plenty of gauges and buttons to play with here, while you are
lounging in your leather buckets. Dash is original and shows
gauging that is clean, clear and accurate. 3 additional angled
inset gauges are set into the mid dash area and point their
findings toward the driver. Directly under the air control levers
we see a dedicated area for the audio system that rivals any home
theater of the day. With a steel amp-like looking tuner, separate
cassette player, and multi-channel equalizer hung below, any music
can be fine-tuned to come out of the high end factory speakers with
melodious tones. This stereo sits above a center console that
houses the gear shift lever, and toggles for the side mirrors.
Mounted into the doors are switches for the power windows, and they
are in a field of nice tan leather. A large storage area covered in
the gold carpet throughout, doubles as the concert hall for the
speakers, and brings up the rear.
Drivetrain
An original engine bay in nice condition houses the original 2.8
Liter Turbo charged fuel injected inline 6-cylinder engine. This is
backed by a Jatco 3N71B 3-speed automatic transmission. A test
drive reveals that after a good warmup, you can goose this car and
be up to speed in a hurry with the turbo kicking in almost
immediately.
Undercarriage
With some surface rust and normal patina, the underside is
presenting nicely with no items of noting on the structural level.
Braking is provided by power disc brakes and they are not shabby
and bring you to a short distance halt from speed.
Overall, a nicely presenting 280 ZX that runs great, has a good
kick in the pants from the turbo, shifts smoothly in the automatic
transmission, and stops quickly. What more could you ask for as
back in the day, this was one of THE cars to have if you were young
and wanted to do some showing off. Nuthin' like good old Japanese
technology...Let's call it simplified over engineering!
Serial Tag
KHLS130JATUBC1W
K-T Top
H-L28
L-LHD
S130-ChassIs Type
J-Grand Luxury
A-3 Speed Auto
T-Turbo
W-Federal Emissions
B-Power Steering
C1-Automatic Climate Control
W-Digital Dash
VIN Decode
JN1CZ04S8BX603418
JN1-Nissan Passenger Vehicle
C-Turbo L28E
Z0-S130 Model
4-Coupe
S-?
8-Check Digit
B-1981
X-Nissha Plant
603418-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 300 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.