Vehicle Description
Sports cars don't come much more sporting than the Datsun Z-car,
and this 1982 Datsun 280ZX is an incredibly well-preserved example
of an incredibly popular Japanese import that rises in value every
single year. These were iconic back in the day and remain fun cars
to drive with a balance and flavor that seems to elude today's
overpowered 2-seaters. With only 90,972 miles on the clock and
loads of originality, this Series II 280ZX is one of those cars
we'll be kicking ourselves in the future about if we don't buy it
today.
This 280ZX gets just about everything right: great colors, a
5-speed, and it's a 2-seat version, not a 2+2 so the proportions
are ideal and weight is very manageable. Oh, and we should also
mention that it's led a very easy life in a warm Texas climate, so
it's not rotted and abused and has never been involved in an
accident according to it its Vehicle History Report. Somewhat
remarkably, it's still wearing its original French Beige paint, so
you know it's not showroom perfect, although it's so nice it really
borderline show quality thanks to years of proper maintenance and
care. Champagne as a finish is pretty durable and easy to maintain,
which probably explains the shine, and the fact that it's never
been rusty or wrecked means that the sheetmetal remains in
first-class condition throughout. 1982 was the first year of the
Series II facelift, which included revised NACA ducting in the
hood, special alloy wheels, along with newly designed B-pillar
trim, taillights, and rubber bumper over-riders that replaced the
earlier model's chrome and rubber items. In fact, the bumpers are
now the color of the body and wrap around further, minimizing the
Federal DOT look of huge safety bumpers, which results in these
cars looking much sportier and sleeker. And most importantly, all
that black rubber trim on the body hasn't been oxidized by the sun
or cracked from old age, which is actually quite a feat for a
vehicle this age. No wings, no spoilers, just one of the cleanest
designs of the period. Period.
The red cloth interior is one of the better places to do the
serious business of driving from the early '80s. The bucket seats
are still firm and supportive, the upholstery is in excellent
condition, and even though it's red, the sun hasn't faded it to
some awful orange color. It's loaded with options including A/C
(needs to be serviced), power windows and locks, cruise control,
tilt wheel, and a stock AM/FM/cassette stereo, the latter of which
is splayed out on a silver panel just ahead of the shifter. Clear,
legible gauges, including the traditional trio of auxiliary dials
in the center of the dash, are all in fantastic condition and as
with any sports car, a 5-speed manual gearbox is a welcome sight.
The cargo bay is in excellent shape with zero fading on the carpets
(another huge accomplishment with that big rear window; this car
has always been garaged) and it still has the tie-down straps and
bags for the removable glass T-tops. This Z is so clean, even the
rare Datsun floor mats are in terrific shape.
The 280 part of 280ZX stands for the 2.8 liter inline-six that
powers this sports car, and it does a pretty good job of simulating
some of the great sports cars of the '60s. Plenty of silky smooth
torque means that the Z is a fun car to drive in traffic and it's
an effortless cruiser on the highway with very good road manners.
The engine bay, while covered in hoses, wires, and pipes, is
remarkably clean and well detailed and it runs even better than it
looks. The slick-shifting 5-speed is a joy to run through the
gears, matching revs with each downshift and listening to the burly
exhaust note that could only come from a six. The 4-wheel
independent suspension is agile without a punishing ride and the
power 4-wheel disc brakes are powerful enough to easily scrub off
the speed, while the power steering lets you flick this little
sports car into the corners with two fingers on the wheel. It's not
detailed for show underneath, but it's still very clean and there's
no doubt that this is an amazing original car, even the catalytic
convertor looks great! Naturally aspirated Series II ZX's came
equipped with 14-inch 6-spoke alloy wheels, and these are almost
completely unmarked and carry 205/70/14 Yokohama radials that fit
just right.
With the way Japanese sports cars are appreciating, it's only a
matter of time before everyone catches on to what fun machines
these are, and they got priced into the stratosphere like the A80
Toyota Supra. Buy now and avoid the lines. Call today!