1977 Datsun Z-Series

Coupe

6 cylinder

Manual

HLS30403987

Clear

The Datsun 280Z (not to be confused with the discoed-out 280ZX) was essentially a fuel injected 240Z with 5 mph bumpers. And while the latter didn’t do much for the cars looks, the Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection (built under license by Nissan Diesel Kiki) was a huge improvement over the 240’s carbs. Thirty-five years after the end of production, the supply of unmolested “survivor” type first generation Z cars is limited indeed, particularly outside of California. This is a rare opportunity for someone on the East Coast or the Midwest to pick up a stunningly original, nearly rust-free California example without paying exorbitant shipping fees. This Z was sold new by Dow Lewis Datsun in Yuba City, California. It spent its entire life in dry inland Califorina until I bought it last April and drove it back to the Midwest, to Traverse City, Michigan. The only trouble along the way was a blown tire and a stuck thermostat. It didn’t use a single quart of oil on the trip. Its condition is typical of West Coast cars that haven’t seen salt or a harsh winter. Early Zs are rusters of the worst kind. But this one just has some tiny surface bubbles along the passenger side rocker panel seam. That’s it. No rust in the hatch shut area, none in the door jambs and of course, none in the floors, frame rails or battery box. The spare tire well is clean enough to eat out of and it has all of the accessories the car came with new: The spare inflator, complete tool kit, Nissan safety yellow wheel chocks (still in the plastic) and the correct jack. As nearly as I can tell, the paint is original. No evidence of any repairs, Bondo or overspray anywhere, no tape lines, etc. All of the original foil stickers are in place in the engine compartment as is the remnant of the “Unleaded Fuel Only” sticker on the fuel filler door. The original paint shines very nicely, but don’t expect 35 year-old paint to look like a show car. It has some minor patina. A few bird poop stains, touch ups and a minor door ding here and there. The lower front valance has a bump on the passenger side. It’s unobtrusive and it would likely pop out from the inside. If you felt compelled to do body work on it, again, I suppose you could paint it without blending into another panel. The only other thing greater than a ding is under the rear bumper on the driver’s side rear fender. The above-referenced tire blow-out and tread separation caused a shallow palm-sized dent that is hard to photograph. No paint was broken and if it bugs you, paintless dent removal would be the best answer there. There’s a pinky-sized ding on the front of the hood, three little “outies” on the hood of unknown origin, both bumpers have minor trailer ball dings in them and the mirror has a quarter size crack out of it. I’m simply trying to describe the car best I can, keep in mind that it really presents very well for a 35 year-old unrestored car. In my opinion it would be unnecessary and simply criminal to repaint the car. The interior shows nicely. The carpets are original and show some sun fade in the hatch area. Like most California cars, the sun took its toll on the dash and seats. The dash wears a nearly undetectable full cap and the seats were recovered in the correct Nissan Ginger color vinyl to match the rest of the interior. The headliner is very nice and thankfully, the door panels were never cut for speakers. This is one of the few original Z cars that didn’t acquire a cheap set of slotted mags or those nasty Western Cyclone aluminum wheels— the original plastic wheel covers and steel wheels remain on the car. Everything works but the clock and the A/C (the temp gauge has been intermittent in my last two drives, loose wire or sender most likely). The A/C worked until the compressor bearings seized. A rebuilt compressor will likely get things blowing cool again. Everything A/C-wise is still intact. The four-speed blower works great on the fresh air setting. The car drives beautifully with tons of torque and power. The four-speed manual transmission shifts nicely and it steers and stops well. It shows a little over 120,000 miles and that appears to be original judging by things like the pedal pads and general tidiness under the hood. Needs that I’m aware of are relatively minor: New shifter bushings would be nice, a muffler and a fan clutch. I have a new fan clutch and a nice ANSA muffler from another Z that I owned that I will install before pickup to take care of these issues. The previous owner spent a great deal of money on the car and it comes with a huge stack of receipts to document everything. In the last 17,000 miles or so, he replaced the clutch and rebuilt the fuel injection system. After the tire issue, I put on a new set of the correct 195/70/14 tires on the car that are under warranty from the national chain Discount Tire. These have maybe 2,500 miles on them. The car comes with the original owner’s manual, a Chilton’s repair manual and the original leather key fob with the original Nissan Motor Company keys on it. The sticker with the key code is still on the glovebox door should you ever need it. You can restore a car a million times, but they’re original only once. And while you can still pay two to four grand for a 280Z, these days that’s buying a project car or something with a cheap, shiny new paint job with lots of messy overspray covering heaven-knows-what underneath. Save the heartache and buy this honest survivor for just a few grand more. A FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR DEPOSIT IS DUE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE END OF THE AUCTION WITH THE BALANCE DUE IN THREE DAYS. 0 FEEDBACK, THOSE WITH RECENT UNEXPLAINED NEGATIVE FEEDBACK AND NON-US BUYERS MUST E-MAIL ME FIRST BEFORE BIDDING. THE CAR IS ALSO FOR SALE LOCALLY. THANK YOU AND HAPPY BIDDING.On Oct-03-12 at 10:59:02 PDT, seller added the following information: I've had a number of questions about the paint and patina on the car. When I used the word "stunning" it was in reference to the overall originality and unmolested state of the car in general and the sheetmetal. The paint itself is not "stunning" in the traditional sense of being several miles deep and perfect and shiny like a new basecoast clearcoat ten grand paint job. It's thirty-five year old enamel paint with some dings, scratches, bird poop stains etched in it, etc. It is however, very presentable for what it is and for those who appreciate originality, it is quite stunning that it's survived in this state for all this time.