1976 Datsun 280Z on BAT

[Richard Cranium]

Hammered for 140 large?!?!?!?!?!?

Looks like we are starting to see later generations of collectors stepping up to the plate.


https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1...e=dm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-11-19

 

[Lefty71]

You can almost feel the buyers remorse. Those are great little cars, but not that great!

 

[440Coronet500]

Yikes, I would have bought a wing car for that kind of coin! 440'

 

[Hey-O]

Had a 240 Z many years ago and yes it was a great little car, but, not 140 large great. Wing cars are not my cup of tea.

 

[F4R/T]

I think someone must have been intoxicated to blow their wad on one of those ... I’m not saying it’s not neat , not my personal flavor as I’m a domestic fan only... but seriously.... those things rotted worse than a mid 70s Chevy truck with a snow plow and salt shaker on it..

 

[Lefty71]

I think someone must have been intoxicated to blow their wad on one of those

As RC surmised.... rich millineal with daddys money??? Seems like someone bought into a cute story....

 

[ACME A12]

When I was a teenager (military dependent) on Okinawa in the late seventies my dad had a side business selling used cars on the "Lemon Lot" on Kadena AB. He got his cars wholesale from a local dealer on the island named Mr. Chena, as did a couple of other GIs. Mr. Chena got one of his GI car dealer partners to bring a couple year old 280Z over from the states for his son - those models were export only and not sold in Japan. As such they were automotive icons amongst the the locals there - and elicited the same type of reaction one would expect if you were to be out tooling around in a Lamborghini Countach or similar. Poor guy finally quit driving it because he got tired of being swarmed every time that he parked it somewhere. Hard for us to imagine as a 280Z was just a 6 cylinder Datsun over here, but they were something else entirely over there.

 

[Ray70Chrg]

Had a 78 or 79 ZX. Great looking car. 155 hp engine did nothing for the 3700lbs. Handling was only average. I remember not liking the driver position. It was a nice car but never wanted another one. All show, no go. Don't know about the turbos though. I think there are LS conversion kits available for Zs. That would be another story

 

[HawkRod]

I got to drive one that looked exactly like this one in 1981. I had it for a week while its owner was away on vacation. I must say, I had a blast driving the little thing. It is one of the only foreign cars I would consider having, mostly due to the fun memories of the one I drove for a week.

Having said that: buying this for $140 large. I don't think so....

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Had a 78 or 79 ZX. Great looking car. 155 hp engine did nothing for the 3700lbs. Handling was only average. I remember not liking the driver position. It was a nice car but never wanted another one. All show, no go. Don't know about the turbos though. I think there are LS conversion kits available for Zs. That would be another story

78 was still a 280Z, 79 was a ZX... A ZX has never had the appeal of the Z... The redesign while okay doesn't have nearly the lines of the earlier version.... But much worse is the redesign of the rear suspension... The early cars handle much better, the ZX if push hard into a corner would lose the rear traction if you lifted even slightly on the throttle....

I like em, owned a few.. But $140K is crazy... Even with the low mileage... The repainted LF fender that matches so poorly you can see it in the photos should have knocked at least 2-3K off the price......

 

[Photon440]

When I was a teenager (military dependent) on Okinawa in the late seventies my dad had a side business selling used cars on the "Lemon Lot" on Kadena AB. He got his cars wholesale from a local dealer on the island named Mr. Chena, as did a couple of other GIs. Mr. Chena got one of his GI car dealer partners to bring a couple year old 280Z over from the states for his son - those models were export only and not sold in Japan. As such they were automotive icons amongst the the locals there - and elicited the same type of reaction one would expect if you were to be out tooling around in a Lamborghini Countach or similar. Poor guy finally quit driving it because he got tired of being swarmed every time that he parked it somewhere. Hard for us to imagine as a 280Z was just a 6 cylinder Datsun over here, but they were something else entirely over there.

It's true that the "280Z" name wasn't used in Japan but the car itself with right hand steering was sold there under the name 'Fairlady'.

 

[slimt]

Probably the only one left with no Rust on it.

 

[alfaitalia]

....and the fact that they rusted to the point of being biodegradable....is why they are climbing in value now..hardly any left! Closest I had was a 92 300ZX turbo just like this...still miss that car.

 

[alfaitalia]

Had a 78 or 79 ZX. Great looking car. 155 hp engine did nothing for the 3700lbs. Handling was only average. I remember not liking the driver position. It was a nice car but never wanted another one. All show, no go. Don't know about the turbos though. I think there are LS conversion kits available for Zs. That would be another story

The earlier and 15 horse more powerful 280z only weighed 2875lb...the later heavier slower 280 zx weighed in nearly a 900 lb more!...at 3700lb.....killed the cars desirability in my opinion.

 

[ACME A12]

It's true that the "280Z" name wasn't used in Japan but the car itself with right hand steering was sold there under the name 'Fairlady'.

Not with the 2.8L engine. Fairlady Z's were 2.0L versions. The Z432 and Z432R versions had a DOHC 2.0L S20 like the Skyline GT-R engine. A Z432R version sold earlier this year for $800K if you can believe that...

 

[alfaitalia]

The 240z version was sold as Fairlady too...they called it that as the Nissan boss was really into Western musical theatre!.....apparently.

 

[Takoctopus]

Very few of these actually survive in Japan. Most cars there get exported or crushed. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Japanese man bought. I knew a guy stationed with me in Atsugi Japan who brought his 240z as a POV and made a big profit on it.

 

[Budnicks]

I had a 73-75-ish 280z with a BBC that ran Div. 7 S/G 9.90 class
(? I think it was a 280, not a 260, it was a mixed/matched parts car)
it'd run 9.0's @ 150 easily, mostly at Fremont, Sacramento & Sears Point
it was fun as hell as a drag car

basket case when I got it mid 80's, from a Concord local
he had been racing it already, wasn't the best build
The whole floor & bottom of the rockers were like a spaghetti strainer
they were rust buckets even in a great climate
little to no rust prevention

I put a 2x3" chassis, cage & tin, Lamb strut front
454/468cid BBC rectangle port LS7 based/PG & Dana combo
I may still have a Polaroid of it somewhere
I had a buddy that ran an early 70's Datsun 510
with a mech FI BBC at the time too

I drove a few stock ones, while working at the Concord dealerships
most my friends worked at Concord Datsun, I wasn't really impressed
I think my MGB or the GT was a better handling car

I did own a 71 240z when I lived in Alaska,
was fun to drift in the snow/ice
a total pile of rust too, throw away car, didn't worry about wrecking