Sold 1979 Datsun 280ZX 2146352976 Tweet

1979 Datsun 280ZX

2.8L inline sixcylinder engine
Fivespeed manual transmission
Bronze exterior with beige interior
Fresh repaint in 2017
Recent restoration of seats, carpet and instrument panel
Airconditioning, cruise control, power steering, power fourwheel disc brakes, power windows and power mirrors
Motor Trends Import Car of the Year in 1979

Another Zcar has arrived at MotoeXotica Classic Cars, this time in the form of a 1979 280ZX. This is a nice driving classic that has been appreciating in value that can be driven regulary with little maintenance.

Finished in bronze and recently repainted, the cars overall paint and trim are in overall good order, the door jams were not repainted. The cars windows are clear and intact and the lights are in good overall condition.

This Zcar rolls on Kelly Charger whiteletter radials, size 195/70R14 at all four corners and the tires surround factory Iron Cross wheels. The tires and wheels are in very good condition. The cars bodywork is straight and solid, the engine bay is tidy (even the underhood maintenance lamp still works), the battery looks new, the cargo area is in very good order and the bumpers are in good shape.

Under the hood is Nissans 2.8L straight sixcylinder engine. The 280ZX was a complete redesign, retaining only theL28inlinesixengine and other driveline components from the previous280Z. Backing the engine is a fivespeed manual transmission. Driver convenience features include airconditioning, cruise control, power steering, power fourwheel disc brakes, power windows, power mirrors, rear window defroster, rear wiper, remote hatch release and remote fuel filler door release.

Inside, the beige bucket seats, matching carpet and the instrument panel were all recently restored. The beige headliner is in comparable order to the seats and carpet, as is the factory twospoke steering wheel. The cars mirror glass, center console and shifter are all in good order though the top of the center console storage area shows wear from previous driver elbows. Rounding out the interior is a factory AM/FM stereo with cassette player.

In 1979, both twoseat and fourseat (2+2) designs were offered. Compared to the more overtly sporting earlier models, the 280ZX was a much softer, heavier car, with less focus on driving and more on driver comfort and refinement.Softer suspension, better sound insulation, more comfortable seats and ample equipment including highend audio systems defined the new ZX.

In the spirit of the times, emissions controls and aerodynamics were markedly improved over the first generationZcars, while weight was down somewhat as long as the buyer did not pick much from the very long options list.By closing in the open grille of the first generationZcarand through other improvements taken from wind tunnel testing, thedrag coefficientwas reduced from 0.467 to 0.385 and thelift coefficientfrom 0.41 to 0.14.

The exterior design was evolutionary, less rounded and with betterintegrated safety bumpers. Many parts, including the rearaxle and the power steering came from theDatsun 810luxury sedan.Most of the design effort went into the entirely different and much more modern interior.The car became a grand tourer rather than a sports car, particularly in the plush Grand Luxury versions.

The 280ZX adoptedMacPherson strutsin front andsemitrailing armindependent suspensionin the rear. The wheelbase was up from its predecessor, from 90.7to 91.3inches for the twoseater. The new design had a lower centerofgravity and nearly 50/50 weight distribution in the twoseater and 2+2 designs. The rear of the car was stretched to accommodate a larger 21gallon fuel tank. Overall, the new body design gave better fuel economy and highspeed stability (one of the known issues from the first generation Zcar).

Some lamented the transformation the Zcar had made to a grand tourer, while others appreciated the improvements in refinement, comfort, and overall market appeal. The sales figures soon proved theNissan designers right, with the 280ZX becoming a sales success.

Competition to this Datsun in 1979 included the Avanti II, Chevrolets Corvette, Fords Capri and Mazdas RX7. The 280ZX won Motor Trend Magazines Import Car of the Year Award for 1979.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 96,400 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE

Click here for our Z car YouTube video

VIN: HS130155025

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