1982 Datsun 280ZX -2.7L Inline 6-5 Speed Manual-107k Miles-Maroon Over Red Interior (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1982 Datsun 280ZX on a website other than our...
1982 Datsun 280ZX
-2.7L Inline 6
-5 Speed Manual
-107k Miles
-Maroon Over Red Interior
(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1982 Datsun 280ZX on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all of the more than 145 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to the 280ZX's Carfax history report, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)
“People these days are remembering all that was good about them when new. ... the 280ZX was the last car to incorporate so much of the early Z car design language, making it the final entry.” - ClassicCars.com
The Datsun “Z cars” attracted legions of fans. As ClassicCars put it: “When Datsun introduced the 240Z car in 1969, it created one of the most disruptive products that the sports car market had ever seen. The car offered the performance of such cars as the Jaguar E-Type, the styling reminiscent of the Ferrari 275 GTB, and reliability that was better than either.”
Calling it “the world's best-selling sports car,” MotorSport magazine chronicled the model development over the late Seventies and early Eighties: “... as emission restrictions tightened, so Nissan-Datsun was forced to enlarge the engine... to 2.6-litres as the 260Z, then, for the US only, to 2.8-litres as the 280Z. The next stage, in I 978, was to re-shell the nine-year-old theme, to meet current demands of creature comforts and legislation. The result was the 280ZX.”
Offered here in burgundy metallic over a striking red interior, is a well-maintained '82 280ZX. Showing 107,370 documented miles on the odometer, fewer than 2,800 miles per-year on average, the level of care given the car over its life is evident throughout. The Carfax history report notes the car was cited as a “total loss vehicle/non-collision damage”) in 2010, 11 years ago. Such a declaration can be made by an insurance company for a number of reasons, but Carfax provides no further clarifying data. Whatever the cause, the car was apparently re-purchased from the insurance company by the same owner, and whatever issue was corrected. Over the past 11 years, the car has accumulated mileage without recorded difficulty. The car's current condition is excellent.
The exterior metallic burgundy paint shows even gloss across the entire body, including the hood with its functioning louvers and air scoop, sleek fastback roof, and short rear deck. There are no dings or dents in the sheet-metal panels. Wide, black, lower-body molding (which meets matching trim on the bumpers) is well-maintained, free of damage or fading. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Panel gaps are excellent (a tribute to Japanese manufacturing processes at the time), and panel alignment is likewise proper. Window glass—including the large rear hatch glass—and lighting lenses—including the large rear taillight panels—are free of cracks and imperfections. Factory badging—the circular “Z” hood emblem, and the “Datsun 280ZX by Nissan” emblems on the front fenders and rear deck—are in place. Factory original, 6-spoke 14-inch alloy wheels (with “Z” center caps) are mounted with GoodYear® 195/70 tires.
Inside, the striking red interior is a vintage Eighties look. Patterned red velour bucket-seat upholstery is free of rips or tears, and in remarkable condition overall. The same holds true for the red carpeting extending through the full cabin and cargo area. Door panels, the car's dashboard, and its steering wheel all display an excellent look and feel. The full complement of gauges, characteristic of the Z-cars, is in place and functional. The car's factory radio and HVAC controls remain in place. A 5-speed-manual-transmission shifter is mounted on the console, forward of a useful storage compartment.
Under the hood, the 2.7 liter inline 6-cylinder overhead-cam Datsun engine is complete, with all components and “plumbing” properly located. (The throaty engine note can be sampled by way of the link to the startup-and-walk-around video available on the GarageKeptMotors site.) The engine bay is clean and tidy without over-detailing. Viewed from below, the car's chassis shows generalized surface rust but no indication of body-panel rust. Original factory-mounted data and identification tags are still in place.
While the more than 145 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '82 280ZX in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.
MotorSport magazine summarized: “...the high-geared ZX is a very smooth and long-legged cruising car, very relaxed whether at 50 or 100 mph and much quieter and more refined than the old Z. High-speed stability is first class. This is one sports car perfectly suited to long distance motorway travel.”
We think this example is also a bit of a time-traveler... a very satisfying trip back to the Eighties.