1983 Datsun 280ZX Coupe
You may remember the 280ZX as a common car, readily used as daily commuter cars in the 80's. 55,011 of them were produced in 1983, including turbo versions which were introduced in 1981. They were designed with more driver comfort and refinement in mind rather than maintaining the pure sportiness of the previous generation. With the addition of a completely new and modern interior, the 280's became grand touring cars.
For consignment, a 1983 Datsun 280ZX couple with a non-verifiable 26,085 miles. The ZX's retained the reliable and capable L28 inline 6 cylinder engines of the 280Z's and even in normally aspirated form, as our car is, they can provide a spirited ride in a wonderful long nosed, rear wheel drive configuration. This example has been treated to a recent tune up, a fuel system servicing, has hot heat and cold AC, and is a splendid driver. Turn the key and let's go go go!
Exterior
All bathed in Fox Silver Metallic paint which covers the exterior it also shows some black moldings and shiny trimmings along with extra black highlighting on the bumpers. The car presents very nicely sporting straight panels, good gaps, but does have the appearance of invasive rust on the leading edge of the hood, bottoms of the doors, and bottoms of the fenders. That aside, all brite work and badging is near excellent. A large greenhouse glass hatchback is covering the rear of this car and with the long hood is the definition of the Japanese version of the pony car. A bit of an anomaly is noted up high with the non t-top roof and 6-spoke Z badged wheels are on all 4 corners and all wrapped in blackwall radials
Interior
Smooth black door panels are met with a gray carpeted base and adds some allure with a two tone theme of the car. The gray cloth seats are wide and flat, more relaxing than racing, and are in very good condition. The steering wheel and its angular spokes speak to the times and this is magnified by the leaning boxes that make up the gauge cluster. Digital readouts replace analog dials and are reminiscent of arcade games of the day. Three round gauges in the center dash are canted sharply to the driver and indicate oil pressure, volts, and clock via digital numbers. The factory AM/FM/Cassette stereo is found in the center stack. Just below this is where we find the stick shifter in a plastic base and rubberized accordion style boot. Low pile plush gray carpet covers the floor and ZX carpeted mats cover that. In the rear hatch, gray carpet makes another appearance in a space that has a lot of room. We note the inner and back walls of the hatch are very clean, matching the rest of the interior.
Drivetrain
Datsun's 2.8 liter SOHC inline 6 cylinder engine is under the long hood and is rated at 145 horsepower. It's fuel injected and put into motion via a 5-speed manual transmission which sends rotations back to the rear axle and 3.90 gears. Power disc brakes are front and rear. We would classify the engine bay as driver quality but generally clean.
Undercarriage
Driver quality underneath as well with surface rust in the usual places along with a few areas of heavy surface rust in the flooring, rockers and pinch welds. The single exhaust makes its way from the engine, down the length of the car, and into a stock style muffler before exiting under the bumper. Independent suspension is found front and rear. We note some residual oil on the oil pan, but otherwise, nothing of concern underneath.
Drive-Ability
A comfortable seat and sitting position greet you as we turn the key and set the six pistons moving. The car is quiet, somewhat quick, and as intended provides a smooth ride without the harshness of sport suspension. Adequate power here, good braking, and excellent handling make this a not so sporty sports car we can live with! All functions worked as designed and we were left with smiles on our faces. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
When I was in high school, (class of '83!), my friend's parents had a similar car. They were the cool parents, bar none. Because this car was cool then and it's cool now. Gauges pointing to the driver? Boss! The Z profile is iconic and now somewhat rare, thus, desirable. Get back to the digital age and get a closer look at this '80's car for the cool kids.
JN1HZ04S5DX553800
J-Japan
N-Nissan
1-Passenger Car
H-L28E Non Turbo
Z0-S130
4-280Z Coupe
S-2 Seater
0-Check Digit
D-1983
X-Nissha Plant
553800-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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