positivetennis

Hi guys I haven't posted for a while but OCD is starting up again. What I wanted to know is whether there is a great difference in driveability and performance between the pre 1976 ADR coupes and 2+2 and those made after. Also as there were only 98 1977 coupes sold in Australia, how many of you have one.

They were good times when the Sydney Z car club started. The way it started was that an ad was placed in the trading post for all interested Z owners come and meet at Hasham's, a hamburger joint located near Mascot airport at Kyeema I think its called. It was located right on Botany bay and z's from all over Sydney would rock up on a Wednesday evening to show their cars and then go in have a burger while having a meeting. The level of interest was very impressive. At the time the President was a guy called Joe Grupe who had a burnt orange 240z. Tthe first 2 concourse's were held at Darling Harbour which was fantastic. I was wondering whether there is anybody on this forum who had any recollection of these early times?

Thanks guys. The red interior and orange dash lights with the heater on is nice and cosy on a cold dark winter night driving in the country with the radio on. 8K would be a good a price for that car if it is good quality. Will give you a call Pauly

Thanks once again Pauly. By the way I was wondering if you have seen the 280zx for sale I think near Wagga out you way for sale in Just Cars website. Its a white one for 14k neg. Seems a bit steep. but if its concourse i would consider driving down to have a look.

As it sounds with the current description it sounds like something under $3000 if its an 86/87 Australian model, and its been sitting around getting dusty and not being used. I'd be worried that all the seals would have hardened, and many components seized, so don't pay too much. If possible it would be better to get a nice one owner car with low kilometres and a full service history in great condition for $8000 especially if it's an 88 model, but that just what I would go for.

Hi guys just wanted to try again and ask if there is anybody in Sydney or surrounding areas that has a 260z/280zx for sale prefer auto. Prepared to pay up to 10k for a good 280zx and up to 15k for a 260z.

Pauly It is original silver paint, with genuine 140k lady owner but has not been garaged or serviced (See Carsales NSW). Engine is not very clean and has a little leak from the rocker cover. Rough patch job done around the petrol cap, as well as some sections under the door. The interior is very good with no dash cracks. The asking price is $3500 so its cheap, however you can get really good ones for 8=10k. How much are the sensors worth, and do 280zx's come with an ECU?. On the other hand it might be better off waiting for a good one. I've been searching quite a while for a series 2 280zx or 260z to buy in NSW for quite a while now. There is one on Just Cars in the country that is mean't to be immaculate but the air con is dead and the guy is asking 14k which seems a lot.

I'm not sure ringing them up would provide one with an answer one was looking for. It seems from the forum that there has been some problems with the committee dynamics. It would also be true that the age of early zed owners would comprise of more older generation people, and the opportunty for younger people to own 240'z and 260z coupes are getting harder to buy now, therefore numbers would be limited. Maybe, younger drivers are also more into z32's I can actually recall when the club started, sometime in the very late 80's the interest was huge. The annual concourse was held at Darling Harbour, the z32 was just being released and s30's were very attainable. It was a time when many zed owners were happy to here that early zeds were in fact classic cars, as up until the club started, it was all about MGB's, Jags, Porsches, Corvettes and Toranas.

Went and drove the 280zx yesterday. It had rust in a few places (Around petrol cap, targa roof, dog leg) and the car kept spluttering as is hesitated to excelerate until it cleared itself. It ran very rough despite the low k's, it was quite neglected, felt like the injectors were almost fully blocked, (You would accelerate and nothing would happen for 3 seconds, then it would try to clear itself, I wonder how much this would cost to fix). Maybe its better to spend more and get the best available, nice colour combination though. After not owning one of these since 1999 you forget how things were. These cars look very unique, a pleasing, alluring shape, that still looks great now, but in need of more power and more driver interaction. (Wish Australia got the 2 seater turbo car). I look forward to testing a 260z hopfully tomorrow so I can compare how each model feels.

Thanks guys, great insights. While I've always wanted a 2 seater 260z, the price and rarity have drawn my attention to these models. What appeals to me with the 280zx is that it still has the classic styling but also has more modern features that I feel comfortable with as well as being more affordable. Maybe down the track I would like to make improvements to the interior, handling and performance, but thats for another time. Which engine upgrade would work best in a 280zx without upsetting the balance of the car?

Looking at getting one of these cars as a weekend cruiser for under 10k, both are automatics. Both are in reasonable condition, was wondering which one would be the better choice if all things were considered equal. Will test drive this week to help make a decision but just wanted to know what people thought. Both cars are in original condition with clean bodies and standard mechanicals. At present the way i see it is as follows: 280zx pros: More comfortable, better ride, fuel injection, air conditioned, higher safety, Ease of starting with fuel injection, better brakes 280zx cons: Heavier body, probably less desirable to some, maybe slower 260z pros: Sportier feel, less complication, 1st generation, less heavier car 260z cons: Carb issues, fume issues, heavier steering (but this doesn't bother me) Thanks

The website has hardly had any activity, compared to years gone by where it was quite busy.

Is this Sydney z club still active? Their website hasn't had much activity of late.

Further to my previous post, Holden could also benefit from lessons learn't from the 86 and have the guts to build the Torana GTX concept car they had in the 70's especially now that the oversize Commodore is slipping in the sale charts. Their brand is going from bad to worse with such ordinary boring cars as Epica and Cruize being forced on the Australian public, garranteed to put you to sleep (Too many cars designed by boring been counters and not by people who have some sense of passion or soul). Holden have to do something inspirational because boring fwd cars are already being made elsewhere and Nissan need to do likewise.

Yes very good points Gav. What I'm working towards here is the prospect of getting Nissan to build it again. Just think how many z clubs there are in the US alone for these cars, as well as Australia, UK, even Hungary is into these cars (have a look at their website). If you get enough people together lobbying Nissan maybe they might get the picture and put Nissan zed cars back to front and centre of the world sports car market. Im pretty sure they have people that can design and build a modern day 240z and sell it world wide. If Toyota after making millions of boring whitegoods ( see Camry) can do the 86, why not Nissan. The response to the 86 has been quite profound, great styling, fun handling, affordable, and attainable if Toyota/Subaru can supply customers who at present have to wait months to get one. The Datsun 240z is a thing of beauty.

Thank you everyone for your prompt and thoughtful replies, some interesting insights. I think a 240z replica with modern technology, safety improvements for 35k would be sensational. As far as not wanting to pay more than 11k for a 240z I see things as follows: 1. The problem with many 240z's/260z's which are usually advertised is that when you go and see one, there is always rust, fumes, cracked dashes, and an interior that looks very cheap and rough. It is very rare that you find a very nice car, so people usually give up and buy a newer car for a cheaper price. In the last 6 months in sydney I have hardly been able to track down a decent 260z coupe that I could purchase for under 15k. There was one which was bought sight unseen before I had the opportunity to see it but that was it. 2. The 370z at 60k new is overpriced in Australia when 2 year old US cars sell for 18k, us Australians are playing too much, so we buy less of them . Apart from the rear quarter window, the rest of the does not have the elegance or tension of the s30, the door handles are a terrible, and anyone who is remotly tall cannot fit comfortably. The 350z looked to much like an Audi TT. 3. The ft86 has sold out because people have been hanging out to by a RWD with swoopy styling that is affordable. If Nissan had done that with a modern day s30, they too could be cashing in. I can't believe it took Toyota so long to produce this type of car. Even the 280zx which was criticized by the media world wide was a huge sales success because the public liked those e-type headlights, long bonnet, low seating position which had a unique sports car look. I think Nissan R & D needs to listen to their potential consumers so that we can get the cars we want, otherwise we will keep getting cars like Tida, Pintara, FWD Maxima, and 300C.

Yes, Nissan USA definately set up zed stores in an effort to keep the Z name alive when the Z32 was killed off around 96. They were even sold with a 12 months warranty for around 29k. Cars were bought back, restored with components left over in Japan and sold as new cars. During this period Nissan was in finacial trouble. With the Toyota 86 coming out as a lighter rwd sports coupe with styling inspiration from the 2000gt, priced under 40k has prompted rumours that Nissan will release a lighter alternative to the 370z to compete with Toyota/Subaru. I think this is an ideal time for z car enthusiasts around the world to express their views as to what this car should look like. It would be fantastic to see Nissan showrooms and yards full of new 240z's priced under 40k in light metallic blues, greens, mustard yellow and datsun red. I think it would be a sensation.

With talk about a cheaper zed on the horizon I've always wondered whether Nissan would be willing to build a car that looked exactly like a 240z if enough people around the world requested that they do so. There are so many folks out there who are still after a Datsun 240z, but can't get one because they are either getting hard to find and/or have rust/fume issues. The shape even today remains one of the best I've seen along with the 2000gt and E type's. While there is a 370z available I still don't feel it has that exotic look (personal view ). With so many enthusiast clubs around the world for these cars must mean something to Nissan's R & D department. I think that Nissan/Datsun should have kept the 240z shape going like Porsche has done with the 911 and built larger cars like 300zx's to fulfill the GT market. Do people in this forum like the s30 shape enough to present a case to Nissan possibly on a global scale to build a 240z with better safety and mechanical package.

Thanks Simon, interesting post, most appreciated. great to be able to compare these cars like that. For quite a while I've wondered about getting a 280zx 2 seater turbo from USA but the costs of getting it here and compliance as well as site unseen make it a risky one along with LHD issues. Interesting that the 280zx 2+2 came in quicker than the 260z 2+2, but no surprizes that the coupe felt quickest. Anybody else have a take on this?

Thanks Pauly, by the way did your 260z have any fume problems and how was it rust wise. Also with the 280zx, does it feel more agile than the 260z due to the power steering and is there a definate difference/improvement with the performance of the 4 wheel disk brakes on the 280zx. Having owned 2 280zx's a long time ago the main injection problems I encountered were with the car stalling but no leaks. On the z31 300zx' I had injector leaks but this occurred only after I had the car for 8 years and put 250k's on the clock. Replacing them was not a cheap operation. Anyway would like to hear from more people that have owned these cars and their experiences. Cheers

Thanks DAZDA for the reply. Supply and demand is indeed a major paradigm for the price of cars and 2 seater s30's in good condition are hard to come by these days. The shifting patterns of buyers tastes and the value for money equation also have some implications. I've been looking for a nice 260z coupe for a while in sydney as an automatic for for a cruiser but once the price crosses that 15k price I get a little nervous, as I feel it would want to be a really good one. It also brings other cars into the equation when you get to this price level. Some people then make the decision that if they can't afford a coupe, maybe they should opt for a 2+2, 280zx, z31, z32, which is more affordable and perhaps in better driving condition. In concord there is an orange 240z that has been for sale for 36k and it has been on the market for at least 3 years now. I wonder what price ceiling a 280zx will reach, or will a z31 88 model experience a resurgence. Z32's are currently very cheap, but hard to find a good one. Also if you do find a good one, and you put a lot of K's on it, you may then lose your money. Emotion also plays a role, which can at times be at odds with rational thinking. For example, I really love the 260z coupes and lets say I can get one for 15k. As I look at one my neighbour tells me for that price I can get a 2001 supra, a 99 GTO, or 97 RX7 or 944s, he can't see the value in my choice. My sister thinks I'm mad because I should go to an auction and get a govt 09 Commodore with 40k's for 15. My mother thinks if I spend a bit more I can get a new car.

Thanks PB very interesting. I guess I'm thinking there might be a market correction with the release of the FT 86. While in the US a 2003 350z can be yours for 10K, in Australia they still retail between 22k-25k which I guess may change in the next 12 months. A 2009 370z can be bought here for 48k and this may also change. I would love to see Nissan counter with a replica of a 240z.

Just wanted feedback on what impact the new ft 86 will have on the sports car market. If this car is a big success (Early road tests seem very impressive), will it affect the values of the 350z's and 370z's. While the ft 86 is priced in the 30-35k, it is quite cheaper than a new 370z and very close to many used 350z's priced currently between 22k and 35k. The fact that there hasn't been an affordable coupe for a while on the market with rwd and good styling, means that many buyers haven't had the opportunity to buy such a car new, now they will, and it may tempt people out of their older sports cars into something new. It may also have an impact on the grey import market particularly the 350gt and some 90's cars.

Thanks Zac, very interesting account. The evolution of the zed car is something that I've enjoyed following. Usually over a long period of time, cars should get better, with zed cars there has always been this story about the 240z being agile and lean, then becoming obese with the s130 and z31, and then developing some muscle with the z32, then returning back into a sports car again with the z33, however i feel that it perhaps is only one way of looking at things. After owning some of these cars a long time ago and now looking back at them now, I feel that views can change, what may have felt sporty in the past, may now feel rough and unsafe now. Personal preference, as you mention, is a definate factor. For example when I owned a z31 turbo which cost me 8k at time I went and test drove an original immaculate 240z which was for sale for 15k. After driving the 240z and getting back into the z31 the biggest difference was how good the brakes felt on the z31, and off course the comfort and quietness of the car, whereas the 240z styling was what impressed me the most along with the retro dash.

As things stand at present in 2012 would the 240z and 260z 2 seater be considered the only cars worth collecting in the zed range. Should a low km origninal z32 be now in the mix as the next choice at the expense of a 260z 2+2, 280zx, and z31. Are z32's too complex mechanically to keep for a long time. While an early 240z is very desirable but quite expensive now to buy, an original 1977 260z coupe seems quite a rare model in Australia with only 99 being sold so it might be a good choice, but many people like the early 74-75 260z coupe having less ADR compliance requirements. How important are performance values in this equation. In the 80's after the 240z was sold it took 4 models to get back to a similar performance value being the 86 z31 turbo. In the 90's the z32 took things to a different level and now a 370z is at another level altogether. How important is market significance of the day. Any thoughts about this topic.