The Z32-chassis Nissan 300ZX represents a high watermark for the company’s iconic sports car. Incredible styling, loads of technology, and an available twin-turbocharged V6 combine to make it one of the foremost Japanese performance cars of the early 9os. Finding clean and stock examples are quite hard to do these days, and this car has just 24,000 original miles with beautiful paint and a near-mint interior. It does, however, feature an automatic transmission, which may not be the preferred choice for someone seeking out a pristine Z32. Find it here on craigslist for $29,500.
The seller claims he found the Nissan parked in an older gentleman’s garage, who apparently used the car quite sparingly aside from firing it up on occasion. The leather seats are beautiful as are the door panels and carpets. You almost miss the fact it’s an automatic at first because you’re distracted by the strong cosmetic condition. The seller reports he has done nothing to the car since bringing it home, using the now-commonplace line of letting the next owner do what is needed to bring it back to tip-top shape so they can have that experience for themselves. Yeah, right – or just maximize your profit by not ever finding out what mechanical needs it may have.
But it’s a valid point: the slope is slippery when you start trying to make incremental improvements without blowing the maintenance budget wide open. I’ve encountered this lately with a car I’m trying to sell wherein I did some must-do maintenance (timing belt) and then noticed the engine mounts were collapsed. And, well, while we’re in there, we should really fix this weeping hose. And, oh gee, the brake pads look tired. Sometimes, if it’s a car you’re not going to keep, it’s just better to bring it home, park it, and not fall into that rabbit hole if maximum profit is your goal. The seller notes that whoever buys it should plan on some deferred maintenance like draining the old gas out.
Now, I don’t think the automatic is a huge buzzkill; after all, the 300ZX was more of a grand tourer than it ever was a raw sports car. The same could be said for one of its competitors, the Mitsubishi 3000GT. If we’re talking about 90s Japanese sports cars, the Mazda RX-7 and Acura NSX were absolutely pure performance vehicles that you’d never want to experience with two pedals; some enthusiasts may make an exception for a car like this 300ZX. Do you think this garage-find sports car is worth owning at the current asking price?
In my opinion, it’s in the top-5 sports cars ever produced. The combination of price, quality, styling, ride, handling, acceleration, comfort, and practicality has not been matched by any modern car but for maybe the 1st gen NSX, the TT Supra (circa 1993), and the C8 Corvette. If I had the $$$, I’d bring it home in an instant, and the AT doesn’t reduce it’s appeal to me one bit.
So the question is this. What else can you buy today for $30k that will give you the twin turbo kick in the pants that this will?
I know that todays prices have left most people out of the hobby, but when you put it in todays perspective, the price is not out of line.
It’s just that I am not in line and probably won’t be ever again. Time for computer sim games. Sigh…
One could buy one hell of a nice 95-96 C4 Corvette (330 hp, 6-speed in 1996) for the asking price here. Maybe even a ZR-1. In my opinion.
I’m with you, Frank
As the owner of a C4 corvette, which I like the 300 zx is really an entirely different type of car to me. Much more of a tech approach to performance and luxury than the corvette which makes them both desirable but for different reasons.
I’ve liked the styling of this generation z since they were new and was always waiting till their values dropped to where they were affordable. Apparently that’s not going to happen with these as they seem to be appreciating.
Good points about both cars. As I am sure you have noticed, the C4’s are also riding the appreciation wave. Enjoy the ride!