Have you ever noticed a car pop up for sale that you’ve seen around town? One of the first vehicles of interest I spotted upon moving to Maryland was this rare 1984 Nissan 300ZX 50th Anniversary Edition, a turbocharged version of the classic Z31 sports car. The car has been parked at a local gas station seemingly as a project car for the owners of the repair facility. Now, it has popped up here on Facebook Marketplace as a driver with some useful recent maintenance performed for $6,000.

I actually stopped in to speak with the owner before the car was for sale to see if the Z could be bought; however, I thought better of it, recognizing I knew very little about the Z car and generally have had a short-term love affair with any Japanese “sporty” cars I’ve bought. Overall, the Z felt very honest, and given how many unique details were associated with the 50AE cars, you can usually tell if you’re looking at an abused or neglected example. The black rocker panels, “Turbo” lettering, alloy wheels with gold insets, a hood scoop, and upgraded interior are all tell-tell signs you’re looking at a limited edition model.

It’s interesting: I was excited when this 300ZX came up for sale, and thought seriously about going to look at it. But some of you may know the feeling that occurs within when a car goes from one you admired from afar to having the chance to buy it: do you still want  to? That’s the tell-tale sign as to how badly you want something. For me, I certainly admire this Z-car’s rarity and the attractiveness of the 50th AE package (not to mention future collectability – I think the Z31 cars still have a ways to go value-wise), but when faced with the chance to own one, the enthusiasm drops off considerably. The leather seats are in great shape and the dash shows no cracks; overall, the interior should clean up nicely. It also appears the “Bodysonic” stereo is still in place.

I can attest to having seen the seller working on this 300ZX, with recent work including a clutch replacement, and the seller also notes it has new tires. These 50th AE cars were loaded with numerous performance-oriented features, including adjustable suspension, ventilated disc brakes, a digital gauge cluster, and of course, the turbocharged 3.0-liter VG30ET V6. The engine generates around 200 horsepower a long with 227 lb-ft of torque. The seller’s asking price seems fair, given truly nice examples of these 50th AE cars can fetch over $30K. While it’s no longer on my short list, I still like this Z31 and hope the next owner preserves its mostly stock condition.