It’s sometimes shocking to see what passes for a donated car these days, especially when it’s a Japanese sports car that remains desirable and hard to find on the used car market. This 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo wears great colors and is in seemingly very good to excellent condition, and equipped with the preferred manual transmission. The seller has been posting donation vehicles up for sale for quite some time, but they are rarely this desirable. The vehicle condition report indicates there are few issues beyond some cosmetic flaws, and it’s listed at no reserve. Find it here on eBay with bidding up to $9,100 at the moment.
The Z32 300ZXs upped the ante considerably compared to the preceding generation. Four-wheel steering, twin turbos, and a design that was the first of its kind to use CAD software were just a few of the hallmarks of Nissan’s marquee sports car. The 300ZX earned a reputation of being more of a fine grand tourer than a raw sports car, but it did both jobs well, to be fair. The early 90s were a banner time for capable two-doors from Japan, with the 300ZX going head-to-head with formidable entries from Mazda (RX7) and Toyota (Supra Turbo). While both of those models have risen price-wise for the best examples, the 300ZX has seemingly appreciated more slowly.
Back to our subject car: all of the right details are here that indicate this example was never in the hands of a teenaged-driver, as it remains in stock condition with no obvious accident damage or signs of neglect. When I see a car that’s worth a decent amount in condition like this get donated, all I can figure is the owners were in such a position in life that the extra $10K-$12K in their bank account wasn’t worth it compared to the promise of a tax break and not having to deal with the general public. The interior is in fine condition, aside from a tear the seller noted in the driver’s seat bolster closest to the door. Overall, the black leather seating surfaces look to be incredibly well preserved.
Of course, the big story is the drivertrain, as the turbos featured twin Garrett turbochargers and intercoolers, producing an impressive 300 b.h.p. and 283 ft-lbs of torque. The engine bay in this example is impressive not only for those features but also because it is completely stock – not a cold air intake in site. While the listing is short on gritty details, the seller does include a basic form detailing any watch areas gleaned from their evaluation of the car; as you can surmise based on the condition seen here, no major flaws popped up other than a chunk missing from the leather upholstery on the driver’s side. Would you ever donate a car like this?
The styling on this car was definitely a HUGE Leap Ahead for Nissan at the time.
In fact, it still looks damn good today! (y) (y) :-)
Attractive color combination also, doesn’t look “dated” (like many cars do from the 80s & 90s).
Looks to have been well cared for, & if mileage (85691) is accurate it should have plenty of life still left in it!
Not sure WHY the inspection report list the Seats as being “Poor”. Other than the one small tear/chunk missing from the driver’s seat, the interior looks remarkably good! (Ii shouldn’t cost much for a local upholstery shop to fix/patch that one small driver’s seat flaw.)
The “Inop” reverse lights and turn signals would be my only area of concern. This might indicate some ongoing electrical problems.
But it might just be something as simple as a fuse, or a bad turn stalk switch, and/or a reverse gear sensor on/in the tranny. Personally I’d discuss it with a knowledgeable electric repair shop as odds are good that this is a “known common problem” with these cars & wouldn’t be difficult items to fix. (Worst case: One could probably bypass & completely rewire the reverse circuit for very little cost/effort, same goes for most of the turn signal wiring. But EVEN IF these 2 electrical systems are full of Gremlins, a new owner could drive the car safely as it is & get many more miles/years of enjoyment out of it!)
Those headlights are not stock. Those look like some eBay made-in-China specials. I wonder if that has anything to do with the inop turn signals and reverse lights. Bet it does.
These are great cars, but maintenance under the hood is deeply labor intensive. Access to anything requires extensive disassembly. Best left to experienced hands-on owner or someone willing to spend the money.
For some reason I remember hearing that windshields for these are unobtainum.
SOLD for $15,900.
I think it is easy to figure out why this was donated.
There are a lot of electrical gremlins with this car and some people just don’t want to deal with fixing issues on a car they no longer drive, and also don’t want to deal with explaining it to buyers.
I’d call this well-bought as long as the electrical issues aren’t too intense. Beautiful car.