This 1976 Datsun 280Z has been in the seller’s garage for some time and represents a rarely seen model that captures the essence of the original design before the Z car became a heavier and more feature-laden grand tourer, rather than the raw sports car it started out as. The 280Z has a dedicated following, and prices for these rarely seen end-of-the-line models have been rising lately as collectors wise up to the desirability of the S30 model in virtually any form that remains in stock condition. This one presents quite well but is saddled by the automatic. Find it here on craigslist in Seattle for $25,000.
That’s a lot of coin for one of these, even with their rising popularity. Still, finding a Z from this era that’s in stock condition and not rusty does command a premium, but seeing as cars in similar condition and equipped with the preferred manual gearbox haven’t been reaching this price point, it still feels a touch high. The turbine-style wheels look great, and green paint is a nice change of pace from the usual grays and blacks. The big draw here is the level of documentation that comes with the car and the original features, from the paint to the interior to presumably, the numbers-matching engine.
The interior is an interesting mixture of colors and does raise some questions. Someone who is more versed in these cars than I am could likely confirm whether Datsun offered tan door panels with black seats and carpeting, along with contrasting black armrests. I’ve gone back and looked at a series of previous auction sale listings and none of those cars had this feature. It seems plausible to me that given the seller mentions “…some sections of carpet are missing” that the previous owner began swapping the interior to black, and either decided to leave the door panels in place or didn’t get far enough in the transition. Either way, it’s a bit of a ding for this example.
The seller doesn’t specifically say that this is a numbers-matching car, which is actually a concern given many drivers swapped in the more powerful engine from the later 280ZX once the stock mill logged too many miles. Still, it seems unlikely here given the low mileage claim of just over 32,000 and the overall presentation of this being a genuine two-owner car that was never hot-rodded. The 280Z is quickly becoming the next best choice if you’ve been priced out of the Series 1 market, so it may make sense to see if a discount can be applied due to the automatic transmission penalty and because this one hasn’t been driven in some time, thus requiring a tune-up and basic reconditioning.
Speaking as a lover of all that is Z, I’ve been told that the swap from AT to 4-5spd is relatively simple, but have never attempted it myself. Bidding on this one (25k for me? no) would require a hands-on inspection (for hidden rust mainly) plus confirmation/pricing on the manual swap.
Yep, they did it on Wheeler Dealers
I will never understand why sellers lead off their ad with their car covered.
It’s some kind of bizarre affectation for these ads. I do not get it either.
And I’d knock about 10 grand off of the price for what may be one of the ugliest car covers I’ve ever seen :-)
It’s a shame actually.
The seller states that the auto trans makes this car even more rare. Little does he know he should subtract $5k from the price, not add it
i had a 80 280zx, bought cheap 800$ with rusty front fenders and a rusty under bar [not frame but you know] i had a neighbor i grew up with who worked at the local datsun dealer and he ordered me the replacement frame piece and two fenders. my brother and I welded in that bar and i replaced the fenders. it had some old 14″ turbine aftermarket wheels, i gave those to my brother for his 260z and threw on some 15″ enkei’s and a header/ansa exhaust. that was a fun and decently fast car .
Nice looking car but surprisingly slow.
I worked in the mid 1970s at a Datsun & BMW dealership. It was very common to sell cars with different color seats, or even complete interior swaps. We could usually do a “seats & panels” swap on a BMW 2002 or 318i in about an hour, but the 280Z cars took about 30 minutes longer due to the panels in the rear area.
The place where I worked was called VOB Auto, in Bethesda, MD, and claimed to be the largest Datsun and BMW dealer in the country. We sold all the 280Z cars we could get, always optioned out with aftermarket wheels as seen on this car, and expensive AM/FM stereo systems.
Because we took out the non-stereo AM/FM radios that were standard on the Z cars, I used to buy them from the parts department, 3 for $10. Sold them at the Carlisle car flea markets for $20 each. Also bought brand new 280Z full wheel covers, never installed, still in the cardboard box of 4, for $10/set. Sold sets of 4, in the box, for $35 or more. Wish I still had a few sets left over!
Delusional price! For a 240z, maybe but not this. Automatic?