The market for the original Datsun Z car has been hot for some time, and because of that, we seem to keep finding good, barn-find examples popping up, not entirely unlike what happened when the air-cooled Porsche market spiked. Then, suddenly, perfect barn- and garage-finds were being pulled out everywhere you looked. The market for an original Z car isn’t quite as frenzied, but you still see strong bidding on earlier models like this 1971 example listed here on eBay. The seller claims it’s a genuine garage find that’s been owned by the same family since new, and photos reveal that it has responded incredibly well to its first proper cleaning in decades. Bidding is at $17,600 with the reserve unmet.

Now, this isn’t a Series 1 car, which is the most sought after, but it would seem to be the next best thing as it’s still a 240Z and retains all of the distinguishing features that set those early cars apart. The smaller bumpers, less emissions-choked performance, and overall “lighter” appearance, though that last quality is certainly subjective. The seller has done us all a favor and not left the car covered in dust, so we can actually see just how strong the paint still is. The driver’s side fender appears to have either some dents or wrinkles of some kind, but the seller doesn’t disclose whether it’s superficial a trick of the camera, or an actual body issue. Still, there’s no denying this 240Z has survived in excellent condition despite its many years off the road.

The interior shows signs of wear and tear, which is to be expected; still, the cabin presents well despite being unrestored. While the 240Z may have been stored indoors, it still sports the typical dash cracks that so many Z cars come with. The green paint continues into the door jambs, which could indicate the exterior is original, or someone at least performed a thorough respray back in the day. The seller doesn’t say much about the cockpit, and the photos don’t really give us a full picture – but the main concern is the transmission as many Z cars were equipped with fun-sapping automatics. Fortunately, in this case, the preferred manual gearbox is on board.

In addition to giving the paint some attention, the seller has also taken the necessary steps to get the 240Z running happily once again. In addition to replacing fluids and various hoses, he has also replaced the clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder, brake cylinder, spark plugs, and wires, and installed a fresh set of tires. He claims it runs and drives beautifully, which could indicate the odometer reading is accurate, but that low mileage of just 44,268 is not verified due to a lack of paperwork. Overall, this is a beautiful example of an early 240Z car that’s still relatively affordable if the reserve is $20K or less.