This 1986 Nissan 300ZX achieves several key feats: for one, it is in very nice condition, clearly deserving of the survivor title. For another, it comes with all records since new, a striking achievement. Finally, the seller is asking a reasonable $7,000, which seems like a fair deal for a car that’s in as nice of condition as this one is. The 300ZX is a naturally-aspirated model with 159,000 miles and a few quirks, which the seller is up front about. Find it here on craigslist and thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
The Z31 300ZX is a familiar sight to most of us. It was quite popular when new, as it was an attainable sports car for many. The 5-speed is the one to get, but even with the automatic, these sporty two-doors were fine drivers. I suspect that’s why we see so many of them with two pedals versus three, much like the Porsche 928: why row your own gears when the car does just fine shifting for you? In the case of the shift action, the seller notes that this one rows through the gears just fine but that it may need a transmission control computer in the future.
The interior really is stunning for the miles this Z car has. It has all the bells and whistles, from the digital gauge cluster to the talking computer that reminds you that your door is ajar. The slick stereo system has been partially updated with a newer head unit which is really my only complaint; the original cassette player and equalizer put Nissan in the front of the pack when it comes to factory stereos. There’s no leather seats in here, but the cloth buckets present quite well. The seller notes he is the third owner, with the second caretaker owning it from 1988-2024.
The documentation is always a plus to me, and I hope whoever goes and looks at this sweet 300ZX is smart enough to grab any and all physical records. Honestly, if this seller had a way to present all of the data in a digital format, it would make for an even better presentation. Since he took possession of it, he’s performed a claimed-$4,000 in maintenance despite driving it less than 1,000 miles. The big highlight is the recent timing belt and tensioner, so the lion’s share of the heavy lifting has been done for you. This seems like a great buy all day long from where I’m sitting.
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