Future for the 280ZX marque?

[SeanDezart]

If I cared that much for the cars that came after the S30s...........!

Turn it around, if it wasn't for the S30s (and the 280Z outsold the earlier cars) then the later cars wouldn't have been around either !

In fact, it's more thanks to Nissan who developed the Z series theme and produced a car that did sell so well ! Let's not blame or congratulate a hunk of metal !

And all respect to Mike but the 280ZX's success in the U.S.A. that lifted the Fairlady range to the title of "Best Selling Sports Car of all Time", only recently usurped by the Mazda MX-5 hasn't granted it a place in history and some respect ! The lowly selling 240Z has it all !

Look around, what do people think of the 280, even in the States ? And do people look at a Z32 and think, wow, there's the Z that finish 5th at Le Mans - best ever Nissan finish and it won at Sebring in the same year ? Do they heck !

 

[pmac]

They still sold more in your miserable island than 240s

thats what I said dimwit.

More than DOUBLE the number for 240Zs

Do you have buyers for all your 280 parts

i have awaiting list for some key 280 parts.
You used to be on the list.

 

[SeanDezart]

You used to be on the list.

Keep your list Pete !

 

[STEVE BURNS]

If I cared that much for the cars that came after the S30s...........!

And that statement supports what I said in another thread,

To me the trouble with this club is that it is slowly falling into the very snobby classic club niche the club was fighting against when I joined 18 years ago

We are meant to be promoting the policy of "One Club, All the Cars" and encourage pride of ownership to each of the marque

And one of the replies on that thread was I was talking through my arse !!!!!

 

[SeanDezart]

Got no immediate solution for you on that one - I have a 280, I have a 300, I have a 240 and had a 260. I support them all, I like all of their owners, even the w**kers but I can't deny my love affair with the S30 and that it is my principal interest !

What is the club doing to promote ownership of 280ZXs and Z31s ? What hard to find parts is the club trying to remanufacture - ie 280ZX std exhausts and I'm sure Me F. could give you a huge list of impossible to supply parts or those that are so ludicrously expensive (from the suppliers), that no-one will buy 'em !

Could the clubs' policy be to wait until there are so few cars left on the road that all of them will be in the club - as per the 240s ? Let's not kid ourselves - there is no policy and so the unwanted cars will slowly die off, sliding into the sunset, unrecognised for their true value !

 

[Tony 260Z]

Despite being a 260 fan, I actually think it's very sad that the 280's and Z31's are becoming so few and far between. I may have a preferance for my model, but they're just as much part of the lineage in my eyes.

 

[SeanDezart]

Agreed !

Despite there being oodles more 260 2+2s and 280ZXs (mostly, and I mean +95%) 2+2s over here, the car to own is the 240. The Z31 is totally overlooked and the Z32s are still too expensive (£7000+) for club-men/women ! The 350 owners don't even know what a 240/260/280 is - they were going to buy a Porker/Audi 'til they saw the 350 spec. and price !

AND, the write ups over here were favourable for the 280/Z31 and there are very, very few automatics of either model over here !

 

[JEZ 280ZX]

Hi,
I have quite a few contemporary UK road tests of the 280ZX and Z31 and both were compared pretty favourably with the competion at the time!
There tended to be an anti Japanese car slant to most articles in the 1980's, but the engineering of both models never seemed to be in doubt.
No motoring writer back then was going to be seen to favour a Datsun/Nissan over a Porsche or Jaguar either!
Times have changed and new Japanese coupes are now seen as being trendy.
Even the old 280zx is starting to get some recognition...

See Classics magazine July 2003
"Modifying the 280ZX"...a modifying guide to the superb Datsun 280ZX....It turns out that with the right mods, this is a true Z after all."

This article is excellent and features 3 different 280ZX's in different states of tune (ZClub cars)...I will scan it if I have time.

 

[SeanDezart]

the superb Datsun 280ZX....It turns out that with the right mods, this is a true Z after all."quote]

But again......it is a true Z before any mods !

 

[barriejames]

280?

Guys the points put forward are all valid but we cannot escape the truth (in my opion) the 240 is the one to have, I wish 280 owners well and am sure the cars are ok but just scan any independent site you like and classic car auction site and see what is valued!!! And sean you are right regarding the 350z owners they don't mostly know about z lines and history. Kinda like an 1971 rs mexico mk 1 escort v a 1984 1.6 ghia escort

 

[SeanDezart]

Kinda like an 1971 rs mexico mk 1 escort v a 1984 1.6 ghia escort

Can you not at least quote the XR3i instead of the Ghia for the ZXs.....

 

[bigchef]

Friends, Friends, Friends, all this bickering debate seems futile in my opinion. As owner of 260, 260 2+2, 280zx coupe and 350z (I know about the cars pedigree!!)I think I can safely say all marques have their place and deserve the respect they each have earned on the tracks around the world. It's true the 240z fetches most money, but does this make it a better car? Maybe the markets changed over the years, more units sold stateside possibly created the market strategy i.e more comfort options/luxury. If I'm honest I'll tell you I hated the 280zx at first until that is I aquired one. Now the car has pride of place in my "fleet" and as such I cannot really agree with all the to-ing and fro-ing of this debate on whether or not the 280 is worthy of being kept alive. It's a Zed and part of the Z heritage had it not existed would we be at 350 now?Because they weren't well recieved in Blighty for an array of reasons doesn't mean they were a non entity, after all how many of you have an L28 transplant and would it be available if no 280zx had been produced? Performance parts are plentiful if you know where to look, they're not cheap I accept but then restoring my 260s hasn't been pocket change....
In short, View them for their what they are worth to you.....Drivers cars every last one....

 

[Nigel Brook]

Anything looks better in the sun!

 

[SeanDezart]

I don't know if the debate is on 'wheter the 280ZX (Z31) is/are worthy of being kept alive'. Truth is, people aren't keepin' alive as the sum of the parts is worth more than the whole. Values have dropped to that point ! Diff, gearbox and engine and some knick-knacks and you have £1000 for a car that probably cost the breaker £100 !

I enjoyed driving our 280 and it cost me £200 ! It's patiently waiting now for 10x that in order to restore it.

 

[JEZ 280ZX]

I enjoyed driving our 280 and it cost me £200 ! It's patiently waiting now for 10x that in order to restore it.

For £200 it's hardly suprising it needs lots spending on it!

 

[barriejames]

E bay

One on ebay now guys going for a whacking £97 yes that is 97 less than a ton!!! This is the sharp end of the debate, less than a night out on the p..s!!!

 

[SeanDezart]

For £200 it's hardly suprising it needs lots spending on it!

Hee, hee - is £2000 a lot of money to restore a Z then ?

 

[JEZ 280ZX]

Hee, hee - is £2000 a lot of money to restore a Z then ?

Will probably need more than that though!

 

[SeanDezart]

No my Lord, for I have a cunning plan ! Where, can you guess, do all the Germans take their cars to be restored (because it costs sooo much less) ?

 

[Mr.G]

France??