Ugly car, great story.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I've never loved the 280zx. It was bloated, mushy and underwhelming. And the performance was the same. You can't really blame Datsun for this though, as, like all other sports car manufacturers around the globe, they tried to come up with performance solutions.

 

One such performance solution that helped handling, but not speed, was the massive rear wing, offered as a homologation part to be able to gain downforce for their racing cars.

 

Here's a cool article, about one of those cars. Don't be scared, the car is rather ugly, but imagine it in racing trim.

 

https://www.motor1.com/news/697299/datsun-280zxr-for-sale-with-15-miles/

 

[datzenmike]

They are only good for their struts and brakes for other Datsuns. Never liked them, mostly because they don't look like a Z car. Back in the day they were considered 'option overloaded' as dealers loaded them down with too much junk. They got heavy and needed a turbo to haul it's ass around. A sports car should be two seater, manual transmission, 2 door, light, low to the ground, good power to weight ratio, simple and easy for the owner to fix. The zx was originally like the first Thunderbird... then it became a boat.

[Icehouse]

I don't disagree with anything stated above but..... The 280zx with the turbo!  Damn that must have been the shit back in the day.  I drove one.  It wasn't fast but it made cool noises!  Probably fast in it's time.  

[datzenmike]

Agree. But I found them an 'old man's car' by the '80s. Too many creature comforts that would be great for me today but back then I was only 30.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I owned a 280zx turbo for about a month. It was sort of fast, and the lines weren't horrible. It came with 17" gold mesh wheels which helped the looks a ton. I could have spent some time on it to make it cool, but I kicked it to the curb instead.

 

You guys ever seen Boogie Nights? When the Phillip Seymour Hoffman character gets his new 280zx. That's what I think of when I see a 280zx - late '70s swank, too much coke, shoulda bought a corvette instead. But the vettes back then were the same... Maybe a 911.

 

I have always felt that the original iteration of any breed is the most appealing. Visually, and in terms of simplistic performance. So in this case, the 240z. Lighter, less junk, more cool. There are some exceptions, like the 911. I feel the 911s got better in the mid late '80s.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Stoffregen Motorsports

[paradime]

Sports cars were neutered by smog requirements in the 70s, and were complete shit boxes by the 80s. Although the 911 retained it's basic body shape, I wouldn't drive a Porsche if it was given to me. Tipping in at 3,307 lb. the base Vett's 350ci V8 made a wapping 145 hp in 1981. For the same price, the 280ZX Turbo made 180 hp, and weighed just under 3,000 lbs. Grotesquely anemic by today's standards, but such was the state of performance back in the day. 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by paradime

[Duncan]

I remember seeing the over-stuffed diamond-tufted velour seats in those.  They look liked they belonged in a Lincoln or  a Caddie..

 

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

On 12/20/2023 at 11:14 AM, Duncan said:

I remember seeing the over-stuffed diamond-tufted velour seats in those.  They look liked they belonged in a Lincoln or  a Caddie..

 

 

 

Or in a Las Vegas casino.

[Anonymous Waffle]

I grew up around older Nissans and Datsuns, living in Okinawa and California, and I definitely love mid to late 60's to 70's japanese sports cars, but I do have an appreciation for the cars from the early 80s. Performance but with a spec of "luxury". Is it perfect? Definitely not, especially for the cars marketed towards the USA

One of the biggest let downs in my opinion was the failure for diesels to take off as a viable option in the USA. The 910 Maxima, 720, Sentra.. The isuzu pickups, or the terrible converted GM 350 diesel in the lesabre, delta 88, bonnevilles.. All in reality a failure in the application of diesels in the u.s. 

 

The 80s was a weird time, with alot of new experiments and failures. Its also why I love the early 80s cars, theyre just so weird!

 

I'd love to drive a 280zx for once especially if its a turbo. I want to see how good they actually are or how much potential they have. 

[datzenmike]

8 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Or in a Las Vegas casino.

 

Or a whorehouse.

[datzenmike]

44 minutes ago, Anonymous Waffle said:

I grew up around older Nissans and Datsuns, living in Okinawa and California, and I definitely love mid to late 60's to 70's japanese sports cars, but I do have an appreciation for the cars from the early 80s. Performance but with a spec of "luxury". Is it perfect? Definitely not, especially for the cars marketed towards the USA

One of the biggest let downs in my opinion was the failure for diesels to take off as a viable option in the USA. The 910 Maxima, 720, Sentra.. The isuzu pickups, or the terrible converted GM 350 diesel in the lesabre, delta 88, bonnevilles.. All in reality a failure in the application of diesels in the u.s. 

 

The 80s was a weird time, with alot of new experiments and failures. Its also why I love the early 80s cars, theyre just so weird!

 

I'd love to drive a 280zx for once especially if its a turbo. I want to see how good they actually are or how much potential they have. 

 

I would say the 610 was the earliest dressed up slightly, if not souped up car. In Japan it came with optional L16SSS with dual SUs and dogleg 5spd but it didn't cross the ocean. For sure the 810/Maxima was the first 'Sport Luxury' car with optional 5 speed and six cylinder L24 engine at least performance and interior wise. Outwardly not so sporty looking. The '79 280zx was the change from strictly sport car 280z to Sport Luxury being bloated and heavy with comfort options and diverging from it's sport car roots that continued with the 300zx. The '77-'79 S10, '80-'82 S110 and the '84-'88 S12 and ending with the 240sx S13/14 was the progression of the 'little brother' four cylinder performance with some creature comforts car. 

 

The GM 350 diesel was a piece of shit being made in a hurry by converting a gas engine. The Nissan SD engines were in few words... low on power. Should have been if not larger, turboed.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

The 280zx was in direct competition with the early '80s Corvette, in terms of marketing. They are actually very similar in character. Both are bloated and soft, underpowered and choked down quiet. Too much sound deadener. Too big of muffler. Springs too soft. Right there, if you change those three items, both cars become way more of a sports car.

 

I don't know if I ever mentioned it here, but I once saw a 300zx "Corvette killer" that was commissioned as a one-off. It was light weight and had a bit more power, but mostly just light weight. No power anything, not even windows. I can't remember the weight savings, but it was huge, like 500 lbs. Frank Honsowetz was storing it at Doug Barnhold's chicken ranch in Fontana. That's where I saw it. Frank supposedly stole it from Nissan, as it was slated to be crushed. I wonder where that car is now!

[datzenmike]

Weight to HP... does it every time.

[EDM620]

On 1/9/2024 at 5:49 PM, datzenmike said:

Weight to HP... does it every time.

The Colin Chapman approach - remove weight!

[iceman510]

7 hours ago, EDM620 said:

The Colin Chapman approach - remove weight!

 

"Add lightness". 😁

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

We raced against a Lotus 7 this last weekend. Same motor, but 400 pounds lighter car. I don't know what he was running for a motor, but it could have been a Ford 1600 with dual Webers. Combine that and the weight savings, he was hard to beat.

Edited March 18 by Stoffregen Motorsports

[Soundline]

You’ve all made valid points.  For this specific car, as Indiana Jones says, “it belongs in a museum”.