At $5,800, Will This 1986 Nissan 300ZX Cruise To A Win?

Yahoo

31-03-2025

Today's Nice Price or No Dice 300ZX has T-tops and an automatic, making it perfect for cruise nights now that the weather is getting warmer. Let's see how much we warm up to this classic cruiser's price.
When first reading the Goldilocks story, who did you most identify with? Was it the blonde-locked home invader, or the poor family of bears that did nothing more to deserve such trespass than forgetting to lock their front door? Regardless of which side of the coin you land regarding disruptive intruders and the unsuspecting victims of their transgression, one thing's certain: amazingly, Goldilocks always found the sweet spot in all her conquests.
We all found a similar sweet spot in last Friday's 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Once a six-figure car, these imposingly handsome grand tourers have now seen their values whittled down to the level of attainability for mere mortals. Our car's $28,000 asking price proved that case, by earning a solid 60% Nice Price win.
Read more: What's The Stereotypical Old Person's New Car?
A V8 powered last Friday's Aston, but historically, the company is probably best known for the double overhead cam straight six that--in various displacements--powered its cars through the 1950s and 1960s.
Nissan's category-defining sports car, the Z (and later ZX), also started life with a straight six engine in the form of the 2400 cc 240Z. Ensuing models bumper the displacement but kept the form factor. In 1984, however, that motor tapped out in favor of a new 60° V6, the first such mass-produced engine from any Japanese manufacturer. The switch in under-hood equipment accompanied a major model refresh that saw the rest of the car grow in both size and cache of luxury appointments.
This red over charcoal gray leather 300ZX offers a number of those fancy-pants accouterments, including a four-speed automatic behind its 160 horsepower 3.0-liter V6. Along with that comes leather upholstery, a digital instrument cluster, and smoked glass T-top roof panels. There are also power seats, windows, locks and mirrors, and a stereo in the dashboard that looks like something out of a septuagenarian audiophile's house.
The ad claims this to be a 1986 model, but the full-width tail lights and composite headlamps that pop up in the nose indicate that it is an '87 or later. Perhaps it is a very early '87 refresh that was originally licensed in '86.
Regardless of the year, the car appears to be in great shape. This, the Z31 edition, was the first—and last—of any Z cars to offer pop-up headlamps, and as they are only semi-hidden when lowered, that remaining exposure pays homage to the sugar scoop lights of past models. According to the ad, the car has only 90,000 miles on the clock and has been garaged most of its life, which explains the attractive presentation.
The seller says the car wears good tires. Those wrap basket weave alloys with black centers and polished rims, which accent the red bodywork nicely. More black accents may be found on the door handles, rocker panels, and the leading edge of the rear hatch. One typical failure point on these cars at this age is the rubber seal around the T-top panels. Fortunately, those are said to be intact and leak-free here.
The ad also notes that the current owner has the original floor mats in their possession. The pictures show the car denuded of such carpet protection. Everything else is there, including the highly bolstered bucket seats, which portend much more enthusiastic driving than this automatic-equipped cruiser is capable of. That automatic is controlled via a chunky console shifter with a button for the torque converter lockup. There are plenty more buttons here, including six on the steering wheel and a bunch on the climate control, so suffers of Koumpounophobia beware.
There's no information regarding the car's mechanicals; however, if they have been kept as well as the rest of the car, it should all be OK. Things to consider include when the last time the timing belt was replaced and how the A/C works, as this is an R12 system if it hasn't already been converted. All we get, though, is the statement that the car "Runs and drives."
That may be enough to pique the interest of a prospective buyer. The rest of the car—the nice interior, fun digital dash, and T-tops—add to that intrigue. The final shove might just come from the car's $5,800 asking price.
Admittedly, the Z31 isn't the most sought-after edition of Nissan's (and formerly Datsun's) evergreen sports car. And in non-turbo, automatic form, this isn't the most lust-engendering of those. Still, there's a lot of fun kitsch to be had here, and as a weekend cruiser, this clean-title car has a lot to offer.
What do you think about that offer? Is $5,800 a fair price for this 300ZX as it stands? Or would it be smarter to pass and find a model that's less of a cruiser and more of a bruiser?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Dan Bock for the hookup!
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