Mike Hayes found what has become a rare thing on the road these days: an original Datsun 240Z. Original, in two ways: the first of the long Z Car series, and the best looking, for sure. And original as in its condition. Very few survived the huge Z-Car customizing mania that raged like an epidemic across the land for a couple of decades, resulting in mostly abominations along with a few decently done ones. But here’s how it looked, when the 240Z arrived in the fall of 1970.
I did a proper CC on the 240Z here, so I’m not going to very in-depth this time around. Let’s just say that the Z was the biggest revolution in the affordable sports car market just about ever, at least until the Miata showed up. Just like in so many other segments, the Japanese broke barriers in terms of content, performance, value and most of all, reliability. That was a factor sorely missing, and the Z and Miata re-wrote the book. Never mind that the Z had an unbeatable bang for the buck factor at the time, arriving with a phenomenal $3500 price tag.
Yes, these are very notorious rusters. And in very nasty places, like around the front inner structure, which cause scary damage. My son’s friend had a 280Z some years back; the outside of the body didn’t look bad, but when I looked under the hood, I blanched. The whole front end structure was rotten. They wisely ditched it shortly afterwards.
But this one is still in one piece, and we can celebrate that here today.
The surviving original hubcaps are perhaps the most amazing part.
Agreed, although they only appear to be there on one side.
I was about to say the same thing until the pictured showed at least one missing from the passenger side. If I didn’t have a full set I’d have them on the driver’s side since that is what you’ll see when getting in it as the driver anyway.
No matter how you cut it though it is amazing that it is so original this many years later and un-restored.
Yes.I had to double take.. Not the usual Keystone 70s mags .Original paint patina to, hence as rare as rocking horse manure. Im surprise the wind shield was not covered in ” I want to buy your car please call ” notes!
Nice find. Hope it gets a paint job in the not too distant future.
Other than a couple of spots, it looks like it could polish up well, and I would rather try that and keep the original paint than respray if possible. My father has a car with 80% original paint and it does mean you have to be more careful with it as a commercial car wash stripped the polish off it once, taking it back to the heavily oxidized original paint.
Looks to be a ’73 due to the bumper extensions. A shame really, because the emission system changes that year really f’d up the drivability of these nice cars. Dad had a prerequisite orange 1973 model himself, and it only ran right when it was 50-70 degrees outside. Outside of that, forget about driving it…
Love these early Z cars. Saw one at a car show years ago with a 215 Buick aluminum V8 and 4 speed in it. Engine looked like it belonged there.
In the early 90’s I knew a guy who owned what he claimed was one of the first 100 Z’s brought into North America. He loved it and treated it like a family member! I remember him pointing out all of the tiny details that separated a VERY early Z from the others, emblems, etc. His was 100 percent stock. Fascinating stuff to me!
I learned to drive stick on a bored-out ’78 280Z.
In the early 80s I worked with a guy who had an early 70s Z car that he “restored” by fixing the rust and covering the faded gold paint with an early 80s GM burgundy color. Pretty car, but it would have looked better in the original color.
As I recall, the upholstery on the sides of the transmission tunnel was done in a soft, diamond tufted pattern.
I wonder if this is one of the ones that were restored by Nissan and sold through select dealers after the 300ZX was axed and before the 350Z arrived to keep the flame burning. It has a 15 year old car vibe to it.
I was wondering that too. I’m not sure whether they would have kept the overriders on the resto-ed cars, but I really don’t know as I never saw an actual car from this program. I wonder how many were sold with the g-nose used in the ad.
I’d say the paint is not right for one of those resto jobs, that looks like the original paint or at least a paint job done well before the regulations changed the formulations.
I remember that to. Could be. Did NIssan fit “Restored by plaque any where on them ?.
Sweet looking car. It’s nice to see an original survivor. I used to know some people who had one. 🙂
I hated those kinds of hubcaps in 1970 and time/scarcity have done nothing to change my view. That, I’d have to change…even if just to baby moons or a cool dog-dish off another car.
And that RediClinic sign looks so much like FedEx.
But the 240Z, like so many others, is a car where the original is still the best looking one.
Hot Rod magazine’s Roadkill video series played around with one of these a couple of years ago. It was a rustbucket so they used a rollcage to tie the chassis together. It had a Chevy 229 (?) V6/5spd combo with a Holley 4bbl.
They eventually added a turbo from an F350 diesel. The fundamental virtues of the 240 platform made it a great rat-rod that performed well, when it ran. But they deliberately did not put much money or planning into it, so it blew up regularly.
Having owned a car equipped with the 229 V6 (’82 Malibu) I have to wonder why anyone in their right mind would even think about using it in a performance application!
Had a bought new 1978 baby blue 5 speed 280Z, fuel injection that ran on leaded regular gas. Last of the breed. One strong memory was that the driver sat just a few inches in front of the rear axle, so turns were experienced almost from the center point of the turn’s arc. It’s hard to describe how that felt, but suffice it to say it was the exact opposite of driving a Chevrolet Corvair Corvan where one sits on top of the front wheels.
Felt like a mean blue rocket, but sadly, rust rust rust.
My aunt had an identical car — same color, it was a 1973 automatic. She bought it new in ’73, and rarely drove it. By 1988, it had only 45,000 miles. However, that year her mechanic told her the front end was so rusty that it wasn’t safe to drive any longer.
So she bought a new car and put the 240-Z up for sale. She placed an ad in the newspaper saying that it was a 1973 240-Z with 45,000 miles — made no mention of rust. Everyone who came to look at it immediately looked for rust, saw it, and walked away.
A few weeks later she re-worded the ad: Said the car was badly rusted but the engine, transmission and interior were like new, with only 45,000 miles. Several people came at once, were eager to buy the car for parts, and bid up the price beyond the original asking price. I think she kept a hubcap as a memento.
When I was young and foolish I looked with distain at the 240Z while ignoring the decline of the American muscle car. As I have grown older and (marginally) wiser, I have acknowledged the error of my ways. The 240Z is an incredible automobile!
Very nice find. Of all the cars I’ve owned, maybe the favorite might be my 78 JDM Fairlady with the 2.0 Litre L-Series six and 5 spd – all stock except for BBS wheels. A great car; fun to drive, completely reliable.
I wholeheartedly agree that modifications just take away from the pureness of the design.
Good catch, truly a rare survivor with original wheels and a couple of covers. Those wheel covers were not very popular, and did not last long back in the day. I am a purist, so to me they are what looks best. For that reason this car is especially a treat.
My first experience with one of these was in the fall of ’71 when I was working at my first used car lot job. We had two ’70 models that fall, and both of them sold for nearly new price because Nissan could not produce them fast enough to meet the demand. As has been said, they were quite the revolution for the time.
My ex-brother in law saved up his poker winnings while he was stationed in Vietnam and used the cash to buy a new Z when he returned to the states in 1971.
I didn’t fully appreciate these till I was of driving age in the 80s, when the Americanized 280ZX had morphed into the ugly 300ZX.
The early US 240Z was a great car, and the ending, fuel-injected 280Z was a very good car, relative to the competition, even with the big bumpers.
As a kid, I thought the Datsun 510 was the nicest looking Japanese car. A lot nicer than Coronas, and Mazdas. As I got older, I learned it was “the poor man’s BMW 2002”.
So, the big question is, what happened to Nissan, going from purveyor of standout products in the early 70s, to just another company?
“British Racing Brown”
😉
A good friend of my parents had one of these when I was a kid. Faded red/orange, slot mags, louvers on the back window, loud exhaust. I LOVED it. I remember my legs getting wet when riding in it during rains, the floor was kinda holey. He ended up getting rid of it because it kind of broke apart after going over a tall railroad crossing too fast. Very beautiful cars, but man, could they rust.
That takes us back – thanks!
And if you to understand why the Austin-Healey 3000 looks very old, look no further