Should I or Should I not buy a 1979 280zx?

[ehanvey]

I own a 84 300zx, a 90 300zx and a 90 300zxtt. All in excellent condition. Saw a 79 280zx for sale, love the body style. Saw no rust (first thing I looked for).

Is there4 something about a 79 280zx that I should shy away from?

[280~Master]

I would buy this for one reason and one reason only. The engine, maybe the diff out of it if it was a R200 3:90 or 4:11. The 79 from what I have heard is one of the worst ZEDs ever made. It weighs more than a fat bird on turkey day :eek: and is not that fast (Stock). I know in 79 that was the first year for the ZX body style. It lost alot of power due to the weight and emission restrictions. Don't get me wrong its still a Z and I love Z cars but if i was going to buy a Z a 79 would be my last choice of them all. I do believe there is some threads out there that discuss what had changed in 79. If you did a search you might find some good info about them. I believe Carl (Bambikiller) knows alot about this car and what changes were made. I may be wrong but I do believe I read something about the 79 and Carl had a lot of info about it. I had one about 10 years ago and took the engine out of it and sold it to the junk yard for $100.

Now I am just one guy with just one opinion so don't get mad if I have said bad things about a Zed.

[Mr Camouflage]

Now I am just one guy with just one opinion so don't get mad if I have said bad things about a Zed.

It's not a Zed. Its a ZX. No offence taken.

[KDMatt]

Indeed, the '79 is widely considered the least collectable Z-car ever produced, but it really all comes down to what you want.

If you're just looking for wheels that'll get you around and look good doing it, then the '79 ZX is definitely a good candidate (especially since it sounds like you're not short on cars that are already fast). Know that the drivetrain from the '79 ZX is basically unaltered from the '78 Z (except with a few, aforementioned "emissions goodies" tacked on), and that the ZX is significantly heavier, which results in a lot less throttle response.

My experience with the '79 is that while it is responsive and comfortable (probably even accurately described as 'luxurious'), it is certainly not "intuitive" as many others will describe earlier (and possibly later) Z-cars to be. The one fun thing about it though, is that it's very rear-end heavy, so the minute you accelerate hard, the front end will rise up very noticeably.

I'm not crazy about the '79 as a matter of principle, but hey, it's still technically a Z-car, it still looks cool, and it might even be fun to drive. So I say check it out if you're interested. If the price is fair, and the mileage is respectable, it might be worth seriously considering.

[Mike]

It is a Z. Don't let anyone tell you it is not a fun car to drive. A lot of people are hardcore Z-only lovers and will tell you that it is not a real Z. Some of them even hate the new Z and just don't think anything else but an early car is the way to go.

However, I believe that even a ZX is a fun car to drive. The X actually stands for "luxury" and there are several videos in our gallery that depict quite a marketing venture toward that fact.

When compared to an early Z (240, 260, 280), a ZX is a different flavor of a Z. In fact, there will soon be a time when the ZX becomes a classic in itself.

-- Mike

[waynekarnes]

i bought a 79 zx gl in 81. drove it as my daily driver for 2 years.

original owner had traded it in on an 82 zx turbo.

in comparison, the 240z rides and drives like a datsun pick up of the same era.

the zx is not a real z car. nor are others that came after the original z car. at least not in the idea and statement expressed by the 240z. a light weight stripped down gt sports coupe. built to excite the senses with good looks, reliability, and sheer sexy lines.

the zx is a solid car, more jaguar feel. quality without all the breaking down and lucas " the prince of darkness " electrical issues that plagued the jags.

when the zx was new, to people who owned and drove the 240z, the zx was considered a woman's or fat old man's car. not a true gt coupe. the car was fat, bloated and underpowered.

nissan/datsun had wandered far off the path the 240z was designed to follow.

that said, the 79 zx was a big hit, the best selling car of the z series at that time.

having driven and owned both the zx and a real z car, i could tell why.

one has to finesse a 240z and really drive it.

the zx was a much friendlier car to drive. it felt solid and sure footed. all doors closed with an assuring thud. the door glass didn't rattle. heater and airconditioning worked as well as any pricey euro trash bmw or other gt.

for it's day, it compared favorable in acceleration and cruise speed to cars costing much more. i had considered buying a new 79 vette. the '79 vette wallowed and was way under powered, felt as if it was going to fall apart around me as i test drove it. the 79 zx was, well it put a great big smile on my face.

i used to drive mine over 17 to santa cruz from san jose at least once a week. could drive the whole way in 5th gear. engine would pull it and suspension would handle it. 4 wheel disc brakes would stop it fast.

seats were comfortable, mirrors in the right place, stereo was excellent. ride was firm but not teeth rattling. a very enjoyable car to drive.

worst gas mileage in stop and go driving was 11 mpg. usually around town mileage was 17 mpg. on the road at 65, i consitantly got over 28 mpg. best mpg was a trip to the swap meet in pomona from san jose, 32 mpg. cruise set at 60 mph.

all that said.

until i drove one, i was very biased against the zx.

they took the beautiful shape of the 240z and turned it into a fat cow.

later they pinched the front of the 280zx called it a 300zx and made it a funny looking fat cow.

but, after driving the 79 zx, i wanted one. it is truly a nice car. more room inside than the 240z. luxury abounds. i was 25 when i bought my 79 zx. i was wrong about it being a fat old man's car.

it certainly wasn't a 240z, it wasn't a light weight gt sports coupe. in most 240z owner's eyes, it wasn't as pretty as the 240z, but it does have some beautiful lines of its own. beauty in the eye of the beholder. even though i prefer, have owned and currently own the real and original z, truth is, if i had the money i'd own another 280zx.

as far as collector status, outside of us z types, none of the z cars are really what one would call collectable.

all z cars are still a niche car, with a smaller audience than say the rambler AMX.

collector status ... as far as the most collectable

ranking in order of most to least.

the 240z, pretty much skip all the zx series until you get to the twin turbo 300zx. the 96 being the most collectable of the zx series. nothing after 96 is collectable ( yet ).

as clean 240's are becoming harder to find and more of the 280z's were produced people are settling for the 280z in place of a 240z. so the 280z may soon be as valueable as the 240z among those that don't know the difference between the two. right now the 280z is just slightly more desireable than the zx.

if you prefer the lines of the 280 zx series, the 83 turbo is the collectable one. but again, even it falls behind the 240z or the 300zx twin turbo in value and desireablity. if you are looking for something in the 280zx series to round out your personal collection, get the 83zx.

if the 79 zx is clean and the price is right, buy it for yourself, not for the collector value. you will enjoy the ride.

i'm off my soap box and expect the arrows to start flying over my statements.

[sblake01]

I guess there's really nothing wrong with a ZX, 79 or any other year. I just have my preferences. For so song, I too was into ZX bashing. If you hear something enough, you start to give it credibility. But hell, my daily driver is an 810. You want to talk about something that's not a Z? Anyway, further research has led me to believe that they (ZX's) really aren't substantially heavier than a later S30 say 75-78. And I've seen some really nice examples of the ZX at the Nissan/Datsun gatherings here in SoCal. If the deal is right, and you like the car, it's really your opinion that matters.

[Fun_in_my_z]

If you got the money buy it. That car will be rare one day. ?I Want a 83t myself

[Carl Beck]

HI ehanvey:

The base model 79 280ZX is lighter than the 78 280Z.

The cd on the ZX is lower

The 79 280ZX sat the all time sales record for the Z Car Line

Personally if I were buying a 79-83 ZX today - I'd get the best, lowest mileage 83 280ZX Turbo I could find. I'd expect to pay well over $10K for it...(but of course I'd like to steal it for something closer to $5K ;-)... If I wanted one to drive - I'd be looking for that 82/83 ZX Turbo with less than 75K miles that I could buy for $5K to $6K from the original owner. (personally I like the 2+2 in this model as well).

Basic 79 280ZX's with less than 80K miles are selling for $3,500.00 to $4,500.00.. here in Florida. Maybe less on the West Coast.. A 79 with 35K miles sold for $4,500.00 here last year.. after being on the market for 6 months with an "asking price" of $7,500.00.

In General Terms:

A "collectable" automobile is one that is considered to be worthy of being collected, protected and preserved by most automotive authorities. These could be future "Classic, Collectable, and Special Interest Cars" (note all with Capital "C").

Most automotive authorities consider all First, Second and a couple of Third Generation "Z"/"ZX" as very collectible at this point. Depending on their condition a few of these examples are now "Collector Cars" selling for well above the $20K price range.

If you want a sense of what cars the automotive authorities consider to be currently "Collectable, Classic and Special Interest Automobiles" - simply pick up a copy of the Old Cars Price Guide or NADA Car's of Particular Interest Price Guide. Both these publications track the cars that most automotive experts, collectors and Collectors consider to be in that class.

A "Collector" Quality automobile is one that is recognized by most automotive authorities as not only being a Classic, Collectable or Special Interest car, but being of such high quality that it would be judged by expert judges as being a #1 or #2 quality rating example.

In the real "Collector" market (not only Z Car Enthusiasts)..COLLECTORS.. the advice from many experts for several years now has been to BUY Z's before they hit their peak values...

Collectors have paid this year....

78 280Z.... 600 mile.... sold for $40K

72 240Z...16K miles..... sold for $30K

70 Series I 32K miles.....sold for $25K

80 280ZX 10th AE.. 800miles....$25K

Also several of the Vintage Z's from the Nissan Program have sold for $20K + this past year.

Only the Datsun 240-Z is currently broadly recognized as being a true "Classic Car" in the Collector sense of the term. Most doubt that the 280ZX will ever reach that status.

In general terms, the 79 - 83 280ZX has the same rock solid drive train as the first generation Z's, the body is a bit more rigid and they are over-all & all-round great cars. Styling is of course subjective - I personally like them a lot. The only downside could be the electronics in the digital dashs, future cost/availability of the ECU's, etc.

Bottom line is - if it's a good deal and you like that specific car - buy it. If you would like to own and enjoy a 280ZX more or less as a collectible... look for an 82/83 280ZX Turbo with less than 80K miles, in overall excellent condition.. and buy one. It will cost a bit more initially, but hold more of it's resale value, may increase in value and will always be easier to resell if you have to.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://Zhome.com

[deadflo]

Besides owning a 71 series one 240Z, I have driven a 79 ZX as my daily driver since 1990. In that role it has been the most reliable car I've ever owned. I am 49 years old and have had a fair number of cars, including a 66 Impala SS, with 396, 69 Pontiac Lemans, 71 VW Beetle, 72 VW Bus, 71 Corolla and Corona, Some real POS 80's cars (Escort and Cavalier), 88 Accord, 94 previa.

The ZX has been a fun cruiser, that DOES get compliments for it's looks(a great deal of people don't know the difference between a ZX and an S30).

It is fun to drive on back roads, maybe not as much a handler as the 240-Z but still FUN.

It is NOT heaver than a 280-Z. Road and Track reported it weighed LESS than a 78 Z by about fifty pounds. The oft quoted lower power output is based on the fact the under hood label finally began to quote the net vs gross power output in 79. The engine is the same as a 280-Z. Too many people seem to to just repeat the old misinformation, much of which was written by some auto journalists who drove the car once in 1979 when it was released.Some probably had driven a 240-Z once a few years before.

Obviously if you had a 240-Z in 1979, you would thinkof the new ZX as a soft, fat car. It is softer. Its just as fat as a 280-Z.

If you bought a 280-ZX new in 79 and had never driven a 240-Z you might think of the older car as a tinny, loud, car ,not as plush, and not as well put together as the newer car.

I know alot of women (like my wife) prefer the ZX as a more substantial car.

I love em both.

[sblake01]

A general synopsis here:

Basically those that go exclusively on what they've heard, don't like the ZX. I used to be in that catagory. Those that have had some experience with them realize that it's just another car in the progression. They couldn't keep making the S30 forever. I r&r'd the AC system for a guy in 2003 when I was sitll living in Fontana. His car was a 1981 280ZX. I had reason to drive the car during testing and though it was a little squattier than my 280 and leaned a little more in the corners, it was just as enjoyable to drive. Now I'm comparing it to my 280. I can't really compare it to either of the 240's I owned since that was over 30 years ago and I'd be relying on memory (dangerous!). But don't say 'it's not a Z' or that you'd only buy it for parts. Nissan says its a Z and they built it. The new one is also a 'Z' as are the Z31, and Z32, like it or not.

[mriz]

I had both a 79zx and 82 zx. I preferred the 82 hands down . It felt like the steering / suspension felt better although I'm not sure if any changes were made. But it was what it claimed to be a ZX not a Z and you can't knock it for that. So if a 79zx is what you want go for it.