Classic Z

[olzed]

Can somebody enlighten me on what models are considered these days to be a Classic Z.

1972 240Z. Is it a classic?

2003 350Z. Is it considered to be a classic?

370Z???

Edited December 13, 2010 by olzed

[Gary in NJ]

From Wikipedia:

"The Classic Car Club of America, maintains that a car must be between 20 and 45 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class."

[jellobob777]

I think the term "Classic " is somewhat open as to each persons opinion . Is a 72 Pinto a Classic its between 20-40 years old ??? In my opinion the S30 body is the "Classic" Z . That would be Z cars produced between 70-78 .Just one mans opinion !

[Inf]

From Wikipedia:

"The Classic Car Club of America, maintains that a car must be between 20 and 45 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class."

Wow so by that definition, THIS is a classic now?

Never thought I'd see the day...

[FastWoman]

I think there are other factors besides age. I personally feel that a classic often represents some important development or niche in the automotive industry, so yes, a Ford Pinto might in some respects be a classic. For better or worse, it defined certain aspects of a bygone era. I have to admit a beat-up Pinto I saw at the gas pump several years back brought quite a smile to my face. Were they great cars? By no means! But they were important to the era.

Whether someone would want to go through the work and expense of restoring a derelict Pinto is another matter. (A critical piece of a stock restoration would probably be that fatal U-bolt that made the cars go kaboom!) Very few people would take on such a project. I know I wouldn't. Oddly, that makes road-worthy Pintos quite rare.

Smile, because there are still rare people who might keep a few of these cars on the road...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Pinto-1971-Pinto-Survivor-/160511857676?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item255f40940c

[IdahoKidd]

I have always believed the classic Z to be the original, the 240-280 series. After the original, such as the zx and later, not really classics. The 67 camero is a classic. The 1980 is not. The Pinto is a classic, as is the AMC Pacer. All of them original unto themselves. There has to be something to distinguish it and be readily recognizable. The round fender Chevy PU's from 67-72. Perhaps something that designates an "era", defines a period. One day the Prius will be an icon (a fools folly period-a K car might fall into that category). I tend to believe that a "classic" is a pretty universal acceptance, that is, most everyone is on board calling it a classic. Diminishing availability and a 'cult' following probably helps define a classic. So, in the Z car world, (in answer to your question), the 240, 260, and 280 meet all that criteria. These are also the primary subject at this site, which is "The Classic Zcar Club"

[Walter Moore]

From Wikipedia:

"The Classic Car Club of America, maintains that a car must be between 20 and 45 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class."

So, in five years our cars start the transition from classic to antique... It is hard not to take that personally.

Oh, having owned a 72 Pinto I feel obliged to point out that while it was indeed one of the WORST cars ever mass produced in the U.S., the primary thing that caused them to "go BOOM" was being hit from behind by a much larger vehicle travelling at a substantially higher speed. Having removed and re-installed the gas tank in my 71 240Z I personally doubt that it would fare much better than a Pinto if it was struck from behind by a full sized van travelling in excess of 80 MPH while it was sitting at a stop light.

(which I recall being the nature of the accident that was the genesis of the law suit that gave the Pinto the reputation of being a death trap.)

[ajmcforester]

So, in five years our cars start the transition from classic to antique... It is hard not to take that personally.

Oh, having owned a 72 Pinto I feel obliged to point out that while it was indeed one of the WORST cars ever mass produced in the U.S., the primary thing that caused them to "go BOOM" was being hit from behind by a much larger vehicle travelling at a substantially higher speed. Having removed and re-installed the gas tank in my 71 240Z I personally doubt that it would fare much better than a Pinto if it was struck from behind by a full sized van travelling in excess of 80 MPH while it was sitting at a stop light.

(which I recall being the nature of the accident that was the genesis of the law suit that gave the Pinto the reputation of being a death trap.)

I survived the scenario you just gave with a 240Z with minor injuries. The Pinto had two bolts that would pierce the tank. It wasn't hard to fix a rivet or padding fixed the problem.

[olzed]

So a 300 350, 370 , may indeed one day be classics, but at the moment they are just along for the ride on the reputation of the true recognised classics, as Idaho kid said 240-260-280.

[herbsteiner]

I think much of what defines a "classic,"... be it a car, a guitar, a fountain pen, wristwatch, or whatever..., is that a great number of people all agree that it's "classic" for whatever personal criteria they may decide upon. Not the least of which is nostalgia for a particular period of time of their lives in which the entry of that item coincided.

The S30 Z marked Japan's entry into the competitive sports car market in the USA, with a new design aimed at the American market. It remained a simple but elegant design. Adding amenities made the vehicle more popular with folks who wanted those things, but the pureness of the original design was compromised.

Like the 64 1/2 Mustang, the 67 Camaro, and yes, the Pinto (I had one, a real POS, but a "classic" POS nonetheless.) I'd include the first generation Miata as a more recent example.

[FastWoman]

I agree the 1st gen Miata is a recent classic. We're in the market for one, and I've become active with that community. I'm amazed at the by the abundant support and enthusiasm behind that automobile.

IMO, the 64.5 Mustang, '67 Camaro, '57 T-Bird, etc., etc. are all classic cars AND have reached antique status. The same is true of our S30 Z's. I would hope the Wikipedia article isn't implying that antique status and classic status are somehow mutually exclusive. That would be awfully near-sighted. Taken at face value, it's almost implies that an antique is so old as not to make anyone's heart race just a bit. Many of the Duesenbergs, Cords, Auburns, and others clearly sock the wind out of that notion. I also take issue with the age criterion of 45 years. Who ever came up with that?! Most states (?) agree that a car becomes an antique at age 25 and are therefore subject to different rules and regs, can wear antique tags, etc. That seems to be a pretty good age criterion, as it is an age beyond which few cars survive without considerable restorative efforts.

Anyway, to me a 1st gen Z is an antique classic. A 1982 Datsun 210 is an antique but not a classic (because it wasn't particularly special). A 1st gen Miata is a classic and not an antique. And a Chevy Cobalt isn't much of anything.

Edited December 13, 2010 by FastWoman

[jellobob777]

The Miata which started production in 1989 is only 21 years old Its a fun car and may become a Classic but right now it does not even qualify for Classic license plates in any states i know of ??