brunodoggy

240260280 you seen genuinely concerned I sold my car. I took a dissambled barn find and turned it into a museum grade car. What do you expect me to do with it? Start a museum,?

Thank you all for your interest in this remarkable car. I am super thrilled with the auction, but very sad to think my girl will be leaving home. I have enjoyed every minute of time I spent with her the last year and a half. This is a journey I will never forget - and it has nothing to do with the auction. It's about THIS car. A car that should not exist. A car that fought and won against the invasion of rust and corrosion as she sat in an uninsulated garage for 44 years. A car that was immune to the invasion of mice and other pests. A car that retained her youthful softness and flexibility in every piece of rubber and vinyl. A car that never lost her shine and glow in every body panel and piece of chrome. A car with a heart of fire and fuel that refused to give up. But more than anything else, she became MY car for a brief period of time. That is what I will always remember. That is the legacy of my car. Steve

Thank you all for your interest in this remarkable car. I am super thrilled with the auction, but very sad to think my girl will be leaving home. I have enjoyed every minute of time I spent with her the last year and a half. This is a journey I will never forget - and it has nothing to do with the auction. It's about THIS car. A car that should not exist. A car that fought and won against the invasion of rust and corrosion as she sat in an uninsulated garage for 44 years. A car that was immune to the invasion of mice and other pests. A car that retained her youthful softness and flexibility in every piece of rubber and vinyl. A car that never lost her shine and glow in every body panel and piece of chrome. A car with a heart of fire and fuel that refused to give up. But more than anything else, she became MY car for a brief period of time. That is what I will always remember. That is the legacy of my car. Steve

Thank you so much Pilgrim, It has been a fun journey that is coming to a very unexpected and awesome end. I enjoyed the conversation on this excellent site. Next, I plan to find a nice "Driver" Z - probably a 240. I'm sure I'll be back with lots of questions. Steve

Zed, We did not remove the struts - they looked in perfect condition with no indication of any leaks. All the rubber on the car is in "Magically" good condition - I have no idea how. Our objective was to fix what was necessary to make the car run and drive safely, but otherwise preserve the car "as we found it". Except cleaner. We did change the engine oil, and added Zinc additive. It is assumed that if the buyer of this car wants to put it on the road, they will probably have access to a top-notch mechanic to go over the car as they see fit.

Thank you so much. I have worked hard on this car because I love it. I didn't really have any idea how much it would be worth - especially since it's a 280Z and not the coveted 240Z. It hasn't been about money, but the worth of it as a unique car. Saying that, the money is an amazing confirmation that this is a special car, deserving of the work that has been put into it. Steve

You are correct, but I don't think it will have as much of an impact on this car. I think this will probably go to a collector or museum as opposed to someone who is looking to have some fun on the road. Spring will be the time I'm looking for a nice "Driver" to enjoy.

Well it is time for me to part with my beautiful 280Z. I just don't feel comfortable driving such an amazing car, and I don't want to keep her cooped up in my barn. Once she is gone, I will be looking for a nice "Driver" Z that I can drive while remembering this Queen. If you know anyone who would be interested, please pass the word. She is on BAT now. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-datsun-280z-39/

I like to think it's like a miss-printed coin. Making it even more rare 🙂

Mine is going to be available soon at a BAT near you!

My car came from the factory with the wrong code. The original owner noticed it when the car was new.

yes that is my car with the miss-matched paint code. More info at www.350Mile280z.com 🙂

I know what you mean. I watch car shows where they can take any old muscle car and replace almost every piece of metal, trim, and interior with new replacements. Even the S30 Z's have more access to reproduction parts than my S31 AE. Maybe with the current rise in market values, reproduction parts will become more plentiful. Which, in turn, should increase the value of original cars.

I really liked that green 280Z. I don't know what held the bids back. It would have done better with different wheels.

Did I say the original owner is quirky? He's a very nice guy. he's an only child and never married. He's also a combination perfectionist and hoarder.

I've often heard you should change your oil every 3,000 miles or yearly which ever comes first. I know that's not necessary, but then again I wouldn't keep a brand new car for 44 years.

Beautiful car!!!

Good question. The Original owner told me he would change the oil and filter every year - at least for the early years. At some point he just quit doing that.

Dang, you really got my hopes up! 🙂

The video has been viewed over 950,000 times since Sunday at 11:30 AM.

That is a great looking car. That will make a great "Driver." It's great to see the 280Z starting to get some love.

Trust me, I know that - unless a museum should bid and win her... An unlikely chance, but a man can hope. I Just know that when it's all said and done, I don't want to put miles on her, and I don't have the desire to sequester her away - a decision that has been very hard to make.

I hear you. When I bought this car, I was expecting to find lots of problems and need to perform lots of work on the car to get it running - which was fine. I wanted a fun car to drive. When I discovered the miraculous state of this car: No pests, No hard/dry rubber seals, No blemishes anywhere, I decided this car was destined to stand alone. As I've told others, this car has earned the title of "Unicorn 280Z" after 44 years of "Garage Jail." I'm not willing to take that title away from her. I'm also not a collector so my job has been to simply enjoy the metamorphosis of going from Barn Dirty to Showroom clean. It's been well worth it.

I agree. that's a great looking car. One I could actually Drive. If my car were sold, this one would make a great replacement!!!