Collection Builder: 1991 Nissan 300ZX Trio
The Nissan 300ZX was an evolution of the original 1970s Datsun 240Z that would later prove to be iconic to a legion of fans. Sold in the U.S. from 1984 to 1996, the 300ZX was as luxurious as it was nimble. So, if you’re into this era of Japanese sports cars, here’s an opportunity to start a collection of your own with three of them from 1991 offered as a package deal, along with a parts car. The trio (or would that be quartet?) is in Houston, Texas, and is available here on craigslist for $48,000. Barn Finder Tony Primo comes through once again!
By the 1980s, Nissan had shed itself of the Datsun moniker that it had used in the U.S. since the 1950s. People couldn’t seem to get enough of the Fairlady Z cars (as they were known in Japan), and people continued to buy them in steady numbers when the seller’s three cars were built. The machines had evolved and gotten a bit bigger and more powerful over time, with advancements like turbochargers that weren’t available when the first 240Z came off the boat in 1970.
How it is that the seller came across three of these cars from the same model year (plus a donor) isn’t known, but they will come with a huge assortment of spare parts. That includes an extra engine which probably came out of the wrecked parts car. Said engine has about 105,000 miles, and we assume it’s a functioning motor. One of the ZXs is white while the other two are differing shades of red (or red and maroon to keep it simple). Details per car are a bit sketchy, but here’s what we know:
Maroon ZX
Has the least amount of mileage at 105,000 in total. The engine and transmission have 70,000, either replacements or having been rebuilt. It’s a twin-turbo model with a 5-speed manual transmission. It’s recently been serviced and sounds ready to go.
Red ZX
Also, a twin-turbo, this car has 127,000 miles and we’re told it runs and drives simply fine. A wrap has been added, so does that mean that the actual paint is an alternative color?
White ZX
This one has had the greatest use at 190,000 miles. No mention is made of a turbo, but it also has a 5-speed manual tranny.
We’re told the reason for the sale is that the seller has lost his/her shop/storage space. So, he/she no longer has room for the vehicles. They’re all said to be in decent shape with no rust issues. Offering these as a package deal means it will take just the right buyer to make it happen. They might go faster if the seller would break them out individually and list them as such, including the parts car roller.
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Comments
A real driver’s car this model.
A buddy of mine had one of the very rare convertible models in a very dark purple (almost black) with a 5 speed. A mechanic made a major mistake in dealing with the timing belt (an interference engine) and the dealership was forced to replace the whole engine….and didn’t do it correctly. My buddy traded it in on a Corvette I believe. Always wanted to find another and they’re unobtainium, certainly not at a reasonable price if you do find one.
$16K for these used cars with high mileage seems excessive to me.
Agreed, Russ, offering these as a package severely limits the number of potential buyers. I understand the seller will no longer have room for these but the seller needs to realize that he needs to appeal to as broad a market as possible. Nice cars though, even with the high mileage.
The 1991 and up 300ZX Twin Turbo was a technological tour de force when it was introduced. Obviously it had two turbochargers, but those hair dryers gave it the mythical 100hp per liter that was almost unheard of back then in anything that wasn’t built in Italy. It had 4 wheel independent suspension, 4 wheel steering, a limited slip differential and was capable of going 160 mph if given enough room. It was one of the quickest and fastest cars available for sale in America in the 90’s, and the only thing keeping it from outselling the Corvette was the price- over $40k when fully optioned.
They were kind of forgotten for a while after Nissan pulled them out of the showroom after 1996, but now that they’re a classic car everyone wants one. I’ve seen excellent condition, low mileage examples go for almost a hundred thousand dollars, which is insane to me but I’m not filthy rich. $48k for all three and a parts car is probably optimistic considering all of them have over 100k miles, unless someone who just won the powerball is trying to start a Japanese classic car collection and happens to see the ad at just the right time.
If I were in the market, I’d offer $15k for the one with 105k miles and hope the seller is open to breaking up the trio, because I seriously doubt they’re going to find a buyer for all three at once. Still would love to have one, though.