The prospect of a garage find may be somewhat more optimistic in nature than your tradition barn find: after all, the owner kept it indoors and close enough to the house that they might very well tinker with it after dinner. At least, that’s probably the intent, even if it never actually happens. This 1977 Datsun 280Z was found in a garage after the long-term owner parked it there following the failure of the clutch slave cylinder, a relatively simple fix that never materialized. The seller found it, brought it home, and had it running a short time later. Find the 280Z here on eBay where the current bid is $6,999 with a Buy-It-Now of $8,900.

The seller reports that this is a well-optioned Z car, fitted with factory air conditioning and the preferred 5-speed manual. The paint is heavily faded and there are numerous cosmetic flaws to report, which does beg the question as to where and when it was allowed to degrade a bit. Was it already a tired driver when it went into the garage, or did it get left outside for a few years before being moved indoors? It’s hard to tell for sure, but the restoration process – should there be one – will likely include both cosmetic and mechanical refreshes. The seller notes that while it does have some of the “typical” rust these cars are known for, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be.

The seller claims he bought it from the original owner, which does make the story of it being parked for years over a relatively simple repair seem more believable; after all, the original caretaker is the one seemingly most likely to keep a car around even after it develops issues. The interior is in so-so shape, and given the sub-100,000 mile odometer reading is believed to be accurate, that’s a surprising amount of wear-and-tear on the driver’s seat. The dash has the typical Z-car cracks, but the door panels appear to be in fair condition. The seller notes this 280Z will come with its original radio, spare tire, jack kit, and tire inflation kit.

This is an interesting model generation for a few reasons, with the most obvious being the addition of Bosch fuel injection. A bump in displacement combined with the L-Jetronic setup meant the 1978 280Z offered performance more in keeping with the original Series 1 cars, and the bumpers were also styled a bit more to reduce their unsightly appearance (but Euro bumpers are still a very worthwhile upgrade.) Perhaps most significant is the fact that this 280Z sports a rare and optional 5-speed ‘box versus the standard 4-speed, which many of these cars were equipped with. Throw in the fact it’s a true 2-seater and not a 2+2 and you have a recipe for a very desirable Z-car.