1984 Nissan 300ZX With Only 179 Miles!
It seems that there has been a recent spate of classic cars emerging from hiding with incredibly low mileage, and this 1984 Nissan 300ZX is no exception. We featured this one back in 2018, here, and it popped back up so we thought we’d take another look at it. This is the limited edition 50th Anniversary Turbo model, and it has an incredible 179 genuine miles on the clock. It’s doubtful whether there are many similar cars in existence with this sort of total, and owning this would be the equivalent of owning a brand new 35-year-old car. Bidding for the 300ZX has reached $15,300, but the reserve hasn’t been met. The option is also available to hit the BIN button at $39,995, which is a $10,000 decrease from 2018. The Nissan is located in Bohemia, New York, and is listed for sale here on eBay.
What better way to celebrate a significant anniversary than to produce a special edition of your range-topping vehicle? That is precisely what Nissan decided to do, and this was the result. The 50th Anniversary 300ZX wore rear wheel-arch extensions, plenty of appropriate commemorative badges, and rocker extensions emblazoned with the word “Turbo.” It wasn’t subtle, but this was the 1980s, and trust me on this, it was an era that was not renowned for its subtlety. As you would expect from a car with so few miles on the clock, this car is absolutely spotless. Some of the touches that I really like on this car include that rear window louver (I’ve had them on several cars myself), and those distinctive alloy wheels with the gold highlights.
Under the hood of the 50th Anniversary was pretty much exactly the same as your standard 300ZX Turbo. The 2,960cc V6 engine featured fuel injection and turbocharging, and this allowed the engine to produce 200hp. Those figures may not seem that impressive today, but believe me, it was pretty good in 1984. The owner could choose between manual and automatic transmissions, and the owner of this one thankfully chose the 5-speed manual. I have nothing against an automatic transmission, but turbo cars of this era tended to perform a lot better in manual form. With so few miles on the clock, this is a car that will require some pretty careful checking before the new owner turns the key for the first time. Of particular interest is the timing belt, which I would just change as a matter of course. If that snaps, then you will definitely experience a world of pain. However, once these sorts of items have been checked and any problems rectified, then this should be a very pleasant car to drive.
Once again, we get to the interior and it looks brand new. Nissan really pushed the boat out when it came to luxury items in the 300ZX circa 1984. Leather seats and steering wheel, a digital dash, power windows, air conditioning, remote electric mirrors, rear defrost, a T-Top, and a premium quality sound system was all part of the package. One of my favorite interior features was an item called the “Bodysonic Sound System.” The normal stereo had speakers built into the front seats, and the sound levels on these could be individually adjusted from controls on the center console. This allowed you to “feel” your favorite music as well as to hear it. Just think of it as the precursor to the sub-woofer.
This 50th Anniversary 300ZX brings us to an interesting spot, and that’s determining a value for the car. A really good, original example will generally sell for around the $9,000 mark, while an immaculate example with under 80,000 miles on the clock can fetch around $24,000. This one is being offered at a price that is more than 50% higher than that, but the mileage is also incredibly low. That makes it special in its own way. It is certainly feasible to revive it, use it on a limited basis, and therefore retain a degree of its existing unique value. What would you do if you bought it?
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Comments
About a decade ago I would see one of these in showroom condition on the side of rt1 in Brunswick, ME with a for sale sign. It was there off and on for about 3 years. I couldn’t tell the miles because the gauge cluster was probably made by casio, but it looked like it was never sat in. Super cool looking car up close…in a gaudy 80’s way that I love.
My father bought one new from our local Datsun dealer near Baltimore. Really turned heads and blew the 8 valve 944 out of the water. (Not really saying much!). Crazy technology onboard. Definitely optioned this one with the louvers. Not a fan of those. Cool car otherwise.
Of course you’d drive it if you bought it, right? I’m afraid that it would lose its current desirability if miles were added to it. Looks to me like someone with a big collection should scoop it up and hold it. It’s a dilemma for me because if I own it then I’m driving it!
I’ve always wanted one of these. This is right up there with the Delorean, a C4 Vette and a black Trans Am for me being a child of the 80’s. I’d rather have this than any of those cars. It would be tough to pay that kind of money for a car that can’t be driven. I’d have to drive it and enjoy every minute of it, so hopefully talk the seller down on price.
This was the first brand new car I ever owned. Not this exact car of course but this model.
It was an absolute hoot to drive, and there were many enjoyable summer trips with those T-roofs stored in the back.
It was damn dependable too.
Wasn’t this car featured a few months ago?
Yes, literally the second sentence of the article he stated that.
I like the CJ in the background more!
The part of the ad that says “has not been started or driven in many years” bothers me. The proper way to store a car for 35 years is to start it and bring it to temperature several times a year, and drive it at least a couple of times per year. I would be concerned about how the seals in the engine, trans and brakes are holding up. Also, fluids can be corrosive when they sit for years.
Even almost 40 years ago we had people with more money then common sense, see guys, it isn’t just today. People will say how tragic that someone looked at this for decades and pined away wanting to drive it but never could, that is pure hog wash. The man who did this I am sure had plenty of other rides to satisfy those urges, or maybe even wasn’t a car guy, just a rich hoarder who did things on a whim. Prob. had himself driven where ever he wanted to go. It is nice as a museum piece, or better yet, if it could be gotten at a reasonable price (of course that isn’t the point, is it?) maybe some regular guy who always wanted one but couldn’t afford when he was young could have the car of his dreams, but that is not going to happen. It will end up in the dusty collection of some other rich dude and disappear for another 30 or 40 years until he croaks too and by then, hard to say what its value will be. I just wish the hobby was back in its pure form where it wasn’t about money per say, but about pleasure and hanging out with fellow believers.
I am holding out for a no mileage Buick Grand National, and a Black one! Got to be one out there somewhere!
Smokey…LOL!
I had a 1984 DATSUN 300ZX – non-turbo, with digital dash and leather. 1985 was the first Nissan. I loved that car, but moved on to a Honda Accord Station Wagon. After that, I bought another 300ZX, 1987, base model, but still very nice.