1980 Datsun 280ZX

We are delighted to be offering for sale a 1980 280ZX 2+2, equipped with the desirable five-speed manual gearbox.

Owned by our seller for some six years, he is reluctantly offering the car for sale as advancing years make getting in and out somewhat challenging.

He is a serial Datsun Z owner and car collector, though the 280ZX is now the last of his collection. In his younger days he owned a 260Z and two 280Zs. They clearly got under his skin, which prompted him to return to Z ownership in later life.

The car he sourced had languished unloved for very many years and on purchase he commissioned a full restoration, the cost of which we understand was somewhere north of £30,000.

He reports the car drives really well and has been properly maintained during his ownership, being serviced every year even though few miles were covered. When not in use, a heated garage provided a comfortable resting spot for the delightful Datsun.

The 280ZX started life with brown paintwork – how very ‘80s. Although the colour has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, it is not one that suits the car. One of the past owners thought so too as it was resprayed white in the 1990s and was thus when our seller bought it.

As the car was in need of restoration, he took the decision to repaint the car in a colour of his choice, settling on the vibrant red that adorns the car today.

The car was completely taken apart during the rebuild so you won’t find traces of the car’s previous colours anywhere. Trust us, we’ve looked!

The mileage covered since the work was completed can be measured in hundreds not thousands, and when out of use it has been garaged.

As a result, the paintwork is in tip top order, with a lovely shine that should impress even the most discerning. Hunting very hard, we have spotted a few small marks here and there and these can be seen in the photos. The rear edge of the driver’s door has been touched in too.

The smart alloy wheels have been refurbished to a high standard and each has been fitted with a Falken tyre around eighteen months ago. The have travelled less than 100 miles. Care taken with tyre choice is usually a good indication of careful and considered classic car ownership.

What else can we tell you? Well, the rear wiper arm could do with being replaced or repainted and that’s about it.

All told, it is easy to see that this has been a careful and considered restoration of a sought after classic Japanese car.

The interior of the 280ZX was in such lovely condition that our seller decided to leave well alone. No cracks to the dashboard unlike many of its contemporaries.

The beige cloth seats have stood the test of time pretty well. There are a few marks here and there and some ruckling of the material in places. However, we do like the originality.

Being a 2+2, there are a pair of cosy rear pews, perhaps best suited for children or smaller adults. They can be easily folded flat to increase the luggage space if required.

Door cards and headlining are also in good shape, but sadly the carpet has seen better days. It is a little threadbare in places and could most likely do with being replaced.

There are some marks to some of the interior plastics, such as the ashtray, central arm rest and steering column cover.

Tunes are provided by a period Audioline radio/cassette player the likes of which we have not seen in quite some time.

We are told that everything works, though the oil and water temperature gauges have been wired the wrong way round, so that they read hot as soon as the engine is started, before settling at the correct middle spot. This should be easy enough to rectify.

The lift-up hatch provides access to the luggage compartment, with matching beige carpet in good order.

We always include a selection of photographs of a car’s underside in our gallery and that is the case here. Pause a while a take a good look.

There is plenty of protective underseal much in evidence and next to no surface corrosion to any of the visible components.

There is just one area where there is sign of some corrosion creeping in and we would ensure that this is dealt with straight away.

The engine bay will impress. Not only does that lovely six-cylinder engine look to be in excellent condition, but the painted areas also look very smart too, being properly redone during the restoration.

Our seller had the engine fully rebuilt, even though it ran perfectly well when he purchased the car. A new oil pump and clutch were fitted too.

He reports that the car starts on the button and drives well. We noticed second gear was a tad tricky to select when the engine was cold, but we are assured that this is a trait of the marque and that once warm, the gearchange is both tight and crisp.

We can tell you very little about the 280ZX before it came into our seller’s hands. We have already mentioned the colour changes.

From memory, the milometer was reading around 70,000 at the time of purchase, but our seller found the speedometer was not working correctly, so a second-hand replacement was sourced and now the display reads 5,625 miles.

As part of the £30,000 restoration, all the car’s mechanical components were thoroughly checked over, with new parts fitted where required.

Sadly, our seller consigned all the paperwork and extensive photographs to his computer, and they have been inadvertently deleted. The garage who carried out the work are no longer in business and so cannot provide copies. We think the condition of the car speaks for itself.

The car was last MoTed in October 2020, which it passed with no advisories. The recorded mileage then was 5,585, the car being more or less unused since.

Now being over 40 years old, the 280ZX now quality's as a Historic Vehicle but irrespective, it passed the last few tests without any issues and so should continue to do so for many years to come. The reassurance of having any car professionally inspected every year is highly recommended.

We can confirm that the rear wheel bearings were done in 2020 along with a little brake work. There is an invoice for this.

Interest in undoubtedly growing in Datsun 280ZX cars as each year goes by. A good 240Z can now fetch £40,000 +, putting them out of reach for all but the wealthy collector.

The 280ZX will surely follow suit as the years roll by, making the expected sale price of our car of between £12,000 and £16,000 seem somewhat of a bargain.

Let us not forget the princely sum our seller spent restoring the car and it has been ‘resting’ since. He would love to see it go to a new home where it will be enjoyed to the full and we have no doubt there will be plenty of interest in this delightful Datsun. We urge interested parties to bid without delay.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’