Datsun / Nissan 300ZX Z31 - any experience?

frankiess

frankiess

Wankel Wanker
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Apr 14, 2008
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Location
Suburbia, Finland
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MB Coal Mine, Renault Bucket
Looking for a new car again.. I got a handful of cars in line to be checked out. Mostly big Mercs and a couple of Beamers. But something struck out of the bunch as an interesting alternative -

http://www.nettiauto.com/nissan/300zx/2991630?sitelang=1

or if that's tldr, then:

http://img96.imageshack.**/img96/66/nissan300zx2991630l16b6.jpg

It seems a fine example of this car. Even the colour is JDM white. I'm seriously thinking of buying this thing. But I've never driven an old Z.

Anyone got any experience about these, or even a better idea for my money? For example, is the engine bulletproof? How does 170hp move the 1300kg lump? Is the price awful? Is it fun to drive? Or is it just Nissan's final mistake before the mildly interesting twinturbo Z32? Discuss.
 
If the Z31 was a child, it would be a ginger.
 
So it withstands being beaten like a red-headed stepchild?
 
I know the turbos can be a bitch (they contain about two trillion hoses), but I'm not sure about the normally aspirated model.

According to the Internets it does 0-60 in around 8 seconds.
 
argatoga said:
I know the turbos can be a bitch (they contain about two trillion hoses), but I'm not sure about the normally aspirated model.

According to the Internets it does 0-60 in around 8 seconds.
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Indeed. The turbo hassle has kept me away from the Zeds in the past, but the N/A has always been a grey area in the car critique-folder of my mind.

The thing is, are we talking about a heffalump with an open roof, a grand tourer version of the MX-5, or a Japanese car trying to be an American version of the Toyota Supra MKIII?
 
The Z31 is widely regarded as the fail of the Z chassis. The turbo models did not come with intercoolers, engines are very weak and prone to failures, it's very heavy for the power it makes and handling is pretty poor. So basically stay away.
 
From a sportscar angle, these were the worst Z cars -- they reflect the maximum shift to luxury and touring over hard edge performance. They also tend to have lots of very electronic things like dashes, etc., that everyone thought were "super cool" at the time. Sorta like bell bottom jeans. But if it has any dash related issues it would be a nightmare.

As cheap kinda fun transportation, it'd be cool. For anything else -- and if you are looking for a sports car -- you'd be pretty unhappy with it.

Steve
 
Actually, the Z31 turbos weren't that bad. I had an 85 that I beat on mercilessly and it didn't care one whit. Last seen running around Dallas with 300K miles or so on the clock (I sold it and kept in touch with the new owner for a while), and most other Z31 owners report that they did okay as well.

Not sure where you're getting the "engine failure" thing from, other than the often-ignored-by-idiots timing belt change that all the VG engines have to have at 60 or 100K intervals. Most of the admittedly luxury-biased handling can be resolved through inexpensive aftermarket upgrades or through bolting on parts from later models. Digital dash issues are often traced to an easily replaced control module (you know, like the factory manual points out?). Most people who find the electronics on a GL or GLL-trim Z31 to be difficult to repair or troubleshoot don't bother to RTFM and as such shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a CANBUS car.

The earlier ones are better from a handling standpoint, IMHO. I can post more later, but I'm short on time. See www.z31.com for more info. As for where it was in the hierarchy of things, it was designed to take on the C4 Corvette of the day and win at half the price, which it pretty much did; a powerful (for the era) grand touring coupe. Better car than the contemporary Supras, too.
 
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The C4? They set their goals low for that one.
 
argatoga said:
The C4? They set their goals low for that one.
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Not for the era. The design was also benchmarked against the 924 and RX7 of the time and came off favorably.

Remember, all the US reviewers were spooging about how good the C4 was to drive in 1984. :p
 
It's chassis is based off the 810 sedan.

:|

Uh, do I need to say any more? :dunno:
 
jayhawk said:
It's chassis is based off the 810 sedan.

:|

Uh, do I need to say any more? :dunno:
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No, it's not.

The 300ZX was a derivation of the old S130 280ZX - not the same platform but definitely descended from it, right down to the same lift-off oversteer due to the rear semi-trailing arm geometry.

What the Z31 300ZX is related to is the original Infiniti M30 (aka the F31 Nissan Leopard), both built off the Z31 chassis. The J30 is sort of a weird hybrid of the Z31 and Z32 IIRC.
 
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Spectre said:
No, it's not.

The 300ZX was a derivation of the old S130 280ZX - not the same platform but definitely descended from it, right down to the lift-off oversteer due to the rear semi-trailing arm geometry.
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Well, po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe then. It is still a shit chassis and a crummy car all around in this day and age, because it has not aged well. Z32? As long as you avoid a turbo car, they are great! Look fantastic now as they did in 1989.

Z31? A Z31 reminds me of made for TV movies from the 1970's where the actors wore up the minute fashionable clothes that went out of fashion in a year, making the movie look dated. That is a Z31. I see one and say "yeah, 1985."
 
Lot's of nissan rwd cars of that era used the same rear suspension, dr30, hr31, 910 etc. all did very well in circuit racing.
 
jayhawk said:
Well, po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe then. It is still a shit chassis and a crummy car all around in this day and age, because it has not aged well. Z32? As long as you avoid a turbo car, they are great! Look fantastic now as they did in 1989.

Z31? A Z31 reminds me of made for TV movies from the 1970's where the actors wore up the minute fashionable clothes that went out of fashion in a year, making the movie look dated. That is a Z31. I see one and say "yeah, 1985."
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The exterior is certainly a matter of taste. I rather liked it. The Z32 has a fantastic cockpit, but the exterior hasn't aged quite as well as you seem to think, at least not in my opinion.

Both the 810 and the Z31 came out of the S130 program, but they're pretty much radically different after that. They share no panels and no floorpan pieces in common at all, and they don't even look related if you put them in the air. IIRC, the front and rear subframes don't swap either.

The chassis is better than you'd think - it did pretty well in racing at the time and certainly has held up better than most of the contemporaries. If you want to call it shit, you have to call the second-gen RX7 and 944 shit, because it was in the same league as those and it beat them. No, it didn't do as well as the later Z32 did, but when it came out it pretty much stomped everything in the showroom stock classes.
 
All right, let us try this: If it was your money, and more than likely your sole means of individual transport, would you buy it?

I am utterly baffled on why some of you are encouraging him to buy a Z31; it was a Z that will never be fondly remembered for very good reasons! Best to just let the Z31's rust and die away, and there are much better vehicles to be had for the money, frankiess.

For goodness sakes, I work for Nissan, I know these vehicles! :wall:
 
There is no accounting for other peoples tastes. If he likes the look of the car and can find one in good condition for a reasonable price i can't see the harm.

You are correct that it may not hold up well to modern standards but not many 25 year old cars do.

I also work on nissans for a living and there are worse cars than this from the 1980's.
 
jayhawk said:
All right, let us try this: If it was your money, and more than likely your sole means of individual transport, would you buy it?

I am utterly baffled on why some of you are encouraging him to buy a Z31; it was a Z that will never be fondly remembered for very good reasons! Best to just let the Z31's rust and die away, and there are much better vehicles to be had for the money, frankiess.

For goodness sakes, I work for Nissan, I know these vehicles! :wall:
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Actually, I did buy mine as sole means of individual transport. Worked out just fine. Sold it when I got my Jeep (which was a mistake) and at the time the Series III I had then was in pieces.

P012626.jpg


IM000402.JPG


IM003747.JPG



You may work for a Nissan dealer, but I actually owned and lived with one, was in the club and hung out with many other Z31 owners. I can't be accused of blind fanboyism as I'm also careful to point out flaws and when they're problematic (see my Series III criticisms, for example) Your point about rust is valid, but again, it's not unusual for the era.

I beat on mine like a red-headed stepchild and it kept coming back for more.
 
My buddy had an anniversary edition and it was RUSTY!. We field beat that turbo for about a week until the rear sub frame came out. I think there shit. The only Z car i love is the the 240. My friend has a 74 and it is a very cool car.
It reminds me of my old 76 celica. It's Lite, nimble,Not over powered, And fun. Z31's from what I've driven and rode in (Not just off road) There heavy slow and kind of sloppy.

But the good one's talk.
 
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zookiemike said:
We field beat that turbo for about a week until the rear sub frame came out. I think there shit.
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You're joking right?

zookiemike said:
There heavy slow and kind of sloppy.
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Perhaps they are, however the OP is also considering buying "Mostly big Mercs and a couple of Beamers". I'm not sure that speed is the priority.
 
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