Wow, this one turned into a long one! I was really not expecting that going into making this episode, since I didn't know a whole lot about the S130 beyond it being the first ZX. But this was an important time for Nissan, and all the changes that were happening reflect that. There was a lot to cover for a car that too many brush off as a footnote! I found a lot of great photographs during the development of the 280ZX that (as far as I'm aware, and I've checked) have never been uploaded to the internet before. I've posted a few on my Instagram (instagram.com/itsrickpierce) but there are higher-res versions available on my Patreon for members if you'd like to take a look: patreon.com/makenmodel 🐯
You didn't mention the 1982 280ZX Turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual transmission. It solved the lack of manual transmission problem, that the 1981 model had. My brother had one, & it was awesome. Really pulled away, when that boost kicked in! It was the pinnacle of the 280ZX series.
Childhood memory unlocked. Used to walk past a 280zx in my neighborhood all the time as a kid on the way to the park. Even at 12, I just loved the lines of that car.
I owned a 1979 Datsun 280ZX. I bought it used in 1986 and owned until 2003! Mine was the 2-tone blue and silver although later I had it painted just Blue. 280ZX was a great car for modification to address the car's shortcomings. When I swapped out the stock struts/springs for the ones made by Tokico the tail happy nature of the stock car in corners was almost eliminated. I had the cylinder head polished and ported with a 3-angle valve job plus a Crane Cam that resulted in much better power. The 1979 models were not equipped with catalytic convertors, so I had a 2 1/2 inch stainless steel exhaust added which gave it quite a growl! I raced in SCCA A-street prepared autocross events which it placed as high as second in one season. When I final sold my 280ZX it looked more like Paul Newman's Group C race car than anything stock. I even had the development book of the car only given to select dealers that showed pictures of crash testing etc. The only mementos of my 280ZX that I still have is the "Z" emblem from the center of the original steering wheel, photos and original bill of sale. Enjoyed this video! Brough back at lot of memories!
Great video. I know a lot about these cars and still learned a lot more. You were saying how you liked personal stories, so I'll tell you mine. When I was in high school around 2003, my dad and I bought a 280ZX from a friend of his, the original owner. Black on tan N/A 5-speed coupe. We had that car for years. I drove it as my primary mode of transportation and we worked on it and modified it together. Eventually it was just about worn out mechanically, I was too young and broke to do anything about it and dad stuck it in the garage. A few years ago, my dad was killed in a solo car accident. While we were going through his stuff, the car caught my eye sitting on jack stands under all those blankets and boxes. I had intended to get it running and unload it, as we were expecting our first baby at that time. I fixed the fuel and coolant system with aftermarket parts, did some electrical work, and got her running again. Wiped the Indiana Jones level of dust off the windshield and limped the Z to our place nearby where I stuck her in our detached, single car garage. My mom found a stack of pictures dad had kept of me working on the car with him. The slow transformation from stock into basically a Kyusha build before that was really a thing in this country. Over the past two years, I've worked on the car in earnest. My son is 3 now and loves the car. I even took a picture of him in the seat pretending to drive. A lot of other cars have come and gone, and I appreciate them for what they are. A few were objectively better than my Z. But that Z to me is so much more than four wheels and an engine. Even though they might not be the most popular Z car by a long shot, the S130 will always be mine, and I'm always psyched to see them around, as rarely as that happens. Thanks again for the video, man. I know a lot goes into it and it's appreciated a lot.
As a former 240 and 260Z owner, both of which I had to let go of prematurely, for the longest time I fell into that "dont change greatness" camp. The original "Z" had everything I could have asked for, the look, the sound, the handling, and the accessible price. But now that I'm older more interested in "grand touring" rather than hustling a car around I have a new appreciation for the ZX line. When you think about it, it really did preserve many of the best attributes of the original but just added a little creature comfort along the way. I would be proud to own one today but sadly around this neck of the woods [New England] they've mostly rusted away to untimely deaths.
I feel very similarly. As I've gotten older, I'm happy with a few creature comforts to make driving more comfortable, especially if I want to use the car for longer drives on weekend getaways. Driving a rattling tin can multiple hours when I'm supposed to be relaxing is not a great way to start a little trip. I think as the cars get older too, there is less pressure put on them to match the performance of new cars (especially these days as horsepower has gone wild) and that affords us fans more opportunity to just appreciate the car as a fun sports car/gt car/whatever it is.
@@makenmodel The reason the Z car died was because they rusted out even in Arizona due to water collecting in two frame rails that had no drainage holes. So the water from your feet with any salt or corrosive chemicals ate those frame rails. So Nissan killed their reputation & another Z car wouldn't have sold well anyway...
The Z vs. ZX definitely appealed to different people. As a ZX owner in the 80s, when I looked at the Z, I thought "this does not look as comfortable, and definitely more hardcore sporty."
My first one at 15 years old 79 280zx white with red interior In love with it Today at 53 years old Own a 1982 280zxturbo For the last 30 years With many upgrades aiming for big Hp Will never be SOLD In lov
As a 70's kid, for me it was all about the Z cars, forget about corvettes & mustangs, the Z styling was just about as perfect as a car could be. Glad I found your channel, my Thanksgiving morning will be spent binge watching you Z videos. Good luck with the channel, but I don't think you'll need it, really well done with quality production and narration
I saw this car on the showroom back in 1981. I was in awe at the sticker price around $16,500. I thought to myself who can afford such an expensive car!
@@sonhuynh8222 Average SPORTS cars were no where close to $3-4K in 1979! It was a lot of money (I bought mine new off the lot in 1979 which is why I know the price) but I was just out of college and I could buy one. I still have it.
I bought a well used 1978 280z in 1988. I’ve owned a lot of fun cars and this one was at the top of the list. It had no smog equipment but had the “new” to me anyway fuel injection. I was a young guy and drove that car like a rented mule. It cost me $500. It was blue with a paint matched front spoiler and black louvres on the back window. You could not blow the motor up and I tried. The car was light and the torque was amazing. That little car would fly! It already had some rust in the rockers, they weren’t built for a long life. The metal was thin. But what a car!
This is my favorite classic Z styling wise, retains the iconic characteristics of the 240Z but adds the 80's signature angular edges which makes it the best of both worlds.
I used to own a 1976 280z black on black, louvers on the windows leather interior and factory slot mag wheels. Man that car was fast and cool as hell sure miss it.
When I was in elementary school, my Pops had 2 of them. Both were black. The T-tops were super cool, and Pops would love to shift like he was driving in a race, even if we were going to the gas station. The Datsun 280 ZX was a real piece of work💯
Owned a 1969 Jaguar Xk-E, later bought a new 1976 280Z that my roommate totaled with about 4000 miles. Now own a pristine 83 Red 280 zx. Have replaced all suspension and rubber parts due to age, but non the less a terrific car and an instant connection to a great past.
Nice. When I sold my '82 Turbo, the suspension needed a total overhaul; clutch was nearing end of life, and I was not up to refurbishing. I miss the car - I have to admit it.
You knocked it out of the park, your production and eye for details were great! I had a 1980 black & gold 280ZX slick top 2+2 with the 5-speed manual. A really fun car that went like lightning in a cloud of rust, it too became a victim of the midwest seasons. Not exactly a supercar by any stretch but it was right for the time. Woefully underpowered compared to the earlier models but it didn't suffer from the carburetor problems or clunky feelings of the 260 and 280Z. I had the Teleray sub model that had some extra trim and interior touches, tack-on gimmicks that gave it a more refined feel at the cost of the sportier intent. This is a car that will never have a parallel in the future.
I owned a 1979 Datsun 280 ZX hard top and a 1980 Nissan 280ZX T-top. This video brought back great memories. Both of my 280ZX vehicles were manual transmission. I refuse to purchase an automatic transmission sports car. It doesn't make sense.
Great production here. I watched the whole video and didn't feel I got the "one line reason" why the car vanished aside from being cheap fun that people neglected. Still great video. I owned a '82 2+2 and my brother owned a '83 turbo, both 5-speed, back in the day. These cars would not stay fixed. Still, fun and beautiful machine. Thanks for the memories.
I really enjoyed this video- a history lesson of a great line of cars- my brother currently owns a 93 300ZX TT and I own a 93 NA convertible, both great cars with a long lineage. When I was a kid, I really had an appreciation for the 280ZX, even the non turbo cars.
Rick ... bumped into your channel today. Your research is excellent and love your voice. I subscribed and hope you get far more. Millions wanted a 240Z and later a 280Z. I could only afford used cars back then and because of living in deep snow country. Got lucky when I found a used 68 Olds Delta 88 with the 455 and paid 375 bucks. Best car I ever had and even started in -40 without being plugged in.
🐯 i have a 1983 280zx and love it.... First time falling in love with was when I was a young 13 year old. Good friend's brother had 3. And I said one day when I grow up I would get one.... So I got one when I was in my 50s.... Every weekend it is a head turner and a flashback for many that stop me to talk about the car.
I love this. I think as kids we make a promises to ourselves we fully intend to keep, but sometimes it can take awhile. It's so cool to hear you did it and now get to share it with others.
I'm the very proud owner of an 81 turbo with just 33k miles. I absolutely love the design! I even have a copy of the book from Nissan dealerships gave to customers back then. Even though I have a pretty good knowledge about this car I really enjoyed this video!
AWSOME DOCUMENTRY. I owned a couple 1982 280zx's and talk about a fun car to drive. They have increased in price and heard to find a non rust bucket. I wish you would have touched on the rust issue these cars are known for.
I saved and saved for a 280Z with my paper route. I had 4K and asked my dad to co sign. Being a union guy said no way your only options are Ford, Chevy or Chrysler. I was devastated. Fast forward to 2022 Nissan unveiled the new Z, retro model. production issues with problematic transmissions, halted production and dealers marked up the remaining cars. Who gets a 2nd chance? Not me. I got a retro Dodge Challenger.
I had an 83 Turbo model... I bought her in the summer of 2001 in Tom's River... I was amazed at the way she drove & everything on this lady worked including the Power Antenna... She was an amazing car in every way... I drove her down to Florida so many times I lost count...
This was fantastic! When I was a boy in the early Eighties, my parents had a pair of 280ZX’s, one was a coupe and a 2+2. At the same time my big sister had a 280Z. Later, when I was a teenager, I had my own 280ZX, so I’ve had a love for Z Cars. I’ve never got the idea that 280ZX was “bad”. It was a product of the time. It was as good or better than what was available at that time.
Totally agree. I think everyone needs to remember the environment these cars came into. For what they were trying to go for, they completely succeeded.
The black and gold was the car to have. Gold was big back in the day, even drag racers used gold valve covers from Milodon. The hottest girl in my high school drove her dad's black ZX 2 seater. Shout out to Nancy and North Shore HS!
When telling some friends I was starting work on this video, they were all like "oh man, the black and gold one was so cool." It was unanimous. Honestly I can't disagree.
I have owned two cars, the first was a 1971 painted Porsche green with mag wheels purchased in 1973 from Newport Beach motors. The second was a 1979 280 ZX which was more of a luxury coupe than a true sports car. It had all the whistles and bells, power windows, power steering automatic air conditioning nice Soundsystem two tone, silver and blue paint. But I have to tell you I like the 71 much better.
Have learned a lot about Z cars, but thought the length might be an indication of more details. Did not disappoint! Very good! Started vid with images of Black Gold edition. I love that car! Saw a handful in the 80's and it was pure sexy.
I'm on my 3rd 280zx. Now is the best time to have one since the popularity is going up. Aftermarket companies are starting to make custom parts for the car.
Glad to see this. I had a '82 Turbo. Most fun car I have owned to drive, and work on. It was actually pleasurable to service, it was so well designed. Only negative for me was the turbo lag. So fun on twisty roads!
My folks have a garage kept 1981 280ZX that they purchased new. I remember riding around in the back of that car with my brother thinking we were in the hottest car in town. Fast forward and they are both in their early 80s. The car is just too low for them to climb in and out of now. So the car is going to stay in the family and reside at my house soon. I just hope I can take care of it as well as they have over the years.
A kid in '83 I'm at a record co. and you could tell what level you were on by where you had a parking space - and the cars would tell you too. Top tier either didn't drive or had Rollers, Ferraris, and such. Next tier was was lawyers and upper mid mgmt - Porsches, Vettes Mercedes BMW; then there was me the last tier that could park "close" to the building and it was the Supra, ZX, Mazda RX level. Somehow I had a '82 gun metal ZX 2+2 Turbo with all options. Coming from muscle and sports I knew right away it was a luxo dog; boulevard cruiser highway bomber with enough gimmicks and stuff for girls to like - basically more of a babe magnet - T Tops,voice talking to you all the time, I swear Bitchin' Betty used to tell us where the coke spoon fell...lol, start-up sequence on dash was just so goofy. Good times. My later Chrysler Starquest TSi in like '88 would blow the doors off it of course with only a four banger and turbo plus it could TURN, the ZX by '82 was a bloated heavy pig even with the turbo on it..
Not many sportscars can pull off a two-tone paint job like the 280ZX did! I hate 'gold' (beige, tan) exteriors, but the black and gold was gorgeous! And the red with black?...🤤
🐯Great video man! The 280zx was a very influential car in my life. My father worked for Lynn Datsun (which became Lynn Nissan of course) in Northern New Jersey as a sales manager/finance guy from 1979 until 1983 when he opened his own car lot. My dad was an eldorado/riviera GS kind of guy but he LOVED 280zx’s and then emerging 300zx’s. I spent my young years in many of these cars, mostly manual and turbo models. I used to recite the bitchin’ betty voice quips, my dad did the same up until he passed away. Years later when i was 19 a friend of mine bought a 1981 280zx for 100 bucks. It needed a hood (the old one rotted away at the hinges) and a valve adjustment. We put that poor car through its paces for two years until another friend burnt the clutch out. We must have done 150 burnouts in that car. I went to put a clutch in and when we jacked the front end up the subframe and unibody literally broke and the car bent like a pretzel. So many memories of from the forgotten era of z cars. A relatively new friend of mine has a ZXR edition , been sitting in a storage unit for 7 years. Ive been trying to convince him to sell it to me so maybe the 280zx will return to my life once more. Your video hit me in the feels man, thank you.
What great memories. It would be amazing to be able to get your hands on a ZXR! I'd say keep a close eye on that if you can. Also, have you seen this ad for greater-NYC Datsun dealerships? I was going to include part of it in the video but I don't think I did. It might bring back some memories: th-cam.com/video/qw3b88a1SHw/w-d-xo.html
Amazing collection of (cringe) photos & clips accompanying this video. I was a car-obsessed young teen when the Z became ZX, and this perfectly captures the mood of those times. Of course with limited $$$, once I hit 16, I chose a used Kei Car Honda N600. Z and ZX were outa my league.😢
I think we've all been there, haha. But an N600! One of my favorite Hondas, and what an incredible car that started some really important development at Honda.
An excellent video, one I'll be sharing on FB so my friends who work for Nissan NA will see it. While I've never owned a 280ZX (but would love to), I have been fortunate enough to have driven the actual car from the black/gold TV commercials. Nissan NA still owns it, and it only had 150 miles on the odometer when I drove it across the lawn during a Z convention at their corporate headquarters some 15 years ago. It's a proper time capsule, and still in brand-new condition to this day. 🐯
That is incredible. It's funny you brought it up, I was watching that ad and thinking very specifically "I wonder what happened to this car." I assumed they may have sold it to someone on the production crew since they couldn't sell it new. It's VERY cool to learn it ended up staying with Nissan! What a cool story. I've been humming the "Black GOOOLD" jingle all week, haha.
@makenmodel You can rest easy that it's in the best hands. The guy who runs the Heritage Collection is a good friend and he loves the car as much as you and I do.
Bravo! I am life long fan of the S130. I owned quite a few over the years and have even started my own channel based on my S130 and other JDM cars. This was a very good homage to the 280zx.
I had a 1983 280ZX back in the 1990s. It had typical used car issues by the time I owned it, but I loved it. Yeah, the suspension and seats were too soft and un-sports car like but the L28E produced lots of torque. I enjoyed the T-tops, luxury features like power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and rear window louvers. It was so 80s. I regret selling it. I want another S130 so bad. The S130 was definitely a transitional car. It bridged the gap between the analog S30 and electronic Z31. It was definitely a product of the malaise era but that somehow makes it uniquely charming looking back in 2024.
Such a fantastic way to put it. It really is uniquely charming! And nothing quite beats having the T-tops off on a beautiful warm day, even if they add a little weight. (We can count that as less weight if we leave them home when they're off. Heh.)
Ironically I knew someone back in the 80's that had a 280ZX and I drove that car long before I was lucky enough to be the 2nd owner of the last year 240. I had no issue with the ZX but, the 2+2 was not my cup of tea. My 240 was a rare Blue with White interior except for carpet and dash which were black. The original owner lived in L.A. and drove to Santa Barbara just to get that color combo and I'm glad he did. To this day that is my favorite car and I could drive it all day long and not be worn out at all. Unfortunately I lost it in a garage fire after I had spent 2 years replacing every piece of rubber and was just about to get my top end rebuilt with porting and higher performance camshaft and valves. I did have intermittent wipers, A/C and electric antenna so that was all the luxury I needed.
That sounds like a true dream car, I'm sorry to hear what happened to it. I am glad it was at least appreciated as much as it was before it was lost. (And I'm glad you're okay too! Yikes.)
I sold my 1978 Datsun 280Z for a 1981 ZX. After the Honeymoon was over I regretted that decision everyday I drove the ZX until the day I got rid of it. Just looking at the dash became a source of irritation after a while... 😃
🐯excellent deep dive video. I’ve owned 3: silver 81, blue 81, blue 83 automatic. Kept the silver 81 for the longest as it was bought new by my stepdad and was only 10 years old when I bought it off him. He sold it to me to buy a beautiful, but trouble prone, maroon ‘85 300ZX Turbo. From my experience, the 280ZX’s were tougher and more reliable than the 300ZX’s that followed
In 1991 I was looking to buy my 1st car & I found a 1983 280X Turbo (T-top, 5 speed) for $1900. And it was in GREAT condition. I was poised to buy it, my father was on board (he liked fast cars too) until Monday morning when we called the insurance company to see how much it would cost to insure it. That is where my dream stopped. It cost more to insure this car that the purchase price for a 16 yr old man in 1991. Sadly, I never owned this beautiful car. But I later owned a 1991 300X TT that was great. But I ALWAYS hated that I was never able to own & drive this 280ZX- it really was my dream car for decades-
I had a red 81 280ZX that I bought from a dealership I worked at for a short time. It was in poor condition, but I got the car pretty cheap and restored it. After fixing interior problems and having it repainted the stock color, I had to hunt for the longest time to find someone to do the struts at an affordable price. I loved the car and drove it for many years watching the gage role over to 200,000 miles and beyond. I genuinely miss this car and I'd love to have another one.
Great video! New subscriber based on the strength of this work, and will check out the rest of your series. Unlike a lot of TH-cam "documentary" channels, you've clearly done the work in terms of your research and understanding of the subject matter, and it is appreciated!
Wow, what a kind comment. This is the kind of thing that really keeps me going. I really try to research as much as possible before I start writing the script, so this means a lot. I'm glad to see that effort is appreciated.
The "rear wiper" was NOT on all 280ZX's; it was part of the GL package. The ZX-R was a "stripper" silver base car with steel wheels and plastic hubcaps. Originally the car had no catalytic converter in 1979 and it had the 135mph(I think) speedometer. Later the "se-no-evil" 85mph speedometers were in most ZX's. The 280ZX had a HUGE gas tank, 21.1 gallons, which after the gas crisis was a great selling point because you could do weekend traveling & get back. Remember, most gas stations closed up at around 10pm back in the day.
Had one of these. A 5 speed blue and silver two tone '81. Was the first car I bought for myself at 17 in '96. Paid $2100 for it. Was a great daily ride; very livable. T-tops were fun and the drive was satisfying. Power, in the era, was enough. Faster than most garden variety 90's passenger vehicles anyways. Straight 6 sounded smooth and throaty through the glass pack muffler I added. Felt cool pulling into my high school parking lot full of boring cars. Don't yearn to own one again but I loved my time in that Z.
Such a great remembrance for the car that was of its time. I had one of the boring cars in high school and was always super jealous of any Z-cars I saw, haha.
Nicely done! TONS of info I didn't know already. 1 note: I could be wrong, but I always thought it was pronounced like a word vs letters. IMSA = imm-sah, based on watching a few races on ESPN in the late 80s/early 90s. 🐯🐅 Looking forward to the Z31 ep. as I still have my dad's that he bought on a whim when he just wanted to test drive it. [A.F. officer with family of 5 always drove sensible/affordable cars , so this Z was a big step for him in retirement.] I love driving it often! 165k miles and counting.
Ahh, I found this comment again! Apologies, I lost it a few days ago when I saw it on my phone but couldn't reply at the time. I just wanted to say thank you for the tip on pronouncing IMSA. Can't believe I missed that and I will be sure to pronounce it correctly in Episode 5.
Oh fantastic, just the style of video I've been searching for, I best check out the rest! Its amazing they were sold in the multiple tens of thousands each year considering how few sports cars sell nowadays.
Thank you! And exactly! Sports cars these days are a tiny fraction of the car purchasing segment that is dominated by crossovers and trucks. Thankfully there has been a lot of new development by automakers looking to bring back some of their legacy sports car brands. I think first up is the Honda Prelude, so I'm excited to see what its stats are like.
@@makenmodel Honda, the most overrated automaker whose cars seem to have bad automatic transmissions, bad manual transmissions, engines that had cranks & cams that snapped, and blocks & heads that cracked, but the thing I really hated when I was a mechanic was the shitty fasteners that were always at least two to four mm too small...
I've never worked on Hondas but I am really surprised to hear this! They have such a reputation for reliability (unless you get a lemon from the factory).
No mention of the one year only "Honeycomb" style wheels on the 1981 Turbo. I loved the look, didn't love no-intercooler. Went through two turbos before I gave up. Bought new and cared for.
Or the modular looking plastic hubcaps on the steel wheels, or the "iron cross". Most people liked the "swastika" turbo wheels. I think I have a full set of all the different ones outs out in the hangar
omg i love the z's the 79 to 83 long nose were my favorite!!! fuel injection came on the scene in 75 but the turbos were so sweet!!! then the v6 came on in 84 then the 90 Z OMG what a sweet ride it was took the scene by storm! if you had one back them you were the big boy on the block!!!
I miss my 81 ZX t-top. Out of all my past cars, I miss it the most. The roof, the shape, the comfort. (87 RX-7 moonroof, 91 RX-7 vert, 96 supercharged Miata are the highlights) It died a painful death. Hit a house.😆😆😆
I bought a 3 year old 5 spd 280 ZX in '86 for $9K after financing with Navy Federal, white with red interior. Loved that highway cruiser. At the time I was stationed in the low country of S.C. and used to make monthly trips home to Massachusetts. A tank of gas got me 475 miles. I thought the tech was cool, the heated outside power mirrors, the digital dash, the rain sensing rear wiper. In the 4 years I owned it, I only replaced the alternator. It was the first car I installed a full sound system in complete with a sub enclosure.
It is incredible how much technology these cars had. I have a Z31 300ZX that had a lot of the 280ZX's tech features, and I am constantly surprised to find it has features that aren't even standard in new cars.
19:39 ''Nissan Voice Warning System'': A small phonograph player (yes a turntable...) with a voice played from a 3-inch white plastic disc placed under the dashboard. There was this also in the Maxima of the same era.
Actually the Japanese name for Japan is Nippon. When Datsun ran into financial difficulties and was sold the new owner renamed it Nissan, a contraction of his first and last names. When they started selling cars in the US success was far from certain. They used the old name Datsun so if their US venture failed it wouldn't tarnish the name of the company and owner.
DATSUN is an English language spelling of SON of DAT, because the first three founding men’s last names started with the letters, D, A and T. Their creation in 1934 was the “son” of theirs, metaphorically speaking. That is how Datsun started the name. The car was the “son” of DAT, the three founders. SON was later changed to SUN because SON in Japanese sounds like “loss”, a negative connotation. And by adopting SUN, it called up images of Japan’s Rising Sun flag.
Great clip, I’ve grew up on Z cars and got to see Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in 1988 at SCCA events in Charlotte,,my mom had the best Z in Hickory, NC and I stole that car in so many joy rides around lake Hickory and the high school and 127
I'm really looking forward to talking more about Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in the next episode. I've got a bunch of clips all lined up and am eager to put something together. How cool it must have been to see them racing in person!
Wow, almost everyone leaving a comment owned at least one Z/ZX. I recall seeing a bunch of 'em runnin' around here in Sarasota as a kid. Almost bought a 240Z from a guy at work, but he talked me out of it.
Another great video! You mentioned you would like to do the Skylines at some point. Well, I personally would like to see these video series on the entire Datsun/Nissan catalog! Yes, I am slightly biased. But seriously, these are fantastic. I will keep on watching. 🐯
🐯 great video I owned a 1970 240z and always thought the (1970's) were the best Z's ever and the 1980's were just not as nice but your video makes me aware of all the great thing s about that area of Z cars very informative thanks so much
You didn't mention the 1982 280ZX Turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual transmission. It solved the lack of manual transmission problem, that the 1981 model had. My brother had one, & it was awesome. Really pulled away, when that boost kicked in! It was the pinnacle of the 280ZX series.
I had one - very fun car to drive and own. There was definite turbo lag, which buy today's standards (and even those of the time for many) was unacceptable.
@donmoore7785 Although not intentional, the turbo lag ended up being a cool feature of the '82 & '83 280zx turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual, as it created a buildup of anticipation in occupants' minds for the turbo to "kick in", paying off as a figurative thrilling climax as they watched the boost gauge.
Wow, this one turned into a long one! I was really not expecting that going into making this episode, since I didn't know a whole lot about the S130 beyond it being the first ZX. But this was an important time for Nissan, and all the changes that were happening reflect that. There was a lot to cover for a car that too many brush off as a footnote!
I found a lot of great photographs during the development of the 280ZX that (as far as I'm aware, and I've checked) have never been uploaded to the internet before. I've posted a few on my Instagram (instagram.com/itsrickpierce) but there are higher-res versions available on my Patreon for members if you'd like to take a look: patreon.com/makenmodel
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You didn't mention the 1982 280ZX Turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual transmission. It solved the lack of manual transmission problem, that the 1981 model had. My brother had one, & it was awesome. Really pulled away, when that boost kicked in! It was the pinnacle of the 280ZX series.
Got my 280zx two years ago, I’m working on brining it back to life 💪
Awesome. I've had mine since high school. 20 years ago. 250,000 miles and running strong. Great, great platform. Stay with it, man.
@ yk it. It’s not ever leaving my hands. I just hope it cooperates in wanting to be fixed back to stock! I’m 99% of the way there
I've owned four. Bought a new one back in 1982 and then owned three used ones over the next two decades. Loved them all.
I am really tempted to try and find one to restore after making this video. I love their styling. Those rear quarter windows just work for me.
Childhood memory unlocked. Used to walk past a 280zx in my neighborhood all the time as a kid on the way to the park. Even at 12, I just loved the lines of that car.
I remember walking to the local Datsun dealer when I was 15 to check these cars out. I still think they are AWESOME!
I owned a 1979 Datsun 280ZX. I bought it used in 1986 and owned until 2003! Mine was the 2-tone blue and silver although later I had it painted just Blue. 280ZX was a great car for modification to address the car's shortcomings. When I swapped out the stock struts/springs for the ones made by Tokico the tail happy nature of the stock car in corners was almost eliminated. I had the cylinder head polished and ported with a 3-angle valve job plus a Crane Cam that resulted in much better power. The 1979 models were not equipped with catalytic convertors, so I had a 2 1/2 inch stainless steel exhaust added which gave it quite a growl! I raced in SCCA A-street prepared autocross events which it placed as high as second in one season. When I final sold my 280ZX it looked more like Paul Newman's Group C race car than anything stock. I even had the development book of the car only given to select dealers that showed pictures of crash testing etc. The only mementos of my 280ZX that I still have is the "Z" emblem from the center of the original steering wheel, photos and original bill of sale. Enjoyed this video! Brough back at lot of memories!
Great video. I know a lot about these cars and still learned a lot more. You were saying how you liked personal stories, so I'll tell you mine. When I was in high school around 2003, my dad and I bought a 280ZX from a friend of his, the original owner. Black on tan N/A 5-speed coupe. We had that car for years. I drove it as my primary mode of transportation and we worked on it and modified it together. Eventually it was just about worn out mechanically, I was too young and broke to do anything about it and dad stuck it in the garage. A few years ago, my dad was killed in a solo car accident. While we were going through his stuff, the car caught my eye sitting on jack stands under all those blankets and boxes. I had intended to get it running and unload it, as we were expecting our first baby at that time. I fixed the fuel and coolant system with aftermarket parts, did some electrical work, and got her running again. Wiped the Indiana Jones level of dust off the windshield and limped the Z to our place nearby where I stuck her in our detached, single car garage. My mom found a stack of pictures dad had kept of me working on the car with him. The slow transformation from stock into basically a Kyusha build before that was really a thing in this country. Over the past two years, I've worked on the car in earnest. My son is 3 now and loves the car. I even took a picture of him in the seat pretending to drive. A lot of other cars have come and gone, and I appreciate them for what they are. A few were objectively better than my Z. But that Z to me is so much more than four wheels and an engine. Even though they might not be the most popular Z car by a long shot, the S130 will always be mine, and I'm always psyched to see them around, as rarely as that happens. Thanks again for the video, man. I know a lot goes into it and it's appreciated a lot.
The most MIND BLOWING TH-cam video intro I’ve ever seen ❤born in the middle 70’s growing up in the 80’s that’s what I call “ NOSTALGIA “ 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏼🙌🏼🇦🇺
As a former 240 and 260Z owner, both of which I had to let go of prematurely, for the longest time I fell into that "dont change greatness" camp. The original "Z" had everything I could have asked for, the look, the sound, the handling, and the accessible price. But now that I'm older more interested in "grand touring" rather than hustling a car around I have a new appreciation for the ZX line. When you think about it, it really did preserve many of the best attributes of the original but just added a little creature comfort along the way. I would be proud to own one today but sadly around this neck of the woods [New England] they've mostly rusted away to untimely deaths.
I feel very similarly. As I've gotten older, I'm happy with a few creature comforts to make driving more comfortable, especially if I want to use the car for longer drives on weekend getaways. Driving a rattling tin can multiple hours when I'm supposed to be relaxing is not a great way to start a little trip. I think as the cars get older too, there is less pressure put on them to match the performance of new cars (especially these days as horsepower has gone wild) and that affords us fans more opportunity to just appreciate the car as a fun sports car/gt car/whatever it is.
@@makenmodel The reason the Z car died was because they rusted out even in Arizona due to water collecting in two frame rails that had no drainage holes. So the water from your feet with any salt or corrosive chemicals ate those frame rails. So Nissan killed their reputation & another Z car wouldn't have sold well anyway...
As someone who is currently dealing with rust on the frame with his own Z-car, you don't have to tell me! Haha.
Best to shop the South West. My '83 from SoCal has zero rust issues, and even the aluminum on the engine looks like new.
The Z vs. ZX definitely appealed to different people. As a ZX owner in the 80s, when I looked at the Z, I thought "this does not look as comfortable, and definitely more hardcore sporty."
My first one at 15 years old 79 280zx white with red interior
In love with it
Today at 53 years old
Own a 1982 280zxturbo
For the last 30 years
With many upgrades aiming for big Hp
Will never be SOLD
In lov
As a 70's kid, for me it was all about the Z cars, forget about corvettes & mustangs, the Z styling was just about as perfect as a car could be.
Glad I found your channel, my Thanksgiving morning will be spent binge watching you Z videos.
Good luck with the channel, but I don't think you'll need it, really well done with quality production and narration
Thank you so much. And I'm happy to help keep Thanksgiving enjoyable with some very non-divisive car talk. I need to make some more videos!
My parents had a black/silver 1979 280ZX and I literally grew up under the rear hatch of that car going around everywhere for years.
It's so fun to hear stories like these. It's amazing how a car can become such a part of our lives.
I saw this car on the showroom back in 1981. I was in awe at the sticker price around $16,500. I thought to myself who can afford such an expensive car!
I think the sticker on my '82 Turbo was $17,800. I bought it with 17k miles in July '84 for $12k.
They were originally $10.008 when released in 1979.
@@arthurfoyt6727 that was ALOT of money back then. The average car was what …. $3000-4000? 🤷🏻♂️
@@sonhuynh8222 Average SPORTS cars were no where close to $3-4K in 1979! It was a lot of money (I bought mine new off the lot in 1979 which is why I know the price) but I was just out of college and I could buy one. I still have it.
Wow,this narrator truly is standout in his ideas,opinions and delivery❤
What an incredibly kind thing to say. Thank you. :) I'm adding it to my collection of "favorite comments".
Fantastic story. Deserving of a much bigger audience.🐯
Really appreciate these kind words. I figure I just keep making these videos and that audience will find their way here! Just gotta keep working.
I bought a well used 1978 280z in 1988. I’ve owned a lot of fun cars and this one was at the top of the list. It had no smog equipment but had the “new” to me anyway fuel injection. I was a young guy and drove that car like a rented mule. It cost me $500. It was blue with a paint matched front spoiler and black louvres on the back window. You could not blow the motor up and I tried. The car was light and the torque was amazing. That little car would fly! It already had some rust in the rockers, they weren’t built for a long life. The metal was thin. But what a car!
This is my favorite classic Z styling wise, retains the iconic characteristics of the 240Z but adds the 80's signature angular edges which makes it the best of both worlds.
I used to own a 1976 280z black on black, louvers on the windows leather interior and factory slot mag wheels. Man that car was fast and cool as hell sure miss it.
When I was in elementary school, my Pops had 2 of them. Both were black. The T-tops were super cool, and Pops would love to shift like he was driving in a race, even if we were going to the gas station. The Datsun 280 ZX was a real piece of work💯
Here’s one for ya . The fastest car at my high school in 83 was a 260 Z with a built 383 chevy, lifted the front wheels and gone.
Owned a 1969 Jaguar Xk-E, later bought a new 1976 280Z that my roommate totaled with about 4000 miles. Now own a pristine 83 Red 280 zx. Have replaced all suspension and rubber parts due to age, but non the less a terrific car and an instant connection to a great past.
Nice. When I sold my '82 Turbo, the suspension needed a total overhaul; clutch was nearing end of life, and I was not up to refurbishing. I miss the car - I have to admit it.
You knocked it out of the park, your production and eye for details were great! I had a 1980 black & gold 280ZX slick top 2+2 with the 5-speed manual. A really fun car that went like lightning in a cloud of rust, it too became a victim of the midwest seasons. Not exactly a supercar by any stretch but it was right for the time. Woefully underpowered compared to the earlier models but it didn't suffer from the carburetor problems or clunky feelings of the 260 and 280Z. I had the Teleray sub model that had some extra trim and interior touches, tack-on gimmicks that gave it a more refined feel at the cost of the sportier intent. This is a car that will never have a parallel in the future.
I owned a 1979 Datsun 280 ZX hard top and a 1980 Nissan 280ZX T-top. This video brought back great memories. Both of my 280ZX vehicles were manual transmission. I refuse to purchase an automatic transmission sports car. It doesn't make sense.
the 280ZX, forever my first and true love.
Great production here. I watched the whole video and didn't feel I got the "one line reason" why the car vanished aside from being cheap fun that people neglected. Still great video. I owned a '82 2+2 and my brother owned a '83 turbo, both 5-speed, back in the day. These cars would not stay fixed. Still, fun and beautiful machine. Thanks for the memories.
My 81 was my first sports car, and my 83 was my first manual... I am glad social media wasn't around when I was running around in these
I look back on my youth and feel the same, haha. So much trouble that has been thankfully lost to time.
I really enjoyed this video- a history lesson of a great line of cars- my brother currently owns a 93 300ZX TT and I own a 93 NA convertible, both great cars with a long lineage. When I was a kid, I really had an appreciation for the 280ZX, even the non turbo cars.
Rick ... bumped into your channel today. Your research is excellent and love your voice. I subscribed and hope you get far more. Millions wanted a 240Z and later a 280Z. I could only afford used cars back then and because of living in deep snow country. Got lucky when I found a used 68 Olds Delta 88 with the 455 and paid 375 bucks. Best car I ever had and even started in -40 without being plugged in.
🐯 i have a 1983 280zx and love it....
First time falling in love with was when I was a young 13 year old.
Good friend's brother had 3. And I said one day when I grow up I would get one....
So I got one when I was in my 50s....
Every weekend it is a head turner and a flashback for many that stop me to talk about the car.
I love this. I think as kids we make a promises to ourselves we fully intend to keep, but sometimes it can take awhile. It's so cool to hear you did it and now get to share it with others.
I'm the very proud owner of an 81 turbo with just 33k miles. I absolutely love the design! I even have a copy of the book from Nissan dealerships gave to customers back then. Even though I have a pretty good knowledge about this car I really enjoyed this video!
Fantastic video! I wanted this car SO MUCH when I was a kid and couldn't afford one. I still think they are cool.
Same here…!!!
Stumbled on this video and loved how detailed you got. Thank you, I'll be hitting that subscribe button. Keep up the great work.
AWSOME DOCUMENTRY. I owned a couple 1982 280zx's and talk about a fun car to drive. They have increased in price and heard to find a non rust bucket. I wish you would have touched on the rust issue these cars are known for.
I had a 73 240Z and an 81 280ZX
I would LOVE to have them both right now. Amazing car's.
I saved and saved for a 280Z with my paper route. I had 4K and asked my dad to co sign. Being a union guy said no way your only options are Ford, Chevy or Chrysler. I was devastated. Fast forward to 2022 Nissan unveiled the new Z, retro model. production issues with problematic transmissions, halted production and dealers marked up the remaining cars. Who gets a 2nd chance? Not me. I got a retro Dodge Challenger.
No telling how much longer Nissan will be around.
I had an 83 Turbo model... I bought her in the summer of 2001 in Tom's River... I was amazed at the way she drove & everything on this lady worked including the Power Antenna...
She was an amazing car in every way... I drove her down to Florida so many times I lost count...
This was fantastic!
When I was a boy in the early Eighties, my parents had a pair of 280ZX’s, one was a coupe and a 2+2. At the same time my big sister had a 280Z. Later, when I was a teenager, I had my own 280ZX, so I’ve had a love for Z Cars.
I’ve never got the idea that 280ZX was “bad”. It was a product of the time. It was as good or better than what was available at that time.
Totally agree. I think everyone needs to remember the environment these cars came into. For what they were trying to go for, they completely succeeded.
The black and gold was the car to have. Gold was big back in the day, even drag racers used gold valve covers from Milodon. The hottest girl in my high school drove her dad's black ZX 2 seater. Shout out to Nancy and North Shore HS!
When telling some friends I was starting work on this video, they were all like "oh man, the black and gold one was so cool." It was unanimous. Honestly I can't disagree.
A black and gold ZX was outside my Dentist's office 2 weeks ago. It's still a magnificent machine and I am a Vette driver.
I have owned two cars, the first was a 1971 painted Porsche green with mag wheels purchased in 1973 from Newport Beach motors. The second was a 1979 280 ZX which was more of a luxury coupe than a true sports car. It had all the whistles and bells, power windows, power steering automatic air conditioning nice Soundsystem two tone, silver and blue paint. But I have to tell you I like the 71 much better.
Have learned a lot about Z cars, but thought the length might be an indication of more details. Did not disappoint! Very good!
Started vid with images of Black Gold edition. I love that car! Saw a handful in the 80's and it was pure sexy.
I'm on my 3rd 280zx. Now is the best time to have one since the popularity is going up. Aftermarket companies are starting to make custom parts for the car.
Glad to see this. I had a '82 Turbo. Most fun car I have owned to drive, and work on. It was actually pleasurable to service, it was so well designed. Only negative for me was the turbo lag. So fun on twisty roads!
Such a great vehicle, purchasing one really changed my initial impressions. Nice work on the video!🙌🏼
My folks have a garage kept 1981 280ZX that they purchased new. I remember riding around in the back of that car with my brother thinking we were in the hottest car in town. Fast forward and they are both in their early 80s. The car is just too low for them to climb in and out of now. So the car is going to stay in the family and reside at my house soon. I just hope I can take care of it as well as they have over the years.
A kid in '83 I'm at a record co. and you could tell what level you were on by where you had a parking space - and the cars would tell you too. Top tier either didn't drive or had Rollers, Ferraris, and such. Next tier was was lawyers and upper mid mgmt - Porsches, Vettes Mercedes BMW; then there was me the last tier that could park "close" to the building and it was the Supra, ZX, Mazda RX level. Somehow I had a '82 gun metal ZX 2+2 Turbo with all options. Coming from muscle and sports I knew right away it was a luxo dog; boulevard cruiser highway bomber with enough gimmicks and stuff for girls to like - basically more of a babe magnet - T Tops,voice talking to you all the time, I swear Bitchin' Betty used to tell us where the coke spoon fell...lol, start-up sequence on dash was just so goofy. Good times. My later Chrysler Starquest TSi in like '88 would blow the doors off it of course with only a four banger and turbo plus it could TURN, the ZX by '82 was a bloated heavy pig even with the turbo on it..
This content is fantastic! Keep up the great work, I think you’re going to get much bigger as time goes on!
I really appreciate this. I would love to be able to continue making this kind of content and do it full-time.
Not many sportscars can pull off a two-tone paint job like the 280ZX did! I hate 'gold' (beige, tan) exteriors, but the black and gold was gorgeous! And the red with black?...🤤
don't forget brown😀
Loved my 280ZX. So easy to get speeding tickets. 😄
🐯Great video man! The 280zx was a very influential car in my life. My father worked for Lynn Datsun (which became Lynn Nissan of course) in Northern New Jersey as a sales manager/finance guy from 1979 until 1983 when he opened his own car lot. My dad was an eldorado/riviera GS kind of guy but he LOVED 280zx’s and then emerging 300zx’s. I spent my young years in many of these cars, mostly manual and turbo models. I used to recite the bitchin’ betty voice quips, my dad did the same up until he passed away. Years later when i was 19 a friend of mine bought a 1981 280zx for 100 bucks. It needed a hood (the old one rotted away at the hinges) and a valve adjustment. We put that poor car through its paces for two years until another friend burnt the clutch out. We must have done 150 burnouts in that car. I went to put a clutch in and when we jacked the front end up the subframe and unibody literally broke and the car bent like a pretzel. So many memories of from the forgotten era of z cars. A relatively new friend of mine has a ZXR edition , been sitting in a storage unit for 7 years. Ive been trying to convince him to sell it to me so maybe the 280zx will return to my life once more. Your video hit me in the feels man, thank you.
Never stop remembering or thinking talking bout your dad power loyalty and respect from Windsor ca
What great memories. It would be amazing to be able to get your hands on a ZXR! I'd say keep a close eye on that if you can. Also, have you seen this ad for greater-NYC Datsun dealerships? I was going to include part of it in the video but I don't think I did. It might bring back some memories: th-cam.com/video/qw3b88a1SHw/w-d-xo.html
Amazing collection of (cringe) photos & clips accompanying this video.
I was a car-obsessed young teen when the Z became ZX, and this perfectly captures the mood of those times.
Of course with limited $$$, once I hit 16, I chose a used Kei Car Honda N600.
Z and ZX were outa my league.😢
I think we've all been there, haha. But an N600! One of my favorite Hondas, and what an incredible car that started some really important development at Honda.
An excellent video, one I'll be sharing on FB so my friends who work for Nissan NA will see it. While I've never owned a 280ZX (but would love to), I have been fortunate enough to have driven the actual car from the black/gold TV commercials. Nissan NA still owns it, and it only had 150 miles on the odometer when I drove it across the lawn during a Z convention at their corporate headquarters some 15 years ago. It's a proper time capsule, and still in brand-new condition to this day. 🐯
That is incredible. It's funny you brought it up, I was watching that ad and thinking very specifically "I wonder what happened to this car." I assumed they may have sold it to someone on the production crew since they couldn't sell it new. It's VERY cool to learn it ended up staying with Nissan! What a cool story. I've been humming the "Black GOOOLD" jingle all week, haha.
@makenmodel You can rest easy that it's in the best hands. The guy who runs the Heritage Collection is a good friend and he loves the car as much as you and I do.
Bravo! I am life long fan of the S130. I owned quite a few over the years and have even started my own channel based on my S130 and other JDM cars. This was a very good homage to the 280zx.
The z-line cars are one of the most gorgeous cars ever given to humans
For real. And at a relatively affordable price!
My dad had an 82 to 280ZX gold. And that Betty woman...
I had a 1983 280ZX back in the 1990s. It had typical used car issues by the time I owned it, but I loved it. Yeah, the suspension and seats were too soft and un-sports car like but the L28E produced lots of torque. I enjoyed the T-tops, luxury features like power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and rear window louvers. It was so 80s. I regret selling it. I want another S130 so bad. The S130 was definitely a transitional car. It bridged the gap between the analog S30 and electronic Z31. It was definitely a product of the malaise era but that somehow makes it uniquely charming looking back in 2024.
Such a fantastic way to put it. It really is uniquely charming! And nothing quite beats having the T-tops off on a beautiful warm day, even if they add a little weight. (We can count that as less weight if we leave them home when they're off. Heh.)
Ironically I knew someone back in the 80's that had a 280ZX and I drove that car long before I was lucky enough to be the 2nd owner of the last year 240. I had no issue with the ZX but, the 2+2 was not my cup of tea. My 240 was a rare Blue with White interior except for carpet and dash which were black. The original owner lived in L.A. and drove to Santa Barbara just to get that color combo and I'm glad he did. To this day that is my favorite car and I could drive it all day long and not be worn out at all. Unfortunately I lost it in a garage fire after I had spent 2 years replacing every piece of rubber and was just about to get my top end rebuilt with porting and higher performance camshaft and valves. I did have intermittent wipers, A/C and electric antenna so that was all the luxury I needed.
That sounds like a true dream car, I'm sorry to hear what happened to it. I am glad it was at least appreciated as much as it was before it was lost. (And I'm glad you're okay too! Yikes.)
I sold my 1978 Datsun 280Z for a 1981 ZX. After the Honeymoon was over I regretted that decision everyday I drove the ZX until the day I got rid of it. Just looking at the dash became a source of irritation after a while... 😃
🐯excellent deep dive video. I’ve owned 3: silver 81, blue 81, blue 83 automatic. Kept the silver 81 for the longest as it was bought new by my stepdad and was only 10 years old when I bought it off him. He sold it to me to buy a beautiful, but trouble prone, maroon ‘85 300ZX Turbo. From my experience, the 280ZX’s were tougher and more reliable than the 300ZX’s that followed
Got my 82, 2+2 in 1985..29K miles.. Almost brand new..
Still own it today and still turning heads !!
My favorite Fairlady Z..!
That's awesome that you still have it.
I think we all have a car we regret parting with.
In 1991 I was looking to buy my 1st car & I found a 1983 280X Turbo (T-top, 5 speed) for $1900. And it was in GREAT condition. I was poised to buy it, my father was on board (he liked fast cars too) until Monday morning when we called the insurance company to see how much it would cost to insure it. That is where my dream stopped. It cost more to insure this car that the purchase price for a 16 yr old man in 1991. Sadly, I never owned this beautiful car. But I later owned a 1991 300X TT that was great. But I ALWAYS hated that I was never able to own & drive this 280ZX- it really was my dream car for decades-
I had a red 81 280ZX that I bought from a dealership I worked at for a short time. It was in poor condition, but I got the car pretty cheap and restored it. After fixing interior problems and having it repainted the stock color, I had to hunt for the longest time to find someone to do the struts at an affordable price. I loved the car and drove it for many years watching the gage role over to 200,000 miles and beyond. I genuinely miss this car and I'd love to have another one.
They were well-built machines intended to keep going and going! Such a far cry from the mantra of so many sports cars today.
Great video! New subscriber based on the strength of this work, and will check out the rest of your series.
Unlike a lot of TH-cam "documentary" channels, you've clearly done the work in terms of your research and understanding of the subject matter, and it is appreciated!
Wow, what a kind comment. This is the kind of thing that really keeps me going. I really try to research as much as possible before I start writing the script, so this means a lot. I'm glad to see that effort is appreciated.
The "rear wiper" was NOT on all 280ZX's; it was part of the GL package.
The ZX-R was a "stripper" silver base car with steel wheels and plastic hubcaps.
Originally the car had no catalytic converter in 1979 and it had the 135mph(I think) speedometer. Later the "se-no-evil" 85mph speedometers were in most ZX's.
The 280ZX had a HUGE gas tank, 21.1 gallons, which after the gas crisis was a great selling point because you could do weekend traveling & get back. Remember, most gas stations closed up at around 10pm back in the day.
Had one of these. A 5 speed blue and silver two tone '81. Was the first car I bought for myself at 17 in '96. Paid $2100 for it. Was a great daily ride; very livable. T-tops were fun and the drive was satisfying. Power, in the era, was enough. Faster than most garden variety 90's passenger vehicles anyways. Straight 6 sounded smooth and throaty through the glass pack muffler I added. Felt cool pulling into my high school parking lot full of boring cars. Don't yearn to own one again but I loved my time in that Z.
Such a great remembrance for the car that was of its time. I had one of the boring cars in high school and was always super jealous of any Z-cars I saw, haha.
Love this content. I have a 1982 280zx thats so fun to drive. Great memories as I had a few in the 80's and 90's.
Nicely done! TONS of info I didn't know already.
1 note: I could be wrong, but I always thought it was pronounced like a word vs letters. IMSA = imm-sah, based on watching a few races on ESPN in the late 80s/early 90s.
🐯🐅
Looking forward to the Z31 ep. as I still have my dad's that he bought on a whim when he just wanted to test drive it. [A.F. officer with family of 5 always drove sensible/affordable cars , so this Z was a big step for him in retirement.] I love driving it often! 165k miles and counting.
Ahh, I found this comment again! Apologies, I lost it a few days ago when I saw it on my phone but couldn't reply at the time. I just wanted to say thank you for the tip on pronouncing IMSA. Can't believe I missed that and I will be sure to pronounce it correctly in Episode 5.
Great video! Love the details. Of note, the HP increased by 10 to 145 in with the 1982 refresh.
I have a 71 240z and a 83 280zx 2+2 turbo. Both 5 speeds. I love them both
Oh fantastic, just the style of video I've been searching for, I best check out the rest!
Its amazing they were sold in the multiple tens of thousands each year considering how few sports cars sell nowadays.
Thank you! And exactly! Sports cars these days are a tiny fraction of the car purchasing segment that is dominated by crossovers and trucks. Thankfully there has been a lot of new development by automakers looking to bring back some of their legacy sports car brands. I think first up is the Honda Prelude, so I'm excited to see what its stats are like.
@@makenmodel Honda, the most overrated automaker whose cars seem to have bad automatic transmissions, bad manual transmissions, engines that had cranks & cams that snapped, and blocks & heads that cracked, but the thing I really hated when I was a mechanic was the shitty fasteners that were always at least two to four mm too small...
I've never worked on Hondas but I am really surprised to hear this! They have such a reputation for reliability (unless you get a lemon from the factory).
🐯 I'm so proud of you. Your channel is doing so well for being so new. Keep up the great work!
No mention of the one year only "Honeycomb" style wheels on the 1981 Turbo. I loved the look, didn't love no-intercooler. Went through two turbos before I gave up. Bought new and cared for.
Those wheels are my favorite 280ZX wheels! I can't believe I forgot to mention them!
Or the modular looking plastic hubcaps on the steel wheels, or the "iron cross". Most people liked the "swastika" turbo wheels. I think I have a full set of all the different ones outs out in the hangar
Great video, love all thr retro footage!!
Finding all of that footage and putting it together in the video is a ton of work! I'm glad it's appreciated.
Love my 1983 280zx 2+2. Still turns heads every time I drive it.
My first car was a 1978 280Z ❤️
Another great video! I’m not super into the 280zx but I think they’re also beautiful and unique in its own way.
That's kind of what I took away from this as well. As a Z31 owner, I get it. Because the Z31 gets a lot of similar comments as the S130!
The 280ZX Turbo was an awesome car.
The 280ZX Turbo was an awesome engine. That's why there are probably more S30's on the road with that engine than S130's. :-)
🐯 great video! Lots of great information and your production is excellent.
Thank you! Really trying hard to make the kind of videos I want to see on youtube.
A video about my dream Z cruiser and I even learned some new things... I think I'll stick around for the series.
a Silver 83 t top manual was my very first car, and managed to pile in 4 people in addition to myself in the driver seat! Ah.... teenage memories!
All in the drivers seat?! That is wild, haha. I'm sure the Nissan engineering team would have been proud!
omg i love the z's the 79 to 83 long nose were my favorite!!! fuel injection came on the scene in 75 but the turbos were so sweet!!! then the v6 came on in 84 then the 90 Z OMG what a sweet ride it was took the scene by storm! if you had one back them you were the big boy on the block!!!
When I was a highschooler, the neighbor had a silver 280ZX. I decided I was going to one day own a Z car. I now own a 1990 TT that I bought in 1995.
My best friend's brother had one of these. I thought it was the most amazing car ever!
I had a 1982 black and silver, T-tops 280zx. Automatic and non-turbo and it was still awesome to me.
Another awesome video!
Your support with this means everything.
I miss my 81 ZX t-top.
Out of all my past cars, I miss it the most.
The roof, the shape, the comfort.
(87 RX-7 moonroof, 91 RX-7 vert, 96 supercharged Miata are the highlights)
It died a painful death.
Hit a house.😆😆😆
I bought a 3 year old 5 spd 280 ZX in '86 for $9K after financing with Navy Federal, white with red interior. Loved that highway cruiser. At the time I was stationed in the low country of S.C. and used to make monthly trips home to Massachusetts. A tank of gas got me 475 miles. I thought the tech was cool, the heated outside power mirrors, the digital dash, the rain sensing rear wiper. In the 4 years I owned it, I only replaced the alternator. It was the first car I installed a full sound system in complete with a sub enclosure.
Myrtle Beach was supposed to have been a great place to have been stationed
It is incredible how much technology these cars had. I have a Z31 300ZX that had a lot of the 280ZX's tech features, and I am constantly surprised to find it has features that aren't even standard in new cars.
19:39 ''Nissan Voice Warning System'': A small phonograph player (yes a turntable...) with a voice played from a 3-inch white plastic disc placed under the dashboard. There was this also in the Maxima of the same era.
Awesome Episode. I myself own a 1980 fairlady 280Z that was brought into the US many years ago. It is going under a full Restomod.
Whoa, XenonZcar in the comments! I love your videos. I'm glad we connected on Instagram!
Called the ones in the early 80s 'disco machines'. As all the open shifted permed out disco kings bought them.
bullshit, those guys were in corvettes.
@Milkmans_Son can't be in both? That's limited
Nissan first used "Datsun" because "Nissan" meant Japan and they feared Americans will not buy a car named Japan after WW2.
I was just having some fun with it in the video, but this is the real answer. I talk about it in more detail in Episodes 1 and 2 of this series!
Actually the Japanese name for Japan is Nippon. When Datsun ran into financial difficulties and was sold the new owner renamed it Nissan, a contraction of his first and last names. When they started selling cars in the US success was far from certain. They used the old name Datsun so if their US venture failed it wouldn't tarnish the name of the company and owner.
DATSUN is an English language spelling of SON of DAT, because the first three founding men’s last names started with the letters, D, A and T. Their creation in 1934 was the “son” of theirs, metaphorically speaking. That is how Datsun started the name. The car was the “son” of DAT, the three founders. SON was later changed to SUN because SON in Japanese sounds like “loss”, a negative connotation. And by adopting SUN, it called up images of Japan’s Rising Sun flag.
@@davidgold5961 I go into depth on the naming (including the son of DAT) in Episode 1, check it out. :)
@@EinKerl3554Correct
Great clip, I’ve grew up on Z cars and got to see Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in 1988 at SCCA events in Charlotte,,my mom had the best Z in Hickory, NC and I stole that car in so many joy rides around lake Hickory and the high school and 127
I'm really looking forward to talking more about Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in the next episode. I've got a bunch of clips all lined up and am eager to put something together. How cool it must have been to see them racing in person!
Wow, almost everyone leaving a comment owned at least one Z/ZX.
I recall seeing a bunch of 'em runnin' around here in Sarasota as a kid. Almost bought a 240Z from a guy at work, but he talked me out of it.
Best car Nissan ever put out. The Datsun 240s and 260s were just as good. I still see Datsun trucks on the road.
Thank you for this video, used to own a "77 280Z always wanted a ZX great info on the Z car.
Thanks for an interesting and well made video. Good luck with your channel😊
Another great video! You mentioned you would like to do the Skylines at some point. Well, I personally would like to see these video series on the entire Datsun/Nissan catalog! Yes, I am slightly biased. But seriously, these are fantastic. I will keep on watching. 🐯
Tom! Good to see you here. :) I may be a little biased too, haha.
🐯 great video I owned a 1970 240z and always thought the (1970's) were the best Z's ever and the 1980's were just not as nice but your video makes me aware of all the great thing s about that area of Z cars very informative thanks so much
I remember the Datsun 240, 260 and 280z . But in the new emission heavy days of the 70’s, nothing was real fast.
I really enjoyed this. Thank you. 🐯
You didn't mention the 1982 280ZX Turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual transmission. It solved the lack of manual transmission problem, that the 1981 model had. My brother had one, & it was awesome. Really pulled away, when that boost kicked in! It was the pinnacle of the 280ZX series.
I had one - very fun car to drive and own. There was definite turbo lag, which buy today's standards (and even those of the time for many) was unacceptable.
@donmoore7785 Although not intentional, the turbo lag ended up being a cool feature of the '82 & '83 280zx turbo w/ the Borg Warner 5 speed manual, as it created a buildup of anticipation in occupants' minds for the turbo to "kick in", paying off as a figurative thrilling climax as they watched the boost gauge.
Can't wait for the Z32 video!!
I love seeing this comment on each video. The Z32 is close now! Just one video to go!