Highlights
- 41,429 miles
- 3.0 litre Twin Turbo
- Japanese and UK service history
- Well presented
The Background
The Fairlady Z name was originally used in 1969 with the release of the 240Z. Models such as the 240Z and 280ZX were all successful in their own rights, especially in 1979 when the 280ZX became the most successful selling Fairlady with over 105,000 units produced. The 300ZX launched in 1983, and although updated, the Nissan was slightly behind, with competition from models such as the Chevrolet Camaro, RX-7, Corvette C4, and to top it off it lost the title of the fastest Japanese car to the Toyota Supra Turbo.
This is when a full makeover was given, and in 1989 Nissan launched probably one of the most beautifully designed cars at the time, the new Z32 300ZX. With its twin turbocharged 3.0 V6 and excellent handling, it produced a car that would rival the likes of Porsche with their 944 Turbo, making the Z32 known to many car enthusiasts as the ultimate Z car. Car and Driver placed the Z32 on its Ten Best list for seven consecutive years, each model year of its availability in the United States
This is when a full makeover was given, and in 1989 Nissan launched probably one of the most beautifully designed cars at the time, the new Z32 300ZX. With its twin turbocharged 3.0 V6 and excellent handling, it produced a car that would rival the likes of Porsche with their 944 Turbo, making the Z32 known to many car enthusiasts as the ultimate Z car. Car and Driver placed the Z32 on its Ten Best list for seven consecutive years, each model year of its availability in the United States
The History
The seller of this lovely, unmolested Nissan Fairlady 300ZX Twin Turbo, has owned the vehicle since 3rd December 2019, purchasing it as the second UK keeper since it was registered in the UK on 1st June 2017.
The car came from one enthusiast to another, who was already a big fan of anything Japanese from the 1990’s. The low mileage 300ZX was the perfect addition to the seller’s collection. The car has been converted to Mph, which tallies up with the mileage on the Japanese service history.
Now downsizing his collection, it is time to part with the stunning 300ZX and let someone else take over the ownership of this unmolested Japanese 90’s classic.
The Paperwork
The V5 is present and shows that there are 2 previous keepers, and as mentioned, the car was registered in the UK on 1st June 2017.
On the paperwork side of things there is what looks to be a full Japanese service history, and the Export Certificate is present in both Japanese and English. There is a sales brochure and a couple of magazines with features on the 300ZX model. The Japanese Service Book and associated invoices show services at 1165km, 11465 km, 19781 km, 30873 km, 42230 km, 49762 km, 54000 km, 58461 km, 60529 km and 62039 km
There are 2 invoices from 300Zx specialists Outlaw Customs in Doncaster, who have carried out some work on the car, and also commented that this is one of the cleanest 300ZX they have seen.
The seller put the car through an MOT on 18th January 2022, which it passed with no advisories.
The Interior
Inside of the Nissan is very typically 90’s, and is in very nice condition indeed. As you would expect for the low mileage, there is minimal wear to be seen. The velour seats are in excellent order and show no or very little wear to the usual wear places on the bolsters. The electric side on both of the seats is all working as it should.
The door cards at the front are also in good order, there is just some very light wear to the window switch on the drivers side. In the rear, again, the seat is excellent with nothing to report. The vinyl on the rear quarter panel trims has shrunk a little revealing the backing material of the panel.
The door cards at the front are also in good order, there is just some very light wear to the window switch on the drivers side. In the rear, again, the seat is excellent with nothing to report. The vinyl on the rear quarter panel trims has shrunk a little revealing the backing material of the panel.
The sleek smooth dashboard looks to be in good order with no scuffs to mention. The instrument binnacle, as mentioned, has been converted to Mph and the mileage set accordingly, which is reading 41,429 miles. The controls to the left of the steering wheel are all working as they should with no noticeable wear to the buttons, and the centre of the dash holds the UK Panasonic head-unit.
Like the seats, the carpets are in excellent condition throughout, including in the boot area. Under the floor is the spare wheel, jack and wheel brace. There is a roller style boot cover which unclips and rolls in and out as you would expect.
The Exterior
Finished in Pearlescent Diamond White, the Nissan looks to be wearing 95% of its original paint, with maybe just a corner of the bumper being touched up at some point. Stone chips are definitely on the minimal side thanks to the low mileage of the Nissan. The headlights and fog lights are in good order, with no chips to be seen. There is a small piece of trim broken around the passenger side fog light, but is quite difficult to spot. The bonnet looks to align as it should and has a nice equal gap across the front panel and wing rails.
Around to the sides and again, very straight! There are no dings to mention and the doors align nicely. The only thing to mention is that the paint on the windscreen and side window trim has started to come off a little revealing the chrome finish underneath, not that this is the end of the world and could easily be repainted or wrapped in vinyl. The glass around the car all looks to be scratch free, including the removable targa roof panels. The roof panels themselves unclip in seconds and lift out easily, perfect for the summer months.
To the rear, again there are no scuffs to mention. The back panel which stretches across the car covering the lights is in good condition, with no splits or cracks, just some light swirl marks that would lighten with a polish.
The five spoke wheels are all in excellent condition with no kerb injuries. These are fitted with matching tyres, which have a good amount of tread remaining.
The Mechanics
Fitted with a 3.0 litre V6 Twin turbo, the Fairlady offers plenty of power for the most enthusiastic of drivers. 279 bhp and 276 lb-ft of torque is enough to power the 300ZX from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, with a top speed of 155mph. Power is transmitted through the rear wheels via a 4-speed electronic automatic gearbox. The 300ZX alo brought with it cutting edge technology for the 90’s with the HICAS (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering), which is Nissan's rear wheel steering system. This, with the 4 wheel multi-link suspension, made for an excellent handling car.
The car starts up with the flick of the key, as to be expected with such low mileage. It is reported to pull well through the gearbox with a smooth change, and the car comes to a halt in a straight line.
For peace of mind for the new keeper, in August 2020, the 300 was treated to a timing belt, water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, fuel filter, oil filter and the transmission fluids replaced. The work was carried out by Outlaw Customs at a cost of £1,542.20, and since then the car has covered just 200 miles.
The Appeal
This is 90’s Japanese motoring at its finest! 3.0 litre V6 Twin Turbo, full of technological wizardry with the HICAS system and electronic automatic gearbox, the 300 ZX was ahead of its time in 1996.
It’s rare to find any Japanese sports car that hasn't been modified in some shape or form,either when it was in Japan or after it landed in the UK. We are glad to say this has escaped the modified scene and can be appreciated just how Nissan intended. With just 41,429 miles covered, this is definitely a rare find for any Japanese 90’s car fan.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
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