I had this car in 1989. I was 19 years old at the time. It was one of my favorite cars I have ever owned.

@moelester7971

3 жыл бұрын

Do you still have it?

@trevormcmanis

3 жыл бұрын

I envy you! I wish you all the best. It’s a lot of fun to drive. Especially with the T tops off. ✌🏼👍🏻🙏

@cadenberrocal4227

3 жыл бұрын

Im buying one this 29th for $1k and I can’t wait to modify this baby she’s such a butte

@cadenberrocal4227

3 жыл бұрын

@David Milliman Youre gonna make me cry and get all sentimental lmao :,(. Mines manual and needs serious interior work. I don’t mind at all because the more stuff I fix, the bigger the pride I’ll carry around whenever I catch eyes lol. This car is truly a gem of the past.

@cadenberrocal4227

3 жыл бұрын

@David Milliman i don’t mind speed I love looks. Planning for a wide body kit

With all heterosexual respect, I truly love you for this review. My father owned one of these back then. Some of my fondest memories were of feeling the Isley Brothers vibrating my seat, while Dad talked on his Startac. God rest his soul. This review has touched me more than you could now.

@MotoManTV

9 жыл бұрын

SpaceG95 You have no idea how much this means to me. I have always said, we don't buy a car, we buy a story. One of the best stories is how these hunks of metal bring together generations. Your dad was a wealthy man - and I don't mean money - to share this experience with you . . .

@MrCumstein

8 жыл бұрын

+SpaceG95 Thank you for sharing that with us. My Dad was manager of a Nissan dealership and was always bringing home different demo cars. I was 7 when he brought home a 50th anniversary ZX. The design, the turbo, the animated dash, the black leather.....I was totally mesmerized. It might sound ridiculous to some, but it was truly a life changing experience, and it marked the beginning of my love for these cars. I will never forget coming home from school on my 16th birthday and seeing in the driveway a 300ZX with a big red bow on it. Truly priceless memories. I still get choked up just thinking about it.

@JustMe-ws2pe

Жыл бұрын

Your dad was bad azz.

Some people dream of owning a super car...but I dream of owning one of these bad boys! Catch me out there in one of these blasting Vampires by The Midnight ;)

The 1988 Shiro Special was the other special edition. Available in one color, moon glow pearl white with special, heavy rate springs, Recaro seats, 5 speed only and 3.70:1viscous limited slip rear end, no digital gauges or other electronic gadgets available, all this made it light and fast. Only 1002 were made for the U.S. market.

@slinkbradshaw3082

9 жыл бұрын

EasyStreamer88 that trans and diff set up.... infamous in the late 80s

@andydecu

8 жыл бұрын

+Slink Bradshaw The secrets of this car been let out! My first car was an 85 NA 300ZX in 2002 while 16 in highschool; had more options than my moms BMW; it would stop it; hers was a 5 speed also...it didnt matter! People would tell my mom Id kill myself in it. I didn't. I just destroyed everything on the street in it quietly.

@andydecu

8 жыл бұрын

+Dan Spirescu Then I got a turbo one after high school.

@anhiirr

6 жыл бұрын

+Dan Spirescu great story ;) with a proper ending

@jrhawk

4 жыл бұрын

Slightly smaller turbo T2.5 vs t3 Less boost also But... Better response and 5 more HP

That gauge cluster is the most 80's thing ever I love it.

I got a 1985 300ZX Turbo auto with a digital dash in candy red at age of 20 in 1986 in Houston. Got many compliments and could hear the turbo boost from the inside but my friends driving a firebird could hear it much louder when passing him. Then got a 1985 cpe manual in burgundy in 1988, a 1987 NA auto with digital dash in dark silver in 1996. Got one of the last production year 1996 TT version manual in pearl in 2000 and that was a beast smoking the same year M3 on I5 in CA. Got a brand new 350Z auto in black in 2005 in New Port beach as my last Z sold in 2007. Porsche has been my most favorite sports car since owning a 2005 Boxster S

Had a base '84 Turbo 5-Speed. The wife and I had many a great time ripping though the mountains of WNC. 20 years on, I still remember it with much affection.

As a Z fan I absolutely love these reviews! Great job with all the details and info provided, especially with the history behind them.

This is why I fell in love with Nissan in the early 90's. Jesus what a beautiful car. Now it looks like they're making a comeback with the 2023 model.

Boy this bought back some great memories, still have dreams about this car in 2020. It was so far ahead of its time. I bought this exact car in 84 with my military reenlistment bonus and took 30 days leave to drive back home and show off. It attracted so much attention and a girl magnet like u wouldn't believe. Oh but the fun i had with this car and how i loved it. If only i could relive those years.

Great video. I own a 1984 Anniversary Edition with the manual transmission. Love the way she drives, feels, even the way it smells inside. The VG30T block and internals can hold up to a lot more torque/hp than factory provided. With less money invested into this engine than some wheel/tire packages cost, one can easily double the torque/hp factory numbers. Also own a 1972 Gran Torino sport fastback with a stroker 393W. Two totally different cars that provide different experiences.

Good Review. One of the most beautiful cars!! Still looks amazing!

I just bought a 280zx from the original owner last week 11th and he couldnt get it running he lives in thailand half the year a parks it quite a bit and saw me in my 77 280z last year and chased me down to find out who works on it when i told him i did my own work he freaked out haha but when he couldn't get it running he called me i got it for 850 and had it running in a day it drives beautifully and with only 130k miles it awesome i hope to have it for quite a while and use it daily because its so comfortable and actually quite powerfull this car is homestly one of datsuns best cars and i would encourage any one who wants one to get one as their not too expensive and extremely nice cars cheers and thanks for the vid moto-man

My first sports car was a 1984 300ZX n/a. I learned to drive a standard with this car. I had the digital dash, which was SOO cool! There was nothing like it at the time. God I loved that car. I've owned many superior cars since that time, but this car will always hold a special place in my heart. Currentlt own a 35th Anniversary Edition 350Z, so I returned to my Z heritage.

I wouldn't describe them as "Tron meets Shibuya." I always described them as "Tron meets Knight Rider." I say that because the 80s 300ZX had a voice chip.

Back in the day, this sporting art was ahead of its time. The electronics on this example is thirty years old ! and STILL works well. For the sake of conversation... im impressed

these cars should've never been made available with automatics.

@grizzlybear8889

7 жыл бұрын

robinsonb75 truer words have never been spoken

@fj7509

7 жыл бұрын

Sadly my 1985 300ZX is automatic ):

@xersuas258

7 жыл бұрын

It's a pain in the ass

@fj7509

7 жыл бұрын

Converting to a Manual Transmission isn't just a walk in the park -_- IDK where you got the idea where all you need is a shifter to operate a manual. The difference between an automatic and manual transmission is undeniable. It's too hard and not worth thinking about to convert to one. Of course, anything is doable with enough ambition and, more importantly, money. It is done all the time, but it is very complicated and expensive and only makes sense for rare/enthusiast cars. You don’t need to be a mechanic to get the general idea. For example, you obviously will need a clutch pedal and everything that goes with it (clutch master cylinder, hydraulic lines, slave cylinder). You will need to cut the firewall, fit and mount all of those components. You will need a new shifter assembly and all of the linkages that go with it. Routing them in/through/around the interior of the car is very difficult and will require disassembling and gutting much of the interior of the car. And especially on these old sports cars, there is not much room to fit extra parts within them. The new transmission can be bolted to the same engine, but it will need different mounts, probably a different driveshaft, and wiring for its own sensors. Then, you will need to deal with all of the minor issues like the fact that your automatic transmission car won’t let you shift out of park without pressing the brake… and your manual transmission version will need a clutch safety sensor to make sure you can’t start the engine without holding down the clutch… and that will need to be wired into the ignition and brakes… and you will need to get rid of the old Transmission Control Module and figure out how to bypass any traction control that was built into it. On older cars (pre-1990s) it is more doable because there are less electrical components and sensors to overcome, but it’s still difficult. If you’re paying someone to do it, it would be cost prohibitive on all but the most rare and valuable cars. I know people who have done it… again, the older the car, the easier it is… but it was a huge pain and you would be better off paying an extra couple grand to find a manual version of the car you want so that you don’t spend the rest of the life of the car dealing with little follow up issues.

@anhiirr

6 жыл бұрын

IMO just made the stick iterations "rarer" or gave those owners "parts cars" lmfao as terrible as it is to say and hear, My father happens to own(and not drive) one which i will one day own(and drive) lmfao.

i had 2 50th anniversary models. first was in '91 , last one was in 2013. also had an 86 turbo... my favorite. and had about 8 280 zx' and one 77 280z. I love z's!

This car is so 80's I love it. Very vaporwave.

these cars are so reliable I have an 85 z with 235000 miles and everything works great

I had the 85 year of this in 2000-2001 Best driver seat position of any car I ever owned. Kicking it down on the freeway it hauled ass. My hockey gear fit in back really nice. I loved the way the door sills were up by my shoulder . Brakes faded like mad though.

I had one of these cars and I'll never forget the body Sonic stereo. That was truly the best feature of the car, on a long trip let's say 2 hours when I got out of the car I was shaking. That body Sonic was amazing I used to blast it and I miss it I've never seen another car with it.

I absolutely love this car. This style is amazing.

Awesome classic car videos so far Motoman....but I'm curious. How old are you since, you said that you weren't even close to being able to drive when this car came out?

As you will notice from my comment on your 1980 280zx Anniversary Edition video, I owned number 083 of 280 brought into Canada. I traded it on a new 300ZX as soon as they were introduced, so I missed out on the 50th Anniversary Edition which was released mid year. Mine was a 2+2, burgundy manual with most of the options except the bum massager. What attracted me to this car was the squinty headlights, the digital dash, the round pods pointing at the driver, and the useful hatchback when the rear seats were folded down. Wow, I just described the 2016 Audi TT Coupe that I bought last week. I am returning to my roots after 30 years.

Can't believe how 🍒 this car is. Also, a good use of flip up headlights from back in the day.

ive owned a few Z31's, all turbo models including a 200ZR, which is technically the last inline 6 Z car ever made :)

A friend of mine had this car in high school. I was very jealous. Very cool car back in 1984!

Picked up one of these not long ago. Coilovers and sway bars fixed the body roll.

Awesome car...you were somebody if u had one of these in the 80s

I’m always able to see the appeal of 80’s cars when I see mint examples like this. Really makes a difference than most of the ones on the road that are totally clapped out

I had the same car, previous owner had it painted all white. Loved it.

I had that exact car, and it did 157 mph fully stock! Awesome car! The switch for suspension stood for soft normal or firm! Dusted mustangs all day long! His should be a 5 speed much better

@jrhawk

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed but I think the turbo auto was faster due to prolong boost

@brettbelcher425

4 жыл бұрын

137mph is top speed Look it up I hit top speed in mine plenty of times. 5th gear was just about at red line at 137mph

That interior is soooo futuristic 80s! Reminds me of that 6000 SUX from Robocop. So what's it like to finally drive one of the cars you drooled over as a kid? Did it live up to your expectations & hopes? As always, excellent episode M!

@MotoManTV

9 жыл бұрын

IceDree From a driving dynamics stand point - a bit disappointing. But from an experience that cannot be duplicated - amazing!

@IceDree

9 жыл бұрын

MotoManTV Uh well, to be fair cars from that era will disappoint ... Especially when we are spoiled by the modern ones' handling, dynamics & performance in general... But, its all about the experience! Glad you enjoyed it

I had one of these back in 1995. It was fun to drive. I wish I still had it.

I had a fully loaded white on tan leather, factory spoiler, digital dash, 1984 300ZX and it was my dream car after owning a 1980 base 280zx. I went on to own a 1983 gold/tan cloth 280zx and a 1986 grey/striped grey/ black cloth 300ZX. My '84 was by far my favorite.

These cars kicked but,lol,loaded,I had the 1988 Model 5 SPD loaded, top end had it over 250 several times,solid,hydraulic clutch ,mine had 60,000 miles Georgia car zero rust,t- tops you could put down while sitting inside at a light great video

This was a special car. Very fond memories driving it.

I've had the pleasure to rest my hand on one of these. The guy I bought my first z from (1985 300zx 2+2 digidash) had one of these in his back lot and unfortunately was not in such good shape but i was amazed at the fact i was able to be sit inside one. I would give a kidney for that car and the opportunity to restore it

My grandpa bought one in his time brand new, now I own it . He didnt drive it so it's been sitting have alot of work in my hand but I dont mind I grew up loving this car and now its mine I'm willing to drop any amount of money to have it driving good again

I have a wide body 86 z31 and I love it doing a 350 small block swap on it in the winter

wow that retro display is amazing

My dad has a manual one of those it's totally mint

My dad has a 50th anniversary 300zx just like this one in my grandparents' garage. Mint Condition

I had a 1984 300Zx turbo also in silver, but not the anniversary set up…so I had the analog gauges which I preferred. My adjustable suspension never worked on it but the the car was very reliable.

I have a 5 speed now and it had some serious rust and that's about wrapped up. I've never had as many offers to buy this thing EVER as its now primered up and rolling down the street for the first time in 7 years. Has 93,000 miles and purrs like a kitten! Love this car nothing like it around..

In Japan the Z31 was available with RB series inline 6 cylinder engines as well. My brother's old '86 Z31 300ZX (non-turbo) 2+2 5spd had the leather interior, T-tops, digital gauges and steering wheel stereo controls (although I think it had an aftermarket deck that didn't work with the wheel controls) and I think it had the pneumatic seats and adjustable suspension. I also seem to recall a stereo setting that was supposed to increase stereo volume with vehicle speed.

I own a non-turbo 1984 that i purchased brand new at the age of 23, it is still in my garage and is still very cool and fun to drive. I have fixed the suspension up so the handling the original lacked and the useless adjustable suspension couldn't achieve is way better. Very underrated car the car mags love to pan it, but if you look at it next to a 1990-96 it is WAY Better looking

Shiro Special was the second special edition Z31 300ZX, it was all white with color matched wheels and some performance upgrades.

I purchased a 1983 280zx. turbo in 1987 when I graduated high school with a new job the car has 33,000' miles and it was pretty nice . I like the 84 300 but I was in wanderlust when nissan debuted the shiro editions 1988 the white nissan maxima se with pigskin suede seats, and a 5speed was truly nice for a sporty 4dr

I really liked this car but was quickly blown away by the z32. That was one landmark automobile ! No other car has had the same impact at introduction.

If you don't yet have a RX8 video, or would like to revisit a proper and properly modified, very clean example I'd love for you to drive mine. I'm in the St Louis MO area.

@MotoManTV

9 жыл бұрын

Ryan DeClue Thanks for the kind offer . . . will keep it in mind should we be in your area.

I just got myself a 1982 Dodge Rampage. This is my next car for sure. It's just dripping with that 1980s style. Mmmmm.

Ah the memories. Had a friend that owned one of thouse boosted ufff was dam fast. Reminded me of night rider that cockpit

The 50th Anniversary Nissan 300ZX celebrated the company's anniversary, when it was first known as Datsun. Now, in 2020, the Z-car is celebrating *its own* 50th Anniversary!

I had this car too I loved it so much i paid $1500 for it back in 1994 , it would not go into over drive at the time when i sold it 6months later, I still dont know why that was but As i recall the buyer didn’t even know cause we didn’t go over 100 miles an hour where it made a difference on the test drive. Im in the market to buy another one again when i hit the lottery

love the z31!!

My son is buying one next Sunday. It's #6 of 84. It is he's first car.

My Dad had one of these. Yeah they were special. I sold for Nissan at that time too. Major Motion campaign was in full swing. I sold Zs and had fun doing it. I used to love the commercials. So corny, and the announcer's voice when he said Awesome. I couldn't stop laughing. The silly jingles of earlier were fun too. Put more money in the bank, not in the tank. Drive a Datsun. We are driven. Corny as heck. But the song is catchy, and just silly. I love it. Your last Z is my outright favorite Z of all. I don't like the current Z. Would rather have the Infiniti G37 as that is what the Z should have looked like. Though Frankly I would take an RX-7 from 1993 and have more fun. The Z was too big and heavy. The FRS and BRZ are the new 240Z of our decade now. The current MX-5 Miata is a amazing too. Love your video on my Dad's car. Brought back some memories.

@EnjoyLifeNow24

6 жыл бұрын

I had two Datsun 280ZX 1981 and 1979 and many Mazda RX-7 Owners were always at the shop dealing with those messed up rotary engines. I pick Nissan anytime over Mazda. I see people willing to pay top $ for a 1971-1973 Datsun 240ZX and there is an annual event all over the country of Datsun 240ZX, 280ZX and Nissan 300ZX. I haven't heard of any collector car club going crazy over Mazadas. I never heard nothing positive about the Mazda's rotary engines., but most people are impressed over the Datsun/Nissan sports cars.

@raybyrnes3516

4 жыл бұрын

🎼 Come alive, come and drive!! Its major motion, from Nissan! (At your Datsun dealer) 🎵🎶🎶🎵

Loved my 85 n/a auto analog car

Dad had this car. My dad has had some really, realllly cool cars.

My second car as a teen was a 1973 240Z and then a 1981 280ZX. I wish I still had the 240Z.

All of a sudden, it's 1984 again, there is a midnight blue 1977 Chevrolet​ Concours & a St. Moritz Silver 1980 Honda Civic​ 1500DX 5-Speed Hatchback in our driveway, & I am reading about this car in my Car and Driver while listening to either Huey Lewis & The News​' Sports or The Cars' Heartbeat City on cassette, dreaming of owning one some day.

theres another special edition Z called the "shiro"(japanese for pearl white) it came in 1987 and was a pearl white and came stock with recaro racing seats and was turbo charged!

Nice video!

This is a very special car, i car that a guy like me would have forever, it´s beautiful and have the digital display and radio, much better than the next model... man i just love to have one. even now it´s a winner luxurious sports car i even like this z31 more than a z32 twin turbo

I had a silver ‘84 300ZX turbo 5 speed (non-50th Anniversary editio...0-60 in 7.2...very reliable. Traded it for a ‘92 Stealth RT turbo, as I needed all-wheel drive so I could have a daily driver...the 300 ZX Turbo was dangerous on snow and ice.

My 84 z31 has a 5 speed 😬 i love driving it

And my dash and seats still work great!

I had a silver ‘84 300zx turbo except analog guages, 5 speed, and the hood scoop and no goofy “Turbo” side script. My adjustable suspension never worked. My T Tops never leaked water except maybe slightly in car washes. The bodysonic was rediculous, glad I didnt have that silly thing...

Having owned every datsun/nissan Z car from 1970's and 1980's I think you have your facts a little off. The first turbo 280zx was not released in 1980, in fact it was in 1981 and all were fitted with automatic transmission, so I believe the 1980 Z you tested was not a turbo or you got the year wrong. Second, oil cooled T3 turbos from 1984 to 1987 were not replaced with water and oil cooled T25 turbos until 1988 ending in 1989, and those were smaller capacity turbos not able to withstand higher boost levels. I have worked on all these cars and I am telling you from experience the facts. Furthermore, we (cousin and me) would block off the pop-off valve, advance the timing by turning the distributor and boost the turbos to 15 lbs. adding 80 to 100 hp depending on quality of gasoline and temperature at the time. Not many cars could keep up with us, specially the 5.0 GT's which didnt know what just happened. Ahhh the good old days...I have a Shiro sitting in my garage as I post this. You may want to research further the facts. Good luck. By the way, great sample Z31 Anniversary with only 10,xxx miles, you are lucky to drive it.

@izzydunn73

8 жыл бұрын

my 85 turbo has the water cooled t3. 84 was the last year for oil only cooling. 86 1/2 is when the vg30et got some reworking which included the t25

@1970PMD

8 жыл бұрын

+izzydunn73 you are 100% correct. I got my years mixed up also. The T3 turbo was water/oil cooled in 1985 thru 1987. I've had 1981 thru 1988 turbos, never owned a 1987. I always looked for a good 1989 Turbo which are really rare but could never find one. Would be a nice Z to have. If I remember correctly I have Shiro #832 out of 1002 for the American market sitting in my garage, I gave it to my son. He has the info on it I cant quite remember but I think that's the right number.Anyway, thanks for pointing that out.

@izzydunn73

8 жыл бұрын

+1970PMD glad I could be of help. love the whole line of the z cars with the z31 being my favorite. After I finished the mods I want to do, I am going to import a 200zr. Now that one will be fun

@1970PMD

8 жыл бұрын

+izzydunn73 That is a nice car, I don't know much about it but would be nice to have. I been looking into a 1990 GT-R now that they are "legal" due to their age. They are selling quickly as they are somewhat affordable at the moment. Good investment I think.

@andrewnicolas4839

5 жыл бұрын

1970PMD ž

As to the last comment made about the leather not looking the same on the seat vs. the side bolster, that is because the areas that touch your body (i.e. back and seat) were real leather, and the bolsters are black vinyl, thus they look different.

I have an 88 na with over 300000 miles. Odometer stopped rolling at 232 and it's been there since the previous owner bought it about 10 years ago.

Gorgeous Car!!!

I owned an 84 with automatic transmission (I know, boo) but what was interesting about it is when I put it into drive, the rear would drop down like it was hunching down to take off. Was it supposed to do that or was there an issue with the transmission or something? LOL. It never gave me any issues and it felt badass like it was locking in. I can't find any info anywhere about them doing that.

In the 70's and 80's I thought these Datsun 280 and 300 Zs were the best looking car on the road. Very sporty and the appearance of being fast!

Miss this ride, had a manual.

Car was and still is bad ass! Turbo VR50 tires Ttops turbo hood scoop turbo decals gold badges vibrating seats and a digital dash!

Despite it being automatic, that is by far the cleanest Z1 I’ve seen so far it’s practically like it just came off the lot

Whoa! That gauge cluster is RAD. Sadly they haven't aged very well, which explains my reaction to seeing one in top form.

That cameraman you mentioned must have good taste in cars

This is my dream car

clean as a whistle

The other special Z31 had to be the 200ZR. It was the true last inline 6 Z model being that it was equipped the the RB20DET.

Zは本当に乗って楽しい車です。

I could be wrong but when you show the tire after talking about the 2tone paint at 7:16 the tire looks mounted in the wrong direction

My first was a 77 280 5 speed 2 seater then 84 300 2+2 5 speed then 89 300 2+2 5 speed pearl white. My favorite though was the 77.

My 1977 B210 Hatch 5-manual said NISSAN and DATSUN too. On the rear.

T-Tops need to make a come back. Agreed.

One of the coolest cars... Ever

please do a review of the mk3 supra

I LOVE the Z31 with certain trim/color combinations. My 2nd car was an '86 300zx 2+2 5-speed. Black, grey leather interior, digital dash, etc... I loved it. It's a shame the one in this video was an automatic.

@nativeoutdoors1780

8 жыл бұрын

what does the 2+2 mean?

@hartsickdisciple

8 жыл бұрын

Native Outdoors It has a back seat.

The other special one was the Shiro Turbo, great car.

I had an 84 Z Turbo. 1st car. It was fun and an electrical nightmare. I would wax around the rust holes.

The other special z31 was the Shiro Special

@clammaster4

7 жыл бұрын

ahhh white on white on white on white on white on white

Fun Fact: Back in 1984, the Anniversary Edition 300ZX was stickered at $26,995. Dealers took advantage of the limited production & raised that price $3,000 higher. Most of these were sold for $29,995 + Tax, Fees & Dealer Extras. Comparing that figure in 1984 to today with inflation factors, is the equivalent of buying a $77,000 car in 2021!

The reason the wear on the seats was different, is that only the insert was leather. I remember the disappointment I felt when I learned that my new 1984 300ZX with leather seats had vinyl side bolsters. As the dealer said, leather wears too quickly.

That 1980 in your previous review was not a Turbo it was the naturally inspired with 135 hp, horsepower did not reach 145 to the mid cycle refresh for 1982. Also the 280zx turbo with 180hp put down down times faster than the early 300zx Turbo, C/D got the 82 280zx turbo to 60 in 7.1 sec in the Dec 1981 issue. To bad you cannot edit this to give the correct info on this review and on the 280ZX video review

@0525ohhwell

8 жыл бұрын

he could add a text overlay correcting his mistake... I used to own an 83 280zx turbo with a 5 speed. MAN do I miss that car!

MotoMan, I am totally disappointed that you did not mentioned the Mitsubishi Starion Turbo which not only was a bad ass looking car but, it was luxury entry sports car, nice turbo and very iconic design. Why did you not mention it? I believe it had a some form of LCD dashboard on a orange color. My brother in law had that car, manual version from 1984. I thought it was awesome! too bad he wreck it...

this is my dream car i would kill to drive this once