Everyone really needs to experience an early Z, especially after driving the day’s sports car status quo. The Z just felt so modern and composed. Great exhaust note, too.
Photograph courtesy Nissan
[Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of Grassroots Motorsports. Some information may have changed. Prices have been left as they originally appeared in print.]
The Datsun 240Z exploded onto the sports car scene for 1970 and immediately put the European standards on notice: Change was on the horizon. Suddenly the old guard–cars like the MGB, Triumph …
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Everyone really needs to experience an early Z, especially after driving the day’s sports car status quo. The Z just felt so modern and composed. Great exhaust note, too.
It's good to know that, at least according to Hagerty, you should still be able to find a somewhat-decent example for under $10K.
Top prices went a little crazy, but glad to see the others stay pretty flat.
By the way, back in the day, we watched so many of these get destroyed at SCCA races. Seemed like we’d never run out.
David S. Wallens said:By the way, back in the day, we watched so many of these get destroyed at SCCA races. Seemed like we’d never run out.
That and the 510, right? I've been led to believe they were often treated as disposable.
Colin Wood said:David S. Wallens said:By the way, back in the day, we watched so many of these get destroyed at SCCA races. Seemed like we’d never run out.
That and the 510, right? I've been led to believe they were often treated as disposable.
They were disposable (especially the 510) in Ontario and Quebec Canada, given their attraction to rust. I drove several 510s as $200 winter wrecks... and kept a 240z as the summer car. The floor and frame rails of the '72 240z rusted out in '79 because the original owner had driven it for several winters and my winter storage wasn't 100% dry. Luckily, aftermarket replacement panels were and are still available for both cars.
Gordon
Colin Wood said:David S. Wallens said:By the way, back in the day, we watched so many of these get destroyed at SCCA races. Seemed like we’d never run out.
That and the 510, right? I've been led to believe they were often treated as disposable.
Way back in the day, someone gave us a very decent 510. We did a project car series on it. Tim had to weld in part of a rocker. That was all the required metal work.
Yeah, what a great experience they are.
Just kidding! This was yesterday's ride at lunchtime.
As far as "modern world," I'll have to say that I fit a lot better in the Z4 Coupe I had.
Tried my friends 280Z on for size when we lined them up side by side, and I had to lean a fair bit inboard to keep my head and shoulders from bouncing off the door and window.
Otherwise, cars of equivalent size, if not weight. The 70s bumpers on the 280 actually made it longer than the Z4, even if the wheelbase was shorter.
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