At $8,500, Does This 1987 Nissan 300ZX Push All The Right Buttons?

With T-tops, a digital dashboard, and a red velour interior, today's Nice Price or No Dice 300ZX is about as '80s as they come. Plus, it's a stick shift! Let's see what such a retro revelation should reasonably be worth.

For more than 17 years, Geoffrey Wall, of Ontario, Canada, piloted commercial planes for Air Canada. He no longer does, as it was discovered that he lacked an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and had forged documents to get into the pilot's seat back in 2009. Oops.

That's a situation where not knowing the expertise of the individual making the important decisions could prove calamitous. In the case of the 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi we looked at last Friday, the lack of information surrounding the claimed engine build was almost as deleterious. Who built it? Were they trained in engine building, or did they just wing it? Where are the receipts for said work? That lack of transparency proved to be the WRX's undoing, or at least that of its $25,500 asking price. You all voted that down in a massive 92% 'No Dice' loss to close out the week.

Okay, new week and new opportunities to exercise that judgment muscle, starting with this rather tidy-looking 1986 Nissan 300ZX. Like last Friday's Subaru, this Z car has had a lot of parts thrown at it, though those have been aimed at general upkeep rather than performance-enhancing drugs. And the seller says there's a stack of receipts for the work, so we'll know who did what and when.

Most everything done to the car, per the long list in the ad, seems to have been undertaken as normal age- and mileage-related wear-and-tear replacements. That includes much of the fuel and ignition systems, brakes, clutch hydraulics, and all the fluids. The only notable "upgrades" over the factory fittings are a beefier 90-amp alternator and a quartet of aftermarket Pioneer speakers for the stereo. Those, happily, sit behind the original grilles, so no cutting was involved in their installation.

Now, we should note that this Z is the non-turbo model, meaning it only has 160 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque to play with. Happily, that's routed through a five-speed manual for a bit more engagement with those modest ponies. These were not the sports cars of the preceding models, but were positioned as more grand tourers, so the drivetrain is fitting.

The seller, in fact, claims to have gone to great lengths to keep this Z as original as possible, noting that clean examples of the model are becoming rarer these days. To that end, they claim to have treated the car "like a family member" over their four years of ownership.

In that time, they have put a claimed 4,000 miles a year on the car, bringing the total up to 154,833 miles. That means this Z has been enjoyed and exercised and hasn't been a garage queen slowly rotting away.

According to the ad, everything on the car works, and the seller says of it: "For a 40 year old car it runs and drives as it should." That age is part of the car's charm, as it's very much a product of its era, featuring a wonderful color-keyed red velour interior, one of those great component-style stereo units, and a digital instrument cluster. I mean, how '80s is all that? This is also the last year that Nissan offered the quirky voice alert system on the Z, which warns when a door is ajar or the lights have been left on. It's kind of like 8-bit Siri.

That's all wrapped in bodywork that looks clean and has had what the seller claims is $1,000 in color correction to its paint. That's, unfortunately, refrigerator white, but it does at least allow the piano-black rear spoiler and the smoked-glass T-tops to stand out a bit more. Factory 15-inch alloys underpin and appear free from significant curb encounters. They are wrapped in fresh rubber, although the brand isn't divulged in the ad or its pictures.

We also get only one over-the-shoulder shot of the interior, but it shows a dash and a good bit of the seat upholstery, indicating that no major malfeasance is afoot inside. The seller says the car comes with a clean title and will pass the requisite emissions test required for that title's transfer without issue. The car's current tags run out in September. So assured is the seller of the car's capabilities that they boast, "I have no doubt you could get in this car and drive it to Maine with no problems." I'm not sure why specifically Maine, but that's nice to know.

Old cars are always going to be quirky and somewhat needy. This 300ZX seems to have had most of the major malefactors exorcised, as the seller says it's turn-key and ready to be enjoyed in its present state. This is also a very cool car, save for the somewhat pedestrian paint color. The question for all of you, though, is whether it's worth the $8,500 asking price to get in and go.

What do you think? Is $8,500 a fair price for this Z31 Z car, considering all the work already put into its upkeep? Or is that too much for a non-turbo in appliance white?

You decide!

San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Fauxshizzle for the hookup!

Help me out with Nice Price or No Dice. Hit me up at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.