Nissan 300 ZX Convertible

1993 Nissan 300ZX Fairlady Z32 Additional Info:

Update 8/4:I do have the original owner’s manual on back states “’93 Z32-Q Printing: February 1992 Publication No. EM3E-0Z32U0 Printed in Japan”. Also Original 1993 Nissan Warranty Information Booklet along with original plastic envelope to hold them. Also a somewhat tattered original 1993 sales brochure.

For sale is a very rare, 2nd owner, low mileage (135k), classic Fairlady Z32. All OEM in excellent condition. Always garaged, never damaged. 3.0L V-6 DOCH/VVT MFI. Rare black over red convertible. Even more rare with automatic transmission. Average gas mileage 20mpg (AT is higher than MT). Always used premium fuel. Almost always ethanol free. This car runs and drives great. The AT is a great compliment to leisurely convertible driving over long distances and the new struts carve the winding roads in style when you need it.

This is in excellent condition for a 93 but it is 23 years old and does have 135k original miles. There are a couple of minor blemishes which, I will detail below. While there are no dents, no oxidation, no paint fade, and no rust; there is a spot on the rear bumper where the previous owners scraped a pole. It did not do any damage and can be repainted but if you look close it is there. Also the front air dam on these is the lowest point of the car and the long nose takes some getting used to while parking so the underneath exposes some scrapes but I always figured it would just get scraped again. Also the air filter cover (sits right between the headlights) has some very small rock chips as this car has never had a bra (no uneven paint fade). You could add a bra, paint it, or know that while it is excellent it is not straight off the show room floor nor is it a show car. It could easily be a daily driver with zero additional investment but we mostly just take it out when the weather is good and we’re in the mood for a drive. The suede OEM door panels do have some scuffs. I do have (and will include with the sale) a 14-panel leather interior trim kit, which I opted not to install but you can if you wish. Also the leather interior was just replaced as the 23-year-old leather was hard and beginning to crack and the thread under the thigh on the driver’s side had pulled out exposing foam (knownissue). I just finished a 700-mile road trip through the desert and over the mountains before it was detailed and it was pure top down heaven performing flawlessly. Also bear in mind the weather in Oregon is beautiful right now and we are still driving it. We love this car and are sad to see it go but our house is for sale and we are downsizing for relocation. Also if you look close the windshield trim molding is beginning to peel. I have new OEM replacements on order and they will be replaced this week. The convertible top is in excellent condition with a near perfect original clear plastic back window. Also the manual top is a joy to operate (but takes some training) and the lack of motors/electronics ensures many years of hassle free operation. Both heat and AC are awesome and make the car very comfortable year round while extending the temperature tolerance range with the top down. A rock chip has been professionally repaired on the lower windshield passenger side. It also has brand new OEM floor mats on both sides. The back plastic deck – forward part of the hard boot (exposed when top is down) does have the traditional scratch on each side. This happens if you slide the boot closed to latch without first lifting the rear of the soft top (under the window) to clear the latch posts (came to us like this). The driver’s door has a couple of very small paint chips at the edge where it might bump into something while opening. I’ve tried to include multiple angles so photos can be compared to each other. The car is so shiny that in one picture a yellow stripe reflects off the boot, in another a white stripe on a door. Sometimes the paint is reflecting the sun so brightly that it almost looks like fade or chips but when you look from another angle you will see that is not the case. In the pictures you will see a partially extended antenna. I replaced both antenna and motor when I bought it and it bound immediately in that position once again. It didn’t really matter to me so I’ve not looked into it further but I assume it’s an easy fix.

I have a detailed maintenance history since our purchase to be provided with the car but here is a brief summary. The most important maintenance is the timing belt due every 60k. This has just been done along with everything that makes sense at that point (i.e. platinum plugs, water pump, thermostat, cam seals, front AND rear main seals, coolant flush, tension pulley, all belts, hoses [including under intake manifold], etc.) Also has new master cylinder, new radiator, new oil, coolant, transmission fluid, gaskets, etc. 2 new tires along with full set of struts (major ride improvement) 3k miles ago, the other 2 have 17k miles. Battery has 5 years and 24k miles. Full set of injectors replaced at 110k along with front and rear brakes. We purchased at 65k and major maintenance was due at that time and promptly performed. I have over $15k in this car.

1993 introduced the convertible for the first time in Z car history. Of 2465 built for worldwide distribution (SN 001001 – SN 003465)Only 421 (17%) were built for North American distribution that first year and only 228 (9%) were automatic. 20% were Ultra Red (AJ4 with charcoal/black [G] interior). So approximately 45 of this car variant were sold in NA (Canada, Mexico, & US). The VIN number shows an actual build date of April 92 manufactured in Oppama Kanagawa Japan; making this one of the very earliest convertibles ever built. This is the 330th Z convertible off the line for that model year (or ever to that point). I’ve not been able to determine where the other 329 before her were shipped but of the first cars built I assume they would share the wealth around the world. So here is a thought experiment. If 9% (AT) of the 330 (= 30) went to NA and 20% of those were this package this could easily be one of the first 6 convertible Z cars ever shipped to the states in this configuration. Possibly even the first since some of the first 6 went to Mexico and Canada as well. Some of the parts were actually sourced from the 92-model year such as fuel injectors. Twin turbo was not available in convertible.

Z32 was a huge technological step forward and an engineering home run. It is the absolute best in class for a convertible in this price range considering performance, reliability, dependability, dimensions, handling, etc. It is very roomy with legroom of 43” and headroom of 37.1”. I am 6 foot tall and VERY comfortable in this car for long periods of time. It is surprisingly quiet for a convertible at highway speeds with the top down and windows up. It has power seats with 4-way power adjustment and a manual adjust lumbar support. The cargo capacity (5.8 cu/ft) is enough for 2 full sets of golf clubs or 2 suitcases and thensome. Also the back dash is excellent storage along with behind the seats (map pockets included). Specs: 222hp and 198lb·ft, 96.5” WB, 169.5” L, 70.5” W, 49.5” H, 3432 LB curb weight.

Upon its release, the new 300ZX became an instant hit, winning Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year" in 1990 as well as "One of the Top Ten Performance Cars". Automobile Magazine honors the 300ZX/300ZX Turbo as its "Design of the Year" and adds it to their "All Stars" list. Road & Track names the 300ZX Turbo "One of the Ten Best Cars in the World", and Car and Driver adds it to their 10Best for the seven years in which it was in production in America.

This car is an absolute classic:

•2004: Automobile lists the Z32 as one of the 100 greatest cars of all time

•2006: Automobile lists the Z32 on both the "20 Greatest Cars of the Past 20 years" and the "25 Most Beautiful Cars in History"

•2010: GQ Magazine lists the Z32 as one of the most stylish cars over the past 50 years

300 ZX GL Options List:

•3.0-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 engine

•Electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission

•Electronic speed-sensitive power rack and pinion steering

•Anti-lock brakes

•4-wheel power-assisted disc brakes

•4-wheel independent multi-link suspension

•Viscous limited-slip differential

•Projection-type halogen headlights

•Fog lights

•Dual heated power remote-controlled mirrors

•Alloy wheels

•High-performance radial tires

•Driver=side air bag

•Analog instrumentation

•Leather seating surfaces

•7-way power driver’s seat

•Air conditioning

•Power windows and door locks

•Cruise control

•Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob

•Anti-theft audio system with power antenna

•Theft deterrent system (disabled)

•Aftermarket CD player w/removable face