Nissan/Datsun 1984 300ZX 50th Anniversary Edition - 69,000 original miles, GREAT

1984 300ZX 50th Anniversary – 69,000 Mile

I’m selling my 1984 Datsun/Nissan 300ZX Turbo 50th Anniversary car that I’ve owned for the last 20 years. I purchased this car from a family friend about 20 years ago with around 20,000 miles on it. I have since only put around 50,000 miles on the car since I’ve owned it. I’m still driving it so miles can vary slightly from the 69,481 that’s showing on the odometer in the photos.

This car runs great! Idles nice, drives nice and is all original. I did have the fuel injectors replaced by Nissan when there was a recall about 17 years ago but other than that it’s pretty much all original. I would drive this car across the country and not think twice about it.

I was living in Virginia when I purchased the car back in 1997 or so and other than 2 years when I moved to a condo and didn’t have a garage the car was always garaged its entire life. I moved back to Massachusetts 9 years ago and right after I moved back the clutch master cylinder went. The car was parked in the garage and every year I said I’d fix the car but I didn’t. She sat for 9 years in the garage, being started up and left to idle a couple times a month. Earlier this year I decided to have the clutch fixed the gas tank dropped and cleaned and all the fluids changed. The car runs like it did when I got it 20 years ago. Also put in a new battery and 4 brand new tires as the old ones were dry rotted.

As you can see from the photos the car is in very good condition for being 32 years old. The interior is in great condition. The carpets look new. The seats have no rips and are still as good as they were when new. Oh, the back bolster inflator on the driver’s seat works but doesn’t hold the inflation. Side bolsters still work electronically. Dash is in great shape but there is one photo where you can see the dash is separating from the g-force gauge. It’s been like that when I purchased the car 20 years ago and hasn’t gotten any worse. Original stereo is there and works. Tape deck works, power antenna works and radio works. Speakers would need to be replaced as they cut in and out. I believe those are still original. I was going to add a new stereo, hidden under the access area behind the seats with a remote and iPod hook up but didn’t do that. It would cost about $600 to have a nice sound system added while keeping the original stereo in place for originality. Currently there is a CD changer in that access area that doesn’t work anymore with the remote wired to come up by the shifter. A new sound system will be needed. Long story short, the interior is about a 8 out of a 10 for condition. Headliner is also in excellent shape. The floor mats are in average condition. The 50th anniversary logo peeled up from the passenger floor mat but I have that in the glove box. The driver’s floor mat is worn but it is original. You can find new ones on eBay.

Trunk area is in nice condition. The back hatch does have some issues. The rear spoiler has a tear in it that started out small when I purchased the car and has slower expanded. The rear spoiler could do with replacing. I’ve seen a few rear hatches go up for sale on eBay but never bid on one. The struts work on the back hatch and it does hold open on its own. I am missing the panel that covers the inside of the hatch where the wiper motor is (took a photo of that area). No clue where that went or when I took it off. The rear wiper does not work. The motor runs but the rear wiper does not move. You can also see one of the three problem areas on this car in the photo. The inside of the hatch has a small area of surface rust about 3 inches long (took a photo of that). It’s not through the medal but it’s there. A good sanding and repaint would fix that. Must be where water accumulated when the hatch was shut and didn’t drain after being washed. Oh, I took a picture of the original spare tire and can of inflator that came with the car. All original as is the jack and everything that came with the car under the rear carpeting.

The exterior is pretty much straight and original. It has some very minor dings and some paint chips but nothing noticeable. The biggest visual issue with the car is the pin stripe stickers. They are starting to peel after 32 years. I do have a box of original pin stripes I purchased to find a local supplier to match but never did that. I’m sure you can find someone to match the pattern and make a new roll to have added to the car. That roll of original Nissan pin stripes is in the rear storage compartment in the hatch. Paint is in very good condition for 32 years old. This car still looks really good. I didn’t even wax her before I took the photos just because I didn’t have time. She can still shine when giving a nice wax job. As I mentioned earlier, there are paint chips and some of the black areas around the widows has peeled off but I took a photo showing that.

The lights, wipers, cruise, directional all work. It just passed a difficult MA inspection this year and they are very thorough.

So what’s wrong with the car? A 32 year old car has to have some minor issues and this one is no exception. I don’t want a disappointed buyer so I’ll list everything I know to be wrong with the car. The photos below are of all the problem areas of this car. I want to be honest and upfront about everything! I want a happy buyer.

First, the AC does not blow cold air. I meant to bring it to my mechanic to recharge the unit but I didn’t. The AC works. It blows air, but it’s not ice cold air. I believe it just needs a recharge as it worked perfectly prior to sitting for 9 years.

Second, the rear wiper does not work as I pointed out in my description earlier. In addition to that the panel that covers the rear wiper motor that goes on the inside of the rear hatch is missing.

Third, as mentioned earlier in my description the rear spoiler has a tear on the top and could be replaced. I took some photos of that.

There is the 3” or so area of surface rust on the rear where the rubber molding seals the rear hatch when shut. It’s surface rust and I took a photo of that.

One of the front headlight areas, left side when viewing the front of the car, shows the front bumper a bit higher than the other side. The original owner had a car bra on it and when I went to remove it I pulled up the plastic bumper slightly around the headlight and it wouldn’t pop back down. There is a little medal piece that I couldn’t pop the bumper back over. The photo of the front of the car shows the difference when you look at the headlights and the bumper. Very minor but I wanted to point that out.

There is the small area on the dash where the dash is separating from the gauge. It’s been like that for 20 years but I’m pointing it out and did take a picture of that.

There is a small bit of surface rust/bubbling on the driver side rocker panel. Must be where water accumulates when I wash the car. It appears to only be surface rust and I provided a photo of that. That’s only about 1 ½ inches in area.

There is some rust/bubbling of on the passenger side rocker panel where water probably accumulates when washed. I took a picture of that area and that’s probably the worst of it. That’s about 2 inches of bubbling/rust. All very fixable. I never even noticed these things until I gave the car a nice cleaning 5 months ago when she was back on the road.

The fuel gauge does not work. Well, the light doesn’t work. I currently use the trip computer’s distance until empty to know how much gas I have in the tank. It was working prior to being parked for 9 years. Maybe the sensor isn’t connected properly when the tank was dropped and cleaned.

Shocks are original. They are the adjustable type and I do notice a difference when you make them stiffer but they are 32 years old and I’m sure the car would benefit from a much needed shock update. Car drives nice down the road. Doesn’t pull any direction and handles bumps like a sports car should.

I honestly think that’s about it.

Car comes with the original factory fitted car cover. I have the original panels that cover the T-tops to block the sun on a hot day. I only have one T-top case, not sure where the other went. If the car sells I’ll give the new owner two or three framed pictures the original owner gave to me of a center spread from 1984 of the car, along with the original 1984 Road & Track magazine that revised this car.

Red Light on the dash is the parking brake light. There are no check engine lights.

Any additional photos of the Z or if you want to look at it in person just ask. I’m also listing it locally on Craigs List so it could be sold at any time. Thanks!

1984 50th Anniversary Edition 300ZX

In 1984 Nissan Motors produced 75,351 of its all new 300ZX for the United States market. Of these Z cars 5,148 limited-edition 300ZX Turbos were badged to honor Nissan's 50th Anniversary. An additional 300 vehicles were destined for the Canadian market. This Z came with no options except for a 4 speed automatic transmission. The cost of this Z ($26,000) was very pricy for the time.

The AE drivetrain and standard features were the same as the standard 84 turbo but the package included many extras. This consisted of two-tone silver metallic over black paint (color code #365), ground effects, rocker-panel appliqués, fender flares and turbo-finned 16” wheels with Pirelli P7 tires. Stiffer springs by 10% along with a stiffer recalibration of the adjustable shocks were said to have improved high speed stability.

Interior features included black leather upholstery with special gold-embossed AE emblems and full digital electronic instrument display. The AM/FM 80-watt, 8 speaker stereo with steering wheel control also featured a Bodysonic sound system. Just turn the knob and the seats vibrate to the beat of the stereo.

A car cover, floor mats and a gold key with the 50th logo also were standard features.

Exterior features included a T-Bar roof with mirror-glazed panels and bronze tinted windows. Triple gold pin striping along with gold turbo graphics and AE fender emblems top off this unique 300ZX Turbo package.

Power was supplied by a Turbocharged 3.0-liter (SOHC) 60-degree v6. This generated 200 HP @ 5200 rpm and 227 ft. lbs of torque @ 3600 rpm. The gear box is a 5-speed overdrive manual (4-speed automatic optional) and the final drive ratio is 3.545 This power plant was able to produce 0-60 in the low 7 second range and 1/4 mile times and speeds at 15.4 sec. @ 88 mph. Top speed is limited to 137 mph. Speeds in the 140+ mph range could be reached with the limiter disconnected.

Z Car & Classic Datsun Magazine picked the AE a sure bet for collector car status. I hope this info can be used as a quick reference for those of you interested in this limited edition package.

Important Note: Many Datsun/Nissan dealerships in 1984 attached AE badges (which were found in the glove box of most non anniversary edition 1984 models) to non-AE 300ZX's. These Z's were sold as, and to this day are being passed off as AE's. If your Z does not have the color scheme and features mentioned on this site you don't own a real AE.

Special 50th Anniversary Edition Features

What sets the 50th AE apart from any other 1984 300ZX Turbo?

Exterior Features

• Mirrored T-Tops.
• Silver paint on top and black paint on lower half of the car.
• Four black and three gold pinstripes (one sticker per panel) was placed around the entire car at the silver/black paint intersection. The gold stripes got bigger as you go from bottom to top. Going over the wheel wells, it was reduced to a single gold stripe surrounded by a black stripe.
• 16 inch wheels with gold painted insets. The 86T had exactly the same style wheel, just with dark gray inserts.
• Added on side skirts and rear fender flares.
• Wider front fenders (same shape as 86-89).
• Car Cover with 50th AE logo.
• 50th AE badge on driver side fender between wheel well and door. (please note that many of these cars have them on both sides. Again, no one really knows for sure about the originality of these emblems. The common thought right now is these were probably placed on the passenger fender by the receiving dealer making a more symmetrical look.)

Interior Features

• Black interior.
• Leather seating surfaces with 50th AE logo embroidered into seat.
• Leather inserts in the door panels.
• Black floor mats with 50th AE logo.
• Gold 50th AE key.
• BodySonic seats with center console mounted intensity controls.
• Steering wheel mounted radio and cruise controls.

Other standard features

These items could be found on non-AE vehicles as well.

• Hood scoop.
• Automatic climate control.
• Digital dash.
• Cargo shelf.
• Front and rear spoilers.
• Simulated wood grain interior trim pieces.
• Internally electronically adjustable shocks.
• 8 speaker sound system.