JAPANESE BUYERS GUIDE
INFO YOU MUST KNOW
If you were a writer of automotive Value Guides and 20 years ago declined the chance to own a near-perfect Datsun 240Z at less than $10,000, there are no boots big enough to administer the kicking you deserve.
News from overseas that the top price for a competitionspec Z has just stormed past $400,000 doesn’t make the regret any less bitter. Nor does seeing dreadful, bogged-up repaints (described as ‘older restorations’) in this country that are making $40,000.
The Z was announced late in 1969 and Australia saw its first cars a year later. All were manual but later arrivals included a smattering of three-speed automatics. Brand new in 1971 a local 240Z cost $5000; making it more expensive than an XY GT Falcon
Our Zs weren’t luxurious, with depressing amounts of vinyl swathing the cabin, a plasti-wood steering wheel and no radio. Alloy wheels weren’t available until 1975 and there were drum brakes at the back where Alfa Romeo had discs.
However the long-nosed Datto went hard - top speed as tested of 190km/h and offered the same level of hatch-back practicality as an E Type Jaguar but at half the price.
Fed by a pair of Hitachi (SU clone) carburettors, the 2.4-litre straight-six produced 113kW and delivered it to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox.
2.6-litre versions of the Z were launched in mid-1974; a bad time to be selling cars in Australia or anywhere really. The world market was dominated by fears of fuel shortages and new US safety rules. Over here, inflation and compliance costs rose in unison but other brands were under greater threat than Datsun with its uprated two-seater.
Improvements included an extra 7.5kW of power, lower gearing to improve acceleration, wider tyres and revamped seats. Ventilation had been upgraded in 1973 but the cabin still got hot on summer’s days and air-conditioning was a welcome option.
Despite all the forces aligned against it, Nissan held prices at realistic levels and offered a package so attractive that life for its British and European rivals became very difficult. MGBs, TR Triumphs and Porsche’s 924 all suffered and by late 1977 more than 650,000 Zs had been sold.
Early 2.4-litre cars take a while to get cracking due to the high first gear and axle ratio. However, they will reach 109km/h in second and will deliver an outstanding 80-110km/h time of 4.4 seconds.
A new and more durable gearbox arrived for 1973 and standing start acceleration from the lower-geared 260Z saw 0-100km/h times drop below nine seconds. Most in today’s market they should be faster again because few Z engines are in factory-stock tune any more.
Since the late 1990s, values have climbed steadily and in unison with world demand. Absolutely excellent 240Zs that a decade ago sold for $20,000 have today broken through $60,000 and could conceivably exceed $100,000 in a few years’ time.
Two-seat 260Zs that a few years back were lagging 25 percent behind the price of a similar-quality 240 have rallied and now aren’t far behind the cost of the early car.