Minneapolis Street Sighting: Datsun 280ZX

I have always been a fan of Japanese sports cars; being a staunch Nissan and Datsun fan, it's no surprise that I have featured quite a number of Z-cars on my blog. After all, the Z-car has always been one of my favorite nameplates, if not my favorite Nissan or Datsun product. I've shot multiple examples, and will continue to do so until I die.Sadly, a vast majority of the cars I find are in less-than-desirable locations, so shoots have to be swift and precise.

Introduced in 1969, and continuing until the end of its 1996 run, the Z-car was the mainstay sports car from Nissan--and with its rebirth in 2002 as the 350Z, the Z-car still wins enthusiasts over day after day. Like most sports cars (and for that matter, imports in general), the nomenclature reflects engine size; the earliest cars were badged as 240Z and they numbers stretch up to today's 370Z, indicating the displacement in liters of the six-cylinder engine.

It's rare to see unbutchered cars, even more-so in the land of rust; I was extremely when I found this bone-stock appearing 280ZX, but I had to hurry because the area wasn't the best place to be walking around with a gaggle of high-dollar electronics. Nevertheless, I am happy with the shoot.

From the get-go, I am happy with this spot; no, it isn't a turbo, and yes, it lacks T-Tops, but sometimes base is best. Black works best on these cars, too, and this one has no distracting paint schemes or decals to clutter up the lines; while this generation is far from my favorite, there's no denying that it looks absolutely sinister all blacked out. Perhaps that was the owner's intention or maybe the steelies are just winter rolling stock? Regardless, this Z looks amazing, even like this.

I am slightly saddened that this isn't a ZXTurbo or an Anniversary car, but at the same time, it's nice to spot a plain-jane that hasn't succumbed to beater-status yet. Points awarded to this car's owner for keeping it in seemingly pristine condition; even if this is a repaint.