Meeting your heroes - Nissan 300ZX Z31
Most petrolheads will agree that all eras of automobiles have something to offer. From the very first cars produced, the genesis of what would become the subject of our collective hobby, to present day cars with their comparative complexity, computerisation, safety and efficiency.
But I have a theory that most of us have a special place in our heart for cars built in the era of our birth. It's almost inevitable.
The cars that surround us in childhood tend to foster our nascent passion. I suppose they are more or less burned into our brains! They are, after all, responsible for what got us going in the first place.
For me, that means the straight edged, boxy cars of the 1980's.
As my childhood sped by, those cars went from being shiny and new, to affordable, and finally (at the point where I was old enough to purchase and drive one!) to rust and obscurity. Despite this, I managed to acquire a car so obviously a product of the 80's, it might have been the automobile equivalent of a Casio calculator watch. The car in question? A Nissan Bluebird.
An online search for fellow Bluebird enthusiasts led to the only forum I could find at the time where Bluebird owners congregated. It also happened to cater for a few other models. And thus began my love affair with the most unlikely set of automobiles - 1980's Nissans.
I quickly became aware of all that Nissan had to offer in that era. My attendance at shows such as Japanese Auto Extravaganza and Jap Fest taught me of the existence of cars such as the Sunny ZX Coupe, S12 Silvia, Cherry Turbo, Bluebird Turbo ZX and - most desirable of them all - the Z31 300ZX. 3 litre V6 engine, rear wheel drive and a sleek but classically 80's body shell. And, most importantly, pop-up headlights!
15 years later and I have finally had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 300ZX. Having started my YouTube channel for a bit of fun, I hadn't considered that it may actually open the door to driving cars that would have otherwise remained a distant dream.
There is a concern however - possibly popularised by James May and his drive of the stunning - but ultimately flawed - Lamborghini Countach. What happens if the car is, quite simply, crap? Is it best just to let your fond memories of the car stay where they are? Or should you take the risk and experience something that is now 30+ years old and potentially just serving as a reminder of how far things have come?
Should you meet your heroes?
To cut a long story short, in my case - yes, you most certainly should. I had nothing to worry about with the 300ZX. Nissan knew exactly what they were doing in the 1980's, and they were constructing cars to a very high standard.
Yes, technology has moved on and cars have advanced in so many ways, but it’s clear to me that the way a car is built is not when it was built, but how. You only have to fire up a Sony product from the 1980's to know what build quality can mean.
If anything, the only potential disappointment was how modern the car felt to drive. The gearbox and clutch felt almost identical to that of a car built today and the engine fired up the instant I turned the key. The smooth, torquey, naturally-aspirated engine more than kept up with modern traffic and would pull from any RPM (modern turbo engines, take note). It didn't flinch when I mistakenly set off in third gear.
The presence of air conditioning, electric windows and cruise control reminded me that these items are still not standard equipment on many modern vehicles.
So where was that exciting feeling of driving something from a bygone time? Well, you'll be pleased to hear, it was there in droves. Nothing today looks like the 300ZX, inside or out.
The straight lines of the interior and the mixture of chunky buttons and dainty stalks. The comfortable pinstriped seats paired with the glassy targa top panels above. The slim A-pillars providing excellent visibility of the pop-up headlights peeking out from the end of the long bonnet.
The 300ZX lets you experience the best parts of the 80's without missing too many modern comforts. Perhaps if I had to fuel this somewhat thirsty car regularly - or try to source increasingly rare replacement parts, the feeling of modernity would soon fall away. But that short drive reminded me what it was I liked about the way Nissan did things in the 1980's.
They did things properly.
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