Tested: 1981 Datsun 280ZX Turbo (1981)

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a69529696/1981-datsun-280-zx-turbo-archive-test/

66•RickJWagner•2mo ago

Comments

RickJWagner•2mo ago

Sometimes we focus on what’s not perfect today. In doing so, we might forget just how good we have it.

TLDR: The review says the car is lightning fast and fuel efficient. By today’s standards, the car is turtle slow and horribly inefficient.

CraigRo•2mo ago

You can get a Nissan Pathfinder or a Honda Odyssey minivan with automatic 6 cylinder engines, faster performance, better gas mileage, and room for an entire family

brudgers•2mo ago

What you won't get is the haptic experience of a sports car.

Nor the potential aesthetic experience...potential because people have different aesthetic values.

But the haptic experience of a sports car can't be replicated in a mini-van or SUV because the suspension, driving position, acoustic and mechanical output, etc. are all vastly different from a sports car. And of course curb weight, suspension rates, and center of gravity.

To be clear, I am not saying there is anything wrong with SUV's and/or minivans. Only that the map is not the territory.

parpfish•2mo ago

When I was a youngster getting into cars, I obsessed over the quantifiables. Which car had better horsepower, 1/4 mile, or skid pad scores. I couldn’t drive, much less afford, any of the cars so it’s the best I could do to form an opinion.

Now that I’m a grownup, I’m capable of doing qualitative assessments on cars because I can drive them and judge their intangibles.

Lots of cars have sub-par specs, especially compared to modern engineering, but it overlooks that they are just fun. The top speed doesn’t matter because you’re rarely going to touch it. But how does it feel when you downshifting into 2nd to pass somebody? Or take a windy corner a little faster than you should? Does it make you grin? Because that’s a good car.

wileydragonfly•2mo ago

Miata is fun at any speed…

jerrysievert•2mo ago

heck ya!

I often have electric minivans come up next to me that have the "nod".

I typically snort back and let them take off the line - they're a ton faster than me, but I'm the one enjoying the drive!

floren•2mo ago

I've owned a 62 Studebaker Lark and a 71 MG Midget. Both pretty damn slow by any modern measure, but both an absolute blast to drive. The Midget especially was stupidly fun on back roads with the top down. Less pleasant on city streets looking eye to eye with every pickup's lugnuts, of course.

asimovDev•2mo ago

If I am not scared for my life going over 120 km/h in a car, I don't want it

I love lightweight cars. They are harder and harder to make due to regulations so the options are older vehicles. Or motorcycles, but that's too scary.

I recently had the pleasure of finally driving a car on a track and it was so insanely fun even if I was driving a FWD hatchback with like 70 or 80 horsepower and a worn out shifter

RickJWagner•2mo ago

I go back and forth in crazy cycles.

It started when I was younger. I had 2 unreliable, but fun muscle cars. ( Souped up Corvette and souped up El Camino. ) When they both broke down at the same time, I over reacted and bought a reliable, new Saturn coupe with a 5 speed.

After 3 years of trouble free motoring in the Saturn, I traded it off for a Gen 1 Ford Lightning pickup. ( Strong acceleration for the day. ) I followed that up with a Lexus GS 300, hardly a hot rod.

The cycle continued, back and forth. My last 3 cars have been WRX STi, Lexus ISF, and now Corolla hybrid.

I love trying to keep the hybrid in EV mode, it’s kind of a game. A very different game than rowing the STi through the gears, but oddly similar.

I’m hopeless.

ehnto•2mo ago

I often say this even as a Nissan diehard, all our hero cars are slow as snails by todays standards.

I've had the pleasure of driving a lot of these cars in factory form, like the Nissan Silvia, various years of Skyline, Supras and such. They are connected, more raw than todays cars, and that is their killer feature. But they would get gapped by a 2025 Toyota Camry.

EdwardDiego•2mo ago

I too am a Nissan diehard, I just bought a P10 Primera eGT, the British built one, and regret very much selling my previous 4WD P10 (to be honest though, the dicky idle valve was very annoying), but that 4WD was amazing.

And yeah, driving my current P10, the steering feeling is so much more... real, my son owns a P12, and it feels far more disconnected from the road.

(I also drive a 350XV Fuga, and gosh darn, that VQ35DE(NEO) engine is a rather lovely V6).

ehnto•2mo ago

Nice! We don't see the P10 around my parts very often, super nice vehicle.

I had a VQ25DET in a Nissan Stagea 250RX, and asside from being a gauntlet to work on in that engine bay, it was a rock solid motor.

hxorr•2mo ago

P10 primera (1st gen infinity G20, for the Americans) was a great handling car... I think the front suspension was a very similar setup to the 300zx. Bit hard to find parts for these days unfortunately.

Currently I drive an 8th gen civic which I'd rate on par handling wise and is much more safer and modern...

EdwardDiego•2mo ago

Haha yeah, the downside is that it does love to eat struts. But gorgeous how it corners.

EdwardDiego•2mo ago

Struts == arms, missed the edit window there.

cebert•2mo ago

This should have (1981) in the title to make it clear it’s not a recently published article.

fuzzfactor•2mo ago

Today the test would be how much a mint example would bring at an auction :)

EdwardDiego•2mo ago

A lot.

ehnto•2mo ago

Having read your other comments I have a rough idea that you and I have both seen a fair share of Nissans and Datsuns thrashed into oblivion or rotting in the bush. If I had 30k and a time machine, I could have every one of my childhood dream cars and a few resto projects on the side.

OldSchool•2mo ago

This was an era of some pretty awful American cars. A mid-size family sedan would have a v6 with a carburetor and 110-125 hp and still weigh 1.5 tons or more. An automatic transmission with a lockup torque converter was probably a pretty new improvement at the time, and ABS brakes were still 5+ years away in high-end cars.

bluedino•2mo ago

The best selling car in 1981 (450,000 sold) was the Oldsmobile Cutlass, with 110 or 180 HP V6/V8 engines and a three speed automatic

buildsjets•2mo ago

If you were my dad, the V6 in your Gutless Supreme was the normally aspirated diesel, clocking 85 horsepower, and required new head gaskets approx every 20,000 miles.

But at least the rich luxury of the crushed orange velour interior could keep you comfortable while you waited for the tow truck.

bluedino•2mo ago

They had gotten rid of the V6 diesel by 1981, and then they used the infamous 350 diesel

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automot...

buildsjets•2mo ago

Whatever. It got sent to the crusher and we never bought an American-made car ever again.

bluedino•2mo ago

Sounds about right. Those engines ruined diesels for Americans.

A friend of mine had one as his high school car, but his dad converted it to gasoline. I think it was in an Olds 88

mikestew•2mo ago

From your link:

“The 4.3 L V6 that came out in 1982 did have a denser head bolt arrangement, and did not suffer the catastrophic head sealing failures of the V8.”

V6 diesels were put in Cutlass’ until at least 1984:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Diesel_engine#V6

bluedino•2mo ago

But not in 1981 which is the year we're talking about

mikestew•2mo ago

Ah, just 1981, got it.

seanmcdirmid•2mo ago

The 1981 Trans Am was still in its classic design...it didn't go to the knightrider one until 1982.

WaltPurvis•2mo ago

I can't imagine why this article link is on HN, but I'm glad it is. The 280ZX was the first car I remember actively lusting for.

EdwardDiego•2mo ago

I still do - good quality Datto Fairladys (as they were sold in my country) attract very good resale prices here. They're just so gorgeous, and they do fang it nicely.

brudgers•2mo ago

I can't imagine why this article link is on HN, but I'm glad it is.

Perhaps one way in which HN is HN.

delichon•2mo ago

Here's how to cure yourself of that. Buy a used one. Use it to commute down a very curvy mountain road every weekday. Start feeling like a real fast driver. One day while really stretching the envelope and sliding around corners, get passed by a 1972 Gremlin like you're standing still. Give up, sell the car and buy a pickup truck.

jacquesm•2mo ago

What really struck me, besides the nice car is the quality of the text of the article.

ljnelson•2mo ago

This was the absolute golden age of Car and Driver. David E. Davis Jr. was the editor; he later departed to found Automobile magazine.

Terretta•2mo ago

Csaba Csere was always a pleasure to read.

He joined Car and Driver in 1980, became Editor-in-Chief by 1993, retired in 2008. His byline would get me to read an article even if I didn't think I'd like the car.

jerrysievert•2mo ago

when I became old enough to drive, my parents decided (in the family tradition) to purchase me a car. apparently, the options that my father chose from were a 1982 Honda, or a 1978 datsun f10. he settled on the less reliable f10. it was a wonder-car, it was a 5 speed that started at reverse:

  R 2 4
  1 3 5

its clutch was so loose that when I was driving with my friends, I'd yell "punch it chewy!" to switch from 2nd to 3rd in one swift pull without touching the clutch.

it was a hell car, but I'm still nostalgic for it, likely more than I would have been for the honda that would probably have been much more reliable.

I still have an affinity for Japanese small cars, and am glad it was in my life.

datsun, I miss you.

B1FF_PSUVM•2mo ago

> datsun, I miss you.

"The name is Nissan." (1980s advertising, for those who came in later)

jerrysievert•2mo ago

that was one of the unfortunate rebrandings. datsun was an amazing brand, and I understand in hindsight the focus on Nissan, but they had such opportunity!

bigiain•2mo ago

> I'd yell "punch it chewy!" to switch from 2nd to 3rd in one swift pull without touching the clutch.

Next thing, it was raining Datsun cogs.

metaphor•2mo ago

Naw, slip shifting is a thing.

bigiain•2mo ago

Yeah, I know. But I never miss an opportunity to use that gag...

(On one of my motorcycles at trackdays, I shift up on straights by holding pressure on the gear lever and waiting for it to hit the revlimiter, which eases the torque just enough to make it shift smoothly...)

metaphor•2mo ago

Hold up...5-speed manual transmission in a '78 Datsun?

jerrysievert•2mo ago

datsun had 5 speed manual transmissions in 70-71.

baggy_trough•2mo ago

If you have nostalgia for the Z cars of the 1970s, this master mechanic is restoring a 240Z to museum quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13vXFj37RI

chasebank•2mo ago

There is a Swiss restoration youtube channel, my mechanics, that's restoring a 1973 Datsun 240Z. It's quite a project and worth watching if you're into that sort of thing. He's incredibly talented and loads of other restoration projects that are super interesting. Easily my favorite youtube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13vXFj37RI&list=PLN0SuqPcbL...

sleepybrett•2mo ago

My dad had a 240Z, finally sold it off a few years ago. He had a hard time keeping that car running, always something wrong with it. Guy who bought it lives near me and he fully rebuilt it. Ran into him a few months ago, said it's still a work in progress.

rob74•2mo ago

Yeah, with cars of that age, you either become a part-time car mechanic or you get rid of them. The upside is of course that with cars from the eighties and before, you still can repair most of the things yourself...

sleepybrett•2mo ago

I don't remember a time in my life longer than six months when that car was properly running.

bigiain•2mo ago

Here's the first video in a series where an American YouTuber restores (and gives away) a 1983 Datsun 280ZX

https://youtu.be/SwSm63W2fNg

Full playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU3vhL4Xvzk&list=PLmhNtwDcrR...

observer987•2mo ago

My 17 y/o self (living in small-town Oklahoma) lusted heavily after this car. For a few weeks, I would drive down to the dealership in my parent's car in order to drool over it in person (yeah, I was stupid kid who loved this car). Anyway, one day I managed to convince a salesman, who wasn't much older than me and obviously bored, to take a test drive in one. We got into the car and he told me that he first was going to show me what the car could do before letting me drive it and so, I had to wear the seatbelt (which was unheard of back then). Soon, we were on the highway and he put it through its paces - demonstrating the acceleration and handling, but he got a bit overconfident and then wound up putting it into a spin. By an extreme amount of luck we managed to avoid hitting anything. After he regained control we pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the car, and much to our relief (and astonishment on my part), there wasn't any visible damage on it. To his credit, he let me drive it back to the dealership were I shook his hand and thanked him for not killing us. Just as I get over to my mom's car, the sales manager shows up to try to close the deal - but when he got a look at my 16 y/o self, his demeanor changed from optimism to mild disappointment. I said I had to discuss with my father before I could consider buying it (but the look he had on his face was that he knew I was full of crap)

bluedino•2mo ago

My dad has one of these in the garage. Hasn't driven it in a few years because some of the parts are hard to find.

I always thought it was a weird car compared to the 240 or 300 since it was a 2+2. I'm not sure if I've even driven it.

One day I'll probably do a V8 or turbo I6 transplant...

dpifke•2mo ago

My first car (hand-me-down from my Dad) was a 1980s Datsun, that I managed to total within a few weeks of getting my license, much to the consternation of my younger brother and sister who expected it to eventually be handed down to them as well.

The "left door is open" voice alert will forever be ingrained in my memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hJBko3-oV4 It seemed so futuristic when the car was new.

ehnto•2mo ago

I also totalled my first Nissan. I'm sorry everyone, that was 100% my bad. I'm glad Nissan made a lot of them.

That car had the digital "Heads Up Display" on the windscreen that a lot of modern cars are getting back now. I wonder why it fell out of fashion for three decades?

HeyLaughingBoy•2mo ago

Are we setting a trend here?

I swore to the cop that the tree just jumped out in front of my 280Z.

JosephjackJR•2mo ago

I daily-drove a 1981 280ZX Turbo for three glorious, infuriating years. The L28ET would boost like a freight train one minute and then randomly cut out because the AFM flap got sticky or the injector harness decided it was allergic to moisture. Fuel pump relay? Shot. Turbo coolant lines? Weeping. ECU temp sensor? Lies constantly. Every single ground in the engine bay needed cleaning twice a year or it would just die at traffic lights for fun. But man, when it ran (which was most of the time) that long hood, perfect 50/50 weight, and the way the turbo spooled with that glorious whistle made every commute feel like a low-budget 80s action movie chase scene. It leaked, it overheated, it ate alternators, and I still miss it every single day. Cars were allowed to have personality back then, even if that personality was “occasionally tries to strand you on the motorway lol

roflchoppa•2mo ago

I’ve been restoring a 240z in my garage, it’s on a rotisserie…

Got a l28 turbo waiting to be refreshed as well.

I should stop working on this refactor and go work on it.

Nismo is coming out with a new DOHC head for the car... https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/nismo-dohc-nissan-datsun-l-...

There was also this gent who made his own DOHC off of a Honda head.

https://forums.hybridz.org/topic/119641-twin-cam-head-for-th...

ehnto•2mo ago

I was gobsmacked when they announced for DOHC head, is there some context I am missing as to why this makes sense for them to make as a heritage part?

I absolutely love the heritage program. It's a love letter to its past and current enthusiasts and I hope it also makes business sense, so that it continues.

neRok•2mo ago

Don't forget the OS Giken TC24-B1 from 1976: https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/sema-2009-os-giken-tc24-b1-...

jpfromlondon•2mo ago

I'm disappointed you went with FI, the L28 is wonderful, if I was you I'd be tempted to swap the EFI for carbs, I expect the carbs for the L's 24 and 26 would suit?

Any word on how much the Nismo head will be, the OS Giken one is absolutely eye-watering.

roflchoppa•2mo ago

The estimation for the Nismo head is ~$25k for just the head, not sure if that price included the valve train as well... Derrick's head is ballpark the same cost.

There is one more company in japan JMC,that is making heads as well, they have a recast of the N42 heads w/ better machining. https://party-k.co.jp/used/index-3536.html

I have a 260z with round-top SUs from my 240z with L26, its not bad, it's a single click to get that engine running, even after sitting for a long time.

On the carb setup, I find the fuel smell to be a bit overwhelming, to the point where I don't want to drive the car as much because the passengers reek of fuel when they get out. I cant even run a shitty CAT on the exhaust because it would get destroyed by the carb. This is probably also due to leaks in the body gaskets...

I think it's really just the turbo that I want, I cant get smoked by these civics :(

jpfromlondon•2mo ago

if you already have a carbed zed then why not! the block is bulletproof I bet it takes the turbo like a champ.

HeyLaughingBoy•2mo ago

ISTR that Speedhunters made a gear-driven DOHC head for it.

pryelluw•2mo ago

180hp was no slouch back the. Many v8s came with the same or less. Including Ford’s 5.0 (which I’m running in my Mustang).

HeyLaughingBoy•2mo ago

Was there more than one? The 5.0 (Ice, Ice, Baby) that I remember in early 90's Mustangs was rated at 225.

pryelluw•2mo ago

Yeah ford had a 255, a non H.O. 302, and Gm had the 305, 307, and 350. They were all low compression and very restricted.

gorgoiler•2mo ago

It seems a silly thing to love but a hot-hatchback 2+2 is such a great format for the dual purposes of:

(a) zipping around in a lightweight coupe; yet

(b) being able to load a lawnmower / week’s groceries / cat baskets / a fully equipped camp setup in the back as well.

This photo in the article shows it well:

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/1981-datsun-280-...

I do enough trips to the dump with my TT mk3 to refer to it as a 250bhp flying dumpster. It’s like a baby El Camino with a lid :)

For comparison, here’s the TT’s trunk:

https://images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/a...

brudgers•2mo ago

The 2+2 was a four seater for insurance purposes.

Animats•2mo ago

0 to 60mph in 6.8 seconds.

The 0-60mph time for a 2025 Ford F-150 pickup truck is 5.8 seconds. Today's "performance" cars are in the 2 to 3 second range.

It was a more leisurely time.

M95D•2mo ago

> 5.8 seconds

And your insurer will know when, where, and how often you do it.

rootusrootus•2mo ago

And that’s the slowest F-150. The Lightning will do it in under 4 seconds (as will the Raptor R). Arguably too fast for a 6500 pound chunk of steel, but it’s certainly entertaining.

I timed my first vehicle - a 1977 Chevrolet pickup - back in the day and it took around 18 seconds to get to 60. Topped out at maybe 85. Still perfectly usable for daily driving.

Animats•2mo ago

Here's "Hot Rod Girl", from 1956.[1] The beginning title is a few minutes of footage of the real San Fernando Drag Strip in Southern California. Watch the sluggish acceleration. Yes, they're actually supposed to be racing, not that it looks like it.

[1] https://archive.org/details/hot_rod_girl_1956

HeyLaughingBoy•2mo ago

I remember in the late 80's/early 90s reading a Car & Driver special publication on "affordable used sports cars" (I ended up with a 1975 280Z for $2,000 in great condition). They made a point that "the sports cars of the 60's are easily beaten, at least in a straight line, by today's average family sedans."

I remember this every time something like a Cadillac Escalade leaves my 21-year-old 350Z in its dust...

MrSkelter•2mo ago

True but remember the American obsession with acceleration is very different from actual speed. Driving involves moving the car round corners and bends. Many less accelerative cars will beat their betters point to point on handling.

Then there’s stoping. The less time you spend slowing down the faster you go and lighter better handling vehicles win there too.

That F-150 will get its ass handed to it by an older sports car through a city.

Drag racing is a tiny niche, it’s not the true measure of automotive performance any more than horsepower is.

seanmcdirmid•2mo ago

My dad had one of these, I remember he took us drifting with it in a church parking lot after a snow storm (us Gen X kids grew up with out a lot of safeties).

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Tested: 1981 Datsun 280ZX Turbo (1981)

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