If we were to ask, which are the most iconic Japanese cars from the 70’s and 80’s, the answers will mostly include cars like the Toyota AE86, the earlier versions of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, or even the Celica. But somewhere in the list, there is always a place for the iconic Datsun/Nissan Fairlady.
Simply one of the most beautiful cars ever produced in Japan, the S30 Fairlady captures the heart of auto enthusiasts not only for its Jaguar E-Type-matching features, but also for the power and potential that it packs back in its days. So when we managed to spot a sexy Fairlady in pristine and immaculate condition, we just could not let it out of our sights.
The Nissan Fairlady 280ZX is the second generation of the Nissan Z-car, and is also the last kind that inherits the beauty of the S30. Also known as the S130, the 280ZX shares the DNA of both the elegant S30 and the sharp rooflines of the Z31. It is this unique feature and beauty that prompts the owner to restore this timeless classic into the spotless beauty that we see here.
Obviously, restoring this Fairlady is not an easy task, taking into account the car’s production lasted from 1978 – 1983 (that was 40 years ago!), with the all the assembly taking place and has since ended in Japan. So what the owner did was to hook up with some guys from the States and with assistance, he purchased most of the parts online. From the large parts like body panels to the minor details like the signal lights, these parts were a hassle to get to, but passion is a far stronger motivating force.
But this Lady is not only loaded with pure Nissan goodies. More often than not, owners of these Japanese classics generally enjoy modernizing and tuning their cars to the tune of car Mangas like Wangan Midnight and Initial D that helped made the retro cars popular in the first place. See the familiar gold Brembo calipers hiding behind those awesome TE37Vs? They are none other than Subaru’s Brembo system, in which the owner found a set from a STi S203.
Those are not the only modern touches that the owner had included to this pretty Fairlady as the custom carbon fiber bits thrown in also fits the spot perfectly. Especially in that white dress, the carbon fiber fenders and front lip complements the Fairlady’s sleek look, which goes the same to the carbon fiber ducktail spoiler.
While the dashes of carbon fiber stop on the outside of the Fairlady, keeping the interior pretty much close to its original form is a great move as it shows how cars have evolved along the way. The original steering and dashboard is kept at its place, as well as the speedometer and gauges.
Similar to the interior, the original 2.8-liter L28E straight-six engine still resides in the engine bay and still pumping out healthy horses despite of its age. Fitted with a Kameari race distributor ignition kit, Kameari flywheel, and an ACT heavy duty clutch, the owner said that the engine is still a work-in-progress, and we are pretty excited to see what he has in store for the near future.
If we were to be lucky enough to find an S30 with an affordable price tag, this will definitely be one of our main references of how the build is going to be. The pieces that the owner had thrown in did not only fit together perfectly, despite a couple of modern touches, it still retains the beauty that the cars from the yesteryears bring which makes them evergreen until who knows when.
