At $4,695, Will This 1995 Nissan 300ZX Cruise To Victory?

Today's Nice Price or No Dice 300ZX convertible is described by its seller as an "eye catcher." Let's see if its price tag will easily make it a "buy catcher."

In Chloé Zhao's award-winning 2020 film, Nomadland, Frances McDormand's character, Fern, rambles around the American Southwest in a full-size van after losing both her job and her husband. It's a melancholy reflection on grief, the fragility of the social construct, and individual resilience. Remarkably, the film and its themes feel even more "of the moment" today than they did five years ago.

Should Nomadland's story speak to you on a personal level, then the 1983 Chevrolet G20 Van conversion we looked at yesterday might present an excellent opportunity to make such woebegone wanderlust a reality. Featuring low miles and a can-do diesel V8, that van seemed ready to hit the open road—just so long as it's not too hot, as the A/C was described in the ad as non-working. At just $5,983, it wouldn't break the bank, either, something lauded by those of you who gave the Chevy a van-a-licious 63% Nice Price win.

Something I think we can all agree upon is that Nissan kept its best car names for the home market. Here in the U.S., we had a jumble of numbers and letters such as 200SX, 510, and 240Z. In contrast, Japanese car buyers had their choice of wonderful names, such as Silvia, Bluebird, and Fairlady. Adding insult to injury, the company eliminated the once-beloved Datsun name in the U.S. in the 1980s in favor of the corporate moniker, Nissan, confusing ramen eaters nationwide. The company has been on a downward trajectory ever since.

At least Nissan has had the decency to maintain a Z car in its lineup. And while it's not setting the sales charts ablaze, dealers are moving about twice as many a month so far this year as they did in 2024.

Those new Zs, however, are quite pricey, and at this time, none come as a convertible. Should anyone want wind in their hair and some money left in their wallet, then an older model like this 1995 300ZX Z32 might be the ticket to ride.

According to the ad, this Z32 has 175,000 miles on the clock. Those don't seem to show in either the black metallic bodywork or the chromed factory alloy wheels. What is evident on the car is some minor stabs at personalization. Included among those are a stripe on the bonnet and boot lid, some flames on the doors, and, inexplicably, Sport badging on the fenders and rear panel above the tail lamps. There's also a green ball atop the radio antenna and, oddly enough, a Nike logo on the air deflector between the seats. It's safe to say someone enjoyed making this Z32 their own.

Making anything your own means taking on maintenance and upkeep, and the ad claims the current owner has adopted that mantle as well. New to the vehicle are the timing belt, radiator, water pump, stereo head unit, and the upholstery on the seats. As a result of all the attention, the seller claims the car runs and drives great. Being a slightly less stiff convertible (converted for the factory by the experts at ASC, just like the Celica we saw a while back) and with a non-turbo six and automatic transmission, that running and driving will more likely be more suited for cruising than canyon carving.

At the very least, it should be a fairly comfortable space in which to pass the time. The ad doesn't specify whether any of the interior accoutrements will come with the car, but some owner-nesting has also occurred here, as well. First off is the new upholstery for the seats. That would have been monotone charcoal from the factory, but the new covering offers a splash of bright red down the middle. Add to that a passenger-encroaching cup holder, cell phone mount and charger cable, and a pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror, and a lot is going on here. 

Craigslist

On the plus side, everything looks very tidy under the personalizations, and the rubber floor mats and steering wheel cover suggest that it might remain that way for the near future. It should also be pointed out that Nissan was firing on all cylinders when the Z32's interior was designed, and it still looks good today. Other positives include a newish set of tires, working accessories, and a clean title.

1995 was the penultimate year for the Z32 in the U.S.—and for Z cars as a whole for more than half a decade. This year, only 3,135 cars found homes in the States, making this one appreciably rare. Is it the ultimate form of the model? No. It is, however, a neat convertible cruiser that appears well-maintained (check out the detailing kit in the boot). At a $4,695 asking price, might that be enough?

What do you think? Is this 300ZX convertible worth that $4,695 asking as it's presented in its ad? Or is that price none too fair for this lady?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Bend, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Fauxshizzle for the hookup!

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