1976 Datsun 280Z
$4,500 + about $375 in fuel to go and fetch it = $4,875 delivered
BaT sale median for a 1976 280Z: $19,250 — hammer prices for well-sorted cars, shown for context
Condition read
Projectguessed from the price alone — nobody described this car
Price-only guesses are right about 4 times in 5 against sellers' own words — treat this as a prior, not a verdict.
Seller's writeup
No real writeup on this listing. The condition read above is working from the price alone — weigh it accordingly, and get photos of the spots in the checklist before driving anywhere.
What these actually sell for
19 completed sales · 1976 · last 3 years
Bring a Trailer hammer prices, engine swaps and restomods excluded. BaT sells sorted, documented cars, so a private-party car in unknown condition belongs at the low end of this range rather than the middle.
Ask history
- Aug 27, 2026$0
- Aug 27, 2026$4,500+$4,500
Also listed
Same 1976 280Z at the same price or odometer — almost certainly this exact car. Cross-posts are normal for dealers; for a private seller, the oldest post sometimes has a lower ask.
Before you drive anywhere
Rust — where S30s actually die
- Floor pans and the rails under them (lift the carpet, push with a thumb)
- Front frame rails and the sway-bar mounts
- Doglegs ahead of the rear wheels and the bottoms of both rear quarters
- Battery tray and the firewall below it (acid + rain drain)
- Spare tire well and the hatch channel — water sits in both
- Rockers: magnet-check for filler over rot
Mechanical
- Oil pressure warm at idle (L-series should hold ~15+ psi hot idle, 50+ at speed)
- Timing-chain rattle on cold start that doesn't clear
- Carbs: round-top SUs are the good ones; '73-74 flat-tops are usually a headache
- Gearbox: 4-speed is stock on early cars; verify a claimed 5-speed is actually one
- Diff whine on decel, clunks from worn mustache-bar bushings
Paperwork and identity
- Title in hand, in the seller's name — no 'title is coming'
- VIN plate (door jamb + dash) matches the title exactly
- Numbers-matching claim: engine stamp should be verified, not taken on faith
- Service records or at least receipts for any restoration claims
Ask for phone photos of the rust spots before travelling. A seller who won't send them has answered the question.