Today’s 300ZX looks pretty good for its 23 years and 147,000 miles. Let’s see if this Japanese roadster’s price looks even half as good.

Let us also postulate on what could possibly cost more—a long weekend in Vegas with an off the wagon Lindsay Lohan and her mom, or the opportunity afforded by an old Audi 5000. The world may never know the answer to that question and, based on its 75-percent Nice Price win, yesterday’s made the overwhelming majority of you not care the outcome. The Lohans will be waiting for you to pick them up in your new/old Audi.

The Japanese have long had a reputation for making things that don’t break down. The recent fiascos of and may have dulled that distinction, but today’s shows just what the island nation was once truly all about.

The fourth generation of Nissan’s venerable “Z” car, the Z32 300ZX was the first of its breed to offer a factory (ASC actually) convertible option. Aesthetically, the conversion from coupe to convertible was arguably not wholly successful. When the top is down it’s nicely hidden beneath a hard cover, however the height of that and the boot lid in comparison to the required roll-over hoop make its ass appear a little too big. When the top is erected it looks kind of like a guy wearing a way too-small baseball cap.

That top on this one at least looks to be in excellent shape, and the rest of the car remains to this day quite handsome. In fact, I would aver that this is not only one of the best looking Z car editions (the Z30 being in my opinion the best) but also the one that has held up the best over the years. Plus, the later Lamborghini Diablos use its headlights! Try that as an icebreaker at parties.

This 147,000 mile ZX comes in pearl with a black and off-white interior. No, that’s not the world’s most awesome color combination, but perhaps making up for that is the fact that it all looks to be in really nice shape. There’s the expected minor scratches and chips here and there on the outside, but over all it seems laudably well preserved for a driver. The interior likewise appears to have kept its shit together over the years, with no cracks in the dash, no appreciable wear in the leather, or seeming failure of the sealing rubber for the top. In fact, the only issue apparent in the pics is a shifter that from years of use looks how I imagine Ron Jeremy’s tool of his trade must look. Yeah I know, ewww.

In order to get that image out of your mind let’s consider the five-speed manual that sits behind that well-worn knob. Its master is a DOHC three-litre V6 with variable valve timing, which was good from the factory for 222-bhp. Those ponies are sent to the rear wheels just as god and Mr. K ordained. No, it’s not the harder-charging twin turbo, but these acquit themselves perfectly well, especially with a fun in the sun stick.

The wheels are not factory, but 1000 Miglia five-spoke affairs. They are definitely not bad looking, but should you be interested in authenticity you might want to consider getting a set of original alloys to supplement. The seller says that the car starts and runs without drama, and that everything that should move does and things that shouldn’t don’t, so you can put away the WD40 and duct tape.

The ad also notes, as does every ad for these cars, that Nissan sold less than 4,000 300ZX convertibles in the States before putting the whole Z car concept on hiatus for a few years. The later 350 and 370 Z cars lost their X-appeal, but did come as a full convertible without a roll hoop so I guess they’ve got that going for them. The newer cars are pretty nice, especially in Nismo trim, but there’s something about the Z32, a gravitas perhaps, that those ones lack.

This one seems to be all that and a bag of bonito chips. The asking price is $6,988 which the seller helpfully informs is below where Kelly and her blue book places it.

Of course the real test will be where you place it, and it’s now time for you to vote on that price. What’s your take on this ZX and that $6,988 price? Does that seem a deal for so well preserved a car? Or, does that feel like too much cash to pay for some quick ZeX?

You decide!

Phoenix AZ , or go if the ad disappears.

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