Ok, this has been playing on my mind for a while now, everytime I take my Z out I cant help myself but smile when it turns peoples heads and I always check it out in shop windows etc, sad I know!

 

The Z32 imo has aged very well when compared to some other sports cars, however, I saw a guy on the way home from work polishing his "Mint" Ford Capri and I thought to myself that car looks really old fashioned. Now, is it just me being biased because i have a Z or do they too look really old fashioned now too?

 

If not, do you they may soon date very quickly, I still think they look better than z33`s but again, am I biased?

 

I just have this horrible feeling that soon they are going to show their age very quickly :-(

Yes, we're all biased.

No, I don't think Z32s look old-fashioned. It's pretty much a design classic. If the looks have lasted since 1990 already...

Just take a look at the 240Z. Old fashioned or timeless design?

And, IIRC, they're just celebrating 50 years of the E-Type. Yes, it's a car "of its period" but still as gorgeous as ever.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13644044

 

And, even as an ex-Capri owner, much as I liked my 2.0 Ghia, I don't think it holds a candle to either the 240Z or the 300ZX.

 

That is simply stunning! But I love classic cars.

Everything (even the oldest zeds) can be brought right up to date with a bit of work

 

 

 

on the subject of etypes i went to the etype celebration at shelsly walsh hilclimb at the weekend, took loads of pics but didnt think anyone would be interested here. my dad is currently restoring a series 2 etype at the moment, while i appreciate its a great looking car (not as nice as a series 1) i prefer my zed.

 

The etype for him came out when he was about 12 or so, a similar time to me and the zed.

 

both are old cars now, both very good looking in my opinion but the zed does look dated, compared to a new car. thats not a bad thing, its just it is 20 years old now, soon people will stop putting crappy kits on them and start appreciating them for the original design, (99 spec included as original)

 

i think the supra and 3000gt are aging worse and the rx7 perhaps a little better.

 

im building my zed to look as true to the original line as possible with some subtle alterations

love that 240

I love the zeds due to the timeless design. If I wanted a modern and often soulless car I'd have bought one. The BMW e30 M3 looks very dated.

its just it is 20 years old now

 

Excellent point and something that most of us often lose sight of, which in itself is a huge compliment.

 

There are perhaps only a handful of cars in the world which have aged so well, and most if not all of them were very, very expensive when new.

 

The fact that we are even having this discussion is ample evidence of how great the original Z32 design was.

 

Only time will tell, but will the Z33/Z34/Audi TT etc. look even half as good when they are 20 years old?

 

The original TT already looks dated (not that I ever liked it anyway).

*22years old

z32 looks very old, nice front, but from the doors all the way back quite ugly and old looking.

 

yes i have one, but i know they look old. arent aging too well and prices are dropping..

 

..and you have one...why???

i believe they really do have a timeless design, and for me its for 2 reasons

1. most people still dont know what it is and never believe its age when i tell them

2. i stay next to a high school and all the kids off all ages think its some sort of new supercar and are always taking pics and shouting compliments.

the car is a conversation starter, everybody from people walking past to people at the lights always want to ask questions or just show appreciation.

compared to my other classics like my e30 or escort rs turbo you would never believe they were from the same time

Hopefully both of those 240s show Datsun/Nissan can do beautiful long-lasting design. Amazombi's is the blue one and more pics on Zclub. The black one was featured in Japanese Performance and is a cracking example of modern updating (I actually prefer Amazombi's - it's more street and less track).

I hope the Z32 is going to have the same design longevity and so far so good. I think if you look at other cars from the late '80s/early 90s, you can see the Z is something special.

This thread raises a good point though, and without wishing to offend anyones pride and joy, certain features of the majority of zeds do not age well (OEM rear lights for example).

 

The answer to this ^^^ is usually to fit a set of '99 spec rears, however even they are starting (again in my opinion) to look a tad aged, in a similar way to the R34 GTR and its angular body.

 

Is it time for a designer to come up with a new 2012 version of the Z32 rear lights ready for next year, and maybe a new 2012 body kit, to replace the more common, and quite frankly dull, kits that have been around for so long.

 

Nothing too OTT, just a slight tweak to the OEM lines of the zed

Just a thought...why can't we accept that the Z32 is almost 22 years old?

 

Why try to make it look like a 2011 model? Easy and simple refreshes yes (like clear side lenses, rear lights (questionable for the money IMO), remove the side stripe etc.) but no matter what else we do, no-one will accept that it's a brand new car. And why should that matter anyway?

Having had both specs of rear lights on both dark and light cars, here's my 2pworth. The big and, let's face it, a tad lardy rear end does require suitable design to make it look lower and sharper than it is. (OK, loads of people do love a big booty but there are limits.)

 

Nissan did this by having lots of horizontal line cues (not just on the back but also on the swage lines, charcoal strip on the front bumper etc etc). An essential part of these were the long thin rear lights. Do anything other than this and the back looks fatter.

 

And even when they went to the clear 99 spec indicators, they pinstriped them for the same reason.

 

I haven't yet seen any treatment of the rear end that makes it look as low and sleek as the orginal.

 

The colour of the car makes a difference to 99 specs. If you have a dark car, then the darker appearance of the early red / amber lights with the dark interior surround matches better. Bright silvery things stand out like a sore thumb. The stealth treatment looks stunning on darker or black cars. For lighter cars - especially silver or white - the 99 spec lights are a much better match. But it is not a "one size fits all".

Yeah I agree, mines gunmetal and I prefer the standard 89' spec lights. If I go through with painting mine bayside/Subaru STi blue, then I'll be looking at 99' spec lights, front and back, plus the front bumper.

The colour of the car makes a difference to 99 specs. If you have a dark car, then the darker appearance of the early red / amber lights with the dark interior surround matches better. Bright silvery things stand out like a sore thumb. The stealth treatment looks stunning on darker or black cars. For lighter cars - especially silver or white - the 99 spec lights are a much better match. But it is not a "one size fits all".

 

Whereas I love 99spec lights on Black Z's. Stunning. On all Z colours really.

 

But then I hate orange lenses on any car, manufacturers stopped using them a long time ago, and even further back for Performance models, which is why it really ages a car.

Edited June 10, 201114 yr by Yowser

Just a thought...why can't we accept that the Z32 is almost 22 years old?

 

Why try to make it look like a 2011 model? Easy and simple refreshes yes (like clear side lenses, rear lights (questionable for the money IMO), remove the side stripe etc.) but no matter what else we do, no-one will accept that it's a brand new car. And why should that matter anyway?

 

 

Speaking from a personal point of view, I accept fully that my zed (in theory) is a 20 year old car. The reality is that apart from the shell, which has been chopped to within an inch of its life, the rest of the car is all brand new anyway.

 

In exactly the way as this R32 GTR (below) is registered on a '06 plate

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2570251.htm

 

again in my opinion, if you are going to the expense of creating a new car from old then why not make very subtle changes to the body if that is what you want to do.

Its not so much 'not accepting that our zeds are 20+ years old but more that some individuals will want to enhance the original design without taking anything away from it'

 

 

If individuals like the 20 year old OEM zed look (which is still a good looking car even by modern standards) then that's obviously fine but why shouldn't we look at ways in which it can be brought up to date if that's what we want?

 

If they all looked the same then the zed community would be a pretty boring place in my opinion

 

just my 2p worth :thumbup1:

The original or

too much plastic? wayyy too much plastic

nice and modern overdoing the widebody And just, well, thanks but no thanks

 

Now don't get yer knickers in a twist, of course there are several Zeds where mods have improved the looks or made them more original for their owners or created stunning show cars. But improving on the Mona Lisa takes a bit more than whanging on a bit of eBay plastic or getting a spray can out. :devil2:

/\ /\ Amen /\ /\ /\

Still a classic shape!

 

 

Apologies about the pics it was blocked in a queue of cars to be mot'd

Having had both specs of rear lights on both dark and light cars, here's my 2pworth. The big and, let's face it, a tad lardy rear end does require suitable design to make it look lower and sharper than it is. (OK, loads of people do love a big booty but there are limits.)

 

Nissan did this by having lots of horizontal line cues (not just on the back but also on the swage lines, charcoal strip on the front bumper etc etc). An essential part of these were the long thin rear lights. Do anything other than this and the back looks fatter.

 

And even when they went to the clear 99 spec indicators, they pinstriped them for the same reason.

 

I haven't yet seen any treatment of the rear end that makes it look as low and sleek as the orginal.

 

The colour of the car makes a difference to 99 specs. If you have a dark car, then the darker appearance of the early red / amber lights with the dark interior surround matches better. Bright silvery things stand out like a sore thumb. The stealth treatment looks stunning on darker or black cars. For lighter cars - especially silver or white - the 99 spec lights are a much better match. But it is not a "one size fits all".

 

I totally agree, so if any of you guys with the dark colour cars want to swap your 99 spec rear lights for my standard 89 lights,feel free to either PM me or reply on this thread.....lol.......:tt2::tt2:

Edited June 10, 201114 yr by 300ZX_666

I have had cars stoping beside me at traffic lights and the driver saying how good my car looks from the rear:biggrin: you wont get that sitting in a 2011 euro box.

 

 

 

 

I have had cars stoping beside me at traffic lights and the driver saying how good my car looks from the rear:biggrin: you wont get that sitting in a 2011 euro box.

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, but on the other hand, it looks crap with those 99 spec rear lights!!! Would you like a swap for my standard 89 spec rears, as the 99 spec would look so much better on a silver one......:lol::lol::lol:

 

Just messing buddy, it looks fantastic really....lol:thumbup1:

Yeah, but on the other hand, it looks crap with those 99 spec rear lights!!! Would you like a swap for my standard 89 spec rears, as the 99 spec would look so much better on a silver one......:lol::lol::lol:

 

Just messing buddy, it looks fantastic really....lol:thumbup1:

 

Sorry mate I already have two sets of 89 spec rear lights:tt2: but yes 99 spec would look great on a silver zed its the only way to go:thumbup1:

Yeah, will defo have to try and get my back end 99 spec....