1981 Datsun ZX: Our shed

By: Kat Jefferys, Photography by: Kat Jefferys

Date: 11.11.2014

Unique Cars ad designer Kat's family has an affinity with a couple of Japanese sports cars...

Kat Jefferey's 1981 Datsun ZX

1981 Datsun ZX

When I came home from school one day in 1995 to find my father had bought a 1979 Datsun ZX, I worried for his marriage to my mum. She had just left on a trip to Britain and the first thing my dad did, was to buy a sports tourer car with a dodgy bronze paint job, cracked dashboard and an engine that needed some love and attention. Wasn’t convinced my mum was going to love it. But he set to work with a mate of his, and by the time my mum arrived back home, the engine was reasonably done up and could really take off when you put your foot down. The paint got stripped back to metal (through several previous coats including a green, red, and maroon) and then repainted a bright cherry red with the added accessories of clear headlight covers for the headlight wells. My mum conceded it was a nice looking car and their marriage went on (but she did make my Dad promise ‘no racing it in any touring events or hill climbs’).

In 2001, my dad’s best mate found a used 1981 ZX that was in superb condition with (believe it or not) one lady owner who had owned it from new and only put 55,000km on the clock. Unfortunately the old lady who had owned it believed in "nudge" parking, so the car had tiny little dings all over the front and back. They got to work banging out all the dings so she almost looked like new again. So then my Dad and his best mate both had a ZX each, and they were pretty proud.

In 2012, my dad’s best mate sadly passed away, and left to him in the will the Datsun ZX. Now my dad has both a 1979 and 1981 ZX.

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