Datsun 280Z GT-33 By Bob Sharp Racing 1976

[JR98]

The Datsun 280Z was one of Nissan's (then called Datsun) first high performance sports cars, alongside the Skyline 2000GT-R, and the Z was used extensively in the IMSA GT Series with considerable success. In order to turn the new 280Z into something like that of the car they raced in the states, a racing team and tuner called Bob Sharp Racing (who raced the Z in the IMSA GT) built a one-off using parts from his garage.

The car was used as a pace car for the race at Road Atlanta and became a show car afterwards, being used mainly for use in his catalogues before being sold to a dealership in Texas. It was then used as a showcase car for a few years before the dealership changed hands and the car ended up being stuck in a warehouse.

This was until some rich kid came along looking for a 300ZX and the dealer sold him the GT-33 instead. The kid then sold it several years later.

The car was in excellent shape with 49,000 miles with the original custom paint and interior. Changes to this GT-33 from the standard 280Z include custom blue/white paint, custom corduroy & brown interior, new front & rear sway bars, IMSA GT-esque front & rear spoilers, new wheels, competition exhaust (now removed for emission regulations) and a Weber throttle body (also removed for emissions).

While there is only 1 Bob Sharp Z, many replicas have been created.