some folks better off with a G. :shakes head:

in 1981 the 280zx did not get very good reviews
 

I drove one, liked it, then bought it. Since that one was not black & no T tops, I traded it in for another 1981 BLACK 280zx. For years I was very happy with it & forgot about the reviews.

Today nobody says anything bad about the 1981 280zx. So, do read reviews BUT go with what YOU like & what makes YOU happy.

I love dismissive posts like this (and numerous others in the thread). Because, you know, being concerned about whether I can take a phone call or have a conversation with my passenger means I don't actually want a sports car. You go to the some Cayman R or Lotus forums and they'll tell you that you don't want a real sports car if you have air conditioning or a radio.

One of my concerns is that I will occasionally Need to borrow my wife's car. I'm as much worried about her ability to put up with the noise, blind spots, ride quality, etc as I am my own (I'm confident I can place my mirrors correctly and prefer a stiff ride, so those two aren't major concerns). I guess if she ends up not liking it over time, I'll just borrow somebody elses car when I need the cargo space :)

Anyway, thank you for those who contributed to this thread. I'm about to put down a large sum of money, so first hand experiences are very welcome. Like I said, I drove a handful and haven't had any real problems, I was just worried that maybe I hadn't hit the right conditions yet. I've been eyeing a Z for well over a year, and I'll probably end up pulling the trigger and looking into tires if I absolutely must.

good point - I never cared for big wheels & thin tires
 

If you check out my profile I unfortunately have only one picture of my 08 Z. Still you can see big & wide tires, flush perfectly without spacers. Plenty of rubber for a nice handling & smooth ride.

Nobody can tell so lets not spread this around but they are on 17" wheels :)

Before the Z, I had an '06 Inifiniti M35 S. Going from the M to the Z, I definitely noticed the "extra noise".

However, I did note that after getting new tires (Michelin Pilot Sport A/S... ya ya... I know... Costco didn't have the SS) the road noise/extra noise was much less. With my old tires (balding..and dying lol) I would hear a lot of small/tiny rocks bouncing off the undercarriage of the trunk; after I changed tires, I've either tuned it out...or it doesn't really happen anymore.

You kind of get used to it...and by getting used to it, I mean your brain learns to tune out those sounds. I didn't do any type of "sound deadening" mods... imo...it just adds weight. XD

Couldn't stand the road noise either when I bought my Z. I replaced the stock tires that came with my '09 with Continental Pro Contact (I think they were called) and the difference was remarkable. At least 60% of the road noise went away and the ride seemed a bit more comfortable, too. Check into the Continentals---easier and cheaper than DynaMat, etc.

The road noise never bothered me in the Z. Then again, my beater is a 2002 Mini Cooper with all the rattles of a car with 122k miles on it, and a big-*** hole in the muffler. I guess it's all relative.