Z32 Interior Differences by Year
The Z32's cockpit-style dash stayed the same from start to finish, but a lot changed inside it: the climate controls, the airbags and seat belts, the trim materials and the stereo. These differences matter when you're buying parts, because a dash panel, door panel or seat from one year often won't match another. For exterior changes, see body differences.
US Changes, 1990–1996
| Year | Interior changes |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Launch. Manual climate controls with an outside temperature display. Driver's seat with adjustable side bolsters. |
| 1991 | Electronic climate controls replaced the manual ones (the convertible later kept manual controls), and the outside temperature display was removed. Driver's airbag became an option. A CD player was offered on both the non-turbo and twin turbo, and the Bose head unit changed. |
| 1992 | Driver's airbag standard. Dash and door trim changed from fabric to suede. The separate mirror heater switch was combined with the rear defroster switch. A power driver's seat became standard on more models. |
| 1993 | Upgraded Bose stereo standard. |
| 1994 | Passenger airbag standard. Seat belts moved from the doors to the B-pillars. Keyless entry added. The reset button was removed from the clock. Titanium keys were discontinued in November 1994. |
| 1996 | The driver's seat lost its adjustable side bolsters. |
The airbag and seat belt changes in 1992 and 1994 changed the steering wheel, dash, door panels and B-pillar trim. Interior parts from before and after those changes don't always swap directly.
Model Differences
- 2+2: a small rear seat and longer rear side trim; the 2-seater has a cargo area behind the seats instead. In the US the 2+2 was non-turbo only.
- T-top cars stow their glass roof panels in the rear cargo area; the slicktop and convertible have no panels to carry.
- Convertible: its own rear trim and soft-top storage, and it kept manual climate controls.
Japanese Fairlady Z
- Right-hand drive, with the instruments and controls mirrored.
- Version S cars came with basic equipment; automatic climate control, cruise control, power seats, Recaro seats, Bose audio and airbags were options.
- Version R cars came with Recaro seats, an airbag, cruise control and automatic climate control as standard.
- From the 1997 model year, the window switches changed to the lift-up type.
- From the late 1998 facelift, a white-dial instrument cluster.
Common Interior Wear
- Suede dash and door trim fades and wears thin, especially on cars that lived in the sun.
- Driver's seat bolsters wear and tear from getting in and out of a low car.
- T-top seals that leak can soak the carpet and rust the floor and sills underneath. Check under the carpet on any T-top car.
- Climate control and dash displays can dim or lose segments with age.
Sources Used
- Wikipedia, Nissan 300ZX: US and JDM changes by year, Version S and R equipment.
- The owners' change list on 300zx-owners.club.