Top Gun's Nissan 300ZX Race Car

Tom Cruise, an iconic Hollywood actor who is back in everyone’s mouth with the drop of the second instalment of the Top Gun movie after 36 years. While in the car world, this particular 1984 Nissan 300ZX did also pop up on Bring A Trailer with detailed connections to the superstar actor.

This Nissan 300ZX was raced by Tom Cruise in the early day in SCCA competition’s SSA Class category. The car was race prepared for him by Newman/Sharp Racing. The current owner acquired the car back in 2004 and fully refurbished in 2006. The car was stripped down to bare-metal and painted in the period correct red and blue #70 livery. The powerplant a 3 liter V6 was also reworked with the addition of Jim Wolf Technologies camshafts, MSA headers and throttle body, HKS exhaust and better ignition system. To complete the rework, additional equipment put in was a five-speed manual transmission, Tokico springs and shocks, vinyl bucket seats, a roll cage, stainless-steel brake lines, and pop-up headlights. As you can see from the listing the current owner has provided loads of images, historical pictures and documentation to prove the cars linkage to Tom Cruise.

It was also said that the Nissan 300ZX before being acquired was left idle in a scrapyard for a few years resulting in corrosion especially on the driver side rocker panel. However, all corrosion throughout has been completely addressed and rectified during the bare metal restoration.

The car would come sporting a period correct 15” alloy wheels, Nismo sway bars, MSA suspension bushings and a set of Tokico springs and shocks. In the cockpit you will find a pair of 3A Racing bucket seats with Stroud multi-point harnesses, black carpets, and additional padded roll cage. Do take note of the extended brake pedal which we assume was commissioned by the actor to suit his racing needs back in the days.

The dash does remain pretty stock with the two-spoke steering wheel framing a 145MPH (233 KMH) speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges. The OEM gauge display on the top of the dash still has the oil pressure and voltage gauges. The mileage for this 300ZX reads at a low 5k miles (8047km) but this mileage is unverifiable.