There are two notable claims that Ed Sehn can make about his 1981 Datsun 280ZX: That he's owned the 30-year-old car since the warranty period began and that it's a rust-free example of the most popular series of sports cars ever produced.

The Z car has been Nissan's prince of performance and prestige for over 40 years, with well over one million in sales. From the 240Z in 1970, to today's 370Z, enthusiasts, collectors and racers the world over have passionately pursued the legendary Z series.

The model identification followed the engine size, thus a 280ZX had a 2.8-litre displacement. The first 280ZX, in 1979, won Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year award.

In September of 1981, at the model year's end, Sehn drove a new Chevrolet Corvette, a Mazda RX-7 and a Datsun 280ZX. He bought the fully optioned two-seat Datsun outright, paying just over $19,000.

Among the many extras were air conditioning, AM/FM/cassette stereo, cruise control, power windows, leather seating and T-top roof panels. Sehn had the dealer install a louvered rear window shade and would later install smoked headlight covers.

The dealership, Skyway Datsun, is long gone. In 1984, the Datsun name was replaced in North America by Nissan, Datsun's parent company.

Sehn has been a Medicine Hat resident since age nine; his wife, Sally, since birth. The Sehns both drove the little funster, but sparingly. The furthest trips taken were to Montana. The car's preservation is due to pampering care and winters in the garage.

"Consequently, it has no rust anywhere," said Sehn.

After 11 years and little more than 100,000 km of selective travel, the 280ZX was parked long-term in the garage. Thirteen years passed with the Datsun covered by blankets and boxes.

"I stored it and forgot about it," said Sehn.

But by 2005, "I started thinking about what to do with it." And so, it got uncovered, air was pumped into the tires, and it was pushed onto the driveway.

Sehn installed a new battery, squirted oil into the cylinders, fitted new spark plugs and checked the fluid levels. "I jumped in, turned it over a couple of times, and it started," said Sehn.

In preparation for its second life, the 280ZX was taken to the local Nissan dealer's service department for a week. They replaced a rear brake rotor, a front idler arm and changed the fluids and belts.

"Once we had it out again, we realized there weren't any around," said Sehn.

Although the Z car's in-line six was known for its long-lasting reliability, the bodies of Japanese cars of that era were made of substandard steel and rusted aggressively when subjected to sustained moisture.

The paint's clear coat was rapidly peeling, so in 2008, the car's body was stripped to bare metal and freshly refinished. New tires were later installed. Last year, Sehn had the original-style striping package applied -gold pinstripes on the bodysides, hood bulge and liftgate lip.

"Now its just like it originally was," said Sehn. "We take it to nearby car shows, or cruise around in it on nice summer evenings."

It's not a memory machine for Sehn; he's not sentimental about it. He appreciates it as a fun, rare pleasure car that's in exceptionally fine condition. There's a scant 110,000 km registered on the odometer.

"Its almost a revelation, like a refound thrill," said Sehn. "We've gone through it twice now."