News flash: It gets hot in Arizona during the summer (also, water is wet and salt is salty). To help my house’s old air conditioning system breathe, I recently went to a Lowe’s one evening for some fresh HVAC air filters. How fitting that I spotted this cool 1980 Datsun 280ZX.

For the 1979 model year, Datsun followed up the 240Z/260Z/280Z with a second-generation Z-car known as the 280ZX. As you can probably guess from the name, it was powered by a 2.8-liter I-6, which was paired with a standard five-speed manual gearbox. Equipped with fuel injection and 8.3:1 compression, the six produced 135 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 144 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 revs. According to Nissan, the 280ZX offered four-wheel power disc brakes, a 2+2 model (which came with A/C by default), a Turbo model, and T-tops — a first for any Z.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a 280ZX in the wild. That was partly what made seeing this particular one so interesting. But the main thing that made it stand out (apart from its T-tops, fast roofline, and four-spoke wheels) was its position on a certain automotive spectrum. When it comes to older cars, there are two extremes: run-down and worn-out, and totally restored. The former kind of machine has a small fraction of its original visual and mechanical appeal left intact; the later costs a fortune and can be a “velvet prison” that surrounds you with the fear of getting a scratch on the car.

The 280ZX I came across during my errand was in great shape, although it wasn’t perfect — and that’s not a bad thing. Yes, it’s been preserved, but it’s also been driven. The fact that I saw it in the parking lot of a home improvement store during the workweek makes me think it’s an everyday part of its owner’s life. I imagine that (s)he is pretty…chill.