Would this old school amp be better than one of the newer models? I like the idea of symblink on the new amps.

Better how? The older Zapco amps are excellent performers as are the new models. If it has had a rough past it may not be as good of a choice.

Well you always hear people talk about the old school amps and how good they are. The impression I have, having listened to other people, is that the older amps are better than the newer ones.

While that may be true for a few manufacturers (PG comes to mind) it doesn't apply to the majority.
You wouldn't be disappointed in an older Z300 in good condition or a shiny new similar power Zapco IMO.

Well I have 3 of those Z300's and they are absoltely awsome. I almost bought another the other day yet I didn't have the cash. They are indestructible and way underated. The sound quality is excellent. I don't have any experience with the new stuff yet I would definately take the older models over the newer ones as they last forever.
Good luck with your amp search.

I found my older zaps (studio's) to be more pleasing to listen to (i.e. colored) compared to my newer ones (C2K's). The newer ones IMHO are more "sterile" by comparison. Having said this, I'm running far more power now than I did then, and headroom and positioning is better than it was with the older series. Regardless, I find the combination of some amps with some speakers to be more important than the individual attributes of the equipment in question. Just my two cents...