What would you pay?

[ChrisA]

Okay. so yesterday at lunch I decided to go look at a Z car that's been sitting in a field. It was a metallic blue 76 280Z. Looks pretty good. Alloy wheels, custom lower rocker ground effects. Custom spoiler. White interior (never seen that before), double sunroof. Car hadnt been licensed since 96. Door was open so I looked around inside. Dash has couple cracks, console was so-so. Opened hood, motor was clean. Looked like a four speed.

So I leave a note at the house and today the guy calls me. Says he put $4500 in fiberglass bodywork into in 96. Front fenders, entire rear wheel arches and area around fuel door are glass. Says it runs good then three sentences later says "it had an injector miss".

I'm thinking the dude wants to get rid of it.........he says "I couldnt let it go for less than $5000." I about gagged.

He says "its only got 70,000 original miles" then tells me at 50,000 he had to re-ring the motor. Wow, what do you all think?

Chris

[240ZX]

Keep looking................................. The guy must be dreaming @ $5kROFL

[ChrisA]

Here's a bad picture of it off the assessors webite.

Chris

[Zrush]

Ha... bullsh*t...chew:tapemouth

Vicky

[lordbiotree]

I think the guy is full of crap. He probably thinks it's got a really high market value due to it's age/o what he has done to it. Well, it doesn't. Been sitting for 8 yrs. It'll need 2K in just general work to get it "road worthy"

The car is wrath about $1500 as is. It'll need new rubber hoses, belts, fuel lines, brake work........Plus an immediate 200-400 for tires. If the car has custom tires, low profile tires are $450. It's hard to fetch 5k for a 1970 240Z in that condition.

Fiberglass is extremely heavy once it's been hardened. If the car hasn't been taken care off, probably cracks underneath let him sit on it. I would just say forget about it. For $5,000 you can but you a hell of a nice Zed.

IF you really like the car. Let him know what the market value is, not only voice it to him give him websites to looks at and cars sold similar as his on e-bay.

Here's what you would really want. Carl Beck does great write ups on the Zcar mailing list every not and then when a question of "how to buy" or "what do I want" comes up. I'll look through my archives and see what I can fine. www.Z31.com has an online archive.

In the mean time I'm sure fellow club members should be able to get you an educated market value of the car.

-Brandon

[ChrisA]

Thanks for the replies so far folks. When he told me the car was glassed all over, and I really couldn't tell except around the fuel door, I was not interested in the car anymore. I am still amazed at what he wanted for it.

The most shocking thing I forgot to say in the first post was, he actually said the car had NOT been regularly driven since like 1985. He'd only license it to move it around. Like in the picture I posted (taken in 99) its by his house, now its a hundred yards away in a field.

Some people are hard to figure out!!:stupid: :stupid: :stupid:

Chris

[landmizzle]

Hi ChrisA,

Take a look in my gallery. The orange '72 240Z you see is the one I bought almost a year ago today. I paid $6000 for it from the original owner with 72K documented original miles. Granted I got a pretty good deal on it (from my perspective at least.) but, the gentleman you spoke with is diffently out of line with what the market will bear for a car as you described.

I feel a little bad with this advice as normally I'm championing the idea that Z are worth more than many people think (especially the ones in nice shape.), however in this case, I'll echo the consensus; KEEP LOOKING!

Best Regards,

Landmizzle '72 240Z

[St.stephen]

the word "glassed" would have me scared to death. fiberglass is generally the non welders solution to rust repair and is not a worthy repair in my book.

[sblake01]

I, too, would have to say keep looking. I think you could do alot better for 5k.

[agpawa]

chrisa,

I think that guys been smoking whatever he's growing behind the barn.

You should have caught the motor sports Z car show (Orange,Ca). I'm told there were dozens of Z's for sale down there. Oh well maybe next year!

jomama