Is it possible to 'break even' on a Z...

[Zvoiture]

"The insurance settlement was $5100! Must have been pretty lucky...."

That's why I put that choice in there. That is where I voted too! I bought a '78 for $1700 and it was stolen in Sacramento and I got $2400.

steve77

[EScanlon]

This may sound way off topic or "what are you smoking?" but I think you need to define what you mean by break even.

If you do not value your own man-hours, that reduces your investment. If you do value your time, how much are you worth? How much could your worth be reduced by the enjoyment you get from tinkering with it? Why aren't you taking it to a mechanic, if you're worth that much? How much is your enjoyment of driving the machine worth? How about when it isn't working right?

Those are but a FEW of the questions that in my mind, come into play when I think about "breaking even".

Personally, I've been wanting one of these since 1974 when I laid my eyes on it for the first time. Like Love at first sight, I think if someone had told me that you had to donate your male organ and accouterments, I would probably have hesitated, but I can't honestly tell you that my answer would have been immediate and without thought. (Sorry, I know, crude, but I just about messed my pants when I saw the car.) I've been a car enthusiast since I began doing plastic models in the mid 60's. At one time my plastic model car collection numbered in the hundreds, and most of them were the futuristic smooth curve variety.

One distinct favorite, was a 1/8 or 1/12 scale, Jaguar XKE in bright yellow plastic. I worked on that one for close to 6 months, which when you are 11-12 is as close to forever as you want to get. If you can imagine an 11 year old being that interested in anything, then you can imagine my total "rapture" when I spotted my first 240Z in 1974.

So how much is it worth? You don't have the money to buy mine.

Can I possibly break even? In order to "break even" it would involve having to sell my Z, in order to sell my Z, a lot of other things in the world need to go belly up, and if those things happen, then no one is going to be interested in buying my Z, so ...... what was the question? OH YEAH! Breaking even on my Z.....YES, every single time I get in it, start it up, and pull it out of the garage and just one, yes, just ONE person looks at it, and I can read the look on their face and it says......You're such a lucky bastard!

2¢

[carguyinok]

I have been working classic car auctions for 15 years now. As A z owner I hate to say that there is no real (big money) in site for the run of the mill Z. It would take proven winning race history or lower miles then most 2001 corvette on the road today.

Its to bad. There are some out there worth some good money and getting that buyer that wants the car isnt hard. The hard part is finding the buyer with the cash that wants it.

With knowing just how mint A 240Z would need to be for it to be worth any big money (over 20k) I dont mind turning mine into my dream toy.

I took A ton of time(8 years) looking at all diff. types of 240's from mint - not even for parts and now have found the one I have been looking for. I am going into this knowing its going to eat money I will never see back. But feel the rush most dream about at the turn of A key.

[Doehring]

Friends,

this is an interesting thread.

There are some price recommendation lists here in Europe for oldtimers.

In a german list the 240 Z's value increased within 1 year for a top car (original and a little better than new) from 10k to 13 k $ and the increase is still going on. In a british list I already saw a higher price. Compared to other oldtimers that's not much and so the Z is still affordable, but in % of value the Z had a better add in value than Ferraris . Perhaps because we don't have much 240s here in Europe and the supply-demand-ratio is already pro Z. As some of you said before, it will take some time in the US but looking from outside at the developments in ebay I have the feeling that good Zs are becoming more and more expensive in the US, too. If the "break even" is already reached, I don't know and it is depending in how much you invested and/or how good you served the car.

Rolf

[77 Z]

To me you dont do or own a Z any differntly than any other restoration or ownership...who really cares ..you put into it what you want and what makes you happy ..thats worth more than the money you would obtain from selling a Z ..I sold my first one after owning it from Dec 77 until June of 93...went into mourning for about three years, then took four more years to find the 77 that I now own...so its all in how you look at it and what you want...me ..I want this Z the way I want it which means in the end I may have way too much money in the car...but Im not selling this one...

77 Z

[GunnerRob]

Actually the only reason I sold my 78 Z is because my dad left me his 75 Z when he passed away. At the time I lived in an apartment complex and couldn't do the repair work the 78 needed anyway, so I sold it to a friend who had one before and wanted it for his daughter. Besides, the 75 runs stronger and had options my 78 didn't have, besides the fact that it was my dad's.

[threefittyzee]

Not that I would ever consider selling it, but the 240Z I bought for $3200 supposedly has a KBB value of $6500-7000.

Again, I don't think I would sell it anyway.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by threefittyzee

Not that I would ever consider selling it, but the 240Z I bought for $3200 supposedly has a KBB value of $6500-7000.

I don't know if they do in their "books", but KBB does not give valuations for cars as old as 240Z's on their website. They only list 300ZX in the "Z" series, and they go back as far as 1983.

Someone may have been blowing smoke at you

[threefittyzee]

Originally posted by Bambikiller240

I don't know if they do in their "books", but KBB does not give valuations for cars as old as 240Z's on their website. They only list 300ZX in the "Z" series, and they go back as far as 1983.

Someone may have been blowing smoke at you

Here, check this out, big boy:

http://www.nadaguides.com/Values/ValueCategoryReport.asp?UserID=55081A07875A1&DID=38093&wSec=2&wPg=1207&CategoryId=7&MakeId=1254&VehicleId=24925&Year=1972&ColorId=

I know it's not KBB, it's NADA. Okay, so I was a little confused.

[Bambikiller240]

Dude, take a Valium!

I wasn't speaking about the value of your car, just that if someone gave you a "KBB" valuation, they were blowing smoke at you.

Sheesh! :stupid:

[threefittyzee]

Oh. No, thanks. Valium gives me a headache, guy.

Yeah, I probably got a little smoke up there, but I figured since the guy that sold it to me worked on Datsuns for a long time, and told me about the blue book value...I probably just jumped to the conclusion it was a Kelley, and not a NADA.

In either case, who cares? Kelley...NADA....no big deal.

Let it go.