240Z for USD$18,000 ?????

[Alfadog]

http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/7/1/2113871.htm

Read, gawk, then look at the price and laugh

[240znz]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

That seems just a tad expensive....is there someone who will pay that for a Zed?

[jcdozier]

"....is there someone who will pay that for a Zed?" Oh, sure. There's likely to be some "non-Z" type around with more money than smarts who will be really impressed by the write-up. I like the "street rod" designationROFL ...........

"Burnt Yellow" is also a nice touch for the Datsun Gold (aka Mustard) color - that's the one that looks like something found in a baby's diaper.

I'm going to start calling mine Burnt Yellow

[HS30-H]

There ARE people who will pay that kind of money, and I think it has to be a good thing as long as the particular car in question is worth it.

There's too much inverted snobbery in the early Z world, and people like us should be trying to convince the world at large that the best examples of the S30-series Z are worth every bit as much as the best examples of its contemporaries. When I see examples of MGB roadster, Porsche 912, Alpine A110, Porsche 914, Triumph TR series etc etc for big bucks, it seems funny that anybody would believe that the Z is not worth as much.To hear this from supposed Z fans makes it hard to take.

So, please tell me - apart from the mirrors on that particular car, which are in my opinion of questionable taste - what is wrong with the guy trying to sell his car for offers near that price. In the UK, we know that a full and proper restoration of an early S30-series Z would probably cost much much more than this car is for sale at. Have you ever tried to do it for less? How good is YOUR car?

I'm not talking about cars as "investments" either; that kind of buyer is not what I consider myself to be. I am all for driving these cars and enjoying them, and I'm not worried about stone chips. However, there are a real lot of BAD CONDITION cars out there that I would not pay hundreds for, let alone thousands. I would much rather buy a car like that one than a $4000 car that is actually a piece of junk. If you think this is a "snobby" attitude and I must be a little rich boy then that's up to you. I have to tell you that I am NOT a little rich boy, and it took me a real lot of saving and trouble to get my car to how it is now. If you tell me that you think it is not worth more than the car in the ad. then pray tell me how much do you THINK it should sell at, and maybe tell us how much you think YOUR car is worth?

The car in the ad. looks good to me, and the list of parts that is has on it might well have gone right over your head if your comments are anything to go by.

I thought this site was in praise of the S30-series Z, not making fun of it.

[Alfadog]

With all due respect, there is a certain thing called MARKET VALUE which plays an important role in the real world of car selling.

You can say all you like with how much you think the Z should be worth, and yes, I agree with you, but come on and think about it realistically. For one reason or anotehr they're not worth as much as old Porsches and MGs. That's just how it is.

I was NOT "making fun" of the Z at all - I was just pointing out my disbelief of the asking price of this car. Come back to reality please, and dont take things so seriously.

I thought this site was meant to be enjoyable, not objectionable.

[zep]

This post is strange. $18,000 USD is a lot of money to spend on a 240z. That equates to around $39,000 NZD, which you could buy a new pretty awesome car for over here. Actully, thats a crap load of money! Anyway, about the porche's and stuff, the thing is, that the Datsun 240Z are relativly common in USA compared to UK, and are not realy known as a prestigous classic car, as the european ones are, which gives the car its worth.

Thats what I think, you can buy a compleatly restored 240z, with extras (body kit, etc) here for around $10,000 to $12,000 NZD. This is about $4500 - $5500 USD.

Dang, i dunno, i guess what im saying, is that in many countries, $18,000 USD would be considered a rip-off, but thats just my opinion.

[HS30-H]

I quite understand that the MARKET VALUE of any item dictates what people think it will be sold for, this is true for a Monet painting to a Fiat 500. However, I think that the point here is that the car in question in pretty exceptional by any standard and in any market.

The car is for sale in the USA, which is admittedly where market values are pretty much at their lowest because of the amount of cars that are out there. However, this car seems to me to be quite exceptional in its condition ( if it was indeed restored in the "right" way ) and is very tastefully modified with some rare period option and more recent parts. This is the point; the car seems to be way above the average market condition, and that is why the owner or vendor is quite justified in asking a high price for it.

Whether they actually get all that close to $18,000 is another matter, but what is the harm in trying? If indeed it does sell for close to the asking price, then it sets a precedent that the market must take note of. If these cars start gradually selling for more than the present market value, then we might find that it benefits REAL enthusiasts ( I think that means you and me ) and Nissan might even consider making some more body panels and parts that we cannot get any more. They are recently talking big about the "DNA" of the Z, but they do not want to back it up and supply the parts to keep them going. There is not even a proper Nissan / Datsun museum in Japan! If we were all prepared to pay a little more for the cars and parts ( like as much as Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Lancia owners have to pay for instance ) then we might stand more chance of a better aftermarket parts supply and a little more factory support. Most of us will hate the higher prices, but being able to get what is now unavailable will be a real boon.

God knows, I prefer things to be cheaper ( I can get more! ) but there is a very real disadvantage to "talking down" the prices of the BEST examples that are out there. At the rate that old Z cars are being exported from the USA ( and California in particular ) I would think that the Market Value will start to go up soon. There will always be the lucky ones who discover a peach at a low price, but if Joe Public suddenly gets really turned on to these cars then the supply will soon dry up. I have to also very respectfully point out that many early Californian S30-series Z cars are in a really poor and tired condition ( despite their better than average body condition ). Restoring these things properly is NOT cheap!!!

I still think that the tone of the first post, and its subsequent reply, were rather too scathing. It seemed to make fun of the car and its vendor ( although the real owner probably did not write that description, or at least the person who restored it did not - they would have better taste ). That is why I wrote in defence of something special being sold for a special price.

Maybe this is a good place to talk about these things, don't you think? If we don't take the subject seriously then I don't think we can be taken seriously ourselves. Please don't think me a joykiller or negative or anything - I just think that this is one of the better sites and forums out there and this kind of debate is good for all of us in the long run.

[guy_geo]

Yep, a lot of dollars...

Mine was paid 8 000$ US... around 13 000$CND.

But to get a good one here in Montreal, no rust, straight, that's the price to pay.

A restore one to Nissan specs might asked that price, but not that car, I'M sorry....

[2ManyZs]

I agree and I also disagree with all the previous posts, here's my 2 cents on subject.

Yes, it's a beautiful car, and it does have a lot of very decent modifications. Is it worth that high a price? Maybe to someone who doesn't have a Z, but to me it's too high and here is why.

For that kind of money I would expect a car that equals the Z Store restoration. Not modified like this one is. Why? I will have everything this car has except the A/C and adjustable struts in my car when it is finished and for a lot less than 18k. Will mine be worth that when I'm done with mine? I'd like to think so but in reality it won't be. For one simple reason. There are still too many cars on the market for the price to go that high. That's one of the reasons the factory resto's had trouble selling for the price they were asking.

It would be nice to see our favorite car get to the point where we all could get this type of money for them, but if they did we wouldn't be buying them in the numbers we are. It's not that this car isn't worth it, it's a fact that for every one car that goes for a price like this, there are ten more just as nice going for 5k to 7.5k. In another ten years or so when more of these cars have fallen to the "rust monster" the values of the surviving cars will definately start reaching these numbers, but the fact remains there are just too many cars still on the road for that to be reached anytime soon. In some ways we are the enemy, we are preserving so many of these cars that we are the ones keeping the values down.

That being said, I'd like to say that IMO I prefer to see more cars that anyone can afford, that was the whole idea behind the Z in the first place, an affordable sports car that nearly anyone could afford to drive and enjoy. If the prices were to reach the truly collectible car status, we would not be willing to take our car out for a weekend drive, or just cruise around on a nice Saturday night. They would be trailer queens, cars that never are driven, and then the next thing you know none of us would be able to afford one. The worst thing to happen to the collector car market is the number of speculators who buy a car and pack it away hoping to make a huge profit on it. This car is a perfect example of that, it's a very nice car that someone is trying to make a killing off the sale. While this might be OK for old Ferrari's, Aston Martin's etc. you have to look at the fact that no one ever really enjoys them, they are just "eye candy".

I have seen quite a few cars that were just for show, and I saw one person in particular with a Ferrari F-50 that took it to the race track and was giving spectators a ride around the track for donations to charity. He wasn't afraid to use the car for what it was built for, in fact they kept having to tell him to slow down. I have the utmost respect for him in that he was willing to take it out and run the hell out of it, instead of leaving it sit in a climate controlled garage waiting for the price to go up.

I for one hope the early Z never gets to the point where a person is afraid to take it out and use it, they are just too damn much fun to leave sit in a garage all the time. I guess what I'm trying to say is this car could be duplicated easily, and for a lot less money than his asking price. If it had some special significance in Z history the asking price would be acceptable, but it's just a nice car with a high price tag that will be hard to sell.

[chocobosteve]

nice, though a bit out of my price range... :sick:

[AxtellZ]

Originally posted by 2ManyZs

[they are just too damn much fun to leave sit in a garage all the time.

Damn Keith, sounds pretty funny to hear that from you!! Now maybe if Mike posted that....

[2ManyZs]

Ok, Jeremiah, ya got me there. But it isn't as though mine will always be stuck in the garage. Just need more time to work on it so I can take it for a spin once in a while.

Now that I have sold the 280 I can actually work in the garage again if my job will cooperate.