Why the die off in value of the Z?

[Spridal]

I just recently got back into Zs and noticed that they are not as big as they were a few years back when the desirable and the nice ones were grabbing big $$$. Now there seem to be plenty of them on ebay for less than $2000. Just had to ask what the folks on this board thought.

[SteveJ]

It might be easier if you supply a few details.

1. What do you mean by a few years ago?

2. Have you looked at the physical condition of the cars back then vs now?

3. Are you going by the start of the auction or the end?

4. What year cars are you talking about?

[zguitar71]

Mint hubcaps from a 70-71 240 are going for $1200+ makes me think the Z is not waining in value at all. There are $2000 240's out there but they are also rust buckets. A good `70 trailer queen still gets a good amount of $.

[Spridal]

It might be easier if you supply a few details.

1. What do you mean by a few years ago?

2. Have you looked at the physical condition of the cars back then vs now?

3. Are you going by the start of the auction or the end?

4. What year cars are you talking about?

A1. 7- 8 years ago.

A2. I was comparing unmolested and fully restored cars.

A3. End of auction.

A4. First Gen 69-72.

[350Z33]

I noticed that once the US Zs came back from about an 8 year run, the early Zs were going up in prices. The current Z's popularity increased the popularity of the classic ones imo for a short while. Some dealerships had a brand new 350Z sitting next to a fully restored 240Z (not one of the few done by Nissan) and the Datsuns were carrying price tags as much as the 350s...

[zbane]

My guess would be that 7-8 years ago, people were willing to buy a used z, spend time and money to bring her back and enjoy. I remember people that were terribly unhappy w/ the 300zx (2nd gen) because it looked nothing like the original-I was one of them. If I had had the cash, I would have bought an early z as opposed to the 300 for exactly that reason. Now the 350 is out, some years later. Many people that have the 350 (NOT ALL) remember the 300 but can't make the connection to the 240-280 cars. And of course, how many people would puchase a 27-35 year old z-car, with all the hiccups of ownership that WE are willing to deal with, when they could go and get a new "Z" with a warrenty?

PS-A coworker of mine has a 350, I sat in it today and found my 280zx more comfortable and SPACIOUS! Now, I am 6'4" (@2m-for our Aussie/NZ friends) so finding appropriate sports cars is never an easy task... but one would think that Nissan would try to accomodate.

[theianmonster]

People's tastes change. Those true to Datsun are still going to be willing to pay big bucks for cars, but unfortunately, the market for our cars isn't there right now. Since the D1 Series has come to the US, people are now looking into the 1985-1986 Toyota AE86 Corolla (which I wouldn't mind owning) and the 240SX. The Z's will come back to the forefront, which they are slowly.

[bobc]

I don't think the value is necessarily down for the right Z cars. 7 or 8 years ago there were probably more cars in better shape than there are now. No offense to anyone intended, but there are so few top end cars available on ebay, when a good one comes along it will go in the mid teens fairly easily. Often the reserve is higher than that and the owner ends up selling off line and we never see the final sale price. I think buyers are very skitish about older Z cars due to the "rust factor."

Also, Z's just seem to be coming into the documentation other cars have already experiened. In the past and even somewhat today, no vehicle/ownership history, mismatched engine numbers, non-original parts, etc. didn't seem to have a major impact on the value of the vehicle. Try that on a 60"s Corvette and see how the value plumets! It does seem that this is changing today as more sellers are providing original ownership records, advertising originality, etc. At the same time, I think we all see some pretty ridiculous claims about originality in many of these ads too, which I think hurts the overall value as well.

If you're thinking about buying a early Z, I'd be patient and buy the best one you can afford. Lower serial number and more original the better. It still a heck of a buy compared to some of the other cars that have surpassed what us mere mortals can afford and delivers a great ride. I can't stop smiling when I drive mine. As an investment car, there are probably better cars out there (American muscle cars for example), but I find as their value goes up their fun factor declines. There's more insurance, worry about accidents, theft, damage, wear, parts expense, etc. I've got two other play toys in the garage and the Z is my favorite.

Best,

Bob

[SteveJ]

A1. 7- 8 years ago.

A2. I was comparing unmolested and fully restored cars.

A3. End of auction.

A4. First Gen 69-72.

Unfortunately you don't provide any specific examples of price for comparison, so I cannot agree or disagree with your original premise.

Parts for restoration are going up, so I could see how you could be wrong.

On the other hand, from the timeframe you gave, there were possibly some Z cars restored under the Nissan program. The program could have possibly inflated prices for the short-term.

In the end, I'm not planning on buying another hobby car (lack of space for as far out as I can plan), and I'm planning on holding on to my Z until circumstances prevent it. So, all I'm truly concerned with is the parts market.

[Marty Rogan]

I just recently got back into Zs and noticed that they are not as big as they were a few years back when the desirable and the nice ones were grabbing big $$$. Now there seem to be plenty of them on ebay for less than $2000. Just had to ask what the folks on this board thought.

I don't agree with you that the value is declining. From what I can see, the opposite is true. WE had a Z Club show on Saturday at the Volo Museum, which is NW of Chicago. They were offering appraisals as well. The guy next to me had his 260Z appraised. It is a very nice, one owner car with 43K. It came in at $12K. It is green and had an automatic. Based upon that, I would put my '70 at at least $14K.

What cars fetch on EBay has very little relevance to their actual worth. Final bid values depend on who happens to be bidding at the time, their Z Knowledge and an emotional bidding factor that has nothing to do with what a car is actually worth.

I think if you did some research into what restored or unmolested, low mileage original 240Z's are selling for with private collectors, you might be surprised. I believe that they are commanding a pretty handsome price.

Carl Beck, you want to chime in with some recent input on values?

Later,

Marty

[Montezuma]

I think Ebay is a bad source for determining the actual value of Zs. Look what the Z sold for at Barrett/Jackson Palm Beach FL: "Lot 309 Looks like it sold for $ 11,556.00. It also appears the same car sold at BJ in AZ last year as Lot 408 for $13,500.00 Both were HLS30-74204." I did a search on this site to review the thread about this auction. Seeing a car in person will determine its real value. I don't think prices are going down, I think there is just more junk being placed on Ebay.

[vercingetorix]

Not long ago The Wall Street Journal listed the early '71 Z's as a bonafide auto investment with value increasing.

Just my 2cts

Best,

H Houghton