you can't go by the hatch. The hatch and/or its glass could have been replaced as part of the crash repair.

Item number: 180611367694

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-260Z-Unbelievable-Survivor-240Z-260Z-280Z-Nissan-1-OWNER-74-/180611367694?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a0d46c30e

If this one owner, 98K mile 260Z can be purchased for $7K to $10K - then a 240Z with a salvage title would be worth about half that to me. Why would you buy a potential problem, when for the same money you could buy a jewel?

I'm not saying that the salvaged Z isn't worth something, nor that no one should buy it. I just don't see how anyone would expect a salvaged 240Z to sell in the $7K-$10K range in todays or tomorrows market, when so many other clean Z's are available in that price range.

Am I missing something here?

FWIW,

Carl B.

I agree with Carl. On a 240, a salvage title would greatly affect the investment side of buying the car. A few posts back, someone mentions that if were a hemi cuda, it would be different. Absolutely it would, there are very very few of those around in any condition, much unlike the relative plethera of 240Z's in almost every condition.

In Idaho, we have a reconstructed vehicle title, which is different than a salvage title. I can legally combine two cars with different vin#s so long as I declare it. I get a title that states such. This affects the value of every day driver cars but lets say I want to put my 57 IH on a 2005 3/4 ton chasis, I can do so and the value could be greater because of it. Some of the cars that go through the Barrett Jackson auctions that are the major customs probably don't have a conventional title but can be worth a ton of money, but usually because they are unique. I feel a little guilty about beating up on oemz car, but I guess he did ask. I believe I have a lower mileage 240 (43K) based on condition and previos owner statements and very limited amount of receipts. Can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt though. It was also repainted right after it was originally purchased (same color) and I can tell the radiator has been to a repair shop. Sounds like a front end smack of some sort. The repaint, although pretty good, still has the tape marks on the rubber trim and bits of over spray here and there. Just enough to be visible if you look for it. This instantly brings into question whether the mileage is correct and I can't help but believe it hurts the value should I try to sell it as a low mileage car. I'd be better off to declare mileage unknown. Kudos' to OEMZ for at least declaring the condition of the car. Not everyone will do so. If it were local and affordable, I'd give it a serious look.

Leonard

you can't go by the hatch. The hatch and/or its glass could have been replaced as part of the crash repair.

Yes but you can also see what looks to be damage on the right lower corner of the fender near the hatch. The other thing that bothers me is the owner has not stated were the car was hit if I owned it or had in front of me for 15 minutes I could tell. He might just be trying to drive interest up on his car. I would take a look at it if it was in NJ just by seeing the pictures and add if he was willing to see at a good to low price. Now to ship it to me would jack the price to high to consider.

Edited January 16, 201114 yr by ajmcforester
I'm thinking good parts car that I would make something out of later

No matter what, we can only speculate on it's value from behind the computer screen. The seller admitted the salvage title, therefore the car MUST be thoroughly trammed and inspected by a body shop to determine the extent and quality of the repairs. ASSUMING the originality and functionality is 100%, 100% rust free, and collision repair was done 100% correctly you can look at the top of the asking price range, and higher potentially. If it is shoddy, you are looking at Carl's guesstimate which would be dead on.

I have heard that cars can sell through auction in certain states, lose their title history, and any skeletons in the closet get eradicated.

Another factor is the piece price of the car. What are all those high-desire parts worth on the market if they are in primo condition? Possibly right up there with the top asking price?

Edited January 16, 201114 yr by cygnusx1

Build Date is 12/71

VIN# HLS3035147

Is that the VIN taken from the firewall or the Dash?

HLS30 035147 would have had a Build Date of 06/71

12/71 Build Dates are from aprox. HLS30-56xxx into 62xxx

FWIW,

Carl B.

Guess I'll chime in since I was the first to see the car and it was I who posted the CL ad on Z-car.com. AS to how he found it, in the shed is true. Condition is also accurate. The story I was given by the daughter was a little different in that the car was brought to her dads shop, he repaired it but the owner never came back to pay him. So he applied for a mechanics lean and had the title transferred to him.

He loved the looks of the car but didn't like driving it. The dad's shop was in Meyer, Az and when he retired moved down to Phoenix, put the car in the shed and hadn't been moved since. I was going to buy it but had to sell a 78 280Z first, OEMZ bought it 2 weeks before I sold the 78.

I believed the daughter and do believe the mileage is correct. You could go to DMV and see if they have a title history, which would show the mileage.

If I had the money I would buy it now as it would make a great weekend driver.

Paul

The VIN was taken from the firewall and dash. I have pictures showing this attached below.

Paul,

I think I remember speaking to you right after I had purchased it. The information you were given sounds accurate but I was dealing with both the wife and daughter and they didn't go into as much detail...it seemed they were in a rush to sell the car to purchase a house.

Please see detail pictures of the car in the link below.

http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d9/zpilotz/240z/

Edited January 17, 201114 yr by oemz

From the interior pictures, it definitely looks like a series 2 (late 1971 model) and not a series 3 (1972 model). You didn't include a picture of the door sill VIN tag. Is that where you got the build date of 12/71? If so, I would agree with Carl that is about 6 months too late for a HLS30-035147 VIN.

It looks like it could be a 10K mile car to me. Its hard to tell how good the repairs were just from the pictures. If I were interested in it I would definitely get it checked out by a good shop. You may need to remove the outer fender too to see what the repair looks like underneath.

-Mike

Edited January 17, 201114 yr by Mike B
typo

Yes, I got the date from the door sill vin tag

I think its a nice car! Nice pics, i'll use them as a reference when restoring my z!