The engine bay needs a major detailing,wrinkle paint peeling off the valve cover and the inner fender wells need painting. The bid at $28,000. What am I missing.

What am I missing?

A link to the auction. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-Z-Series-240Z-series-1-AWESOME-240Z-240-z-RUST-FREE-RARE-JDM-Classic-Collector-EXCELLENT-/161363819968?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2592087dc0&item=161363819968&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Either it's a garbage bid (only 33 feedbacks) or someone REALLY wants a 70 in the worst way.

Edited July 16, 201410 yr by SteveJ

"moonroof" ...really??? All the bids are garbage - one individual placed eight consecutive bids opening at $18k then up to $27.9k. Someone in Beverly Hills is trying to run a bit of a scam and we all know there are always fools with too much money and too few brains.

A unique detail (maybe THE distinguishing detail?) is that all-metal "DEALER OPTION SLIDING POWER MOONROOF" —

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTQ5WDE2MDA=/z/vV8AAOSwwPtTwLSh/$_57.JPG

Anyone run across that before? Makes me wonder if an option to those old, leaky glass sunroofs many of us are blessed with would be to install a panel in the roof to LOOK like something else belonged in that hole.

Seller history shows other Z transactions as well.

Edited July 16, 201410 yr by NVZEE
link

That guy has been selling classic Z's and other old cars for awhile with decent feedback. He is in the right part of the country to find these cars in good shape and flip them. Personally I have never seen a Z with a power sunroof and to be honest, I dig it. Yeah the car needs a few small items here and there but overall it looks like a car that is ready to drive and enjoy. Plus it has a somewhat low VIN. For someone wanting to spend more time driving their car than wrenching on it and they love the British racing green along with the rare sunroof, $28K may be a good deal in their book. If the same guy has been bidding up their own bid then I will agree, it is kinda scammy. In the end, if it sells it sells.

I agree, $28k seems pretty high for this car. I would say high teens at best, but it's hard to tell from the pictures. For that kind of money, the body and paint would need to be in almost flawless condition and it would have to check out mechanically without any issues.

Has to be shill bids - no one would pay that much for that car.

At a glance:

Finishers under the front bumper are missing

Sun roof / Moon Roof?

Looks like chips in the paint on the front of the hood

Diamond vinyl wrinkled on the passenger side shock tower

Aftermarket radio

Dash Mat covering the dash

Screws holding the rear tail light finisher on

Non Stock steering wheel

Speaker holes in the door panels

71 Shift lever Boot

Seat bottom torn on the driver seat

Seat bottom splitting at the seams

Missing the rear window defroster switch

Fender Mounted Rearview Mirrors - which means holes in the fenders

"ZERO" pictures of the undercarriage

In general the engine compartment is a low quality street driven car

heater core by-passed

"California Car"???

This was on EBay listed as being in Bellingham, WA 7 Oct. 2012

FWIW,

Carl B.

it's almost my twin... except that mine doesn't have a hole in the roof... and has near perfect seats and door panels... and a steering wheel (or two, an OE "wood" and a compe replica) that suit the car better... and a better detailed engine bay... and an OE radio (again, or two, the scanning AM and a '73 AM/FM installed). usually when you see multiple bids by the same bidder they were trying to nudge their way up to the seller's reserve, though i have no idea in this particular case. does seem like strong money for the car... but ~ stranger things have happened.

I had emailed the seller asking about the wheels and if the car had lowering springs or cut stock springs. Below is his reply. I agree, someone may really want it and wanted to get it to a point of reserve met. However, I would never guess in my wildest dreams that the reserve would be so high in the first place. Good luck to the seller and future owner, maybe we will hear from them once they take delivery of it.

wheels are 16X8 konig...

suspension has coil over shocks and springs, urethane bushings, and bigger front and rear sway bars... coil overs allow easy lowering and raising of the car... all pro components and installation. stock springs and shocks are included...

Unfortunately I am not near the car and dont have those underneath pics... its clean and rust free...

The mystery bidder could be someone who's seen the car in person and liked what they saw. Surprising that the eBay seller would leave out a detail like shortened struts with adjustable spring perches (aka "coilovers"). That could be worth thousands. Or could subtract thousands for a collector.