How do you find the value?

[Daniel]

Well after a wonderful trip to munich the wife and I are thinking about moving to the coast.The problem is I have too many cars not to mention I couldn't stand the thought of exposing my 240 to a life in the salt air.So heres what I have.1973 240z.Has always been garaged.72 carbs,ceramic coated headers,euro dist.Stainless brake lines,tank has been pro.coated.new fuel tank to engine lines(I bought the last one in the US according to datsun).No rust.Interior is perfect except for a couple of dash cracks that a dash mat hides.Paint is perfect.Eveything under the hood is polished.If it wouldn't shine it is painted.How do you price something like that?I think there are photos under 2manyz's name.You could get in the car right now and drive it anywhere.Kyb gas struts, all datsun ujoints ,all bushing are plastic,Oh yeah and the rare DATSUN 2400 valve cover on a ATK reman.280 engine.Intake has been ported and polished,Aluminum flywheel,3 row radiator.

[Ed]

How is the question. I couldn't do it.

[2ManyZs]

Keep the car and don't move so close to the coast is what I'd do.....:devious:

I guess it's all a matter in how much it's worth to you... or should I say, what is the least amount you would be willing to part with it for.

Mine is in pieces scattered all over the garage, and if someone handed me 5K in 100 dollar bills, I'd hand it right back to them... because I know that it would take years to find another car that only had one small area of rust that needed to be fixed...You also need to take into account how much you would have to spend to replace the car with one in the approximately the same condition in a couple years should you change your mind and want another one....

Got anything else you are not as attached to you could sell?:devious:

Here are the pics...

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3560&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3561&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3562&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3563&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

[Daniel]

Thanks for the photos and insight 2mz's.Its a hard decision.Do you let a car decide where you live? I have turned every bolt on that car.The other thing is that I can polish it and thats all.Nothing left to tinker or repair.Kinda like building a model when its done,its done.I want another project car but dont have the space.I know the odds are slim that I would ever find like mine and I would rather give it a good home than let the salt air eat away the fruits of my labor.Perhaps if I had a ballpark figure of the value that would influence my decision.What do you guys think?

[Bambikiller240]

Call an appraiser for a definative figure. From the looks of the car, it's worth much more than the average 240Z.

[2ManyZs]

If you want a quick "ball park" figure....... I'd say 8K-9K.... give or take 1K... I'd say you could sell it in a heartbeat for 6500... but would you want too? Or would you rather keep it on the market a while and see how much you could get?

A lot depends on how many other cars are in the area too....and how many willing buyers there are with the money.. but we all know you guys in Charlotte are loaded...

An appraiser is a good idea, but, what they appraise it for might make you want to keep it as a lot of times, they will give you a higher figure than you might actually get if you were to sell it.

There have been numerous cars on Ebay claiming to be appraised at 10K or more that I doubt were actually worth it.

[Ed]

From the pictures and what you have described it should fetch atleast 10k. Anything less would be an insult. If somebody is looking for a Zed that is this clean and ready to be shown off they should be willing to pay what she's worth. Didn't the factory authorized rebuilt ones go for 26K? Who's to say they did a better job than you???

[Daniel]

So are these appraisors in the phone book? Is there a special something that certifies them? How do you know you can trust their work?

[26th-Z]

Pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News and see if you can find an appraisor in your area. They will advertsize their credentials, but it really boils down to a matter of what you believe and trust. There are several threads currently looking for a car like yours, and evidently, willing to pay the values 2Many discussed. I personally think Ebay is a lousy place to sell a good car. You get great exposure, but I don't think the value is there. I just see too many nice cars go for cheap on Ebay. A couple of them are on now for around $5500 and have not met their reserves. Bob Zola could not sell his car and has chosen to part it.

The factory restoration program was a thorough reconstruction and many pieces were replaced in the process. The Quality Control Checklist includes items like the proper tape to wrap the wiring harnesses. Those restorations should be considered by us as a standard, and when you think about it, $26,000 is not a bad price for a new sports car these days. I have only seen one of those cars and it is brand spanking new. I think they were actually more than $26,000.

Finally, salt air is not the worst. My car lived all it's life in salt air. Now I won't argue that I have some serious damage to attend to, but the poor thing is 34 years old! A well garaged car will do just fine in a nasty atmosphere. Keep it waxed and clean. There are several low VIN cars living down here in Florida and they are doing just fine.

[kjtar]

Daniel and all,

Finding value is a difficult thing to do in absolute $ terms. There are several ways of "finding" it, and none are the same, as has been indicated in the posts already submitted. There's CPI Value Guide (used to be independent, now owned by Black Book), there's also the Black Book guide itself, there's NADA, and the more specific NADA guide to older, collectible cars, there's KBB, and of course there are auction results, (I'm thinking of both "vanity" auctions like Kruse or Barrett-Jackson and also "trade" auctions like Mannheim, etc.) and all kinds of ways that people can throw numbers around. And, yeah, with appraisers, sure you can always get something appraised, but then try actually selling it for that amount! Almost impossible, unless you find someone who really has a lot of money to burn and not much sense. (And let's not anyone fall for the African car buying scam, okay?)

In the final analysis, there are two relevant forms of value; the value YOU place on the car, and the value that a prospective buyer would place on the car. The two are going to be different, and the TRUE VALUE (monetary) of your car is going to be where lines A and B intersect in a transaction. If they never intersect, then there is no transaction, and the values remain divergent. If there is a transaction, well then, a value has been established. Like a snapshot, it's a value between you and the buyer, at that particular time, and can change in a heartbeat, seemingly.

Would I pay $20,500 for a Delorean? No. Would someone else? Maybe. Does the guy/gal who owns the Delorean think it's worth that much? Probably, unless they find themselves in a spot, and have to unload something, anything, and then it becomes worth what they can get for it. Like the Ferrari I sold a while ago. I probably paid $2 or $3k too much for it 4 years ago. Did I care? Well, kinda, but not a whole lot, 'cause there aren't that many 308gt4 cars out there, and this one was only 3 1/2 hours from my house, and seemed to be in good shape. So, for me, at that time, the car's value was $26k.

Fast forward to 2003, where the stock market had crashed, wiping out a large portion of our retirement nest-egg. Also take into consideration that my wife had gone back to work full time, I had a part time job and was looking for something full time. Now, add into that mix the fact that the Ferrari had a few issues, nothing dramatic, but it needed some sorting out, and I couldn't justify the care and feeding of the car with our circumstances as they were. Does that mean the car isn't worth $26k to me? Well, yeah, on one level, but wanting to sell the car I wasn't going to be stupid enough to think I could get that much for it, especially as I saw other 308gt4 cars going for less than that, and seemingly without the issues mine had. So, I priced it to sell at $17.5k, and on the second call got a fellow who was interested and ended up buying it.

Hope this helps,

Tom Reynolds

Hereford, AZ

[brianglawson]

God no, i plan on moving to the coast in a few years(norfolk) and im gonna take my 240sx with me, and when it is finished i will go get my z(ill travel on weekend to work on it:)0, i love my car, and with the work done by me, it is gonna be ment to be driven by me, i love my car, i couldnt imagine selling it just to move to the coast, and yours is especailly fine, and it looks as if you put alot of work into it, i say take it to the coast with you, and just take specail care of her.

Imagine driving your z down along the water suring a summer sunset with the breeze blowing in the z............

[Smokey]

You're close to me, when you arrive at a figure let me know. I'll drive down, look at it, get the loan, and drive it home.