A "good" 240Z is worth $40,000....and what I think this means for the 300ZX

I'm not going to intentionally open the debate on "Modified vs factory".

We are all individual, and at the end of the day, your car is YOUR car, and you must enjoy it in the way you see fit.

So let me then address the connoisseurs of the forum. Maybe the investors? And maybe just, those with room to have a zed to play with, and a zed to protect.

In this very short bit from "Trade Unique Cars" magazine, they speculate that a "good" 240Z is worth $40,000.

We all know that you can have a 240Z for MUCH less, but what they're talking about here, I assume, are the collectors cars. The factory mint. The well preserved OR the well restored.

Add that to this:
http://www.tradeuniquecars.com.au/staff-cars/1407/our-shed-nissan-300zx/

He's clearly sought out an as original as possible Z32, in the best condition possible. It's a "grey" so I'm assuming it's a TT (the front bar would suggest yes).

What I'm pointing out to the community here is this......

Love modification as we do, I BEG some of you.....if your existing Z32 is too far gone, buy another one. Find an un-modified one, even if it just takes up extra room in the garage.

They are sooooooo cheap right now.

But just as with the 240Z, their day is coming. And I think it's coming soon.

A factory mint one will already demand more than a fully sic 300 killawasp modified one to the discerning buyer. But the great thing is, most of the current owners dont know this. Red book tells them otherwise and they go for next to nothing.

Realise what you have and realise it's future potential.

I'll end with this.

There are some very talented people on here. Not always qualified mechanics, but your passion has helped you learn new skills and maintenance and modification is rife in the DIY space. Mainly because the cars are "currently" at the price where almost every job falls into the "not worth fixing" basket from an economic stand point, if done by a workshop.

So my advice is this. "Modification" has been fun. Of course it has. But I think the next few years the tech forum projects could potentially be filled with information for "restoration".

Because if you can't find a factory mint 300ZX Z32 with matching numbers, you may want to think about building one.

 

Z investment

That what I have done with my first slick top, was going to convert it but left is stock still have body work to be done, have one TT ttop as well keeping as investment and play with the others I have, learning from my brothers mistake he had some nice fords xy-xf restored and modified.

 

Case in point

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/wang...nissan-300-zx-coupe-fairlady-targa/1069373813

No guarantee he'll get 12k but if it was manual, I'd be taking a look.

 

The S30 was the iconic debut of the entry level Datsun sports car, the successful attempt to crack the US market.

The Z32 is the distant relative of what could have been Japans first super car and a poor man's Diablo.

 

http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332274

this 300zx is being treated to a frshened up stock look.....

 

Wrong on so many levels.

The Z32 is still held by many to hold a "timeless shape" and I've spoken to numerous people who have never owned one but "remember first seeing one" and thinking how "awesome" it looked. And those would have been Aus delivered NA's too. Probably auto :rolleyes2:

"just as good" as a Ferrari 348 in the words of Clarkson, when both were new.

 

Sure, but as much as I want to agree with you none of those factors really have that much impact here. Clarkson followed that statement with, "but a Nissan 300 isn't part of motoring folklore." That's what matters here.

 

Time will tell.

 

I couldn't agree with you more, I have been a big supporter of keeping a Z32 in a purists factory setup, they way Nissan built and designed the car to be but everyone wants to be different and people have different tastes it what looks unique and or cool.

My Z has and always will be my pride and joy and was a massive personal achievement of mine and I have spent almost $40,000 restoring it and also upgrading it to my idea of the best factory optioned Z32, with the best Nissan had to offer back in the day. Does that mean it will be worth alot of money in the future, I doubt it and who really knows but my Z to me is priceless and noone could offer me a figure of money to make me sell it.

I hope that when I post my build thread up about my Z's transformation it will prompt the restoration drive you suggested but who really knows what people will think of my hard work when its all out their for everyone to see.

 

likewise, big fan of getting the experience that nissan wanted when it was originally built.

Not to say I don't respect the builds that some of you have on here, some of the numbers you guys put out blows my mind.

 

While I agree in principle with what you are getting at (Ugame) I dont think it will eventuate quite that way, I think the Z32 will be more sort after then the 350Z or the 370Z in the future but it will never reach the status of a 240z-260z, simply because they will also exist and can not be replaced, look at it this way - a good FD is still worth $20k+ as is a good RZ supra, not because they are better than a Z32 but because they have more following, and the 240z is the same it has more following. the Z32 will never be a big dollar investment just like a VS commodore will never make money like a HQ. because people who want a classic dont see a 90's car as a classic and never will, they have most the gear of a new car, but not the newness. Where as a 240Z was something totally out of the box, its the start of a marque, maybe inferior in most ways to a Z32 but its the first so its the money car.

Where the Z32 wins out is its probably the best performing - out of the box (yes I know its debatable) version of a Z, but anyone after a 90's japanese sports car will get a supra (thanks FnF) or a FD. the FD I understand the supra..... meh - dont tell my wife I said that.

The biggest issue we have is the reliability curse, I am currently helping a young chap get his sorted - it came from perth and is an ex - aus300 member. I will not mention names/cars as I dont know who did the dirty on this car but it is in real need of some TLC. when I first saw it a week ago it was running on 4 cylinders, simply due to corrosion on terminals, the coilpacks are all held together with electrical tape the inlet pipes are........ words can not describe, the engine bay in general is everything that makes a Z unreliable (it has a S2 ptu bit the instal is dodgy as). the wastegates were not even hooked up. point is if we keep selling cars in this condition we will never get the Z32 any respect or any value.

 

^ everything you've said is right except

this

 

I hate how quotes dont come up in quotes...... but I stand by my comment Anti..... not because its an actual fact ie a 90's car will never be a classic, but because people who use the term classic are talking about older cars that have something that sets them apart from all other cars........ in the case of most aussie cars its a nostalgia factor. This is why I see the FD being a classic. its the supreme rotary/rx7, skylines and supras have a boyracer cult status, the Z32 has a poor name (which I genuinely feel it does not deserve), and will for ever be fighting its image, the status it should have has been hamstrung, and its fighting a loosing battle.

my comment that you quoted is about a mindset of a certain demographic not about how things actually should be.

 

I think. Scrap that. I know some people are missing the point in this thread.

I'm not saying the 300ZX will carry the same prestigue as a Ferrari 348, or maybe even demand the same cost at any point in time, as a well preserved 240Z.

What I'm trying to point out is that a well preserved original condition Z32 WILL......WILL begin to "appreciate" in value at some point in time.

And I believe that point in time is coming soon.

 

I think there may be some merit to this train of thought.

I am seeing it already with my other two cars where the value is jumping up, in one case considerably more than I expected in a short space of time (which makes me wonder why I bother playing with any of my other cars!).

Prices for cars will go up or down based on nothing more than emotion, much like stocks. Look at the prices of the early X series falcons and Monaros. The hero versions skyrocketed because they were the ones guys lusted after in their early days. The lesser variants also went up but not in relative terms because there wasnt the same "hero" factor attached. These guys grew up, made money and wanted to relive their youth so were willing to pay huge money to get the right car and because every other rich bogan was doing the same prices went through the roof.

To put it into perspective my mercedes (72 300sel 6.3) was worth probably 5 times what a XY GTHO was worth new even though they sold around the same time. It had technology and luxury the XY couldnt dream of and almost the same power/performance. When I bought it 40 years later I paid about a tenth of what a similar condition XY would go for, and I paid good money. I'm now seeing variants of my model go for more than double what I paid because they were an undervalued investment and didnt have the "hero" status here in Australia.

As mentioned previously, try to find a mint condition supra, FD, GTR skyline, NSX etc jap muscle car. Prices are jumping because there just arent any but guys who grew up lusting after them are willing to pay the money to get a good one. I've seen mint low km TT Supra's goin for $50k at the jap auctions I think its only a matter of time before Z32's follow suit as stocks of the other cars dry up and interested parties search for other value for money options. Might not be overnight, but it will happen especially if the ones that are left are looked after and not stickered up with Supercheap bogan flames and gay bodykits.

 

Over a 10yrs. of manufacturing XXXXXX

:zlove::zlove:For a 25yr. old sports car there is still a lot of them about. You must remember there were a lot manufactured over the 10yrs in Japan. Thats how good they were. :br:The vintage demand may improve when the cars become over 30yrs old. Cars are not classed as vintage until they are 30yrs. old by the vintage car club rules. They were a very reliable for a performance sports car in there day the only thing that lets them down is there age plastic plugs ,looms ect. The 240Z cars were mainly rusted away when they became 30yrs old. They did not have very good rust prevention back 1970. The Supra, Rx 7 and GT3000 they did not have a model run for 10yrs.

 

Also, when parts start drying up, good examples will demand TOP money.

The Z32 TT is Hercules status in the Z world and IMO it still is. Google the awards it has won. More than any other car out there.

If they made it today with little modification and put the boost up a little and unrestricted it, it would be ridiculous.

Basically, I wouldn't own one if they were just an average piece of crap.

Also, I have a well off friend in his 60's who owns a beautiful new Ferrari as well as other NEW cars (big dollars) people could only dream about here. He used to own the Z32TT before it. Even though he owns other hi performance cars, he said the ZTT is just an awesome car and fast!! and is still very fond of it.

The Z32 pulls some serious emotional strings.

Having said that, the GOD of the 90's cars is the R32 GTR. Not the best styled but they are the business.

Peter

 

The 300ZX will be a future classic.
I view it as much a collectible as the Mitsubishi Starion, etc.
The factor is, all these cars are by companies who made cars for the masses, unlike the prancing stallion or bull, Nissan has a badge which doesn't hold as much appeal.

I never keep cars long enough, except for my first car.
But I plan to keep it as factory as possible for future appeal.

 

I believe I understand your point, I was not trying to say it will be worth what these other cars are and yes I believe they have hit the bottom of their valuations but like a lot of other underrated cars I doubt they will really appreciate in value they may get back to the 10k mark for an average one and an easy 15k for a good one when they really get rare (like a nice 4 door valiant now) but that wont be for a few years yet.

Do I think its a fair representation of a Z32's Value..... hell no but its how I see it and I am more than happy to be wrong