This is not backed up by proper research, just a comment. Back in the last century, I had an MG Midget and really wanted an MGB GT but it was just out of reach. A £3k - £5k one would have been nice and not a basket case but just too £££. Fast forward a decade (still last century) and after a bunch of company cars, I could buy a car for me. I know, must be able to afford an MGB, maybe an MGB V8 by now, they were only a few k when I wanted one. Look on MGOC etc and bloody nora, a decent one now £8k - £10k min.

 

OK, I thought, let's have a look at other "classics" of the same era. Hang on, wasn't there a Datsun something or other and so there was. Started looking at 240Zs at £4-6k (this was back in 1999) and there were plenty in daily-driver condition (i.e. not rusty, working, looked good and didn't need restoring just TLC). But I was tempted, Lord, and did eat of the 300ZX Z32 fruit because although out of my budget, it was low mileage and only a few years out of sale in UK so (by my terms) a new up-to-date car.

 

Now, take a look at the prices being achieved by a "good" 240Z (or 260Z or 280ZX etc) ( http://www.zclub.net if you want a pointer) and you'd have to look at £10k+ or more. Half that gets you a shed.

 

In 1999, "everyday" Z32s were worth more than earlier Zs by a significant amount. Now they're not. The situation's reversed. What happened and is there hope for the future?

 

I think the rise in early Z prices reflects increasing rarity of "good" cars and attractiveness to the classic/collector market. I don't see many "extreme" early Zeds fetching high prices: just "original" ones (modded yes, but don't go too extreme), well looked after ones, ones with history, ones that work (including re-engined and hybrids).

 

Will our Zs go the same way? My feeling is probably (the Z32 was/is a great car) but only those that meet the same criteria. Look after them, don't go extreme, keep them running and good luck.

 

This has been a party political broadcast from the "Don't molest your Zed" Party. :D

Haha, Our time is coming!! I always knew they would be a little gem sooner or later. lets just hope and pray they will soon be recognised for a wonderfull sports car and not some e-bay bargain piece of junk! :)

I think it's coming fast asking prices are soaring for good cars.

I totally agree with you Gio. A lot of cars tend to get over valued though (however, I don't look at those cars as part of what I would consider as 'good market' cars) - there are just more bad ones than good ones. Included in that are fibreglassed multi-coloured wonders that sit on ebay for years. GOOD ones sell and they sell reasonably fast and prices are good. The car has not been imported in any real numbers since the mid 2000s, a lot of UK cars have turned to the ferrous ore from whence they came and following in their footsteps are an increasing number of JDM examples. So many are being broken for spares, there are still a lot of tatty ones about, but those seem to be dwindling fast. Ownership has fallen as they continue to get scrapped. The 'good ones' tend to be held on to as those that know them, know what they are!

 

I am not convinced that Z32 pricing is appreciating (yet), I think that they've stabilised to a point where working examples won't go much lower in value. I think we're still a few years off of them appreciating to anything of notable worth, but I think they will start to.

I am not convinced that Z32 pricing is appreciating (yet),

I think you're right - but maybe there's hope. If you look at 240/60/80 Z/ZX and Z31s over the past decade, once the badly-modded custard-cart (anyone remember that phrase :) ) ones left the market, then the OK ones left started to appreciate. Let's hope the same for ours.

I have been watching the sales of the z32 for about two years now and have noticed three things. There are fewer for sale. A lot are getting broken rather than fixed. Prices are going up. Look after your 300's as they are an appreciating classic sports car.

I think it's coming fast asking prices are soaring for good cars.

 

 

I've been watching this too and though the asking prices are soaring the selling prices are not (yet)

Edited December 8, 201312 yr by dicky96

18 months ago you could pick up a z32 twin turbo with tax and not maybe even a manual for less than a grand, it was probably scabby but it was functional and legal. Have a trawl through now....

This is the important part, these dogs need to die out or get restored, I think were starting to see the effects of these back street breakers give it another 12 months and let's see where we are.

I'd be watching 350z prices though and pleased, there falling like stones.

....................Will our Zs go the same way? My feeling is probably (the Z32 was/is a great car) but only those that meet the same criteria. Look after them, don't go extreme, keep them running and good luck.

 

This has been a party political broadcast from the "Don't molest your Zed" Party. :D

 

Very wise words there Mike; and you are probably right mate!!

 

The Z/ZX cars have a great lineage; and whilst the 350z and 370z are now plentiful and affordable (and their prices can only go down at the moment), their very being "should" promote interest in the past Z cars. So like you say, the tidy, well looked after Z32s will no doubt become more desirable as they get more scarce; thus prices for such cars should command a premium.

 

You only have to look at the cars in the links to that classic car dealership in another thread, to see 2 stock low mileage UK spec Z32s, going for the £5k mark. Overpriced? I don't think so - it's the kind of place we would all like to see prices going; so let's not bemoan the dealer's ambitions to achieve such a sum, but (as a dedicated club) encourage it and continue to promote the Z32 to the true modern classic status it deserves.....:cool:

 

Richard:thumbup:

One of the best cars to look at in almost the same era is the mk3 supra, only 2 years ago you could get them for about £300 now try finding a proper decent one for under 3k and that will need jobs doing

I love the MK3 Supra. Actually prefer it to the MK4. IIRC, our very own Richard Smith had one!

 

 

 

Anyone remember the Mitsubishi Starion? Again, about 10-12 years ago, you could get one of these for under £1k.....they're scarce now and they go for for between £2.5k and £5k. These are seriously cool cars!

 

Agree the mk4 looks likes a celica not special. The mk3 was obviously something fun.

We had a mk3 for 16 years, used everyday and never ever broke down. Was an amazing machine the engine was so smooth you could do the penny trick on the plenum :cool3:

 

I love the MK3 Supra. Actually prefer it to the MK4. IIRC, our very own Richard Smith had one!

 

 

 

Anyone remember the Mitsubishi Starion? Again, about 10-12 years ago, you could get one of these for under £1k.....they're scarce now and they go for for between £2.5k and £5k. These are seriously cool cars!

 

 

I used to have a starion. Not the wide body tho. I loved it. It had less than 30k miles and was totally original. Had to sell it in the end tho as I couldn't get spare parts for it after I took it to a Mitsubishi main dealer to have work done and they made it worse then refused to admit liability. :-/

We had a mk3 for 16 years, used everyday and never ever broke down. Was an amazing machine the engine was so smooth you could do the penny trick on the plenum :cool3:

 

 

Nice!

 

Your 'sleepy eye' pop ups look like 'broken lights'. :p Glad you didn't do that to the Supra! ;)

Lol wasn't sleepy eye, just a way you could position them by doing something with the stalk, but full Oem, only did it for the pic lol plus I was only 18 lol

 

Anyone remember the Mitsubishi Starion? Again, about 10-12 years ago, you could get one of these for under £1k.....they're scarce now and they

go for for between £2.5k and £5k. These are seriously cool cars!

 

Haha!

 

One of the best cars to look at in almost the same era is the mk3 supra, only 2 years ago you could get them for about £300 now try finding a proper decent one for under 3k and that will need jobs doing

 

Agreed - they were selling for peanuts a year or two ago........

 

I love the MK3 Supra. Actually prefer it to the MK4. IIRC, our very own Richard Smith had one!................

 

.....Yup; as great a car as the Mk4 Supra was, I will always prefer the Mk3 for its Knightrider cool good looks..... And I actually had two before my first ZX; first was a UK spec turbo in white with some nice Borbet alloys - and second was a J-spec 3.0 turbo GT targa version, with digital dash, in black for the proper "KITT" look...:cool:

 

I'll have to scan some pictures, as I did not possess a digital camera in those days!!

 

Richard:thumbup:

Here you go - I know I'd find them somewhere.....

 

....Along with the feature of my 2nd Mk3 Supra in the May 2003 edition of the Toyota Enthusiast's Club Magazine. Enjoy!!

 

Richard:cool2:

Edited December 9, 201312 yr by RichardS

Crap how we never got the aero top and got stuck with a silly t bar :(

Here you go - I know I'd find them somewhere.....

 

....Along with the feature of my 2nd Mk3 Supra in the May 2003 edition of the Toyota Enthusiast's Club Magazine. Enjoy!!

 

Richard:cool2:

 

The only Supra I've ever liked, always thought the looked the dogs in the day. That and the old Celica Supra 2.8GT are the only Toyota's I'd have.

Nice supra's Rich I was after an aero top before I got the black 300 but could not find one over here but when I found the 300zx it was game over lol

300zx 0-50 in 6.2? What with the starion being towed behind? I think those but be the mk1 rx7 and z31 it's being compared against lol.

Crap how we never got the aero top and got stuck with a silly t bar :(

 

T-bar is better Dave..... With the aero-top off, body-flex on our roads was bloody awful mate. At least having the T-bar on our Zeds gives the body rigidity, even with the targas off

 

Richard:cool:

300zx 0-50 in 6.2? What with the starion being towed behind? I think those but be the mk1 rx7 and z31 it's being compared against lol.

 

Quite possibly Steve - the Starion came out in the early to mid-1980s, so they were more contemporary rivals (although the Mk2 RX7 was probably more likely - don't forget the latest incarnation of the RX7 was the Mk3 of the early 1990s).

 

I still liked them though - and would certainly have had one in the day.

 

Richard:cool:

Nice supra's Rich I was after an aero top before I got the black 300 but could not find one over here but when I found the 300zx it was game over lol

 

Cheers Gaz - it was a similar story to me. I looked at a few Mk4 Supras when replacing the black Mk3; that and the Porsche 928 s4; but when I drove a 300zx I was sold on it..... I still love the 928 though and, if I had the garage space for a 3rd car, I would have one in there like a shot!!!

 

And back on topic, it would really be something if the Z32 could achieve even close to the classic status the 928 seems to be enjoying right now. Although as stated at the start of this thread, there is still hope....:clover:

 

Richard:thumbup: