As you know I have listed two quite amazing zeds over the past few days, and I have received some incredible comments from the members here regarding my cars and indeed my position about becoming a trader here. I have also been asked to source cars for individuals which I am already on the case. However no one as yet has made any noises about buying or even looking at the two I currently have for sale, maybe I am just being impatient! The whole project for me relies on turnaround to obtain regular cars, so if I have placed myself in the (too perfect ) category for cars then any feedback would be gratefully appreciated. I mean would I be better off getting lower priced cars that are not as pristine as the ones I have already got. My initial thoughts are that everyone seems to want manual TT vehicles over and above anything else. Is that true or am I just presuming? The people I trust the most are the people on this forum, you are all in love with this car and like me most of you have had these forever. So your comments I value. I really want to make a go of this and I even have thought about a name for the trade business ' The Z Shed ' What do you think?. My future as a trader will rely soley on being able to sell cars. Help me with your thoughts please..Garry

Great thread. It's interesting to see a different perspective of Z32 values from a trader. Some sound advice from all the replies reading though. One thing that is perfectly clear is how much everybody here shares a passion for the Z [emoji106]

#PassionZ32

I would call your business 'Z Marques' as it suggests quality in the name. Also zmarque.com is available as is zmarques.com and z-marques.com etc etc

Plus you don't have to limit yourself to the Z32 by using that name

A fine suggestion from Sir Charles [emoji482]

i going to get shot again for this as i have said this once before. every one on here wants the z32 to be worth a load of cash but in the real world its a cheap fun car that why i got mine to start with thats what make the car cool its a cheap under dog i love my car and i love the fact its cheap to buy even if i have spend 3 times what i pay for it on it. i think the cars this dude has just put up for sale are very nice cars indeed but dam the money on some of them i just cant see anyone paying it thats just what i think.

A fine suggestion from Sir Charles [emoji482]

 

And being a successful car dealer he has good advice about selling other models of the Fairlady :thumbup1:

Lets be brutally honest you are going to end up bankrupt if you are going to just use the Z32 as the main kingpin of a car sales business

The actual market for the car is minimalistic and even more so when you start going to the higher price range examples

 

IMHO you need to import other (dare I say it) more desirable and sellable makes of Japanese Cars that the general buying public will snap up quickly to give you a constant cash turn over as you are going to need this to pay the rent and put food on the table

 

Again IMHO I doubt that you will sell one of your first Zs on here and are better marketing them on Pistonheads and Autotrader as Si has said.

 

With regards to calling your business Z Shed or the like please think the long term as this will not inspire confidence to the general buying public although it may amuse the Z community for a short while There were a couple of quite good business names in the UK that a guy called Ken Chelton used and the were "Zxtra" and he also used "ZXS" which IMHO were clever for the time and related to more spare parts sales than motor sales

 

Sorry to post so negatively about just importing and only dealing with Z32s but IMHO you will be left with two or three 300zxs on your hands for quite a few months which will restrict you from getting more stock in

Edited June 16, 201510 yr by steve burns

Whilst the cars you have are very commendable, I am a little surprised you haven't seemingly done a business plan and as part of that assessed the market for the right products that you can sell.

 

You will probably move the two you have as they have many desirable features about them, although you may have to look at the price if they sit around for too long, after which I would suggest stand back and do a little more research on your potential market and whether what you have to offer is going to be a real business for you. If you want a business name, you are then trading and by default required to register with the HMRC, so you need to be sure what impact this has on your business plan.

 

Last thing from me, in your description on both cars, you advertise them as Museum grade!!! do you want people to consider they should never be driven and therefore require a collector as a buyer? Describe the cars as they are, fantastic to drive, in immaculate condition and real head turners! Just an example and again Good luck.

I've owned my imported Zed for 6 years now and use it as my main car (which I know is a rare trait) and cover between 15K - 20K miles a year. Personally I cannot understand why the value of our cars remains so low however prices are creeping up slowly.

When I bought mine from an import company in 2009 I paid £2200 for it. It had one Japanese owner from new, fully under-sealed and with £51,000 KM's on the clock. At the time I felt that this was an absolute bargain for the car you get and have kept tracking prices ever since.

 

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the UK market is a strange one when it comes to Zed's. Many people haven't heard of them (which I like) and as a consequence don't recognise them (which I also like) but this impacts on their perceived value significantly.

 

We were staying with friends over the weekend and conversation quickly turned to the Zed. Typical questions/comments included "Why is it automatic?" to which I explained that you can accelerate without ever losing boost and when queuing in traffic it's a dream. "I bet parts are really difficult to find" to which I explained that I can often get hold of parts for my Zed easier than my wife's Renault Megane. Anyway my point is that it's perceptions that you are up against (not the reality of ownership).

 

It's my belief that most people buy a car that "fit's in" rather than buying one because it's different....actually better, way ahead of it's time and considerably more enjoyable to drive than most modern boxes.

 

So, how does this help you? Well it's my belief that over the next ten years our cars will become considerably more valuable by becoming more and more scarce. I am totally with you on your vision of importing good Zed's however I'm not sure that the UK market understands their true value and are likely to spend money on other more common brands. People need to feel safe when they buy a car and through ignorance most people look at a Zed and worry about getting parts, maintaining it and ultimately selling it on.

 

I really wish your venture every success, it's great to see the quality of the Zed's that you are importing, but I feel that educating the customer on the reality of ownership is the best way to help your sales.

Wow!!! Thank you all so much for taking the time and trouble to give your opinions and thoughts. I have carefully read everyone, and picked out some of the key points that have been raised. Before I explain my conclusions let me say this. For me this is a venture that I willingly undertake and is not going to be my job. I work for a company and have done for 42 years, but I am also one of Ebays best vinyl sellers. In addition I sell rock band T shirts and Hoodies, and I have a love for the ZX. So I have many things on the go and selling cars is not about making shed loads of money it's just a fierce passion for the model. So this for me was all about bringing the best condition, low mileage cars into the UK, believing that like me enthusiasts would want to get their hands on something that doesn't come up for sale all that often. So from all your wise words I am thinking that the best solution is to focus my energy on Manual TT's that will sell between 4-7k depending on condition. I really can't bring myself to look at lower value and tatty vehicles as my mentality on this is 'would I want to own it?'.So I am going after some Manual TT's with up to 100,000 miles on the clock but in top condition. Also as I have already had some of the membership ask me to find certain vehicles, I will absolutely promote sourcing vehicles as another method of assisting with customers needs. I also hear the message about attending shows with the more exclusive vehicles and this is also something I will consider, and I have already placed the convertible on Classic, pistonheads, autotrader, and ebay. And as for Museum Grade. yep I agree! This is how I describe records when they are in mint condition. point taken not a great idea for a car that needs driving, I shall amend the listings where I can. Anyway I have a bit more to consider before I make definite trader plans, but again I would like to thank each and every one of you who has contributed to this thread. I appreciate the words and the encouragement some have shown. Garry

Another thought, if you advertise the car as soon as you buy it then you could interest more Irish people too, as the car could be shipped directly here. Admittedly the market here is even smaller, but you never know.

I haven't been on this forum that long yet, but I have found a few things:

 

1) Some people have an NA z for commuting to work and have a TT locked in the garage for the one sunny day we have in this country. Your NA is spectacular, but I think its hard to sell as no-one will want to use it daily. Beaulieu might be interested?

2) Its been said, but most people on here have a Z already and most of us are now broke(!) so cant afford another one...

3) TTs are the most desirable (im still saving for one, see above point!), manual TTs even more so.

 

I think (as been mentioned) pistonheads and classic car sites are the way forwards as ebay is just full of people looking for "something for nothing" or "oops sorry my son bid by accident..."

 

As for a name, you want something that shows professionalism, honesty, good deals, etc... "JDMheaven" "ClassicImports" "JapanesePowerHouse" "Nihon Imports" (thats "Japan" in Japanese)

I would choose something that doesnt limit you to one car and i would stay away from "Imports R us" JapanesePorn" "JapAuctions" "CheapJapCarsNow" "SellYourGoldHere" (sorry got carried away with that one!)

 

My friend and I flip the occasional car, mostly Peugeot 406 coupes, Ford Probes, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi FTO etc and one car can fly off the shelves within hours and others can sit around for months. It really is down to the right person at the right time.

 

I hope this helps and if it doesn't please send abuse in a stamped, addressed envelope to: "Im a useless idiot who knows nothing", 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TQ. :lol:

made me laugh thanks

Chin up though buddy, you will shift the cars you have, it just may take a little longer than you first hoped. Silverstone Classics coming up might be worth seeing if you can get them (with a for sale sign) on display there?

Maybe even think about putting it in the auction too? https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/the-silverstone-classic-sale-2015

Two big shows we do which would get a lot of interest in your Z's is JAE on the 10th-13th September. This is the biggest Jap car show in the UK attended by thousands of Jap car petrol heads

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?179960-JAE-10th-13th-September-2015

 

The Classic MtorShow at the NEC. We did this last year and have put in plans to do it this year and of course it is a very high profile event which we have room for about three of our most prized Z's

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?179345-NEC-Classic-Motorshow&highlight=NEC

So what would you suggest Gary? having never attended one of these shows in my life

So what would you suggest Gary? having never attended one of these shows in my life

 

JAE is easy, put your name down, turn up with the car, put it in the field with the other Zed's, clean it, pop a for sale sign in the window and hope it makes people open their wallets!

So what would you suggest Gary? having never attended one of these shows in my life

 

Along the same vein, why not come along to the Simply Japanese show at Beaulieu. It is a smaller show than JAE/NEC but

is more local to you. Last year two Z32's got through to the final 12 in the "car of the show" competition on votes by the

visiting public.

 

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/beaulieu-events/club-rally/simply-japanese

Beaulieu and JAE would be great events Garry to show of your Z's :yes:

In all fairness, they aren't that great.

 

One has a rusty wheel arch and the other looks like the sills have been compressed on both sides. I am talking good rust free, dent free examples. Neither have engine bay photos, so you can't see if they're both original manual cars and/or the state of the engine bays. The one at JKImports has almost no information on it...AND they're both on ebay...and the other is a private seller so would generally be slightly less than a bonafide trader.

 

Ebay pricing on 'ok' cars is not really indicative of quality fresh imports in top condition.

 

Just for reference, I bought one of these not so great cars last Thursday

 

I bought the silver one from the private seller. I travelled 300 miles by train to view it and bought it for £4000.

 

My preference was a TT 2+2 manual, targa top. I wanted to pay no more than 4500, and with as little rot as possible.

 

For me, the clean UK cars, with reasonable mileage and TT, we're going for 6k upwards. So I was happy to go for an import as you tend to get more for your money.

A small rust bubble and a 300 mile journey was a sacrifice, but I got a low mileage, well cared for zed, brand new wheels, tyres, new uprated brakes, large front intercooler, full stainless exhaust system, professionally releathered front seats and arm rest...

 

For 4k.im happy.

 

PS. Had the car been totally rust free, I still wouldn't pay over 5k.

That's just me.