240SX Rant

[Pento240sx]

So I was in the market for another 240SX (S14) and I been looking trough craigslist and such and I must say, that some/most of the ones, I have been seeing are stupid expensive and drift taxed out. Common people is just a 240SX dammit, is not a real Silvia or nearly as close as a Skyline. So why you sell it so goddamn expensive. I'm just fed up with all these stupid fanboys, thinking their beat-up 240SX, with 180XXX to 200XXX miles, salvage(some) and auto are worth $3500 to $5000 idiots. I'm just disappointed, with how the market has turned out for the S chassis. I remember before all the stupid drift hype came up from the underground, these cars where at cheap in price or at least at their true value.
Sorry I just needed to vent.
/end of rant

[AZhitman]

The ones that are overpriced will still be for sale a month from now.

Walk in with cash and make the offer. I find it's best to deal with older owners (not fanboi wannabe drift kings).

They're still out there - Don't rule out looking in other states. Sometimes, a rust-free stock 240sx is a better deal in the southwest, even if you have to pay to have it shipped.

[Pento240sx]

I have been looking in Texas too. But I will extend my research for Arizona, Nevada and Oregon see if I could find one. I have not been able to find a clean, stock/mild modified S14. Most have SR's, RB's, drift out ,an want stupid money for them. I guess sooner or later, I will find one.
Or bring back my S14 from Mexico, but it will cost me around $2000/$2200 to bring it back to California. So I rather pay a little more and get one already in the states.

[pepesilvia]

I hear ya dude, i went to a tire shop to get some new front tires and an alignment in a town kinda far away from mine and the young dude working there saw me pull up in my S14 and we started talking and he goes "dude, i could sell yur car right now for like 25k in california"..... my car is bone stock (minus wheels and a few other things) and i was like "uhhh... i dont think you could..." hes like "trust me dude"..... true story. i just dont understand where people come up with these numbers?

[OutToWinPAHC]

Yeah i miss those days when i could get s13s for 500-1500 and 14s under 3

[fiznowler]

You can thank all the kids for buying them up and wrecking them. I have had a ton of 240s and the most I paid was for my Kouki. I paid 2800 bucks with a damaged quarter and it was bone stock auto SE car. I looked for a LONG time before I found it. The problem is everyone prices them high because some douchebag kid with dads money will buy it. I sold my s13 coupe for right at 3k. All I did was lower it with used struts/springs and put on a set of rota grids. The 240s will do nothing but go up in price from now on. The market already hit bottom and now they will only become less common and more expensive. Your best bet is finding someone that doesnt know the market and has a stock clean car.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Yep back in 05-08 I had a bunch from 200-800 bucks all S13 but coupes, verts, hatched most I paid was the car I built the LS in

[AZhitman]

i was like "uhhh... i dont think you could..." hes like "trust me dude"..... true story.

...which is why he'll likely work in that tire shop for a long, long time.

[krash]

The prices have come up, but thats a result of simple economics. The same clean s13 240sx I could have bought for $1200 in 2003 will now sell for close to $2000.

A beat up 240 for $5000 is nucking futs though.

[Razi]

I saw a really clean S14 Zenki manual for $2900 a few weeks ago.
The deals are out there if you look.

I agree though, too many people price their trashy 240s as if they were made of gold.

[alms24sebring]

Yup, currently been looking in VA, DC, PA, MD, even NC. I hate seeing S14s for nothing less than $5 bone stock. Theres a clean white Kouki that I drool over at work but he wont sell it to me. I was ganna get it for ~3k too! Saw a red one today and a green one last week with common everyday people that dont know what they have driving them. Both were clean as poop, both were SE, and both had factory foglights!!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I can't wait to sell my POS beat to crap 240 for more than I paid for it in 2002...

[AZhitman]

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/ct ... =&hasPic=1

[biggie]

If I would actually sell one of these damn things instead of hoarding them maybe I'd make some profit too. Ok maybe not.

[pepesilvia]

^^^^ idk how some you guys have multiple 240's. around where i live they're pretty rare. i've been looking for a decent s13 coupe for awhile but no such luck where i live. i had to drive like 200 miles to buy my S14.

[Pento240sx]

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/ct ... =&hasPic=1

Most of them are salvage title, but at least their manual. I will just keep looking.
Thanks tho. I did find one in autotrader. It looks very clean and still bone stock. The only thing is the miles.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... ex=9&Log=0

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Who gives a crap about salvage title if everything is in order. Consider it a lucky find so you can use it as a bargaining chip and get a cheap 240.

Most of you guys are going through the whole car anyway...

[Pento240sx]

Well true. I want another one, for my DD and the one I currently own will be modified. That's why, I want a stockish one and kind of clean at least.

[simmode1]

Just jump ship, bro. Z31 turbo is the new S13, IMO.

[pepesilvia]

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/ct ... =&hasPic=1

Most of them are salvage title, but at least their manual. I will just keep looking.
Thanks tho. I did find one in autotrader. It looks very clean and still bone stock. The only thing is the miles.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... ex=9&Log=0

heres a noob question, what do you do with a salvage title? like what exactly does that mean? why does it drop the price on a car? would it make it harder to register the car or something?

[krash]

Salvage title means the car was totaled. And really for a 240 thats not saying much. My car was $100 from being totaled when someone smashed the quarter panel:



So what happens is, if its totalled and you fix it, you get a salvage or rebuilt title. I think this is so that potential buyers know the car was totalled, because for cars that are worth like $20,000, being totalled is intense ($20,000+ of damage).

If you try to get a salvage car re-titled and re-registered you have to go through a salvage inspection from the state, where they go through everything and make sure its all safe and what not.

[asoomal]

Most rebuilt cars aren't fixed properly, lots of short cuts are made in order to maximize profits. They use cheap paint and primers and usually rubber based seam sealers with almost zero rust proofing done. My brother's MR2 is a rebuilt, the outside looks fine, but when we removed the rear quarter windows, the quarter panel was horribly welded on, welding wire sticking through a horrible looking plug weld.
My dad used to run a car rental business years ago (old rebuilt cars), they were horrible, s*** falling everywhere.

[krash]

kind of a blanket statement to make. We bought a totaled 2007 pacifica in '08 and had it repaired and its perfect, still running today.

[danshaz82]

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/ct ... =&hasPic=1

i just want to say, this is a beautiful sight. because when i search, ill get 3 pages of nothing but hondas and WTB posts. maybe a handful of 240sx related stuff.

[krash]

I too was surprised.

[asoomal]

kind of a blanket statement to make. We bought a totaled 2007 pacifica in '08 and had it repaired and its perfect, still running today.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/2012-2013-apa- ... -1.1210045

http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/investigation- ... -1.1207469

[krash]

Really depends on who YOU take it to for repairs or who YOU buy it from.

[VQpwrdSE-R]

Walk in with cash and make the offer. I find it's best to deal with older owners (not fanboi wannabe drift kings).

I had thought that was the way to get one too Greg. About a year ago after searching CL I found a 240 vert near me and drove up to see it with a friend. Priced at 4,500 and owned by a middle aged woman i figured it might be unmolested. After reading the buyers guide and having a good handle on things I could go over ther car and realize the true worth. I wish I still had the pics but this thing was trashed. 130,000 miles stolen radio, broken bezel, they even stole the stock speakers!!! the seats were worn on the bolsters to the supporting frame. Duct taped top, cracked window, white paint that wasn't washed in the last 3 years and parked under a tree. The only good thing was that the frame rails were pristine somehow. But that was overshadowed by the fast dripping oil pan. I did a Kelly blue book on my phone right there with her. She was nervously shaking as I looked it up and told her I'd pay $500 for it. She refused the offer. I told her she was high.

[pepesilvia]

Really depends on who YOU take it to for repairs or who YOU buy it from.

true dat.

[mechanicalmoron]

The car's more sought after, and often no longer on it's first, or second, owner.... and inflation.

Supply/demand.

It should be leveling off, but as far as condition and price soon they're going to be more like dealing with actual classic cars.... full price, restoration needed.

You might try to find a car by word of mouth, or just lower your standards and accept that you'll put more into it. My car shouldn't have gone very far, but still has the same motor, 13k miles and about 10+ gallons of oil later.... needs bodywork too. But it cost under 850 bucks from a friend, including titling fees. And locally, a shell that doesn't look so great and might have no title, even, can be 1500. If you can find one. 3k for a mostly good s13, with a bash or two, maybe auto.

Find a car friend, who might know someone with the obligatory stalled 240 project sitting out back.

Or, there's always RX7's and miatas.