Reasonable Price for a Z32 2 seater Twin Turbo

[DevilZ32]

Hey guys, I have recently gotten obsessed by the Z32. I have worked on more than a few Z32s, and I know at least a reasonable amount about them, I'm in no rush but I'd like to get my Z in 2 years, a 2 seater TT good condition is what I'm looking for. Would it be possible to buy it for 5-6K?

[Z31toZ32]

what is your definition of good? you are probably on the low side of things for something that is in ok shape that has utd maintenance.

[NolimitZ32]

An unmolested TT with up to date maintenance and in good mechanical health with no rust will run you $7k and up in Texas, some can be found for less claiming to be in "great" shape but with most of those there are generally surprises waiting.

[DevilZ32]

I saw JDM tt 2 seater Zs grade 3.5-4.5 going for around 5k cdn. That seems good but is it really?

[NolimitZ32]

I can't speak much to the Canadian market or to the actual quality of the auction cars from Japan especially when it comes to rust. And buying a car like a Z32 sight unseen to me is a huge gamble. Also 5k CDN seems really low for a JDM car, check the japanese auction sites for sales prices and factor in $2k shipping and documentation fees 5k leaves no room for profit which makes me think that theres something that the importer isnt telling you.

I am very biased when it comes to RHD cars, I lived overseas for a couple years and DD'd RHD cars and HATED it so to me RHD is not an option.

[DevilZ32]

Yeah, the importing company makes profit from cancel fee and then the importing fees. For Canada it's cheaper with the company I'm going with. I know Japan doesn't put much value in used items, so I don't see why they would lie. I searched around my area (Hamilton Ontario) and all the nice Zs with nothing wrong with them are going for 10-15k. I'm not in any rush but will the cars price be much higher in 2 years? That's my personal deadline.

[NolimitZ32]

The Z32s are slowly starting to climb in price but that because a lot of them have been trashed or destroyed in the past decade. Will they climb much in 2 years, I wouldn't bet on it.

[DevilZ32]

Thank you, I know they were beat on but I don't really know at what rate car prices go up at, once people started buying the GT-R, it went up in value hella fast.

[DCaff300ZX]

My rule of thumb (and as mentioned prices can be up and down in different areas) is 4-5K MAX for a known well-serviced 120K or less NA (4K A/T, 5K M/T), and $7.5K to 10K for TT's. I honestly have little interest in Z32's with lower mileage than 100K, because the problems are all the same but you pay up for that low mileage just to still pay a ton servicing and maintaining the car.
By known well-serviced I mean no current issues or problems at ALL and recent (less than a year) 120K service performed by a reputable shop, preferably a Z32 specialist, and WITH RECEIPTS. Has to have had all known Z32 hotspots accounted for (injectors, wiring/connectors, clutch for M/T car, and brakes) to even consider those prices. I will not accept a car that has ever had a wreck or cooling issues unless the engine and cooling system were replaced with new OEM and with receipts, and the car cannot have electric fans in place of OEM cooling parts, period.
Then you have to be very careful inspecting the body, especially the lower rockers for rust and the front end for minor collisions. The Z32 nose section is the wimpiest mess I've ever seen and you can damage your car just falling against it, so look for the headlights to be level and aligned and with even gaps...anything off there means it HAS been tapped or worse. Under hood look at the top rail of the core support and if you can get under the car the lower one especially, looking for dummies who try jacking the car there and which will ruin that support and cause bad alignment and vague handling.
Check the paint carefully for respray, it's not uncommon a car gets touched up but you want the quality to be good if so, and do realize that in that case the car value moves down significantly from that top range also.
Check the doors for proper alignment and closing correctly, subframe and collision damage as well as bad hinges will make them drag and close oddly and for the windows to not seal correctly. Check ALL the rubber seals for pliability, old cracking ones will leak and need replacing and aren't cheap. Also be sure some kid hasn't jacked up the wiring in the DIN area with his bumper stereo he hacked in then tore out, a nightmare can await there and can keep your car off the road. Also be sure the car never was modded up and then the old parts reassembled as the PO keeps his toys...that car will not be safe since surely he didn't align the car and get things tuned up after such a venture, and you're getting the old parts that he replaced surely for more reason (suspension, brakes, wheels) than having a shiny toy.
Hope these things help, they may or may not be obvious but are some key issues you will want to avoid, and can easily pop up on cars that "look pretty good" on e-bay and elsewhere...do your homework and take your time, and do NOT accept stories in place of the items I listed here and other more obvious things...just keep looking!
Good Luck!

[Unglued13]

I have been in the market for a TT on the east coast for the last few months. As with any used car (doesn't matter what make / model) prices vary greatly. So this question is very tough to answer. I'd say it largely depends on your market, your desire to buy something running or needing work and how long you are willing to shop.

Once you get beyond 25 years old KBB and other sites are useless for narrowing prices within $1k range. There are way too many variables with vehicles that old, service history, accident history, aesthetic condition and mechanical condition, etc.

Throw in the sentimental value and perceived "collectible" value of the TT and I have found prices ranging from 6k to 30k for complete cars from 90-93 model years (rarely see anything newer). All these were running vehicles with some or no mechanical or aesthentic defects.

Keep in mind the following... Which can apply to more than just Zs.
- Some people selling these already perceive them as collectibles, often confusing the classic car status with "collectible" status. The car is probably a future collectible but only the low mileage unmodified versions will fetch large price tags. Most people don't get this and want to artificially inflate its value. Something with 150k miles and a JDM swapped motor has lost much of it's collectible value already and may not appreciate in value for another 30 years when any example of the Z is rare, let alone stock versions.

As with all used cars, many people overvalue what they have based on a couple of factors:
- How much money they have into it in mods / repairs. They forget that maintenance is part of car ownership and not something you get back when selling. Regarding mods... Whether these have value is personal preference. You as an owner may LOVE the fake carbon fiber in your dash, hood, etc but all i see is a vehicle I have to restore to stock. You may love the sound from your straight pipe coffee can exhaust, but I need to install a reasonable exhaust that won't wake my neighbors at 6am.
- How much they originally paid for the car ( I actually made an offer on a car with 160k miles and the owner said he couldn't sell it for less than he paid, but he's owned the car for 5 years and doesn't realize that daily drivers DEPRECIATE, but again see "collectible" comment)
- Sentimental value - was the car their dads, moms, uncles, etc? If so they may not really want to sell the car and value it based on what it would take for them to feel good about parting with it.

So, after all that... my advice is be patient, save more money ($5-6k would be the bottom price) and try to compare apples to apples when possible. Mods don't matter unless they are something you would have done to the car, undesirable modifications or heavily personalized items actually lower values.

[DevilZ32]

Yeah, all true. If I get the car fora reasonable price (5-7k) and the car is ok but has high mileage, after rebuilding the engine and transmission will I be able to reset the mileage on the gauge cluster?

[Unglued13]

Yeah, all true. If I get the car fora reasonable price (5-7k) and the car is ok but has high mileage, after rebuilding the engine and transmission will I be able to reset the mileage on the gauge cluster?

Very specific laws (that vary state by state) regarding odometer readings. Unless you have a really good reason to mess with it, I'd leave it alone. There are ways to legally change odometers but you'll need to familiarize yourself with the law and then take steps to have the appropriate documentation and paperwork so you are in compliance.

[NolimitZ32]

^ in short NO, the odometer just like the VIN goes with the car not the engine. As stated above there are loopholes and legal ways of doing it but generally no and especially if you want to sell it down the road you will be hard-pressed to find anyone looking for a collectible that will take a second look at the car when they see that the odo has been replaced, it just makes things too convoluted.

[DevilZ32]

Ok, thank you guys for the clarification, I really appreciate it!