General Chat
Q:
Posted by TonyD on 12/25 @ 10:51am:
A fool is one who refuses to recognize a usless endeavour.
That places you squarely in the "fool" catagory Jason. (If you think a car will return your investment for modifications!) Any "low cost" car you will buy will be in that catagory.
We are here because we like to DRIVE what we build, not because we do it for a profit. If you want to make a profit off your car, part it out---most Z's have been worth more as parts than as whole for over 15 years now.
-----
Label me a fool if you want. A Z friend once told me "It's not the gallons per mile, it's smiles per mile"... Frankly the Z doesn't make me smile. I don't like to drive it... I do like to drive what I build, and I love to drive my Chevelle. Sure it doesn't handle like a Z, but it's fast, and it's loud, and in my opinion way better than any Z could ever be (even a hybrid Z (Sorry mike)... Sure I get a kick out of driving it if I haven't driven it for a month or so, but it wears off before the end of a short ride.
I will gladly spend money on something I like to drive, but the Z just isn't it. And I don't see spending money on something that will be worth nothing, and I don't enjoy driving. Even if I didn't enjoy my Chevelle, I would still put money into it, because I know I would get it back. Why throw more money at it, if I'm still not going to like it?
I know you all like your Z's and I respect that, however, I could give a rip less about mine. If I wouldn't have gotten such a fantastic deal on mine, I wouldn't even own a Z now. So I've had my fun with it, and now it's time for someone else to have a turn. It was a good experience.
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(SOLD)
A:
Oh, I get it -- you're selling your Z ...
"The Z's disease won't make anything turn black, wither, and fall off, nor turn cancerous." - Tony D
"Take it to a track where BOTH drivers mean business or it's just one sided mechanical masterbation." - Hybrid77z
A:
tony was pretty much dead-on from an investment standpoint.
modded z's were never a great investment (monitarily).
and if you got rid of those anti-vents on the hood, you'rs might sell.
A:
a Z is a driver's car.thats why Tony emphasized 'DRIVE."
no matter what car you own,if youre gonna look at it as an investment, you're not gonna drive it. so of course,youre not gonna like a Z. many of the guys here drive the hell out of their cars,whether its long road trips,tracks,daily driver,all of the above, so they love the Z. you probably dont drive your Chevelle every day,it probably wont do too well on a road course, so it is perfect for what you want.
but my question is...what is the purpose of this post? TonyD make you mad?
If all were equal, none would be strong.
Ballistic,Ruler of Interstates
Stage XX+ 1993 Z32 NA
"SoulTaker"
A:
^^^ agree. Ballistic says it perfectly.
If you still don't like driving your Z, get into a Z31 turbo and see if that changes your opinion.
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1985 300ZX n/a
Post Edited (Dec 26, 12:51am)
A:
If it's not for you, it's not for you - at least you can say you gave it a try.
I agree with what Tony D was saying though and what the other guys have just said.
If you want to view it as an investment buy the lowest produced Z still around - make sure its concourse and then wrap it up in cotton wool and never drive it again - but I can think of better ways to invest ones money.
I didn't have a Clue??!!! Until I found Blue...
Blue's Z car tips -
A:
No I don't drive my Chevelle every day (anymore. I used to drive it to school everyday in highschool because it was my only car). Not because I look at it as an investment, but because it only gets 10-12 mpg. Not that I care.
Let me clarify my thinking on the investment purpose... The only reason I care about that is that if I get into some kind of accident, and need money desperately, I will have something to fall back on. Not that I'd want to sell anything, but if I had to, I would. I can get money out of the Chevelle if I had to... I won't get much out of the Z in an emergency "I NEED MOENY NOW" sale.
Other than that, I could care less what a car is worth. And I wouldn't buy a car "for investment purposes" just to let it sit. I buy a car to drive it. I hate trailer queens. And if I was to buy a car for investment purposes, it wouldn't be a Z. So, in saying that, I bought the Z... I drove the Z... I didn't like it... So I'm not going to throw any more money at it... Simple as that. It's someone elses turn.
I'm sure I would like a Z32, but I just can't afford one.
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(SOLD)
A:
To each his own. Sell the Z if you want - but I'm sure we would all like to see her go to someone who appreciates her.
Ed and Jeanne's
ZXelda 1981 280 ZXT: ZXena 1990 300 ZX
1941 Buick Special Sedanette (Betty)
1956 Dodge Royal (Dorothy)
1971 Buick Riviera (Rita)
1975 Ford F-150 Stepside (Fiona)
1992 Firebird (Frieda)
A:
Absolutely, my friend sold me his Z like 2gs cheaper than what he was going to advertise it for just so he knew who it was going to and could see it every so often. Z's bring out the best of car lovers :)
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
A:
very clever, another way to put a z for sale in the wrong section n avoid the flames....or I missing something?
Have you shared the left lane today?
A:
This isn't an advertisment... I haven't thrown out any prices, or tried to push the car at all... Have I?
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(SOLD)
A:
So why post such a thing on a Z enthusiast sight? That seems dumb.
A:
why do i get the feeling both cars were given to you. how long have you been out of high school. you should be posting on a chevy site. merry christmas
1975 280Z [STOCK]
the answer lies not within the question but rather within the answer itself!
A:
My BASIC POINT (and one you TOTALLY MISSED) was that if you expect to get your money back out of ANY VEHICLE that you dump performance parts into in any great number, YOU ARE A FOOL!
This has nothing to do with it being a Z, or any other vehicle for that matter. It is a STATEMENT OF AUTOMOTIVE FACT.
I said the reason most of us are here is that we like to drive the Z, and therefore DON'T CARE if the vehicle will not be worth a fortune when we are done, it's the DRIVE that counts.
Your response is endemic with the comprehension gap apparent in most internet based people who simply can't get over any sort of criticizim, and jump to the first air-headed conclusion that comes to mind and then post some off-the-wall response.
This had nothing to do about it being a Z.
It had to do (now for the THIRD TIME, hope you get this:) with anyone who thinks they will get their money back out of performance modifications done to ANY vehicle. If you think this, you are placed squarely in the FOOL catagory.
<EDIT>My faith in mankind is somewhat restored, looks like most everybody who posted here also got the point---seems the only one that didn't get it was Jason---why does this not suprise me?<EDIT>
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Dec 26, 11:51am)
A:
"The only reason I care about that is that if I get into some kind of accident, and need money desperately, I will have something to fall back on. Not that I'd want to sell anything, but if I had to, I would. I can get money out of the Chevelle if I had to... I won't get much out of the Z in an emergency "I NEED MOENY NOW" sale."
I have a friend whom I've know now for over 20 years, who has the SAME logic you use in this post.
He is a fool.
EVERY time he needs money, it's "SELL THE CAR" or "SELL THE TOOLS" or "SELL WHATEVER I GOT TO MAKE MONEY"....
The last time he got in this mode, he was going to sell his 260Z because someone offered him over $5000 for it back east. He has approximately $1200 in the vehicle....Uh, so much for investment loss, eh?
He was going to sell the car AGAIN, just like he did every other nice vehicle he ever had beause he was panic-striken over bills, and rent, and blah blah blah---whatever gets you kind of guys into a frenzy I suppose.
I had to verbally beyotch-slap him over the phone to drive it into his head that for INVESTMENT PURPOSES that being $500 or even $1000 short of cash flow at the end of any given month is NOT a reason to liquidate an asset of 4-5X times that much---ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WON'T RECOUP IT FOR THAT PRICE!
To this day, he marvels at how he's "kept the Z so long this time"---like it's some sort of miracle.
All I can say is that your training and financial upbringing has been sorely neglected, and you have a VERY warped way of looking at financials. I don't guess you have ever considered SAVING MONEY instead of consuming to a rabid extreme where every single cent you make is douched into needless wants, desires, and things....
Oh wait. I forgot, you fools are what keeps the economy going, and the one's who will cry when Social Security goes under.. Like my bud who is making 80K and "just can't make ends meet" living at home with mommy, or his separated wife hauling down $10K MONTHLY who is PERPETUALLY BROKE.
Nice people both, but---like you---FOOLS when it comes to money and investments.
Sad really.
You state you can get money out of the Chevelle if you had to...
But you couldn't get money out of the Z...
Might I also posit, uh, that you will have MORE money in the Chevelle, than you ever will in a Z. Duh!
If you SAVE MONEY on construction, that money is THERE TO USE, and not TIED UP IN SOMETHING TO BE LIQUIDATED when you "need money"....
(Rolls Eyes, knowing he doesn't "get it"...)
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Dec 26, 11:49am)
A:
i like this...
"used to drive it to school everyday in highschool because it was my only car). Not because I look at it as an investment, but because it only gets 10-12 mpg. Not that I care."
well you do care about the mpg... thats why you stopped driving it every day.
'74 260z TURBO
'86 300zx N/A (SLOW!)
"All your base are belong to us" - God
Suck. Squeez. Bang. Blow.
A:
thats why i got rid of mine.
If all were equal, none would be strong.
Ballistic,Ruler of Interstates
Stage XX+ 1993 Z32 NA
"SoulTaker"
A:
yes hi man, is the 280 still for sale?
Have you shared the left lane today?
A:
Tony D-- you are completely correct in your statements--But dont you just want to say that paying bills and making money and selling off stuff to make ends meet because you blew your money on fringes--isnt rocket science. im restoring my zx to original condition for just the reasons you stated, and not only will it be worth more but it will be worth more to me. it would be a lot easier to replace parts with mods that i can find, but the search for original parts has turned into a fun quest. and i do like to drive it but for me there is a lot more to the whole z experience--like the interest my 13 yr old son has taken in helping me-- that alone would be worth more than i could ever sell the zx for.
Im keeping my zx regardless and if i get in a financial bind ill find a way to increase the incoming money or just plan ahead !!!
by the way hows your cold doing -hope you feel better.
____________________________________
1980 280ZX coupe
2001 maxima
1994 F150 4x4 van works custom truck
170000 and never needed mech repairs
1996 ford explorer -they cant all be good
A:
JERRY JERRY JERRY (jerry springer show)
A:
I love threads like this. This is a great example of what our 'modern' consumer driven, personal responsibility absent society has created. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to consume and I'm doing my best to help our economy recover, but when I took a 7 month vacation, I wasn't sweating bullets worried about the next mortgage payment.
It's about planning and taking responsibility for your own future.
By the time I was 25, I had nearly a years worth of rent and bills in the bank in the event of a personal 'disaster'.
Even after loosing my ass in the dot com bust, I still have enough 'liquid' assets to live for over a year without having to sell anything more than stock investments.
Of course, I wouldn't be going out to eat every night and dumping crazy amounts of money into my cars, but I could eat, pay my bills and mortgage for more than a year if I had too.
My father told me once before I went off to college, "Son, you have two choices in life. You can spend the next four years working your ass off so you can play for the rest of your life, or, you can screw off for the next four years and have to work your ass off the rest of your life. You make the choice."
I made the right choice. Of course, I spent 7.5 years in college!! HAHAHA!!
Fortunately, even though my parents were well off, I was raised to respect hard work, those that show pride in themselves, the product they produce and I was instilled with a healthy appreciation for fiscal responsibility.
I bought my first car with money I had saved from mowing lawns every summer since I was 12. Yes, it was a Z car.
Unfortunately, the preponderance of people raising their children with these values is rapidly declining...
72 WooHoo!! In good shape too...
72 Rolling Chassis (RB or LS1?)
80 NA SCCA ST2/CP (Car + Tree = Dead)
82 NA 3.0L the rust monster got it
82 ZXT 3.1L, 25psi! Hit in the right rear. ;(
83 parts car
92 TT Sold! ;(
02 Looking for an '03 made in '02
A:
No, neither of the cars were given to me. I bought both of them with my own money.
I'm not saying every time I have a bill to pay "Hey lets go sell a car"... I'm saying that in the event that I have some horrible accident, end up in the hospital with giant medical bills, or something to that affect that, then I might sell a car or something. I have no problem paying my bills, and affording things that I want/need, thank you very much.
You can spend as much money on a Z as you can any other car, I just choose not to. I just choose not to pour money, into something (be it a car or any other activity/hobby) that I don't enjoy.
I graduated in 03. I stopped driving the Chevelle every day because I actually CARE about it, and I don't want anything to happen to it. Sure I drive it a lot when the weather is nice. I choose to drive something that I am less attached to daily, because if something happened to it (accident, vandalism, etc), I wouldn't care as much as if it were my Chevelle. Yes, I would still be mad, but not as mad as I could have been if something happened to the Chevelle.
Any Z period, in this area, that is not a 240, is generally not worth much. You have to find the right kind of person to actually pay what one is worth. I'm not that kind of person. I wouldn't have payed what mine is worth... Yes, I have put some money into it to get it where I want, but i'm still not happy with it.
I drove the Z daily for a while, It was always uncomfortable being so small, and I finally got tired of it. If it had more room, I would probably keep it. I feel like I'm driving around in a tuna can. I love 510s, and I wish I would have kept my old one. I could stretch out in my 510. Granted it was still pretty small, but at least I was semi-comfortable.
Yes t5turbo, it's still for sale, but somehow I don't think you really want it.
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(SOLD)
Post Edited (Dec 26, 8:51pm)
A:
Is it posted for sale in the classifieds section?
A:
It was... I had no replies to my ad.
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(SOLD)
A:
where did this post come from? what got this started? i must have missed it.
A:
How much$$$$
1975 280Z [STOCK]
the answer lies not within the question but rather within the answer itself!
A:
"and not only will it be worth more but it will be worth more to me."
If you are using new parts and truly restoring to factory condition, a ZX will never return your investment unless you find a pristine original, with low miles, never drive it, and bet it given to you for nothing.
Spend a dime on a ZX, and it goes in a hole in the ground, never to return.
Same as on most cars.
They are not good investments. Period.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
"I'm saying that in the event that I have some horrible accident, end up in the hospital with giant medical bills, or something to that affect that, then I might sell a car or something. "
You really have a break from reality! I knew you wouldn't get it! With the luck you have selling your Z, do you think a buyer will NOT know you are DESPARATE to sell your Chevy when the time comes? "Must sell to pay medical bills" uh hhu, tell me more!
The bills you hope to pay for with your Chevelle will amount to over SIX FIGURES.... Even if they are ONLY in the tens of thousands of dollars, selling that Chevelle ain't even going to get you an offer and compromise amount for the bill collection agency ammounting to a dime on a dollar.
Spending $80 a month on a catastrophic coverage hospitilization insurance policy would, though.
Like I said, people are totally ignorant of how cash flows and financials work. The $80 monthly for medical insurance is not worth it, but dumping money into a Chevelle that won't pay a fart in a windstorms worth of a serious medical bill is delusional!
I don't know what you graduated from in 03, maybe highschool? Because it sure seems like you are playing in an adults world with the fantasies about what a car is worth, and what medical bills are. It's kinda like kids playing house: they figure a house costs $100, and they will make 100K Dollars a year at their first job....
Get real and discuss financials with someone like a Certified Financial Planner, your parents obviously have neglested this facet of your upbringing---through ignorance or simple neglect on their part---but you need to get some real scope on the real world and how finances really work.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Dec 26, 8:18pm)
A:
I am continually amazed by people who make FAR more than I do who are perpetually broke.
I don't deny myself much, preferring to pay for most larger expenditures cash so there is no lingering debt.
But when I see guys laying down $15K+ into a car that at best will only sell for maybe what they have in parts (to break even is usually a godsend) and then rationalize that they are "investing money" in whatever project they are pursuing....I just gotta shake my head.
I learned long ago: Vehicles are a hole in the air supported by rubber donuts which you may not eat. The hole never gets full, and the best you can hope for is to enjoy the ride, and kiss any money you put into it goodbye forever. If you even THINK you will get your money back, your preception of the vehicle changes, and your enjoyment wanes. I see these types all the time at Barrett-Jackson. Guys who are in the business of fixing up old cars and then palming them off to people with more money than sense. I got to admit, I have helped some along the way...
Nothing more satisfying than parting a fool from his money.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
A friend of mine spent five days in the hospital recently and got hit with a 15 grand bill, thats a lot of Z's and Chevelles, and he had coverage. I don't have any kind of coverage and my Z wouldn't even come close to that.
If you don't like your Z any more sell it, big deal where do you think most of us got are Z's from, it wasn't the dealership thats for sure .
If you had no replies from the classified, then it was overpriced.
Get over it.
cheers
78 stockish
82 partish
A:
I never said the Chevelle was worth millions, and had the ability to pay gaint medical bills, but it would be a start. I haven't seen insurnace that cheap ever around here tony... If I could find it, I would gladly pay that.
Here's the bottom line... I don't like Z cars anymore. They were fun for a while, but it quickly wore off.
Look past the financial stuff... It's irrelivant.
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(SOLD)
A:
i should claify my statements- cause after i read it i realized it sounded different from what i meant- im restoring my zx to original , but it will never be original ( as in new) condition as i intend on driving it as much as possible. im lucky because it runs pretty good , no smoke, and it has never been modified as much as i can tell. my a.c. elect. mirrors, windows, heater, cruise ect. all work fine, however there is some dings and driver side body damage and it needs paint. i dont intend on ever parking it just to keep it looking good or keep the (185000) miles down. But i do enjoy driving it in its original state. dont get me wrong there is nothing wrong with modifing zs to go fast, handle better or race. i just want to do mine this way. maybe ill change that attitude as time goes by.
if i do ever decide to modify i know where i can get all the info neccesary to do a first rate job.
____________________________________
1980 280ZX coupe
2001 maxima
1994 F150 4x4 van works custom truck
170000 and never needed mech repairs
1996 ford explorer -they cant all be good
A:
"A friend of mine spent five days in the hospital recently and got hit with a 15 grand bill,"
And at the age most of you guys are, a Catastrophic hospitilization insurance policy shouldn't cost you any more than $80 a month.
At over 40, I can get such a policy without a physical. This would limit your out-of-pocket expenses to around $1000 each occurance, or $5000 per year.
THIS is an amount you can SAVE for (or hell, even sell a car to cover), but to think you will cover that kind of an expense with the Quick Panic Sale of a vehicle is foolish.
Point being, without the insurance, you are a fool!
With the insurance, just about anything can be taken care of out of pocket.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Blue Cross/ Blue Shield I AM SURE has a policy to cover you for under $100 a month. If you REALLY ARE UNDER 21, this is a no-brainer for an insurance company. Deductible is around $1000, and this is NOT "oh I have a cold I'm going to the emergency room" coverage. This is EXACTLY what you SAID you were AFRAID of: a catastrophic bill from a major accident. HOSPITILIZATION coverage, not HEALTH CARE COVERAGE. That will run more around $250 per month, thought through a real job, that kind of coverage would be around $60 a month, subsidized through your employer.
My health insurance I can no longer opt-out of where I work, so they are now hitting me for a monthly fee of $86 and change a month for someone over 40. Were I your age, the fees would be more like $60. But standalone stuff (which I had when I was between jobs several times, and not COBRA stuff) were catastrophic policies and they are RARELY over $100 a month for someone your age.
I am serious, and IF YOU ARE TRULY WORRIED about this eventuality, you need to look into it further. Not "health care" coverage, HOSPITALIZATION AND CATASTROPHIC LOSS COVERAGE. I warrant Blue Cross or some other carrier locally will cover you for less than $100 a month. Hell, for Health Care in an HMO at your age, the cost wouldn't be much higher than the catastrophic coverage.
But I digress.
Don't think you can cover anything substantive selling your car. You will ALWAYS get less than you put into it, and that's not an INVESTMENT, that's a plain and simple NEGATIVE CASH FLOW SITUATION no matter how you look at it. To use a vehicle in lieu of savings is foolish! Savings Appreciate, through compound interest, minus inflation. Vehicles Depreciate through simple age, minus inflation. You loose on two counts!!!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Medical costs have people running like "rats under the sink". Boy those new drug commercails are clever, though! And colorful too. NK
Norman Krell
A:
Don't get me wrong, zxtoy. You will make your vehicle worth more by fixing it up....but the ratio of return on investment to expenditures is never on the positive side. You buy a part, and it's automatically worth less than what you paid for it (drive off loss), then you install it on a car that is depreciating, and at the same time, the cost of money is getting higher (inflation) so the dollars you get back when you sell it---even if you get it back DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR BREAK-EVEN (on paper), you are STILL down the cost of inflation on everything you spent!
Basically unless you sell the vehicle for the cost of purchase, plus the cost of parts (and figuring the cost of labor as love and enjoyment so you don't charge for that), PLUS the corrected inflationary depreciation for the time you've owned the vehicle---YOU LOOSE.
So when it's all said and done, you see why I say anyone thinking they will MAKE MONEY on a vehicle such as these IS A FOOL!
It is FAR better to simply (as you stated) enjoy the ride, do what you want with a focus on ENJOYING what you are doing, and NEVER think you will get any of it back in anything OTHER than the enjoyment of the moment and of the time spent doing the work.
I just get really upset when people make disparaging comments like "the car will never be worth anything, but this other one will be...
NO! The both will cost you money, you have NO HOPE of making a profit. You simply will sink MORE money into a different car, and when you sell it, you will get MORE MOEY BACK---but the RATIO OF LOSS will be the same, OR GREATER!
I can go into the financials of selling a $25,000 1956 Chevy that was bought for $1500 and fixed up as a business venture, and it will drive people batty. The business end of working on cars is FAR different than the hobby end. And for someone to think that putting money into something that CONSISTENTLY LOOSES VALUE as a hedge against a catastrophic loss is simply foolish! I mean, if I told you: "Hey, I will take $15,000 of your money as a hedge against hospitalization--and for every year I have it, I will suck off a $1000 fee."
Would you do it? HELL NO!
THAT was the point all along! He's betting money on a vehicle that is depreciating, as an insurance policy.
For me, it's FAR SMARTER to simply buy the freaking insurance! That's what it's THERE FOR!!!
Like I said, this doesn't seem to be that big of a stretch to fathom for me, but the ignorance of the general population on how financials work amazes me. Like WW said, you can work for your money, or have your money work for you. I can show people here how they can be millionares working at minimum wage---but few are willing to do what it takes, they choose the easy path. It's not income that determines financial security, it's SAVINGS! And investments.
You would be suprised by how many people think you have to make a lot of money to HAVE a lot of money in the bank. You would think that owuld make it EASIER, and in SHOULD....but people get stuck in lifestyles, and it goes downhill from there!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I've got an 800$ Deductible on anything that requires hospitalization, and 25$ co-pay on just about everything else....
I pay: 17$ a month... under 21...
Starting next year that's going to double, but then again my deductible will be cut in half and my copay will go down to 15 - 20$ each...
"The Z's disease won't make anything turn black, wither, and fall off, nor turn cancerous." - Tony D
"Take it to a track where BOTH drivers mean business or it's just one sided mechanical masterbation." - Hybrid77z
A:
I will be able to get health coverage through my work in about 60 days. I'll look into the coatastrophic loss coverage. It's a good idea.
I probably wouldn't sell a car that I'm attached to for any reason. Fact is, I'm just not attached to the Z car. As a prospective car buyer, if I compare a classic muscle car vs a 280z, I would the think domestic would be worth more, in my opinion. I like them more, so I value them more.
Every one of My Z's came at a very cheap price. If I would have had to actually pay $1000 or more for any of them, I wouldn't have bought them...
My first 76 280z was free. I got a co-workers 75 280z running, and in trade he gave me a 76 280z... Little did I know the engine was locked up. So I traded it....
My second was an 81 280zxt I got in a car trade deal. I traded the first 76 280z, and another car for it.
The third was a 72 240z I paid $400 for. It ran great after a gas tank swap. I decided to sell it because it had botched on fender flares, and a sun roof. Sold for $800.
The 4th was a 74 260z. I paid ~$350 for it, it came with a bunch of parts. I later sold it for $450
The 5th was a 79 280zx, that ran which I paid $40 for. I sold it for $80 the next day.
And lastly, my 78. I traded an S10 pickup for it.
I've had enough Z's in my life time for a while. Time to play with something else.
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(SOLD)
A:
"As a prospective car buyer, if I compare a classic muscle car vs a 280z, I would the think domestic would be worth more, in my opinion."
Yes, they are worth more, so you sink more in on the front end!
You really aren't getting the financials on this one, and the point from the beginning was you will loose out on anything you buy.
Iinsurance is for what you worry about, not a car.
And given your track record with Z's it seems like you flipped them for a profit---measly though it may be, a profitable venture nonetheless...
So the key is to do nothing to the car and sell it for more than you buy it for.
But the discussion started around "putting money into a car to make it worth more" and that premise is bankruptcy waiting to happen!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Actually, I don't just do it with Z's. I go and find cars for less than 1k, invest as little as possible (or nothing at all), and sell them for more... The most expensive vehicle I bought was a 92 Ford F250 Diesel for $3500. Drove it for 5 or 6 months invested nothing but gas money, and sold it for $4500. Bought a 91 Honda civic for $300, put a new rotor on it and it ran like a top! Sold it for $1200. Bought an 88 camaro for $200, kept the engine and T5 5 speed, sold the body for $600... The list goes on and on.
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(SOLD)
A:
I've got a friend like that, bought a nissan pintara for $20 with brand new tyres, rebuilt gearbox and a seized motor but he's parting it out for $20 a part... He still sells bits from it, easily got back 20x what he paid for it in the end.
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
A:
I personally thought that cars existed to be driven. People who buy them as an investment are not car enthusiasts. They are annoying people who jack up car prices. Some people measure a car's greatness by how realiable it is (i.e. Lexus owners). But measuring a car's greatness by how much it'll be worth in the future is plain ridiculous.
If you own a collector car thinking it'll be good collateral for a future loan or something, then you are a person who shouldn't be owning a collector car in the first place. You are not financially stable enough to afford such an expensive hobby. If you have to worry so much about your wallet, you should sell your collector car and buy a Honda Civic. THAT would be the best buy you can make!
Most people assume that a hobby like owning a "classic" car can be done by anybody. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you necessarily can afford to do so. Owning collector cars is a very expensive hobby. Racing is also called "the diamond studded sport." Don't take it too lightly!
1971 240Z
"Fear is exciting for me." -Ayrton Senna