Hey! Looking for my first Z...

WazzaJB

Club Member
I really appreciate all this advice, from everyone. Thank you so much.

Taking the advice... would this be along the right lines?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/149604275763570

What do I do now? Message the guy and ask for more pictures, video etc?

(I'm not saying I'm going for that one... just trying to gauge how the hell this process works aha)

Does anyone have a solid reference for doing this kind of thing in terms of process?

Also, how about this RB26 260z? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/165175580906990

Last but not least, found this on Craigslist? https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/datsun-280z/6570832453.html

Where in the states should I be looking?
 
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johnymd

Club Member
I've imported a few so have leant a bit about which cars I prefer to buy. The red car is not something I would choose to buy as it just looks like way too much work. Some of the panel would need to be thrown away and better ones sourced. It is a major restoration and IMO only something an expert fabricator could affordably fix. It's also a series 1 so quite a few model specific very expensive parts to source (centre consul will need replacing too).

Buy one that you can enjoy now rather than spend 10 years and £30k + restoring. A 280z is a much better choice if your budget is not £20k. If you search hard enough I think you will find a complete, solid but ruff, car for 7k or near. Spend a couple of months on it and enjoy it. Prices are on the up and I think we all get surprised by how little you get for your money now. My red car was a sub 5k landed in the UK car that I could have driven after the usual service parts were changed. I chose a minor resto so its taken months to finish but I have ended up with a car that's probably getting close to 20k in value. Converting the 280z to RHD is pretty straight forward too.

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WazzaJB

Club Member
I've imported a few so have leant a bit about which cars I prefer to buy. The red car is not something I would choose to buy as it just looks like way too much work. Some of the panel would need to be thrown away and better ones sourced. It is a major restoration and IMO only something an expert fabricator could affordably fix. It's also a series 1 so quite a few model specific very expensive parts to source (centre consul will need replacing too).

Buy one that you can enjoy now rather than spend 10 years and £30k + restoring. A 280z is a much better choice if your budget is not £20k. If you search hard enough I think you will find a complete, solid but ruff, car for 7k or near. Spend a couple of months on it and enjoy it. Prices are on the up and I think we all get surprised by how little you get for your money now. My red car was a sub 5k landed in the UK car that I could have driven after the usual service parts were changed. I chose a minor resto so its taken months to finish but I have ended up with a car that's probably getting close to 20k in value. Converting the 280z to RHD is pretty straight forward too.

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:eek: That first one looks absolutely incredible!

I know this is super cheeky and a little forward but would you be willing to help source and sort one from the states? I'd be happy to pay for everything directly so you'd not be out of pocket and of course agree a fee with you for your time? It'd be great to have someone literally walk me through this as I've never even come close to importing a car before and I'll be honest I'm finding it really scary. I appreciate most people are probably too busy to help me with this but I can at least ask...

After looking at some in the states I can see where everyone is coming from in terms of value for money, really appreciate all the help.
 

SacCyclone

Club Member
Being from Cali and having exported several cars to members on this site, I have to echo their sentiments about buying the best and most complete car you can afford. I also agree with John that you try to find a car that you can import and drive for a while and enjoy before jumping into the deep black hole of customization and performance.

With the popularity of Zeds across the globe as well as in the states, trying to find a deal will require you to be very fast in closing. Chaps in the states rarely advert a car that is a great deal and if it is, it's sold within hours. Ask me how I know. Closing a deal quickly has it's own pitfalls as there are many unscrupulous people trying to make a quick buck on junk or selling cars they have no knowledge of.

Patience and dealing with the right people is the key here.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Wazza you might be frustrated by our comments and the lack of cars but the good news is that you have done the right thing by joining us and asking questions before buying. So you can tick the first box.
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Being from Cali and having exported several cars to members on this site, I have to echo their sentiments about buying the best and most complete car you can afford. I also agree with John that you try to find a car that you can import and drive for a while and enjoy before jumping into the deep black hole of customization and performance.

With the popularity of Zeds across the globe as well as in the states, trying to find a deal will require you to be very fast in closing. Chaps in the states rarely advert a car that is a great deal and if it is, it's sold within hours. Ask me how I know. Closing a deal quickly has it's own pitfalls as there are many unscrupulous people trying to make a quick buck on junk or selling cars they have no knowledge of.

Patience and dealing with the right people is the key here.

I guess I'm not looking for a great deal but rather the right car for my budget. Does that make sense? I'm never going to be able to act fast enough from here versus someone who lives nearby.

Just to go off on a tangent here... If I were to spend closer to 15k would I be looking at something I could use as a daily? I do about 3 - 5k miles a year in my GT86 and as much as it would hurt me I could offset that against purchasing one.

Another thing I haven't even touched upon is the possibility of importing a RHD from Japan? Anyone done it?

Wazza you might be frustrated by our comments and the lack of cars but the good news is that you have done the right thing by joining us and asking questions before buying. So you can tick the first box.

I'm definitely not frustrated mate, if anything I'm just glad I joined and heard all this rather than finding this out after laying out 7k on something I could never finish

Thanks again!
 

Mr Tenno

Digital Officer
Staff member
Site Administrator
I think you may have missed the point ever so slightly. £7k for a solid 280z in nice condition you can drive around with only minimal work IS a great deal. That's what 12k would probably buy you if you went straight to an importer. To get those great deals you'll actually have to act faster than the people in the US - phone the sellers up straight away, not wait for emails etc.

A UK 260z went for £16,500 recently so 15k almost puts you into RHD territory but I wouldn't sell your daily. A couple of people have run S30s as a daily but 99% of them are put to bed over the winter since the salt on the road wreaks havoc with the thin sheet metal. RHDs from other territories (Japan/Aus/SA) will probably push you into the 20k+ territory even for a project car.
 
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WazzaJB

Club Member
I think you may have missed the point ever so slightly. £7k for a solid 280z in nice condition you can drive around with only minimal work IS a great deal. That's what 12k would probably buy you if you went straight to an importer. To get those great deals you'll actually have to act faster than the people in the US - phone the sellers up straight away, not wait for emails etc.

A UK 260z went for £16,500 recently so 15k almost puts you into RHD territory but I wouldn't sell your daily. A couple of people have run S30s as a daily but 99% of them are put to bed over the winter since the salt on the road wreaks havoc with the thin sheet metal. RHDs from other territories (Japan/Aus/SA) will probably push you into the 20k+ territory even for a project car.

Sooooo much information! Appreciated mate.

Okay so action points for me seem to be: set up alerts on Facebook Marketplace, ebay and Craigslist for 240z/260z/280z (with 280 being preferred) and jump on anything that looks good.

I tried getting in touch with Rinkens today to get an idea of their process but nothing from them yet, will try again next week if I don't hear back tomorrow. Their website says they have an Escrow service, does this mean I pay them and then they pay the seller for the vehicle on collection? Would I send the seller a deposit directly?

Looks like I need to set up a Skype account with some credit for these international calls...
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I think you may have missed the point ever so slightly. £7k for a solid 280z in nice condition you can drive around with only minimal work IS a great deal. That's what 12k would probably buy you if you went straight to an importer. To get those great deals you'll actually have to act faster than the people in the US - phone the sellers up straight away, not wait for emails etc.

A UK 260z went for £16,500 recently so 15k almost puts you into RHD territory but I wouldn't sell your daily. A couple of people have run S30s as a daily but 99% of them are put to bed over the winter since the salt on the road wreaks havoc with the thin sheet metal. RHDs from other territories (Japan/Aus/SA) will probably push you into the 20k+ territory even for a project car.

What he said :thumbs:
 

SacCyclone

Club Member
I like to communicate with my mates overseas using FaceBook messenger. We can text in real time and send photos back and forth over cellular which helps if I am out in the boonies with no wi-fi service. Just a thought as opposed to Skype. But i'm not a real techi so take it for what it's worth. LOL
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
I like to communicate with my mates overseas using FaceBook messenger. We can text in real time and send photos back and forth over cellular which helps if I am out in the boonies with no wi-fi service. Just a thought as opposed to Skype. But i'm not a real techi so take it for what it's worth. LOL

If it works then why worry :)

Skype is really cheap, as opposed to Vodafone who want £2 a minute :eek: To be fair though thinking about it, if I find one on Facebook marketplace I can actually just call through Facebook... The world we live in now ey.
 

Jake RAH

Well-Known Forum User
Hi Wazza, welcome to the club.
Have you had a word with Z club member Chris Vega (www.vegaclassics.co.uk) as he normally has a stock of Z's. He doesn't import any rubbish and will have more than he has listed on his website. His prices are very good, is very helpful and he knows his Z's. Just another option for you :)
As the guys have said try to find the best & most complete car you can as prices for parts can be crazy expensive and sourcing them can be a pain. Also importing parts costs a lot in duties & shipping, sometimes costing as much again if not more than the part itself.
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Hi Wazza, welcome to the club.
Have you had a word with Z club member Chris Vega (www.vegaclassics.co.uk) as he normally has a stock of Z's. He doesn't import any rubbish and will have more than he has listed on his website. His prices are very good, is very helpful and he knows his Z's. Just another option for you :)
As the guys have said try to find the best & most complete car you can as prices for parts can be crazy expensive and sourcing them can be a pain. Also importing parts costs a lot in duties & shipping, sometimes costing as much again if not more than the part itself.

Hey Jake,

Thanks for the link up. I've got in touch with him and he seems a decent guy so going to have a chat tomorrow about whether there's something we can do within my budget. Will obviously feedback to everyone!

Simon at SJ has sent me the following, one that he has most of the bits for but he's already sorted the shell out. Based on feedback this is already looking like too much for me to take on but thought I'd share to keep you all in the loop.

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johnymd

Club Member
The red car and the one blow it are the same car. This was seen on ebay.com and purchased from the seller after a phone call to him and within haft hour of me seeing it. The one below was also seen on ebay.com and bought and payed for by money transfer within 20mins of it being advertised. Both cars were extremely cheap so if they turned out to be spares only then I'd still be in pocket so no risk.

As has been said, you need to act quick to pick up a bargain but also know what to look for.

With regard to your question on finding a car and shipping for you. I wouldn't like to take a chance with someone else's money as I would my own but I'm happy to advise on anything you are interested in.
 

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WazzaJB

Club Member
The red car and the one blow it are the same car. This was seen on ebay.com and purchased from the seller after a phone call to him and within haft hour of me seeing it. The one below was also seen on ebay.com and bought and payed for by money transfer within 20mins of it being advertised. Both cars were extremely cheap so if they turned out to be spares only then I'd still be in pocket so no risk.

As has been said, you need to act quick to pick up a bargain but also know what to look for.

With regard to your question on finding a car and shipping for you. I wouldn't like to take a chance with someone else's money as I would my own but I'm happy to advise on anything you are interested in.

Thanks anyway, I thought it was a bit cheeky to ask and I completely understand your position on it.

Awesome work with that car, particularly love what you've done with the headlights!

I think having no experience with Z's puts me in a risky position in terms of importing myself. I thought I knew a lot having done so much research before I came here, but as it turns out there's a tonne I don't know.

I've spoken to Chris (Vega Classics) and I'm going to be working with him on getting a car in the UK, of course it comes at a premium compared to importing myself but I have a month or two to build up some extra funds and after speaking to Chris I'm confident what I'll be getting is leaps and bounds above what I have been looking at. Thanks again for the link up @Jake RAH

Thanks everyone, and I really look forward to meeting you all when I've got my first Z!
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Hey all,

I have refrained from posting this until I had settled the full amount on the car, but I bought a Z! Thank's so much for all the advice, extremely grateful. I'm going to be picking up the car in the next few weeks and I should be able to drive it around mid-August when my shoulder has fully healed. I ended up spending a lot more than initially planned but as you can see it's a beauty and I get to put it on the road quickly and enjoy it.

I really can't express how overjoyed I am haha, massive thanks to @Fairlineguy for the initial phone call and recommending I come on here and get some advice.

I have some idea of the route I want to take the car, first being a RHD conversion (have all the parts already as been collecting for a few months).

I have only one question at the moment. Do I register it as LHD and insure it then worry about changing it in a few weeks, or just dive in and do the conversion then register it with DVLA as RHD?

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Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I have some idea of the route I want to take the car, first being a RHD conversion (have all the parts already as been collecting for a few months).

I have only one question at the moment. Do I register it as LHD and insure it then worry about changing it in a few weeks, or just dive in and do the conversion then register it with DVLA as RHD?

Presumably (and hopefully...) you will be using the original chassis number of the car - which identifies the car as having left the factory in LHD configuration - after the RHD conversion? In which case you have to register it on that chassis number regardless.

You'll have to inform your insurance company of the LHD to RHD conversion, and they may request an engineer's report.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Stunning Warren ;) you have bought one of the best 280Z in the country, a car that has been superbly maintained and cared for over it’s lifetime so far. Looks really nice in original paint Persimmon Red but first job is to get rid of the park bench bumpers.

My tuppence, MOT and register the car ‘as is’ and get using it asap if your shoulder is good now. You just need to sort the lights/indicators for MOT and should sail through.

Wait until Winter to take it off the road and then do rhd conversion and whatever else to make it your own spec.

Get a move on and you may even have it ready for Oulton Gold Cup end of August. DVLA are the weakest link at moment taking unacceptable time to register imports compared to previous years.
 

WazzaJB

Club Member
Noted guys; register and insure for LHD for now then charge at a later date. I've got some work to do on the dayd and stuff so it buys me some time.

Chris, I'll be picking your brains on how to get it registered as haven't imported before. Do I just need an MOT once the indicators have been done? Assuming I can submit all paperwork then.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Noted guys; register and insure for LHD for now then charge at a later date. I've got some work to do on the dayd and stuff so it buys me some time.

Chris, I'll be picking your brains on how to get it registered as haven't imported before. Do I just need an MOT once the indicators have been done? Assuming I can submit all paperwork then.

All paperwork in place for first reg. You just need to add the MOT certificate and i.d. Will talk you through it.
 
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