240Z Market view

B

Bobo W

New Forum User
I'm looking at buying another classic and the 240 fits the bill nicely. Not being that mechanically minded nor with bottomless pockets I'm looking at restored cars towards the upper end of the market.

As I haven't been looking for long I've got no gauge on whether prices are on the up or dealers are chancing their arm and the frequency to which nut and bolt restorations come to market in the UK. I'm interested to know your thoughts on things in general and the 3 cars below at various dealers around the country

As my benchmark I've been to see the 240Z at Godin Sporting Cars
http://anthonygodin.co.uk/car/datsun-240z/

From what I can tell it's to original spec although not sure if upgraded to UK spec (gearbox and final drive), restoration looks excellent with a wealth of pictures and bills to back up although looking at previous threads on here it's been for sale for some time previously at Godin, then in the auction at the Goodwood Members Meeting where I guess it didn't meet reserve and now SOR again at Godin - I can live with LHD but it's almost too nice

Then there's the example at Car Iconics
http://www.cariconics.com/our-cars/datsun-240z/

Given the Godin car is too nice this fits the bill better although colour scheme leaves a lot to be desired and I'm not sold on the non-orginal seats but like the modded nature. I know these engines respond well to tuning but how tractable is this state of tune to normal road driving and does it need regular fettling to keep in tune? There's another thread on this car from November last year which seems to infer an original selling price of around £45k so it's come down a fair amount and seemingly still not selling which begs the question why?

The final one I've looked at is the car at Cheshire Classic Cars
http://www.cheshireclassiccars.co.uk/classic-cars-for-sale/1972-datsun-240z

To which I can't find much background, looks good though.

Thanks in advance
Steve
 
Not keen on the 1st one the major problem for me its LHD, the 2nd one there is just something about it that I cannot put my finger on, so I would choose the 3rd one myself but even that one has not sold after being on the market for such a long time.
Be very careful & make sure you have somebody who knows these cars well when going to view.
 
The first one to me looks fabulous, I haven't found LHD an issue to be honest, some people will only look at a RHD car, for me the benefit is, depending where it originated from, a rust free shell, hopefully not having any of the known weak spots a UK would have, also when it's time to sell you've got the whole of Europe and America to sell into.

That said the Blue car looks lovely too, it's your money so take your choice, i would echo to take someone very knowledgeable on 240Z's with you to view, they're at the top end money wise so you'll want them to be perfect, best of luck :thumbs:
 
With a 35,000 pound budget, you should be able to source a pristine early car with a 1969 build date or early 1970 build date.

My opinion is that these early cars, which are already sought after, will be even more collectable in the years to come.

You have a lot of options in that price range and the upper hand in negotiations with private parties so i would be patient and source just the right car.

Given it is a RUST free Zed, color seems to be very important to many buyers so I would stay with popular factory colors like orange, yellow, silver, red etc. Even if you have no plans to sell the car, color adds or subtracts to value IMO.

Rust is the number 1 problems with Zeds.

Good luck with the search.
 
I love the 920 Sahara one but it's just too nice as you say. It should be in a museum. I had a car that needed constant upkeep to keep immaculate and I wouldn't have one again. It is LHD as well and when you can get the blue one for the same money AND it's RHD then it's a no brainer.

The blue one looks beautiful to me. The red one is cheaper but it's a non-original colour (that may not matter to you) and just doesn't look as nice as the blue one (to me).

If you're in the market for one at this price, then tread carefully, as there are a few about for sale. I'm sure there are people on here who will help you as much as they can.

If I was in your shoes. I'd go see the blue one first. It's got a few mods/upgrades but nothing too wild ... and looks like a standard car more or less.
 
I wouldn't go for any. Give sean or Rahil a shout on here to see what they've got for sale.

LHD or RHD, just buy the best your budget will get you.
 
Personally, I reckon they are all overpriced. I'm coming around to the view that we are yet to reach a point where 30k plus is a stable price point for these cars (excluding the Samuri idiocy). Look how long all three of those cars have been for sale. That says something.

Certainly LHD is a difficult sell above 25k, no matter the condition in the UK. The red one looks like the most fun but the mods may not be to taste and looking at the photos carefully, the level of detail could be better and it's not without "patina". The blue car has been known for a while and is well regarded, although someone mentioned to me tonight that someone they had dealings with had looked at it and didn't feel it was worth the money due to issues such as microblistering paint.

I'd recommend extreme care and patience in making a choice. Paying top money is no guarantee now as dealers are showing opportunist tendencies.

Personally, I think some of the nicest ones coming up recently have been the MZR Roadsports resto-modded imports on eBay. Great deals for mid-20s and tastefully upgraded.
 
richiep said:
Personally, I think some of the nicest ones coming up recently have been the MZR Roadsports resto-modded imports on eBay. Great deals for mid-20s and tastefully upgraded.
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Good call there, the 3 cars I've seen looked great :driving::thumbs:
 
Like you, I don't have a lot of mechanical knowledge and wanted a car that was in very good shape when I bought it. Of those three, for me, it would have to be the blue one. But don't rush into this. For the kind of money you are looking to spend you should be getting an absolutely first class car. It will be worth the wait because these are brilliant machines to own and drive and once you have your car you will love every minute of it. Take the advice given by people on here and see if there are any knowledgeable club members who live near you who you could take with you to view any cars.
 
Thanks so much for the replies, very useful. Please keep them coming.

I tend to agree on inflated prices but am unsure when or even if there will be a correction and the "investors" move onto the next big thing. As such I need to consider paying a bit more than I would like especially as I'm wary of buying privately and prefer the added security of buying through a dealer, if only if its perceived.

Incidentally as a newbie although having now increased my post count by 100%, Franky mentioned giving Sean or Rahill a bell, where do i get their details.
 
Rahail is a member on here and a great guy, and although he doesn't visit as often as he used to, I would think he will see this.

Maybe send him a PM. If he has anything available it will be top quality.

Sean will undoubtedly be along shortly... :D :D
 
Bobo W said:
Thanks so much for the replies, very useful. Please keep them coming.
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If you already have an idea of what your 'ideal' car would look like, and what the spec might be on paper, then how about getting a car built to order? A company like MZR Roadsports could build you a 'bespoke' car, or modify an existing car to make it more to your taste.
 
Shame you were a bit late to see Mike B's car that he was selling, which was regarded as stunning.

I'm relatively new to these cars, learn something on here every day about them and agree that you'll enjoy every minute of ownership.

Albrecht's possible solution above is a good idea.
 
Thanks I'll have a chat to MZR although I fear the devaluation in the pound against the dollar may push up the prices of new rebuilds.

I said in my opening post that I'm not that fussed by going for a LHD car, which I'm not, however in an ideal world I guess RHD would be preferable. So how much a premium would I be looking for a genuine RHD or a converted RHD and do rust free examples come up very often?
 
Sounds like the ex-Mike B/Status car would have been pretty much an ideal match to your criteria but unfortunately I think it sold last month. Timing is all ;)

Mike never said exactly what it sold at, even that wasn't a quick sale but somewhere between £ 25k and the £ 28k asking price is a good guess - about the right price for a nice rhd car that is useable but not too nice to use regularly. You may have to be patient waiting for the right car though as there are only around 150 in the UK.

As Rich says, quite a few cars have appeared recently advertised in the £ 30k+ region but these cars are not selling, all seem to be sticking around and definitely pushing the limit of what the cars are currently worth.

LHD wise Rahail resto-mods sell at the mid £20k level and this is the current ceiling on lhd cars in the UK. I have recently sold two very nice lhd cars at least equivalent condition to Mike Bs rhd car around the £ 18k mark so that gives you an idea lhd prices are at least 30% behind in UK.
 
Thanks once again for the sage advice. As ever there's a temptation for heart to rule over head and I end up rushing in where fools fear to tread. Prudence is called for ;-)

So aside from Pistonheads, Classic Cars for Sale, Car and Classic and Ebay are there any other classifieds I should be monitoring?

On other boards I frequent there's a wanted section to illicit a more proactive approach, I can't see that here so what options are open to me from that perpective?
 
chrisvega said:
Sounds like the ex-Mike B/Status car would have been pretty much an ideal match to your criteria but unfortunately I think it sold last month. Timing is all ;)

Mike never said exactly what it sold at, even that wasn't a quick sale but somewhere between £ 25k and the £ 28k asking price is a good guess - about the right price for a nice rhd car that is useable but not too nice to use regularly. You may have to be patient waiting for the right car though as there are only around 150 in the UK.

As Rich says, quite a few cars have appeared recently advertised in the £ 30k+ region but these cars are not selling, all seem to be sticking around and definitely pushing the limit of what the cars are currently worth.

LHD wise Rahail resto-mods sell at the mid £20k level and this is the current ceiling on lhd cars in the UK. I have recently sold two very nice lhd cars at least equivalent condition to Mike Bs rhd car around the £ 18k mark so that gives you an idea lhd prices are at least 30% behind in UK.
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I forgot to add yourself to the list, have you not got anything that'll suit?
 
Bobo W said:
Thanks once again for the sage advice. As ever there's a temptation for heart to rule over head and I end up rushing in where fools fear to tread. Prudence is called for ;-)

So aside from Pistonheads, Classic Cars for Sale, Car and Classic and Ebay are there any other classifieds I should be monitoring?

On other boards I frequent there's a wanted section to illicit a more proactive approach, I can't see that here so what options are open to me from that perpective?
Click to expand...

I think you've covered all bases.

On refection I do like the lhd car at 35k, however I do think MZR/Sean/Vega classics will be a better bet.

I think 30k would get you a very very nice 'resto modded' lhd car.
 
franky said:
I forgot to add yourself to the list, have you not got anything that'll suit?
Click to expand...

I have three 240Z at moment but all keepers until Mrs Chrisvega finds out, being greedy lol. May shortly decide to part with super nice lhd restomod but is 270bhp L28 turbo powered so may not be what op looking for. Nothing on horizon as exchange rate is not favourable and prices strong in States and Oz, two most likely overseas sources.
 
Going by your budget, I'd definitely look at what MZR had to offer, their last offerings probably looked as good as what you are looking at now ,if not better, for much less money.
I'd post links but the threads were heavily moderated due to 'stuff'. A search on 'blanche' should bring up one 'crincklegate' might bring up another.
 
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