X2 280s at Mathewsons auction

atomman

atomman

Club Member
this seems like a strange statement to me.........

"The heavier shell of the 280Z has been a favourite for rally replicas and enthusiasts that remember the rust which ate away many of the UK 240/260 Z population"
 
Mr Tenno

Mr Tenno

Digital Officer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Mathewsons confuses me, they have a TV show, online bidding and delivery options but every time I ask a question about a car it's 'You're welcome to come up to Yorkshire and take a look at it' - umm no? I'm not making a 6 hour round trip for something that would take you 5 minutes to check.
 
Last edited:
moggy240

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Terrible description, they should mention the good points and the bad points,not a history lesson.
 
Makesy

Makesy

Club Member
Mr Tenno said:
Mathewsons confuses me, they have a TV show, online bidding and delivery options but every time I ask a question about a car it's 'You're welcome to come up to Yorkshire and take a look at it' - umm no? I'm not making a 6 hour round trip for something that would take you 5 minutes to check.
Click to expand...

I feel much the same.

I went to visit a couple of years ago before the recent TV show as there was a 240z I liked the look of.

I wanted to know a bit more about the car so asked the guy who appeared to work there if he could tell me more. He didn't seem to want to talk to me and couldn't even tell me if it ran or not.

I gave benefit of the doubt that maybe he didn't know much about the car, only to find out later that he was the auctioneer.

Suffice to say, I won't be returning.
 
AD240Z

AD240Z

Club Member
moggy240 said:
Terrible description, they should mention the good points and the bad points,not a history lesson.
Click to expand...

Every listing says the same ‘Please note that descriptions are produced from information provided by the vendors. ’ and at the end of the day they are just an auction house and not the vendor .

You don’t get a history of every ar5e that’s been on a chair at a furniture auction and you don’t ask eBay directly about their listings .

I’ve sold a few cars on eBay and list literally everything good and bad About the car I know . I’d be doing the same with them too ...
 
JK240

JK240

Club Member
Makesy said:
I feel much the same.

I went to visit a couple of years ago before the recent TV show as there was a 240z I liked the look of.

I wanted to know a bit more about the car so asked the guy who appeared to work there if he could tell me more. He didn't seem to want to talk to me and couldn't even tell me if it ran or not.

I gave benefit of the doubt that maybe he didn't know much about the car, only to find out later that he was the auctioneer.

Suffice to say, I won't be returning.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience, before I bought my old now Rob's car , so about 12/13 years ago now and long before the TV series (which I've still not watched, I wouldn't give them the viewing figures :) ) I went to look at what is now Andy Muir's 2+2.

They had no interest at all in any questions I had about the car, which I was quite keen on and the mechanic who I worked with and came with me was completely dismissed when asked some relevant questions about some of the faults we established the car had.

I didn't buy it, and wouldn't ever return. Andy later bought the car from Duncan I found out.

Cheers,

JK
 
Mr Tenno

Mr Tenno

Digital Officer
Staff member
Site Administrator
AD240Z said:
You don’t get a history of every ar5e that’s been on a chair at a furniture auction and you don’t ask eBay directly about their listings .
Click to expand...

True but they could definitely be helping their numbers by putting a bit more effort in. I mean if they gave you the contact details of the vendor so you could ask questions directly - like on eBay that would help.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Ok that's not good however when I view at auctions no-one can really help me. They allow you to look at any documentation but they usually know less about the cars than me. The descriptions are also often inaccurate which is surprising because the seller is responsible for them.

Some sellers 'talk them up' to sell but run the risk of 'comeback' and others 'talk them down' to be safe. Thorough inspection and knowledge helps but of course you can't drive them. I have suggested to auction houses that sellers provide videos of the cars running and driving.

Bangers and Cash is a programme I enjoy.
 
Last edited:
S

Sam_C

Club Member
I live quite close to Mathewson’s and quite often pop in for a poke around the auction cars. The staff are running around like blue-arsed fleas all day long. This month they have over 300 cars in the auction plus all the memorabilia. It’s a massive undertaking. Numbers-wise, it’s still a small family-run business so I’m not surprised that they aren’t over-keen on scrabbling their way around scores of tightly-packed cars when some petrol head rings up asking them if they can check this that and the other!
In some ways they have suffered from the TV show coverage - the business has taken on a life of its own and numbers have exploded. Which sounds great, but now it’s too big to use the village hall across the road - which has been the auction house for decades - and there are so many people digging old cars out of their garages that they are out of storage space. They have had to rent new storage and office space in Pickering (a large modern unit) to fit in all the people and the cars who want to be there.
Loads more work, hassle and expense. Be careful what you wish for, it many not always be exactly what you want! The appeal of the TV show was the depiction of almost a cottage-industry old-time garage and auction house. That appears to be starting to get lost in all the hype.
Having said that, you may want to be watching one of the episodes in November when an old bloke with a very smart white 240Z may be examining some of their auction cars and passing on dubious information which will probably have Alan T spitting out his sushi...
 
AD240Z

AD240Z

Club Member
Mr Tenno said:
True but they could definitely be helping their numbers by putting a bit more effort in. I mean if they gave you the contact details of the vendor so you could ask questions directly - like on eBay that would help.
Click to expand...

I guess the fear for them with that is they are putting the potential buyer in direct contact with the seller - the potential for a direct offer ( and no commission for the auuction house ) would be an issue .

A set format for information would be handy - at least it would determine what is known and what isnt .


HIstory on cars that are now ( are ) approaching 50 years old will always only be as good as the previous owners .

I'm one of those people that has every receipt for my cars for the preriod that i own them .
 
Makesy

Makesy

Club Member
AD240Z said:
You don’t get a history of every ar5e that’s been on a chair at a furniture auction and you don’t ask eBay directly about their listings .
Click to expand...

I get that it would be wrong of me to expect that they knew everything about every car (especially given how the popularity has exploded with the TV show). But is it so much to ask if a car runs or not? Or at least give a reasoned response?

What wound me up the most though was just how quickly he'd made his mind up that I wasn't worth talking to. I felt entirely unwelcome, and frankly there were (and are) other options available.

I suppose for every 1 "inquisitive" person like me there's 10 others who just want an as-is project with no questions asked, and the auction house don't mind the odd casualty that comes of their approach.

In that respect, good luck to them!
 
AD240Z

AD240Z

Club Member
Makesy said:
I get that it would be wrong of me to expect that they knew everything about every car (especially given how the popularity has exploded with the TV show). But is it so much to ask if a car runs or not? Or at least give a reasoned response?

What wound me up the most though was just how quickly he'd made his mind up that I wasn't worth talking to. I felt entirely unwelcome, and frankly there were (and are) other options available.

I suppose for every 1 "inquisitive" person like me there's 10 others who just want an as-is project with no questions asked, and the auction house don't mind the odd casualty that comes of their approach.

In that respect, good luck to them!
Click to expand...


Im not sure how much more of a 'reasoned response' he could have given - if he didnt know if it ran or not ?
Like you said - he's the auctioneer - he may not have seen the car until that day and only had the info available from the vendor .


I agree - it makes sens e to know if its a runner or not Most people would want to know this as a basic ( ?) , and that could be the deciding factor for so many - and help determine budget on what it may be worth- depending on what they are planning to do with it .

As Rob said - a video of it running would be very useful on the website and so easy to do .

I bought my blue z after seeing it on ebay - and exchanged videos over the phone ( cold start , running , driving , walkaround etc. ) before i even went to see it in the flesh .

Caveat emptor - you didnt like what you saw and walked away - you may have doged a bullet .......................................( or missed out on a bargain ) .
 
richiep

richiep

Club Member
Ultimately, I think you have to take auction house cars for what they are; auctioneers are going to know next to nothing about them, they are dealing with high volumes of stock and want to get things done and dusted quickly. I mean, look at what happens when Zs come up for sale by typical classic car dealers (i.e. not Z specialists) - they are often misrepresented (see the recent blue Fairlady Z 2/2). Such dealers have more of an interest/direct investment in providing info and if they can't get it right, auctioneers looking to get dozens of cars across the block aren't going to care, other than using whatever basic copy the vendor has given them.

If you want details and a knowledgeable experience, you need to either have someone with hands-on Z knowledge to provide input, or buy from someone who trades in the cars regularly and may be an enthusiast (e.g. ChrisVega, SacCyclone, etc.). Auction cars like the above - its a take-a-chance purchase. You will likely pay less, but have to be prepared for anything from a work perspective. If you haven't got the skills, budget, time, mindset for that, go for a safer option.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
I think Mathewsons are now seen as a place to go for a day out in Yorkshire. I bet people are taking 'selfies' all the time.

Shame really, a victim of their own success.
 
richiep

richiep

Club Member
jonbills said:
I'd take one of those rust free 280s for £5k, without knowing if it runs or not ;-)
Click to expand...
Indeed. At that price point, “rolling restoration” should not be an expectation. It’s a candidate for total rebuild and resto-modding.

Once Dixie is done I need a 280Z to scratch other itches I have. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top