New draft of import rules released today, they come effective in 2018. Any car over 25 years can be brought in unrestricted.... Means 2000 zeds are possible if there are still any around in 2025. However the Honda NSX built from 1990's will be available!!! can be had for 30K in Japan.
I get the excitement but if you wait 9 years for a 2000 zed you are still getting a Zed that is 25 years old if you catch my drift....
I'm all giddy, time to start pinching my money so I can bring in something unrestricted. Modified NSXs, mmmmm yes please.
I catch your drift I would imagine there are people here, in the mid life category maybe who see the zed as more than a daily drive (an item to be consumer and discarded) who hope to be able to enjoy zeds well into the future, 89/90 models will be 35 at that time if you look at your average 89/90 now they are in the main clagged and about to fall off a cliff. Compared to the below which are low Km (50,000 km or under) series 4, mint, unmodded, factory oem cars Link Link Link In the future 2000 zeds will be able to be brought in, they are rare now in Japan (especially TT) so if you are a person who hopes to have an almost showroom condition, collectible, valuable 300zx one of the above fits the bill I would think that one needs to look at getting one sooner rather than latter before they are all gone. I have often wondered in 50 years time which zed will be worth more a showroom 1990 or a showroom 2000... of course by this time petrol cars wont be mainstream anymore anyway.
you could But why would you? the availability or parts, the cost of parts and the fact you would have a 1990 (ie earlier) zed that was more than likely unoriginal? with a mixture of non oem and oem parts, of which hundreds of thousands were built. OR have an oem 1999/2000 low km in almost show room that had all the upgrades that is much rarer? depends if you are a boy racer (ricer) or you want an unaltered zed, one day they will be worth money, usually highly modded/personalised cars arent worth much compared to something in immaculate unalterated original condition, and as you said they the 2000's will be 25 years and the 1990's 35 years, just saying maybe worthwhile planning ahead for the future if you want to have skin in the zed game for a long time to come, which is the better route to achieve this?
For the record it took me 6 years to replica a 2000 model Z32 and cost me around $40k so far. Though it doesn't have a build plate stating its a 2000 model, it does have OEM cruise control, OEM TT USDM rear wheels, OEM USDM 4 wheel adjustable dampening suspension, 25th Anniversary Stillen Sway bars and K&N pod filter which the 2000 models never had from the factory. Heres what it looked like before And After
thats alot... Alot of money buts its still a 1989, lipstick on a pig? I'm looking at 1999/2000 zeds there are maybe 10 for sale in Japan, most are NA AUTO, The TT's tend to be more modded and usually not nicely modded. Finding a TT Manual with low kms is a hard ask (almost impossible). as these things already rare in their home market, occaisionally every now and then a low km, immaculate un modded car comes up, price is 30K ball park usually. If the rules do change, then looking for a series 4 zed in 9 years time there maybe none left for sale, I will be asking my contact who buys on my behalf in Japan about finding a place to store a car because buying something now and storing it for 9 years may be the only way of getting the rarest of zeds still in like new condition, surely a car like this if in 20-30 years will have to be worth some really money if left un modded/maintained well/low km. Have you seen the price of the old GTR's they are worth 100K -200K they are 40 - 50 years old now, same thing likely for zeds. I suppose what I would love opinions on is, if zeds become a collectors item in the future say 30-40 year whatever, will it be immaculate early version or immaculate later models? there still are 1990-1992 zeds in Japan with 20-30 thous km in amazing condition, some are quite cheap. 1998, 7,000 kms NA Auto (23K AUD) 1995, Convertible, 2,000 kms (19K AUD) 1991, Targa 4 seater, 25,000 kms NA Auto (8K AUD) 1990, TT Targa 4 seater Auto 30,000 km (18K AUD)
Everything you say here is correct or possible (cant really tell the future) but if these cars do go up and with the rarity already of 99/2k models the buy price will be crazy in 10 or so years and the ability to source maybe impossible. this is why I suggest getting an older one now and doing right by it (what ever you idea of right may be) I believe you will spend similar amounts of money and in 10 years tim a 2k model being 25 years old will be potentially no more of a gem that an good condition 35 yr old 90 model. think of the current pricing of a 240z and the 260z a fair difference in the price of a good one of each
I dunno, that's just a bit of unjustified snobbery isn't it? It's not like there were any differences in spec or performance? Just a bit of a nip and tuck here and there and different interior bits. Kinda like saying the late model 180SX was just so much better than the earlier ones. As far as I'm concerned, they are pretty much the same thing. At least 180s had a engine size bump early in its life. R34 Vspec II Nur vs regular pov spec. Lots of extra goodies which make it better than a regular one. Any Honda Type R is special vs the regular model as the performance gap is significant. Late model zed vs earlier model zed, pretty much the same thing... for those of us who like modified cars, I could never own a stock zed so having a rarer later one still makes me want to modify it and devalue the thing. Not that good looking nor that special performance wise either. I don't think in our market it really matters. Early 240Zs fetch just as much, if not more than the later ones. Been thinking about buying an RX7 lately. Not going to buy the Spirit R because I'm gonna modify it which devalues it, might as well start with a lower spec and more common R or RS.
Gee Raheen, to refer to Adam's Z as lipstick on a pig, you must have a pretty awesome Z in your garage - go on mate, throw up some pics! And one minute you're going on about a boyfriend in Japan who can get you anything you want via personal import, next you're daydreaming about it's just 9 years till you can get a 99/00 model Z! Which let's face it, if there are any genuinely low mileage, original, top condition 2000 models left in 9 years and one appears at auction - you're just going to get pipped at the last minute by someone like me who doesn't care what it takes to win the auction Adam's got a brilliant Z that's just the way he wants it. No daydreaming, he can go jump in it right now. Enjoy your 9 years of daydreaming
you misunderstand So let me use an example, the guy/s who heavily modded their Z32 to look like a ferrari (search/google you will find it) are you saying that since it looks the part its a ferrari? A 1990 zed made up to look like a series 4 is a series 4 in your book because cosmetics is all that matters? pretty sure many people on here would give their right nut for a 2000 spec zed? Taking nothing away from Adam I'm sure he loves his car, but its not a series 4 and its highly unlikely should it exist way into the future to be collectible/valuable, because 1990's aren't rare and its not genuine any more after the face lift he gave it, there are some assumptions in there i know but happy to hear your thoughts on what zed will be the one to have as a collectors item in the distant future. I'm taking talking about identifying what will become the must have collectors zed when they are super rare sometime in the future, 20-30-40 years from now and acting now or soon if one was inclined to find a amazing unaltered almost showroom level car to preserve... for all the other zeds out there mod away, run your zed into the ground at your hearts content, it will speed up the process of making the few remaining immaculate cars preserved that more valuable. The boyfriend you refer to is my cousin, who has offered co operate in clearing the fed governements hurdles, and if i was to take him up on the offer I would be getting a porsche cayman for 20 - 25 K AUD for the record (yeah i know its not a 911 but bang for buck its hard to beat IMHO) You forget that not everyone is a boy ricer/racer, some people (like myself) are interested in obtaining while its still possible a museum piece so when i'm an old man I can whip out into the shed, remove the dust cover off the 50 year old zed in top conditions which I have stored/maintained there and show people this is how cars use to be made in the good old days. FYI not going to get a 2000 zed at auction in Japan, now or in 9 years, but what would I know, only lived there, speak the language, married a local, have blood family living there, have in laws there, nieces, nephews, go there pretty much every year and have mates who work in the Japanese Used export business.. So when I decided to execute I suppose I would get a mates in the business to look out for one (2000, manual, TT, crazy low kms, unaltered) look out for one myself, speak to the people the zed specialty shop in machida (who I have meet in the flesh numerous times) and ask them if they learn of one that meets my criteria to call me.
I understand this argument and while I may not agree (I would go FD personally) it is valid, I just do not think however waiting 9 years to get a 2k model z32 is a superior option to getting an older one now and spending those 9 years making it the best it can be - personal opinion there of course - getting a 2k now ans spending those 9 years may be better but not totally viable.
And you are 100% correct Raheen, my Z is not a genuine built out of the factory 2kspec model, and I understand that and I understand to a real collector he will probably still see my Z as nothing more then a modified 1989/12 model, which in my opinion sucks but that's how these hardcore collectors are going to look at things. But to me the 2kspec models lack a few personal options and equipment which I find a must have in this day and age and I thought to myself, why would I buy a 2kspec model if I would have to modify it to suit what I want in a Z32, a car I have dreamed about since I was 14 years old. So I took upon myself to design a one of a kind, best of the best OEM replica Z32 that incorporated my ideal factory styling and optional parts from not just the JDM models, but the UKDM, ADM, USDM and finally the 25th Stillen Anniversary model which in my opinion surpasses any true 2kspec model's originality by a mile and the collection of OEM parts I have contained on the 1989 model chassis I would like to think could be more valuable then any collector would be willing to pay for a real 2kspec 2+2 Version R TT model. Still this is just my opinion and you can think what ever you want, but I built my Z to be seen as one of the best Z32 in not just Australia, but around the world and I know for a fact, that no one will even try and build a Z32 the same way I have and I'm extremely proud of that and if I'm lucky my Z will always be remembered among the Z32 community like so many other Z's iseen over the years. One such example I know of is the Godfather widebody Z32 which we all know is the only Z32 in Australia with that unique body kit and I know alot of members saw that Z as a one of the best because it was so different to the rest of the Z32's out there.
9 years from now the attraction of a 2k Z won't be the condition, it'll be the low production numbers. Whether there's a market for them in AUS has yet to be seen -they've never enjoyed the popularity of the GTR (for a number of reasons) so I can't see them fetching R32 or R34 money.
True mate, but does it have a place in some way, shape of form? the 1990's was a golden era for Japanese sports cars, GTR proceeds that era and is still enduring today, the zed is iconic, its shape was ground breaking at the time, it has some nostalgia factor to it, you seen it now when you pull up somewhere and people say "nice car mate" happens alot to zed owners as i'm sure many people will agree with. It will have a place up there might not be the top of the tree but will be in the mix somewhere you would think. If you look at it from the rarest perspective 2000 specs are the most limited in terms of build numbers, 2000 TT alot more rare than NA 2000 models, series 4 cars as some have pointed out aren't that much of an upgrade on previous series but they were as good as zeds got i suppose. if you google best sports cars made or best ever japanese sports car the NSX is the one that appears on most list. Which are luckily enough are still available in decent numbers and alot of good condition cars out there, maybe anyone who has owned one was aware of the fact it will be worth coin someday and thus didnt run them into the ground like what has happened to many zeds.
:rofl: i get lots of comments and people taking pics of the Convertible,,,, but i'm pretty sure it's not too compliment me on such a nice car, it's so they can stalk me and then knock me over the head and steal her.
The thing that people don't realise is the difference in the engineering between these 2 cars. The NSX has forged alloy suspension components whereas the Z32 has all pressed steel parts ( cheap ) The engine is on a different planet when you compare the 2, The NSX is a purebred supercar engine. The VG30 is like a vintage car engine compared to it. The NSX will always be a super car, Z32 is what we want to make of it. Some good and some bad.......... IMO its easier to leave an NSX stock and be happy with it than do the same to a Z32...
