[INeedNewTires]

Very interesting thread....

IMO a car is only worth what someone will pay for it. So without the right buyer, the car isint worth anything. This has to do with your advertizing, effort, and most of all timing. If you were to sell a 'done-up' 240 in 2003-04 then obviously the car would have brought more cash, economy was better, drift craze was insane, the market was churning.

~Now~ that same car is worth probably around 20% less. Its funny i've flipped a few 240's and finally found the one i'm going to keep forever.

1st. S13 hatch 5sp SE. bone stock, rebuilt engine, bought for 1k, owned it for 9mos, blew the motor, sold it for $1800 with a sparco seat installed and a blown motor. this was in 2004-drift tax was in my favor.

2nd. S13 coupe 5sp base. bought it from the origional owner (who was an old guy, didnt know shit) for $750. Literally didnt do A THING to it, didnt transfer title or even put gas in it, sold it 3wks later for $2500. At the time i wish i hadn't but now i'm glad i did, and thats one hell of an investment. This was in 2005. Drift tax helps me again.

3rd. now its 2007, i've been saving for my dream 240 for 2yrs now, finally find the one. It must be kouki, 5sp, no moonroof, and with a swap already. Found just that and more. My goal with this car was to buy someones failed investment, so i could save money, and build the car tastefully but in my way, however I dont have all the tools or the means to do a motor swap and i saved alot of money by going this route.

The car was a stock body, stock suspension origional Kouki but had an S14 SR with a 2871 and a motor built and tuned by a reputable race shop with less than 500 miles on it. The seller had it in 'hock' at the shop, and his wife was threatening that "if you put another dollar into that damn car i'm divorcing your ass" he listed it on craigslist, and 18hrs later it was mine. Now i had a perfect baseline to start with. I get to choose all the suspension, interior, and bodywork, but dont have to mess with the motor for a little while, and best of all it was reliable and fresh. This car i will never sell....ever.


On another note, my older brother bought brand new one of the last USDM Kouki's in existance. He bought it at the end of 98, it had 7 miles on it. It currently sits in his garage, immaculate, with 57k on the clock, its a black/black 5sp SE non-abs with absolutely NOTHING done to it. He has the origionaly brochure, manuals, spare, wheel locks, dash mat, window sticker, EVERYTHING. He's been offered 15k for it, he will probably never sell it, or maybe not until he gets a stupid offer for it, like 30k or something retarted. But what do you guys think something like that is worth?