In the intro thread asked me to post historical market values for 1st gen. Since I am already at three posts in the intro thread, I am posting it here:

 

Looks right. Almost all of our cars are in the fair to good categories. There are less in the excellent and very few in the concours catgories.

 

So, my car's value dropped $300 in 28 years and 363 days ?

Thanks for reminding me of the march 13th anniversary purchase date. At the time I was riding the bus due to an accident on aug 14 1987. Ya, 2 years and 7 months! Riding a L A bus +3 hours each way to work 6 1/2 hours on grave yard shift. And it was through Watts, and Inglewood, past florence +normandy (where the riot of '92 started) , on MLK blvd, the 42 line which came from the L A county jail. right when they release all the jailbirds. I'm white, and the white jail birds gave me more trouble than the black jail birds. This hot babe got on the bus with this big guy. She bitched at him the whole 1 1/2 hour ride about not having cigarettes and what good was he? how he was useless! And how she knew she shouldn't have worked at "that place". And he sat there, taking it like a hen pecked husband, "oh, ya, ahh ha, ya oh, ah ha..."

 

Based on inflation, 10,000 in 1983 would be worth $25,803 in today's dollars.

Put another way, $1 in 1983 is $2.58 in 2019 dollars.

https://smartasset.com/investing/inf...tor#3BeF9o0zoi

 

That only holds on non-depreciating assets.

I think I bought my 80 SA in 83 for $7200.00 at 19% interest, which worked out to about $500.00 a month for 3 or so years. Painful but I kept it after all that. I could have gotten the GSL-SE but it was twice the price and I liked the SA styling better.

 

$3700 in 1990 is $7278 now. So my car dropped $7237-$3000 = $4200 ??? But just the collapse lung from the 1987 cost +$25,000 is figure one stabbing every decade while riding the bus through Watts coming from the county jail at $25,000 per stabbing is $75,000...........but if I was riding the bus when the 1992 riot broke out , I probably would be dead.

 

Bought my 85 GSL-SE in Ventura, CA, in 1994 from the original owner with 56k miles for $4500.00, and it is now insured through American Collector Cars for $15,000. Which makes driving a car that can not really be repaired, or replaced today much less stressful with way to many folks looking at cell phones instead of the road these days.

 

If you guys have been following Bring A Trailer, there have been a few SA22Cs and GSL-SEs that are pushing the values up to that $20k mark. More recently mid level low mile examples have crossed over the $10k mark. I'm seeing the local classified ads increasing as well, but not sure if anyone is actually getting more than $5k for a typical condition example. I've gone too far past stock on mine to really care about values. I drove it stock for a year and didn't think it was worth the price I paid. I could have just sat on it, not driven it, but there's no fun in that.

 

Prices local to me have been creeping up over the last few years. (Not that many come up for sale). I bought a 85 GSLSE with 90k for $3500. All original from the second owner I'd say in good shape. No rust had one dent above the gas door. I jumped on this one at the right time.

 

There was a time, not very long ago, I was able to buy running TII's for 2000-2500. And 1st gens for 1000ish. Maybe 2000 for a nice one. Now I see 1st gen shells going for that! NA FC's over 6000. and GSLSE at the 6000 range too...

I'm not so sure anyone is paying these high prices though. Anyone here actually see 1st and 2nd gen Rx7's actually selling that high?

 

They are paying it for low mile original paint rust free cars. It's a huge gap in price once a single rust bubble is showing or mods are done to it.

 

You meant "more" stressful right? I know what you mean as I'm in the same boat with another car.

Yup they are. The BAT auctions for those low mileage original cars are insane. I'll take your white one though as it looks just as clean!

 

Yeah, I grabbed it before people started paying attention to the prices. Just passed 40k miles. It had 20k 3 years ago. Whoops. But no regrets.

 

What about the frame off restomods? Digging around Meccum I found this: https://www.mecum.com/lots/AZ0319-36...tang-fastback/ that is far from stock. $225k. Most cars look tike they were repainted. Here's a $38k 240z with 5.7 swap and a clean but not stock look: https://www.mecum.com/lots/LN1118-36...3-datsun-240z/

I am honestly asking because this **** keeps me up at night. Does a frame off down to metal restoration add value to a car? Does adding desired elements, such as a 13b engine or the GSLSE drivetrain add value ? Or let me ask this, Why would it detract from value. To me a stock survivor is a bit of a gamble. I would prefer to have a restored car with pictures to detail the quality of the work done. Judging by the examples above, modified cars are not devoid of value.

 

I guess my comment applies more toward the average modified car that represents 99% of modified cars out there: intake, exhaust, maybe some budget minded upgrades, eBay turbo kits, etc.

There is definitely a market for ultra clean resto-mod cars if they are done stylish and fully up to date with running gear and desirable market trends...but those too need documented low miles since the restoration to be of high value, and they have to be the right car at the right time.

You can look at what ICON does with old SUVs, Singer does with Porsches, or PAC does with 70s rotaries. These builds are insanely expensive and have the clients willing to pay for them. However, in all 3 of those instances, availability of low mile originals is either non existent or just as insanely expensive...and they are adding engineered enhancements you don't get from a typical modded car, and I believe they also warranty all their work and provide a build sheet of all the parts used in case they ever have to be replaced.

 

I believe the 80's and 90's era's cars are going up in value because the JDM car enthusiasts are now adults. These adults now have the money to acquire the cars of their youth again. But not wanting (or having the time) to build from scratch, or restore a pile of junk. They are hunting down clean stock versions they can drive around on the weekend.

Now that the F&F furious era people (myself) are getting to that age. I expect more cars to go up in price. Have you seen what a real Type R Integra goes for now!?!?

 

You're probably right that "the Fast N Furious era" has helped to add strength to the JDM market overall. By definition, a F&F era car means a highly modified car, so it only makes sense that people influenced by that era will widely embrace those type of modifications. This is however just one segment to a broader cross section of JDM enthusiasts. For those who were influenced in earlier eras (60's / 70's JDM's) I think that modifications are also accepted, but they should be "tasteful", best confined to things that were popular from those era's. Overall, this group tends to place greater value on stock-"ish" vehicles which are typically more highly prized.

A stock vehicle will be highly valued in any group, but a modified vehicle is accepted for more (or less) depending on what era it is from.

 

There is a pre f&f era of people that remember looking at the cars new at the auto shows when they were just starting out. That were never interested in modifying them because it is the new stock car image that is in your memory. We are not buying them to be daily drivers. Spot on about the weekend, car club runs and shows.

 

My stock, all original, 25k mile 1979 Limited is on ebay right now.

Guess we'll see how it does. Auction ends on May 6th.

I'm hoping for a big number.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273822927321

 

Wow just checked the listing. It's a big number haha. Beautiful car BTW

 

That is a very clean car Gary, very nice! What is the smaller pipe that runs next to the exhaust?

 

I believe it has something to do with the "thermal reactor" (no cat on 1979) emissions system for the exhaust. It's all original stock exhaust.

Gary

 

I'm hoping for around $15K. I think it's totally worth it.

In the right auction venue, I bet it would go for at least $18-20K

 

Wow thats a nice one. GLWS

 

Ebay is good but bringatrailer might have pulled in better bidders and more money. What did it end at or has it yet? Did you get reserve?