I am the original owner of a dark gray 1987 RX-7 Sport with 75,000 miles, always garaged, no damage history, complete maintenance history, stock except for a CD player and premium speakers, no rust (always in California), never raced or even driven hard, no rattles, nothing wrong with it, a prime candidate for preserving a classic. I will be selling it in about 18 months (finally found what I want to replace it with) and already I have people wanting to buy it. The problem I have is they are young guys who want to lower it, put low profile tires on it, intake, exhaust etc and then drive it hard. I know that is what I wanted to do when I was their age, but I think differently now (as they probably will too when they are older). I would prefer them to buy a car that is already modified so that this car can go someone who will take care of it and preserve it in close to stock condition. In time the number of cars like this will be fewer and fewer and I would like mine to be one of those. So how do I find a buyer like this? I am not a club member and really am not interested it that. Any thoughts anyone cares to share would be appreciated.

 

easy: dont sell to them, advertise in the AARP magazine, put up for sale ads at the local seniors center, retirement homes and cemetaries

 

Well.. it won't be YOUR car after you sell it, so who cares? If you want to make sure it'll stay 100% stock, keep it.

 

Yea if you want it to be rare and preserved just keep it. You can't control what people are gonna do to it, and it won't mean anything if the car isn't yours (as far as "fame" and value).

 

aftermarket radio = not 100% stock. believe it or not when they judge for concours, they check everything to make sure it a) works and b) is factory original.

with over 500,000 cars made the fc rx7 is gonna take a long time and its gonna have to be a very special example to bring a good price. look at the mgb market, they sold a similar number of cars, and you can still buy nice ones for $3000-5000. cars that are concours or restored bring more but they are still affordable.

i'm not trying to pee in your cheerios, just that theres a larger picture. or hell keep the thing, its a better car than whatever your gonna replace it with*

mike
*as long as its a new car

 

Being "in the business", I get a lot of people making these kind of comments, or asking my opinion on a "cherry" car's value. I'll be totally honest here.

True, low mile, clean, untampered-with rx-7s are getting hard to come by, and their value should be adjusted accordingly. However, this is no 67 mustang. It is not, and probably never will be a "collector" car. These are enthusiast cars that many people enjoy and seek out. This doesnt necessarily mean the price will increase with time, though it is possible it could. It sure doesn't mean you should let a perfectly good car sit in a garage rather than daily drive it, because you don't want to ruin it's "collector" status.

Bottom line, a clean low mile car is worth a few hundred or even a thousand or 2 more than other, average condition cars of the same year/model. But never should you see someone trying to get 2 or 3 times a car's average market value just because it is low mile, "cherry", or they believe it is a "collector item". Those people are just stupid.

Oh, and to answer your question about your particular car...the way to be selective about buyers without discriminating is always to ask a higher price then the younger crowd can pay. This thins out the customer pool greatly. But dont expect for someone to be looking for a mint condition 87 sport (the sport is a simple, lightweight, fun car, but nothing special) to give big dollars for. IF you had, say, an 89-91 t2, a GTU-s, a CYM FD, a low mile R1 Fd, etc. then you might pull some big dollars from that. But there is not much of a big money market for nonturbo rx-7s.

 

who said senior citizens can't be ricers?

 

There is an MGB down the street with a $8000 for sale sign on it...my MGA was a piece of **** and I see them for $16000.
Keep the faith!

I also get my ARRP mag every month.

 

I say keep it. You've paid it off, does it really cost that much to sit around? Are you just out of room for it in your garage?

Otherwise, just be VERY selective in the person to whom you sell the car. I know the guy I bought my 7 from, 6 months ago, wanted a person like me, who wouldn't trash the car, adn knew what he was doing with it... Just wait, you'll find the right buyer.

 

A guy that goes to my church inherited a couple million when he was 18, so he bought a rx7 turbo vert import. It has about 15,000 miles on it now. I think its an 87? or so, oil has been changed frequently, all fluids monitored, car is in completely mint condition, stock radio and all. He's had offers for 50k+ that I've seen in writing. I was surprised that they even made a turbo vert stock in Japan....

 

Both your friend, and the potential buyers, have more money than sense. A turbo vert can be replicated with a fresh rebuild, paint, wheels, and many modifications for well under $10k.

 

How much do you want for the Sport... I might want it just to have an 87 Sport in my collection again?

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