On this we can agree.

 

The FD is possibly the most fun car to mod on the planet which is just one more reason it's a legendary car If done right it's more reliable, faster and twice as fun to drive which is HUGE because it started out better than most, even if you include today's cars.

If you buy nice low mileage FDs you should make money while you drive which is hard to beat

 

 

i think some of it has to do with the collective overpricing of sellers.. some will argue but imho... it does have an effect on how virgin buyers sees the value of our beloved FDs

 

One thing to remember is that markets are never really efficient, especially ones with low, obscured volume. It was only a matter of time before people realized that the number of decent, low mileage USDM FDs was shrinking (not that it was huge to begin with).

I also think the realization of people that an engine rebuild on an FD isn't that far off from say, a NSX timing belt ($2500) makes it a little more palatable. Plus, people with 20-40k to throw around on a new toy probably won't bat much of an eye at a $2-3k rebuild or a 4.5-5k pull full service R&R.

Finally there's the realization that a car like this will NEVER be built again. A 26-2800lb production car with full double a-arm suspension all around at this power level today? LOL. The closest thing to that is the new ND2 at 181hp.

 

What better ways would be to invest 30k? Like others have said, being able to enjoy the car while you own it and able to sell it for close to what you bought it for seems like a good deal?

 

There are always cars that are good deals and cars that are bad deals. Today it's a 20k FD to the right guy (good deal 17k). In other words prices are up 5 to 15k depending upon the car, the deal etc..... Some buy high and some buy low.

Yanni's car below was a decent deal at 24k (95, fresh engine, 99 parts etc...). I'm guessing it sold for around 22k.

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...turbo-1123223/

 

Like literally anything else besides a car? Cars are awful investments. Putting your money into something and being able to sell it for what you put into it isn't a good investment.

If you want to talk about which toys are a good value, that's a separate discussion.

 

Exactly!

There are very few cars you can buy for 20k (maintain and drive for 25k plus miles) and then sell for 20k plus in 5 years. There is no car on the market that's as attractive and this much fun to drive for 20k. In other words if you like sports cars and being frugal the FD still makes a lot of sense.

At some point though it won't make economical sense to drive it which sucks So you park it, go to car shows and drive around in your miata having 1/2 as much fun but making twice as much money............still not a bad choice hehe

 

OR.........if you like money more than cars you take your 30k and buy amazon LOL

 

This:
Key word: investment. If people are looking to make money a car is a terrible investment. Barring nifty things that people buy like a nice set of wheels, cars cost money just to own. From insurance, repairs, maintenance, depreciation due to miles driven, it all adds up and cuts into the profit margin. And thus makes it a terrible investment venture.

Even a car that is hardly driven can have repairs, especially the FD with all of the plastic parts.. From cooking of the 72 vacuum lines that are now 22-25 years old, to the plastic end tanks of the stock radiator, or the AST. These cars are old and the plastic pieces that see heat are bound to go at some point.

Let's look at maintenance: it's not just engine oil, transmission, and coolant changes (keep in mind if this is an investment those should be done at a shop so you can have the paper work). It is also tires. Even if not driven tires have an expiration date. And a decent set of tires will sink you $1K or close to it depending what you choose. Again, dipping into your investment.

Now enjoyment. So this car was bought for investment purposes but you want to enjoy it too... I ask you how can you enjoy a car when you are too nervous to put miles on it? Because the more you drive it, the less your car is worth. Never mind that each mile driven increases the likely hood of something needing to be repaired. What if you get a rock chip? which will happen btw... Every chip is costing you money. Get enough of them and a repaint will be in order. But there is a catch 22 when it comes to rock chips. If you don't paint it it will cut into your asking price but if you do paint it you won't get the $$ back in the resale because the car is now a respray.

See what I mean? Bad idea.... Unless you bought it for the love. If that is the case, then you won't mind putting miles nor sinking money into it because you'll get it back in smiles per gallon. And when the day comes for you to sell an added benefit will be that you'll get some decent money out of it (if you took good care of your car).

 

Montego - very well said!

 

This is likely one of the better low mileage cars on the market and might actually sell. Not a good deal and not a bad deal. You have to pay to play

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...modelCode1=RX7

 

That's one for your stable, Fritz!

 

Stable is full and wouldn't pay more than 30k for it anyway LOL

 

Perfect example of the best deal I've seen in years and it likely sold in 2 hours. If I had space I'd have bought it no questions asked other than bank info for wire.

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...oller-1124739/

 

Hopefully the new owner won't swap out the engine

 

What, should the proper price have been?

$24,000 - new engine = $16,000?

 

Nice looking car. The paint job must be a real cheapo to be peeling after 2 years.

 

I really like your Yellow FD, Montego!

 

CYM is my favorite yellow!

If the buyer's name is any clue that's not likely hehe. No worries though because it feeds the parts system and it's one less rotary FD so it helps the value of the supply side dynamic

At least 16k I think it would have sold in 30 days so 20k might not even be too big of a stretch. I'd buy it at 20k versus many other cars currently on the market but that's also why very few listed at 30k plus have sold.

And it's a base model

Yep the repaint is likely not the best.

 

Thanks!

Mine is not CYM It is actually velocity yellow (corvette color)

Yeah that's why I said it. But good call on putting a positive spin on it

 

Looks like it has even more gold flake in it than CYM. NICE!!!!

 

I am actually surprised that 9k for a red/tan touring with a blown engine counts as a great deal...I'm still in the mindset of the 15k rule since I bought my running R1 with 73k (and some mods) for 16k just one year ago...

Although I am very happy to see that clean rollers still have a hot market at this price and it seems like the minimum price for a clean FD to start working off of is now over 20k. It's just crazy to have to quickly update (month by month) in my mind what a good deal is

 

Even without the 94 premium I'd consider it a solid deal. You could drop it off at a shop and have a clean, blank slate for less than what a lot of people are asking. With the 94-95 tax it becomes a screaming deal.