Was just at a classic auto fest in Macungie PA. Thousands of classic cars. One thing that I did notice was that the cars bringing the most interest were those with Original Parts and no modifications. In fact, a number of the cars, even the restored muscle cars had their original sticker on a board showcasing the vehicle. My question here is why do we as Z owners rush to remove almost every stitch of the original car from our car?? Why do we rush to decal it, lower it, change out the wheels, modify the engine, remove the nissan symbols? rework the engine with new custom parts? etc....

Not trying to flame, but, at some point over time, I have found that mods actually don't represent to the true beauty and value of the car and are not what enthusiasts want to look at. Anyway, just my observation and opine.

 

I think its more of what you want the car to look like. I'm going mod my car because I plan on keeping it a while. Put stuff on there that I think makes it more attractive and appealing to me.

Besides if you are looking for a collectors item. You shouldn't even drive the car. What's the point in that? (besides the fact that you could make more money out of the car in 60 years). That is, if gasoline is out in the street for consumers to buy.

 

I hear what you are saying, but i highly doubt that todays cars will turn out to be classics like cars from the 50-60-70s are today. Their numbers were so much more limited during production than todays cars are. A 57 Chev is so different than a 58. Yet the Z looks the basic same from 03-07 and there were 100x as many produced. Doesn't have the makings of a true collector car 40 years from now.

 

Everyone has a different direction they want to go with their cars. Some people want to make a car "their own", others want the latest style or most expensive parts, while others want to make their car go faster, handle better, sound louder etc... The point is, most people will eventually grow out of their car and move on, so don't look at it as a collectible but rather as a "here and now" project.

 

todays cars are just not classics. the value of our cars get much worse as time goes by. so it's not worth keeping it for a future sale or collectors item.

I do have a 1971 Pantera Detomaso GTS # 3 of the original 40 hand made Italian ones. ( push button exterior door handle) There are only 3 of those 40 known around the world today, unless someone has one in good condition on a farm somewhere.

Something like that is considered a classic and rare vehicle to restore as OG.
But if you think about it back when those classics came out at that time the owner's who bought them as well also did hook them up. I remember my father had a 68 camero/road runner/mach 1, which he hooked up to street race back then. Just now a days those cars are considered classic, but at the time of sale they were just like our Z's!!

I don't know about you or anyone else, but i see true beauty when i look at my master piece so far!

 

50 years ago no one thought about their cars being classics someday. My dad has told me numerous times about stripping and cutting down 55-57 Chevy's, Classic Fords, and all sorts of cars to make race cars out of back then. There were a lot of those cars on the roads, just most of them didn't survive.

 

Because we care more about uniqueness, looks, and performance rather than hoping the Z will become a collector car 20 years from now.

 

I see stock wheels and unshined tires.

 

I do believe the import scene with have an impact on the future. I think people might want to buy my old school GSX Eclipse in 30 years that means it will be 46 year old car and we might not have any of this awd turbo stuff in the future. Possibly other cars could be invented to fix our needs in the future.

 

i hate shining my tires...gets everywhere after you start driving...and im debating on what rims to get or if i should do the painting in my other thread buuuuuut.....least the rims are cleaN!!

 

My dad owned a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 XL, at the time considered one of Ford's best. I think he paid around $2 grand for it, brand new. Even had it delivered to our house by the dealer. He drove the crap out of it and then traded it in for an Olds. I think he got a couple of hundred bucks for it.

I saw a restored Galaxy 500 XL on Mecum sell for over $25 grand. I never considered our family car a "classic."

 

I think what you say is quite true, but today there're just too many Z on the road and most of us (car enthusiast) wants to be differentiated on the road...so we modified our car. We don't want to be in crowd who bought the Z just because they want to look good or show off that they got money (poser).

I guess to best way is to keep your OEM part if you change it to something else, i.e. wheel, intake, exhaust, hood, etc, so that won't have problem returning it to stock


pics please

 

i woulda bought that thing a few years ago! can never find one that DOSENT have a blitz body kit (the one on the green clipse in F&F1), everybody puts that kit on. GSX = O.G EVO.

 

when i get home i'll post some!! i actually have it at my shop today...its nice as hell out in NJ!!!

 

Think of the original 240z. I remember when it came out and how amazingly cool I thought it was. No one ever thought it would be anything of a collector's car or "classic".

Just think however how much fun it would be to have a truly pristine, totally stock 240z now? I'd love it. A clean, stock 240z would cost you 3-4 times what the original selling price was for the car.

A lot can happen in 40 years, but I would guess that if there is still gas available and it is still legal to drive them, that you might be able to sell a clean, stock 350z for 3 times what the new selling price is now. A modified car won't be worth nearly as much.

The point that others have made though is that most folks buy newer cars for their current needs/desires not for future resale. In all but a few, unusual cases, cars are going to be money pits. You will put a lot more into them than you will ever be able to get out of them. That is one of the reasons why I generally recommend that young folks, who still have education to pay for, homes to buy, retirement to start saving for, should never buy newer cars. It is simply a financial disaster.

 

i do believe the og Datsuns are considered classics!!

 

Personality my friend..

 

Wasn't there some company that was restoring old 240/260/280Z's and selling them somewhere down in Southern CA?

 

Yes, not sure whats the name of the company is, but i have heard about it threw my fathers friends.

 

Numbers matching doesn't have the same importance today. Older cars had super rare option packages, engine combos, etc. Not so much much today.