For the first time in forever, a legitimately good idea appears!

"Dsscats" (dsscats)
10/20/2014 at 01:18 • Filed to: None

I figured out a way where I might be able to "have it all."

I can get rid of THIS Z32, but still get one!

Step 1: Sell 300ZX for $8000ish

Step 2: Buy beater daily for $2500ish, such as:

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Step 3: Buy a weekend car with the remaining $5500 or so.

I like the first one the best.

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DISCUSSION (32)

Bytemite > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:27

What makes you think your 300ZX is worth two 300ZXs? Aint nobody paying 8k for a 300zx, especially one with mechanical issues.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:30

The second one had a twin turbo swap. Whenever I hear " I did _____ Modification to the engine" I think "I did ______ Modification to the engine, I did it wrong, Its damaged in someway because I screwed up and Im selling it with my tail between my legs, Shoulda had a professional do it"

Dsscats > Bytemite
10/20/2014 at 01:32

1. Kinda dickish.....

2. It doesn't have any mechanical issues.

3. It's incredibly well sorted, low miles, mint, etc. That's actually $1300 under KBB, so.....

Bytemite > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:34

Oh I didn't mean to sound dickish and if so, sorry.

If it doesn't have mechanical issues, why are you selling it again? 8k for a 300zx...(is it Turbo)?

Bytemite > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/20/2014 at 01:36

So true. No average joe is going to do a "twin turbo swap" in his home garage. That is a pipe dream. Actually, all swaps are pipe dreams. I bet the number of times people mention "engine swap" and the number of times engine swaps are actually done is a ratio of 1,000:1

Dsscats > Bytemite
10/20/2014 at 01:37

Not worth maintaining at this point. And non turbo. Plus I have $6000 of records for it from the past year. Non turbo. And admittedly, I don't think it will sell quickly, but I do think it will sell.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:38

Dsscats, I recall you saying that you are in love with your car after it came back from the Nissan service! now, I know you want to do this, since both of these are awesome, but to be honest, neither of them, not even the TT car, looks anywhere near as good as yours. you have one of THE CLEANEST 300zx's out there. Hell, it's the cleanest CAR from the 1990's that I've seen since the early 2000's! Your car is absolutely gorgeous. I know the 5-speed car and the TT car are better driver's cars. But your car is THE BETTER CAR. I say keep your mint Z32 for now, and add that TT one to the fleet when you can later! :)

D > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:38

IIRC you said you wanted to lose your Z32 because you were anxious something else could go wrong. How would going right back to another Z32 solve this? unless there are other reasons

Dsscats > D
10/20/2014 at 01:40

Having a daily means it wouldn't be as urgent if something went wrong and I could let it sit while I saved to upgrade. And I'm more afraid of MY Z32 going wrong.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:41

was your title and first paragraph a frozen reference?

Dsscats > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
10/20/2014 at 01:42

Nope, 30 rock

Dsscats > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
10/20/2014 at 01:47

I'm not sure if I love MY Z32 or THE Z32 though. Just too many problems for a non turbo car.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:52

Your car, your call... I just feel that you'd regret if you sold it at some point.

samssun > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 01:54

The combination of age and affordability means that in addition to the maintenance/wear, difficulty doing basic stuff due to stuck bolts, brittle connectors, etc, you have to add the fact that most are beat to hell.

If you have a clean 300ZX, do not sell it for what's sure to be a beater. "My car is missing the climate control but don't worry it's $70 on ebay but I'm selling it" = this is just the most visible among 100 other problems.

My 300ZX was a relatively clean example, and still had a bunch of little annoyances that were more time consuming and costly than I would've expected. There's no way you'll come out ahead by trading down.

DatsunOfABit > Bytemite
10/20/2014 at 02:08

No offense, but I did a twin turbo swap in my garage/driveway 3 different times on 3 different Z cars, and have also done an LS swap on a classic Datsun. At this point in time, no swap scares me any more. The LS swap is a piece of cake, and if you are familiar with a Z32 a twin turbo swap is not hard, it just takes time. Realistically, swapped owners who did the work usually know their car inside and out, so they are some of the best people to ask about what has been done. To say all swaps are pipe dreams is a little overboard. None of the ones I have ever built have had any issues in the past 3 years, and my personal twin turbo swap is VERY mean and VERY strong. If you want a twin turbo 2+2, you have to swap it. My brother paid $4k to have a swap built at our city's Z shop by the owners son because he did not want to wait for me, and it was a rolling problem child that he eventually sold. I would modify your statement to say most teens/early 20s home garage swaps are pipe dreams, but if you know anything about Z32 TT owners, they area very anal group who take pride in their mechanical abilities.

DatsunOfABit > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
10/20/2014 at 02:14

The only shitty swap I have ever personally been around was done by a "professional" at a Z shop. None of the three Z32TT swaps I have done have had any troubles. I admit I am probably more mechanically inclined than the average Joe, but the work load is nothing you cannot perform by reading and following a good set of instructions from someone who has previously done this. It is honestly more scary to think about than to do. It is simply installing a factory engine into a body it normally is available in. It is not a custom swap.

Bytemite > DatsunOfABit
10/20/2014 at 02:37

That is nice and all but you need to realize how many times people on the internet bring up engine swaps. They talk about them like it is no big deal, like "oh this car has a blown headgasket? LS swap bro!"

DatsunOfABit > Bytemite
10/20/2014 at 02:55

My point is it depends on where you are looking on the internet. If you read forums for these specific cars and many others, you will find tons of capable and successful swappers. If you are looking on facebook at car fan pages or at teenagers and hipsters pipe dreaming in the oppo or jalopnik comments, then yes, it will look a lot worse. But to say "ALL SWAPS ARE PIPE DREAMS" is definitely far from correct.

To be completely honest, LS swapping many of the popular cars actually is no big deal. Like less than a day of work no big deal. Engine mounts, transmission mounts, headers, and custom oil pans are mass produced for specific cars now, especially any car used to drift. After obtaining those mounts and your LS engine and T56 speed transmission, it is just a matter of removing your factory engine and components (took 45 mins for my fuel injected datsun), dropping the new stuff in, and hooking up less than 10 wires from a stand alone wiring harness and your tuned PCM (both available on the internet for $385 total) then bolting it all in.Replace the clutch master cylinder (simple 2 bolt removal in the engine bay), connect the throttle cable, add a radiator, electric fan that taps into your stand alone harness which is already prepared for this, and either custom drive shaft or pre-purchased for your swap drive shaft and you are on the road. I actually did LS swap my Datsun over a simple head problem on my L28 which was a $200 repair. It is not hard at all to LS swap a car, it is actually pretty easy, which is why most people choose to use them, which is kind of my point. I am not sure how mechanical you are, but I have full faith you could actually LS swap something relatively easily.

DatsunOfABit > Bytemite
10/20/2014 at 03:03

RB swaps are a bitch as well as 2JZ swaps are relatively hard because they are inline 6 twin turbo engines commonly crammed into small cars, but the LS is a 349ci V8 which is relatively short in length, and requires little more than bolting in and wiring. An RB or 2JZ swap is more inline with the kind of unfinished swaps you are referring to due to turbos, waste gates, intercooler, new gauges based off vacuum,and more complex wiring, and the need for new manifolds and piping to relocate turbos, although now they are making swap kits for most popular cars as well.

offroadkarter > Dsscats
10/20/2014 at 03:04

selling your nice Z32 for a beat to hell Z32 as a daily driver is a horrible idea. Its fine to get another one as a fun car but lets stop and think here for a second . Saying "well my car is nickel and dimeing me so I want to sell it for two of the same car except in worse shape" is not the right step to take.

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Dsscats
10/21/2014 at 11:46

Dsscats, I've got a question for you on the value of a 300ZX. What do you think I could pull on a 300ZX TT SMZ? It's pretty tough to gauge a reading on these, just trying to feel out the market.

1996, 30k miles, #104 of 104 made (last one produced, only one titled as a 1996 I believe). It was one of two installed with a highly upgraded automatic transmission at an additional cost of nearly $8k when ordered. Additional $8k custom silver flake paint job when ordered. New custom Borla exhaust system installed in 2013 at a cost of nearly $4k. Everything else is stock and mint.

Kinja'd!!!

Dsscats > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
10/21/2014 at 13:23

In this market, my guess would be $15k. In a better market, $18ish

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Dsscats
10/21/2014 at 13:38

Damn, definitely gonna let it sit for a while then. Only others I've seen go in recent years have all been $30-40k+.

Dsscats > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
10/21/2014 at 14:36

To be honest, it's probably worth way more but most of the 300ZX drivers are broke kids right now. It's pretty sad because the market for clean cars has disappeared because none of the "enthiasts" have any money.

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Dsscats
10/21/2014 at 15:05

I can't imagine it ever being as desirable as something like an NSX, but I would think there are only going to be a handful or two of these in another decade. It's putting out just under 400hp with only the modifications done by Steve Millen, including an upgraded all-wheel-steering system.

Dsscats > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
10/25/2014 at 15:05

WAIT, HOLD ON. It's actually worth around $40k, completely my bad. There's a dealer trying to sell one with 11k miles for $70k. Absolutely worth $40k.

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Dsscats
10/25/2014 at 20:14

Kinja'd!!!

Haha I figured the numbers might have been off, considering my Accord coupe with double the miles of the 300ZX SMZ is worth a little more than $15k. Did you get a chance to check it out in person at the dealer?

I think realistically I could get around $50k right now if it went to the right collector. I'm 99% sure this one has the most documentation of any of the builds - every single original document, magazine articles, pre-ship dyno and track tests, etc.

Just realized that it's actually numbered as #105 on the inside, although only 104 were sold. I believe Steve registered his personal build as #104 - the final 1995 model; this one was actually completed in 1996 due to the extra specifications.

$70k is really steep, even with that few miles, although I suppose it depends on the condition. I mean, that is probably only $5-10k more than the original sale price. Absolutely not if there are any cheap modifications.

Dsscats > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
10/25/2014 at 21:20

No, I didn't. But the sad part is it's only worth what someone will pay, and it'll be pretty hard to find a buyer. If you're serious about selling, I'll put it out to one of the Z groups at $50k. And the history of it being #105 is kinda crazy. And yeah, they won't get $70k for it. That's GTR money.

Dsscats > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
10/25/2014 at 22:14

And lets see.......

http://forums.nicoclub.com/ny-1995-stille…

http://www.automoblog.net/2006/06/22/eba…

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Dsscats
10/26/2014 at 02:09

I don't think I really want to sell it right now, but it's definitely something I'll look around to in the next few years - thanks for your help. I feel like I'd end up wanting to replace it with another 90's Japanese car, and the NSX is really the only direction I could see myself going. Maybe appreciation will kick in for me and I can afford half of one in a few years!

#18 in the other link you posted is a really interesting car. It was used in a lot of the early reviews, you can find pictures of it everywhere. It's funny how nearly every ad you see has a different total number built in the description - I do believe 104 and another private vehicle for Steve are the accurate totals though. I think #1 used to be sitting at the Nissan headquarters, but it was sold to an employee when they moved to Tennessee.

I can't see #13 breaking $30k with the interior modifications they added...

Zeke21 > Burt Reynolds' Big Hat
07/09/2015 at 13:53

Hi, as a Z32 enthusiasts I’ve been keeping a close eye on the SMZ and its production numbers since 2001. It is very interesting to see the SMZ you posted as it shows #105. For the longest time I was under the impression that 104 was the last number. Are you the original owner and do you have any more info you could provide on the car? It is a beautiful car!

Burt Reynolds' Big Hat > Zeke21
07/14/2015 at 00:45

The car is a one-owner but the title is not in my name. I have been taking care of the vehicle for a while now though, keeping it prepped and maintained.

It has always been located in Raleigh, NC and was delivered in late 1996 after Steve Millen spent some extra time with it. It also spent a little time in California having pictures taken for a few magazines and Nissan press materials.

I’m kinda hazy on the exact details of the SMZs - I’ve tried to keep up with the research but there are a lot of conflicting numbers. I’m almost certain though that this one is the final number, as many sources claim 105. I know that this was the final one delivered to the customer, as well.