I want a 370Z

[Blackman]

Hi Guys, I need your advice.

 

I have been in love with the 370z for a long time, but like most of us I lack the budget to be lucky enough to own one (all you lucky people reading this that own one already).

 

I have seen this on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-370z-2010-only-39k-just-been-serviced/152993629928?hash=item239f2186e8:g:kpkAAOSwJTta3PHo

 

It looks FANTASTIC, it has all the spec I could dream of and from the starting price and lack of bids I think I could win with in my £12k budget.

 

I went to see it yesterday in Exeter and the guy selling it is a top bloke, very honest and knows his stuff but really undersells the car (it the dogs danglies). it is as sweet as a nut, goes like stink (had me giggling like an idiot). But there is a BUT: its Cat D.

 

Hence why its on for sub £15k. So you understand why I need your wealth of knowledge and experience with these cars.

 

What are the things I should consider when I buy a Cat D.

 

Thanks guys, all the posts I have read on here have been really helpful, but I just wanted to ask a drect question

[pintopete58]

Well mines 350 55plate and a cat c

And only done 33000.

Just look at all the  gaps as in doors , wings and boot floor and end of front chassie rails.

Had mine a year now and it's just passed it's mot very happy

 

[ZMANALEX]

Cheap as you may think it is, it will only be when you come to sell it, that you will find out if it was or not.

 

Best to buy a straight, accident damage free, unmolested, car IMHO.

 

Alex.

 

[pintopete58]

And my mot was done at couger store.

[davey_83]

Imo if you looking to buy a 370z and keep it for years and years, then I wouldn't worry massively about it being a cat d. If you reckon you'd selling it after a couple of years, then you'll possibly loose out a fair wack over buying a non insurance aware damaged car. 

 

Any of ours cars tomorrow could be cat d through no fault of our own, doesn't mean overnight the car has become dodgy. Just means it needs costly repairs ie wing, bumper, alloy and bonnet from being parked up and someone driving into you. 

[Blackman]

I have had a look at and the work looks like its been professionally done, all shut lines are spot on.

 

Here are my thoughts

 

I plan to keep it for at least 3 or 4 years and if I get it for under my budget then it will still depreciate at the same rate as a none cat D, so I will still lose the same amount when I come to sell it.

 

It has no mods and the guy selling it has massive dog and a family so I have no doubts about him.

 

What do you think the right price is?

[GranTurismoEra]

lol sounds like the new phil mitchell, family man and reformed. jk . I rather go HPI clear tbh. All well and good that body panels line up. What about internals and structure of the car., frames, suspension bits etc. Hav eair bags been deployed and repaired and reset. Save the hassle and get a fresh one. Hard enough to sell as it is

[Blackman]

35 minutes ago, GranTurismoEra said:

lol sounds like the new phil mitchell, family man and reformed. jk . I rather go HPI clear tbh. All well and good that body panels line up. What about internals and structure of the car., frames, suspension bits etc. Hav eair bags been deployed and repaired and reset. Save the hassle and get a fresh one. Hard enough to sell as it is

I did ask and the air bags didn't go off, chassis rails and inner wings are straight and there is no signs anywhere of any internal repair.

 

When you say hard enough to sell- Ive been looking for 3 years for a factory standard model with low mileage under £15k THERE ARENT ANY!!

 

They do hold their value.

 

From what I can make out the insurance company wrote off the car simply because of the cost of replacement parts- I have looked and was shocked at the cost of a headlamp alone, but if this had been an Astra the insurance company would have fixed it and no one would be any the wiser so I am struggling to see what difference the Cat D status makes other than knock a huge what of its current resale value- its not going to depreciate any faster than a none cat D

 

This is a serious drivers car and to the uneducated it is a lot to pay for a Nissan. I have yet to find anyone on here that doesn't regret buying one.

 

My brother thinks I should buy a Focus ST and so far no one has given me a good enough reason not to make a bid on it

 

Just look at it and tell me I am mad????   

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-370z-2010-only-39k-just-been-serviced/152993629928?hash=item239f2186e8:g:kpkAAOSwJTta3PHo

 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Blackman
Too long and repeated my point too many timed

[RDON]

if you can get it for a price that's in your budget then go for it! i would pay for a AA inspection just for peace of mind though.

[ZMANALEX]

The problem will arise when you try to sell it, believe me.

It just won't be that the residual will be very low, because you will also find that most won't touch it with a barge pole unless it is very, very cheap.

There is a stigma regarding recorded cars and that stigma shows no signs of going away.

Listen to your brother and walk away.

 

[coldel]

Make sure you get it for a VERY cheap price. Because that cheap price will be passed to you when you want to sell as Alex says. Its not like these are uncommon cars there are a fair few for sale and many buyers will come in aggressively on price if you want to sell. Just dont go in giving the seller and easy ride because you wont get the same come sale time.

 

Price aside, be absolutely sure its a good car - get details of the repair etc. There is a thread on PH at the moment where a chap bought a cat d Golf GTi where the imagery showed a slight bump on the front wing but then a panel inside the car fell off during some spirited driving and found the side airbag was missing and replaced with toilet roll. Of course some cat cars are repaired well and you would never know when driving them, but some are not. Do your homework, and that means more than just looking at photos and a general look over the car.

[Blackman]

I always get an AA inspection on any car I buy over £2grand, its worth every penny and if they come back with any concerns I will always walk away- I really don't think this car will fail the inspection.

 

As for resale I paid £17k for a 2010 BMW 520D M Sport (none write off) 3 years ago,  I ran into the back of someone just before xmas and the insurance company wrote it off and the most I was offered £10,280, so I lost over £2k a year in the time I had it. if I loose £2k a year in the 4 years I plan to own this car, it will still be worth something- lets face it in 4 years it will be 12 years old- who will pay more than £2k for a 12 year old car of any make other than a luxury brand- how much do 12 year old BMWs go for these days??????? 

 

I'm struggling to find where the loss in value is? I buy cheap so have to expect to sell cheap

[GranTurismoEra]

Looks good, for damage to be done to the bonnet from the wing position, seems like a bad crash. Possible wheel/axle damage. They do hold value, Getting one below £10,000 is not easy. Each to their own though. as Ive had CAT C golf no one would touch when it came to selling. I rather get a clear one. Also insuring CAT D could be more costly and some insurance companies may not cover it.

 

Also I only say hard to sell because took me ages to sell mine had a lot of dreamers and timewasters plus this car is very market specific. You have to really want one to get one.

 

Ive got a 17 Nismo White at 3k miles for £26k. Warranty was the main reason i didnt go for older plus i liked the new Nismo shape. I was going to go for older convertible and get the Nismo Bodykit.

 

Edited April 25, 2018 by GranTurismoEra

[brillomaster]

depends, a car is worth what someone will pay for it. if you buy a cat D, then when you come to sell a car, someone else will buy it if its cheap enough.

 

Also, in my opinion, if a car is declared cat D at 20k miles, and then goes on to do another 80k miles afterwards, it really isn't that different to a HPI clear car that's done the same miles. I'd say the cat D status loses impact over the years.

 

Personally, I would make yourself known to the seller and let him know you're interested - with 2 days to go and no bids, it might not get any bids at all, in which case you could offer 7.5k or something ludicrous, see what he says.

 

And besides, if you want a 370z, then buy it, and worry about resale value in 4 years time, after having enjoyed whats probably a perfectly serviceable 370z

[Blackman]

2 minutes ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Looks good, for damage to be done to the bonnet from the wing position, seems like a bad crash. Possible wheel/axle damage. They do hold value, Getting one below £10,000 is not easy. Each to their own though. as Ive had CAT C golf no one would touch when it came to selling. I rather get a clear one. Also insuring CAT D could be more costly and some insurance companies may not cover it.

 

Also I only say hard to sell because took me ages to sell mine had a lot of dreamers and timewasters plus this car is very market specific. You have to really want one to get one.

 

Ive got a 17 Nismo White at 3k miles for £26k. Warranty was the main reason i didnt go for older. I was going to go for older convertible and get the Nismo Bodykit.

 

Thank you good advice, the AA inspection will tell me if the work was done to standard and there are any other horrors lurking underneath. I have £10k from the write off of my BMW and because of family pressures I only have a budget of £12

 

If it passes the inspection I will seriously consider it- as I said before- " it will be 12 years old when I come to sell it what would any 12 year old domestic brand of car be worth in relation to its original purchase price?" 

 

 

[coldel]

7 minutes ago, Blackman said:

I always get an AA inspection on any car I buy over £2grand, its worth every penny and if they come back with any concerns I will always walk away- I really don't think this car will fail the inspection.

 

As for resale I paid £17k for a 2010 BMW 520D M Sport (none write off) 3 years ago,  I ran into the back of someone just before xmas and the insurance company wrote it off and the most I was offered £10,280, so I lost over £2k a year in the time I had it. if I loose £2k a year in the 4 years I plan to own this car, it will still be worth something- lets face it in 4 years it will be 12 years old- who will pay more than £2k for a 12 year old car of any make other than a luxury brand- how much do 12 year old BMWs go for these days??????? 

 

I'm struggling to find where the loss in value is? I buy cheap so have to expect to sell cheap

Just bear in mind AA inspection will only do so much, a knowledgable 370z owner from here going with you to look at it will know more about common problems than any AA guy with a checklist. Does the AA checklist include tell tale signs of oil gallery gaskets for example? Have you read up about the steering lock issue? Etc.

 

If you want it, go for it. Cars like this are not about saving money, but its also not worth wasting money as well. Only buy at a price you feel happy with, don't buy it because its cheaper than other ones. Also worth having a slush fund - say a thousand or so back in case of any immediate issues that come up. 

[Blackman]

4 minutes ago, brillomaster said:

depends, a car is worth what someone will pay for it. if you buy a cat D, then when you come to sell a car, someone else will buy it if its cheap enough.

 

Also, in my opinion, if a car is declared cat D at 20k miles, and then goes on to do another 80k miles afterwards, it really isn't that different to a HPI clear car that's done the same miles. I'd say the cat D status loses impact over the years.

 

Personally, I would make yourself known to the seller and let him know you're interested - with 2 days to go and no bids, it might not get any bids at all, in which case you could offer 7.5k or something ludicrous, see what he says.

 

And besides, if you want a 370z, then buy it, and worry about resale value in 4 years time, after having enjoyed whats probably a perfectly serviceable 370z

Thank you! this is what I have been trying to tell people.

 

The guy said if it doesn't sell he will keep it as a toy for weekends, he said he doesn't do that many miles a year so that makes sense to me, I think in his position I would do the same, so I doubt I would get it for less than the start price.

 

 

[GranTurismoEra]

15 minutes ago, Blackman said:

Thank you good advice, the AA inspection will tell me if the work was done to standard and there are any other horrors lurking underneath. I have £10k from the write off of my BMW and because of family pressures I only have a budget of £12

 

If it passes the inspection I will seriously consider it- as I said before- " it will be 12 years old when I come to sell it what would any 12 year old domestic brand of car be worth in relation to its original purchase price?" 

 

 

Hopefully the AA guy will take his time and fully inspect the car. Since its not a cheap inspection. Be prepared to lose £500 - £1000 a year on a normal car. based on the 350, This car will probably still be worth £7000 + in 4 years. as the depreciation seems to have flatlined at £10,000 for the past 3 years even the oldest ones. Probably because the newest HR 350z still worth £5000 to £7000.

 

If you buy for £10,000 now. by 2022 youll prolly still be able to sell for 7000+

 

Original price at £35,000 and 12 years later £10,000 seems very good for a niche sports car. If it was a porsche itll prolly be slightly higher depending on model.

Edited April 25, 2018 by GranTurismoEra

[brillomaster]

have you seen any pictures of the car after it was damaged, and do you know who did the repair work? also, id double check you can get insured on it first (as with buying any new car)

 

Also, how many miles a year do you think you'll do? might help to consider how much you'd expect it to depreciate, and what the price difference might be when you come to sell it, and if its enough to offset the savings you'd be making on a cat d car now.

[Blackman]

9 minutes ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Hopefully the AA guy will take his time and fully inspect the car. Since its not a cheap inspection. Be prepared to lose £500 - £1000 a year on a normal car. based on the 350, This car will probably still be worth £7000 + in 4 years. as the depreciation seems to have flatlined at £10,000 for the past 3 years even the oldest ones. Probably because the newest HR 350z still worth £5000 to £7000.

 

If you buy for £10,000 now. by 2022 youll prolly still be able to sell for 7000+

 

Original price at £35,000 and 12 years later £10,000 seems very good for a niche sports car. If it was a porsche itll prolly be slightly higher depending on model.

Thank you, this has been my argument all along. A none write off has lost £20k off its purchase price in 8 years, that £5k I'm saving means even if I only get £5k for it I am not loosing any more than on a none write off.

 

 

[Blackman]

12 minutes ago, brillomaster said:

have you seen any pictures of the car after it was damaged, and do you know who did the repair work? also, id double check you can get insured on it first (as with buying any new car)

 

Also, how many miles a year do you think you'll do? might help to consider how much you'd expect it to depreciate, and what the price difference might be when you come to sell it, and if its enough to offset the savings you'd be making on a cat d car now.

Not seen any pictures of the damage.

 

As for insurance- its only about £160 a year more than on a none write off. over 4 years that is just £640- based on what I am saving on the purchase price it is still a no brainer to me

[GranTurismoEra]

12 minutes ago, Blackman said:

Thank you, this has been my argument all along. A none write off has lost £20k off its purchase price in 8 years, that £5k I'm saving means even if I only get £5k for it I am not loosing any more than on a none write off.

 

 

Exacty, well depends how you look at it. A trip to Borra Borra 10 months worth of fuel? A difference of a £1000-£2000. Maybe assume the one costing 15k now will be worth 9-12k in 4 years time. By then yours probably be cheapest in the country going. Youll get a buyer at around 7-8k most likely.

 

Up to you. Long as theres no pulling, no funny noises and airbag actually exists should be fine. Buying to keep is very different from someone like me whos only keeping it for a year or two. So its less significant if youre not fussed about resale. 

[Blackman]

21 minutes ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Exacty, well depends how you look at it. A trip to Borra Borra 10 months worth of fuel? A difference of a £1000-£2000. Maybe assume the one costing 15k now will be worth 9-12k in 4 years time. By then yours probably be cheapest in the country going. Youll get a buyer at around 7-8k most likely.

 

Up to you. Long as theres no pulling, no funny noises and airbag actually exists should be fine. Buying to keep is very different from someone like me whos only keeping it for a year or two. So its less significant if youre not fussed about resale. 

It drives great, it doesn't pull when you let go of the wheel  or brake, the ride is firm as you would expect for this type of car, no rattles or bangs (the roads in Exeter are not so smooth). As you can tell I am smitten

[Andy_Muxlow]

Well my 2 peneth worth is. If you like it and it seems like a good buy, then get it or bid on it as long as the work has been done properly it shouldn't cause you any problems. Don't worry about resale value, enjoy the car. As @davey_83 says any car can becom a cat s or n or c or d at any time through no fault of our own. It's like owning a car and not driving it as it will possibly depreciate go figure.  

[Andy_Muxlow]

Welcome to the forum by the way buddy.