looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

I am looking at buying an 86 300zx (non-turbo) 5 speed w/ 146,000 miles in good condition. what is a fair price?

Re: looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

Hi David,

An 86 NA, Hmm,

First of all, what options does the car have? Leather Seats? Digital Dash? T-tops(almost a given)? Do ALL of the options work? I have seen alot of these that have some of the smaller electronic options non-functioning, and while it might seem small at the time, these normally are telling a person that something larger is broke (as an example, on a digital dash, if the trip, odometer, average mileage, average speed, distance to empty pod is not working, this seems minor in the beginning, almost not important, but what it is really saying is that the control module on the dash is most likely going to need repair soon before the entire dash goes out:) Is there rust in the back of the car anywhere? Under the tool compartment, on the back quarters?
Other than the obvious stuff you look for in used cars, on a ZX you also want to find out if the timing belt has been changed within the last 60,000 miles. If it hasn't, plan on spending either 350-450 bucks or aLOT of time doing grunt work yourself...........
You could also find out if the fuel injection recall has been performed by Nissan, if you give them the VIN # they can tell you.
I think the last time I checked, (about 5 months ago) an 86 NA was worth (blue book) around 3400 bucks with that kind of mileage. (My brother was looking at one, so we checked) If the car is in GOOD condition, it is worth it. But if stuff doesn't work, find out what it costs to fix it first! Alot of repairs on these things cost more than other cars.
I think a fair price( personally) is about 2750-3100.00$ for an NA in GOOD shape.

Good luck, and welcome!

Ghost

Re: looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

I think Ghost is right in the price range. You can find exceptional deals at times - I bought an 86na hardtop at an auction for 475$, but I really dont think that's the norm. Keep in mind the price of replacement parts, even little things can add up to a lot. Aside from the things he told you about, also check the body for evidence of any previous accident.some of the sneakier things to look for are matching colored paint on fender/hood bolts and breaks in the body sealant - this is the sealant in between the hood hinges, door hinges and the headlight buckets and the body of the car. If it's broken on any of these areas, a simple "Why did you take the door off?" (or whichever area where the sealant is cracked) may be sufficient to prompt some honesty if the guy is holding back.

If the guy/gal is holding back on a few items, then there's no telling what else he/she might not be telling, in which case I (personally) wouldn't do business with them.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Re: looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

Thanks for the info guys, I went ahead and bought the car yesterday, it was pretty much what I was looking for. The owner had the car since 86, had all maintenance records(performed by the Nissan dealer). They have had the timing belt done twice, the clutch replace recently, new tires, and pretty much everything works. The t-tops were tight, the engine smooth with no smoke, he had the leather on the drivers seat replaced recently. Oh, and its a BLAST to drive. I think I'm hooked on the Z now...

Re: looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

You poor soul, welcome to the addiction!

Ghost

Re: looking to buy an 86 na, how much is it worth?
 

Woohoo!! welcome to the club! my first z was also an 86na and it's now reincarnated in an 85T body. '86 is still my FAVorite year :)

congratulations!