Why are people paying $20k+ for skylines?

Been seeing outrageous stupidity lately. People paying 15 -20k for non-GTR Skylines. Do they not realize that these are worth like $4000 in Japan? Hell you can get a good GTR for $12k there still.

It's annoying to me that people basically are ignorant to the value of these cars and they are effectively going to be driving up prices. Luckily the rest of the world is sane so if you actually buy a car there and import it rather than buying from some domestic ripoff artist you can still get value.

I would say it's "supply and demand" but the price overseas hasn't gone up at all since the initial jump. It's just dealerships in the US selling a crazy markup to people who do no research.

Has the years of $20k+ Supras really clouded peoples judgement this much? I've seen several R32s in worse condition than mine selling for at least $14k. I feel like I should sell mine and then buy 3 more. Maybe do that and buy a Skyline, Pulsar GTIR, and March Superturbo and have money to spare.

GTR at $20k I can more begin to understand. If it had like 50k KM, is super mint, and is completely OEM. A GTS-T at like $15k though? No.

How much time and $$$ is spent importing it? If you put a hourly figuar to the time spent getting it here would it get things closer?

Also actually importing one seems to many people to be a black art and that fact alone makes people willing to pay the inflated price for a car already here instead of purchasing one via remote control in a market place they don't understand and quite frankly are intimidated by.

dean1484 wrote: How much time and $$$ is spent importing it? If you put a hourly figuar to the time spent getting it here would it get things closer? Also actually importing one seems to many people to be a black art and that fact alone makes people willing to pay the inflated price for a car already here instead of purchasing one via remote control in a market place they don't understand and quite frankly are intimidated by.

Well I can understand a GTR at like $20k even though that is a ripoff. Then the "time spent" or having someone find you want arguement I may understand. However when i'm seeing people paying for GTS-Ts double and more than what I paid that is ridiculous. The GTS-T is like a budget car and I bought it for that reason, lol.

As far as how much time I spent all I did was talk to an importer in Japan by email which takes little to no time and he spent all of his time doing the paperwork. All I did was look at new auctions every other day for about a month which only takes like 5 minutes. The biggest time I spent was going to the DMV a couple times, due to the odd paperwork, which you would have to do anyways if you bought the car at a local dealer.

The hassle of importing one is almost like none at all. It was smooth, easy, with no issues and minimal time spent until I actually had to register it. It was really just waiting on shipping, which when I buy a new car is something I had to do as well.

Like finding out that importing isn't a big issue is just googling which is all I did. Who makes such a purchase without researching it?

People also act like the parts are hard to find as if the internet doesn't exist. Like people sometimes say they have like good "googlefu" as like some throw away joke but maybe googling really is a skill, lol.

I'm going to say it's either the lack of research or they're going through an importer that's taking them for a ride.

that moment when you find out that something you did that you find pretty easy is something that most people find to be uncomfortably difficult

Your car is going up in value because other people are lazy and/or stupid. What is the problem here?

Organise s better deal, I would be interested in an R32

I would say its just people being lazy. But hey if your car is going up in value why complain

Because JDM Yo?

here is a local to me shop that sells imports. priced for profit? probably. are they awesome still? yes.

http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/

And in Japan they like to over pay for cars they can't get there. It cost thousands to legally import and register cars. So the importer should be compensated for their efforts. Especially if they can find you a rust free car.

You should see how much it cost to buy a Starion over there vs in America and they got the car from the factory.

In reply to failboat:

My friend is the owner. And they don't make a whole lot off of these cars. And some of them he's lost money on.

That's the going rate to get a decent legal R32 into the US. That's just how it is.

People are paying it because that's what they have to pay to get one.

I know a guy that just paid about $27k landed for a gorgeous GTR. That's just what he had to spend to get a nice one landed. That's market price.

It's all moot anyway, nearly all the good JDM cars have already been sold to Kiwis and Aussies.

failboat wrote: here is a local to me shop that sells imports. priced for profit? probably. are they awesome still? yes. http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/

So their entire inventory is sold?

HappyAndy wrote: It's all moot anyway, nearly all the good JDM cars have already been sold to Kiwis and Aussies.

And the Brits, don't forget the Brits.

Actually there are good ones available in Japan, but by now people are waking up to them becoming a little bit rarer and prices go up. Yes, you can buy cheaply over there, too, but you'll just end up with cars that have been ridden hard and put away wet, like you do over here.

Swank Force One wrote: That's the going rate to get a decent legal R32 into the US. That's just how it is. People are paying it because that's what they have to pay to get one. I know a guy that just paid about $27k landed for a gorgeous GTR. That's just what he had to spend to get a nice one landed. That's market price.

It's an apples to oranges comparison anyway.

If you DIY, you can get it cheaper and you take all the risks. Goes for everything in life. If you can't or don't want to DIY things and hopefully take less risk in the process, you'll end up paying more, but you tend to get more and someone else takes a lot of the risk. They should get compensated for taking the risk and doing the work.

Sure, I'd like to have an R32, but would be so concerned about parts and service here in the US. Can't afford anyways, so whats the difference? In a few years I'll bet prices go down a bit.

Business opportunity? If it is as easy as you say, buy another and sell it. I see it as a great side job. Sell three or four a year and you are talking real money. Go for it

kanaric wrote: Been seeing outrageous stupidity lately. People paying 15 -20k for non-GTR Skylines. Do they not realize that these are worth like $4000 in Japan? Hell you can get a good GTR for $12k there still. It's annoying to me that people basically are ignorant to the value of these cars and they are effectively going to be driving up prices. Luckily the rest of the world is sane so if you actually buy a car there and import it rather than buying from some domestic ripoff artist you can still get value. I would say it's "supply and demand" but the price overseas hasn't gone up at all since the initial jump. It's just dealerships in the US selling a crazy markup to people who do no research. Has the years of $20k+ Supras really clouded peoples judgement this much? I've seen several R32s in worse condition than mine selling for at least $14k. I feel like I should sell mine and then buy 3 more. Maybe do that and buy a Skyline, Pulsar GTIR, and March Superturbo and have money to spare. GTR at $20k I can more begin to understand. If it had like 50k KM, is super mint, and is completely OEM. A GTS-T at like $15k though? No.

If what you say is true, and you are not taking advantage of the situation, the real fools are NOT the people who are paying 20k for the cars.

ProDarwin wrote: Your car is going up in value because other people are lazy and/or stupid. What is the problem here?

lol none I guess it's just I am just wondering why nobody seems to look into what they are buying. Like Swank said he knows someone who paid $27k for a GTR. That is about $10,000 over what a mint one with low miles typically will go for.

I just feel sad for these other people I guess? IDK how to put it into words. Like WHY ARE YOU WASTING MONEY!?!? I don't like seeing these, mostly young, people taken advantage of and I always hated dealers.

Gearheadotaku wrote: Sure, I'd like to have an R32, but would be so concerned about parts and service here in the US. Can't afford anyways, so whats the difference? In a few years I'll bet prices go down a bit.

Service is any, any import tuner works on them. Parts are easy, most of it is shared with domestic Nissans and the drivetrain is swapped into 240SX commonly to a point where most local sites that sell aftermarket parts all have stuff for it. Also shipping from Australia or the UK is inexpensive. GTR might be harder but so long as you can go on sites like Skylines Australia or use Australian ebay you are fine with parts. I've been doing that without problem if I can't get something locally. Remember also Canada has parts for these cars since they are common up there.

Prices will probably go down, right now they are completely out of hand and it's not reflected overseas. It's just local shadester dealers taking advantage of ignorant people.

If what you say is true, and you are not taking advantage of the situation, the real fools are NOT the people who are paying 20k for the cars.

You are right but i've already replaced most wear items and modded the car and don't want to start over. It is funny though. I could probably sell it, rebuy everything I put on it, get injectors, use Haltech instead of PowerFC, and buy a turbo upgrade and have money to spare after selling it. I might put it up for a $15k starting price on Ebay and see what happens once i'm done. If it worked I would then use that money to buy a GTR, Mazda Cosmo + buy RX7 trans and install the manual, or buy a Pulsar GTIR and get a rebuilt stronger transmission for it.

The problem was finding a unmodded clear GTS-T though. In Japan they are like 90s Mustangs, every one of them is usually modded or poorly taken care of. GTRs seem to be far more common in a minty state which confuses me even further as to why people think it's hard to find a nice one. I saw about 5 or 6 nice GTRs before I found 1 good GTS-T.

What's funny is someone linked me to a California dealer selling a GTS-T with more miles than mine that looked exactly the same for $14,000. $10,000 more than what I paid pre-shipping and double my total.

http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/

Wow this site is atrocious. Every car is double it's actual and shipped to your house price. GTRs not as bad. Most of these are rather heavily modded as well and you have no previous owner to check on.

If it's so easy, WHY DON'T YOU IMPORT THEM?

Seriously.

If it's that easy to take willing people's money, do it.

What I don't understand is the E30 touring market. You can get a nice one for ~$8k landed, and people are asking $14k. Why? Tons of people have become "importers" and are asking a premium, for a car that is less than rare, with 100,000+ copies made.

I'm not importing tourings because I can see the market has been flooded, and I don't have the space.

failboat wrote: here is a local to me shop that sells imports. priced for profit? probably. are they awesome still? yes. http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/

Had to post that, my wife is looking over my shoulder at the block manual LHD 300ZX and drooling.

kanaric wrote: http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com/ Wow this site is atrocious. Every car is double it's actual and shipped to your house price. GTRs not as bad. Most of these are rather heavily modded as well and you have no previous owner to check on.

I took a look at that place and I completely forgot they made a GTS-T type M 4-door Skyline. I have a strange obsession with 4-door cars and I've always liked the Skylines since I first saw them years ago.