The car(s) you wish you had back?

[Denver the Last Dinosaur]

In 1998 I bought a 1994 S13 200sx/240sx hatchback with pop-up lights ... and I've still got it nearly 25 years later! It's the only car I've ever owned, it's my "daily driver" (although most days I don't need to go anywhere), and still factory standard right down to the radio-cassette player. It needs a few minor bits repaired, but otherwise is in great shape. Lots of people want to buy, especially high school kids, but it ain't for sale.

Same as this one, except mine doesn't have the silly headlight washers sticking out of the front:

The same model and newer (some stock, some modified) do appear on the local auction website, but the prices are getting ridiculous ... the starting bids are often about the same as I paid for mine all those years ago!

 

[Houston.RZ34]

I love how a good number of these pics in the thread were taken on the Dragon!!!

 

[therumblewagon]

In 1998 I bought a 1994 S13 200sx/240sx hatchback with pop-up lights ... and I've still got it nearly 25 years later! It's the only car I've ever owned, it's my "daily driver" (although most days I don't need to go anywhere), and still factory standard right down to the radio-cassette player. It needs a few minor bits repaired, but otherwise is in great shape. Lots of people want to buy, especially high school kids, but it ain't for sale.

Same as this one, except mine doesn't have the silly headlight washers sticking out of the front:

The same model and newer (some stock, some modified) do appear on the local auction website, but the prices are getting ridiculous ... the starting bids are often about the same as I paid for mine all those years ago!

Not that you'd ever consider selling it, but I genuinely wonder what you could get for it (or either of them) on BaT or Cars & Bids. Pretty cool to see.

 

[Denver the Last Dinosaur]

Not that you'd ever consider selling it, but I genuinely wonder what you could get for it (or either of them) on BaT or Cars & Bids. Pretty cool to see.

The big problem these days is getting parts, especially OEM body parts (e.g. boot / trunk gas struts, door handles, rear spoiler / wing) because they're either impossible to get or ridiculously expensive. I still hoping that Nissan will start re-making parts as they and some other manufacturers have done for older models.

For my last mechanical repair I went with aftermarket third-party parts because they were about a quarter of the price and thanks to Covid shipping delays there was no knowing when OEM parts would arrive from Japan.

 

[DevonK]

My dad's 911. And my dad's 69 GTO. And my dad's 300ZX. ?

 

[takemorepills]

The big problem these days is getting parts, especially OEM body parts (e.g. boot / trunk gas struts, door handles, rear spoiler / wing) because they're either impossible to get or ridiculously expensive. I still hoping that Nissan will start re-making parts as they and some other manufacturers have done for older models.

For my last mechanical repair I went with aftermarket third-party parts because they were about a quarter of the price and thanks to Covid shipping delays there was no knowing when OEM parts would arrive from Japan.

Bummer. The death of any older car is aftermarket parts.

I sold my 1987 Prelude Si 3 years ago because I could no longer get parts for it. I had been getting by with NOS OEM parts from random places for quite a while, and if I had to buy non-OEM I'd make sure it was either from an original Honda supplier or at least a manufacturer that had a good reputation, which meant I often had to turn down no-name parts at AutoZone and search online for more reputable options.

Despite the car living the majority of it's life in a garage, some irreplaceable plastic components began to degrade.

 

[Boazxavier00]

The big problem these days is getting parts, especially OEM body parts (e.g. boot / trunk gas struts, door handles, rear spoiler / wing) because they're either impossible to get or ridiculously expensive. I still hoping that Nissan will start re-making parts as they and some other manufacturers have done for older models.

For my last mechanical repair I went with aftermarket third-party parts because they were about a quarter of the price and thanks to Covid shipping delays there was no knowing when OEM parts would arrive from Japan.

Yeah,
it's very hard to get parts and due to this car has to stay in the garage. It is even hard to get at Autozone. These companies should make customized parts as per the customer requirements even though they are expensive. Or there should be third-party companies to make such parts as per the requirement, not mass production. Also, the retailer companies like AutoZone should start demanding and selling customized parts as per customer demand.

 

[Denver the Last Dinosaur]

^ One or two of the European car makers (Citroen?) actually still keep a small stock of parts for their old cars, going way back to the pre-war models. Others like the original Mini or VW have so many still around and on the road that most parts are relatively easy to obtain (it also helps that they're pretty simple cars that any home mechanic can repair).

Some companies, both Japanese and European, do have a factory refurbishment program where they will take certain models and fix them up back to as-new factory standard ... but that's hellishly expensive, even without the cost of shipping the car to and from the factory!

 

[takemorepills]

^ One or two of the European car makers (Citroen?) actually still keep a small stock of parts for their old cars, going way back to the pre-war models. Others like the original Mini or VW have so many still around and on the road that most parts are relatively easy to obtain (it also helps that they're pretty simple cars that any home mechanic can repair).

Some companies, both Japanese and European, do have a factory refurbishment program where they will take certain models and fix them up back to as-new factory standard ... but that's hellishly expensive, even without the cost of shipping the car to and from the factory!

Nissan/Infiniti is terrible for discontinuing parts shortly after a model run has ended. My 2007 Titan continued production through 2015, as did my 2014 Q60, it had a 2008-2015 production run. Sometime around 2019 many parts became unobtainable.
I can't believe I'm unable to get parts for such newer vehicles.

I bet Nissan treats the new Z the same.

 

[Donalex]

Nissan had a program in the 90's in which a specialized vendor refurbed 240Z's. Only about 40 we're done at a cost of $25k.

That's $25k in 90's money.

You won't see specialized OEM vintage parts until they invest in 3D printing.

https://jalopnik.com/what-happened-to-all-the-datsun-240zs-nissan-restored-i-1583370936

 

[siggy]

Nissan/Infiniti is terrible for discontinuing parts shortly after a model run has ended. My 2007 Titan continued production through 2015, as did my 2014 Q60, it had a 2008-2015 production run. Sometime around 2019 many parts became unobtainable.
I can't believe I'm unable to get parts for such newer vehicles.

I bet Nissan treats the new Z the same.

I’m pretty sure legally they have to have parts available for 10 years. So you should still be able to get parts for a 2015 Titan.

 

[ohjabarn45]

Nissan/Infiniti is terrible for discontinuing parts shortly after a model run has ended. My 2007 Titan continued production through 2015, as did my 2014 Q60, it had a 2008-2015 production run. Sometime around 2019 many parts became unobtainable.
I can't believe I'm unable to get parts for such newer vehicles.

I bet Nissan treats the new Z the same.

Did you ask at AutoZone and advance auto parts? I was able to get some parts from advanced auto parts. I don't know but they how they were keeping them. But they were more expensive.

 

[Donalex]

Did you ask at AutoZone and advance auto parts? I was able to get some parts from advanced auto parts. I don't know but they how they were keeping them. But they were more expensive.

Those shops don't stock OEM parts.

 

[indio22]

I bought my used 1970 CJ-5 for $1400. Drove it all over the country, up and down mountain. Most fun I've had with a vehicle for the cost.

In a fit of weakness when moving cross country, I sold it to a guy for $400. That $400 frittered away, and I lost the fun from that vehicle. Should have never sold it. That CJ-5 is my "rosebud", lol.

 

[trackratZ]

Nissan/Infiniti is terrible for discontinuing parts shortly after a model run has ended. My 2007 Titan continued production through 2015, as did my 2014 Q60, it had a 2008-2015 production run. Sometime around 2019 many parts became unobtainable.
I can't believe I'm unable to get parts for such newer vehicles.

I bet Nissan treats the new Z the same.

You got to go online for OEM parts, such as courtesyparts (Courtesy Nissan has been supplying my needs often), nissanpartsdeal, etc.