Will the SC go the way of the 240?
10-23-16, 07:42 PM
#1
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Will the SC go the way of the 240?
In my last post, I posed the question of the relationships between the Supra,1st gen SC, and Solara. A good point was brought up by one of the respondents, which sparked this post.
Unmolested S13 and S14 Nissan 240sx are getting hard to find, hence the recent price increases. Meanwhile, I'm seeing decent condition SC's for under 2k. I've also seen several SC owners who are prepping their cars for drifting. Will our cars see a surge in popularity in this segment? Personally, I think so. I'd go as far to say that if I had 10k to invest and the space to keep them, I'd buy five SC's just to wait for the price to go up within the next few years. I predict that SC prices are at a near low right now, and that they'll hold here for a bit, and then go up steadily as more drifters see the car as a viable alternative to the other popular platforms. Thoughts?
Unmolested S13 and S14 Nissan 240sx are getting hard to find, hence the recent price increases. Meanwhile, I'm seeing decent condition SC's for under 2k. I've also seen several SC owners who are prepping their cars for drifting. Will our cars see a surge in popularity in this segment? Personally, I think so. I'd go as far to say that if I had 10k to invest and the space to keep them, I'd buy five SC's just to wait for the price to go up within the next few years. I predict that SC prices are at a near low right now, and that they'll hold here for a bit, and then go up steadily as more drifters see the car as a viable alternative to the other popular platforms. Thoughts?
10-23-16, 07:55 PM
#2
Who knows man.... but I can definitely see your point. Yous see alot more ragged out SCs this day than 5 years ago.
There are some real gems left out there though. A few weeks back I saw a super clean all original DWP 98+ SC400 parked outside an expensive restaurant. I looked at it, it looked like it just left the showroom floor, I am SUPER critical when it comes to these things, that car did not have a single chip, scratch, or swirl mark on it. Interior leather didn't have a single crack in it. If I was to guess, it had less than 30k miles, definitely was not winter driven as the chrome oem wheels were spotless and no rust or corrosion underneath. I make a living looking at cars under a "microscope" every day and that thing was a 10/10. My point is, there are definitely some out there that will surprise you. Just when you think all the clean ones are gone, you see a diamond like this thing and it restores hope a bit. I left a note on it with my contact info in case he wants to sell it lol, car was immaculate.
There are some real gems left out there though. A few weeks back I saw a super clean all original DWP 98+ SC400 parked outside an expensive restaurant. I looked at it, it looked like it just left the showroom floor, I am SUPER critical when it comes to these things, that car did not have a single chip, scratch, or swirl mark on it. Interior leather didn't have a single crack in it. If I was to guess, it had less than 30k miles, definitely was not winter driven as the chrome oem wheels were spotless and no rust or corrosion underneath. I make a living looking at cars under a "microscope" every day and that thing was a 10/10. My point is, there are definitely some out there that will surprise you. Just when you think all the clean ones are gone, you see a diamond like this thing and it restores hope a bit. I left a note on it with my contact info in case he wants to sell it lol, car was immaculate.
10-23-16, 08:34 PM
#3
It's possible. However the 240SX is a lot cheaper to maintain and modify than the SC series. It's also much lighter, getting just under the 2800lb ballpark in stock form with a full interior for some model years. They also do not incur the higher prices for some Lexus-specific parts and any Nissan dealer will work on them... which cannot be said of all Toyota dealers being willing to service an SC300 despite being ridiculously similar mechanically to the Supra MKIV. However other than the larger body and weight these cars are well known as serious performance platforms. But 240SX's have a cost advantage we don't have.
The larger trend of clean SC's getting rarer is not going to go away and that *might* make prices go up a bit later on to a point. Or not. We don't know at this point. I think any truly significant value increases will be caught in a mixed market and will also depend on what performance hardware might have been added and the quality of that hardware (in addition to vehicle condition). We also don't know how the influx of imported RHD JZZ30 Soarers will affect the SC market since they just began to become legal as of this year.
And to be fair the same is and has been true for the 240SX market for a couple of years now since 1988-89 RHD S13 Silvia K's have been eligible for importation in 48 states but that does not seem to have slowed down the US-spec 240's.
(Note: CA is no-go for the 1JZ-GTE unless you get the engine and car it came in officially smog modified/certified through International Vehicle Importers and G&K Auto since they have just this year begun doing this for R32 Skylines in CA and some other cars they bring in. VERY expensive but Sean Morris being behind that process it is the real deal... for a price. HI is a go-no no matter what since they won't allow ANY grey market import registrations even if they are past the 25-year exemption).
At this moment I think it's "wait and see what happens" with the 1992-2000 SC market. It's too early to tell. However it's not to early to just enjoy one.
The larger trend of clean SC's getting rarer is not going to go away and that *might* make prices go up a bit later on to a point. Or not. We don't know at this point. I think any truly significant value increases will be caught in a mixed market and will also depend on what performance hardware might have been added and the quality of that hardware (in addition to vehicle condition). We also don't know how the influx of imported RHD JZZ30 Soarers will affect the SC market since they just began to become legal as of this year.
And to be fair the same is and has been true for the 240SX market for a couple of years now since 1988-89 RHD S13 Silvia K's have been eligible for importation in 48 states but that does not seem to have slowed down the US-spec 240's.
(Note: CA is no-go for the 1JZ-GTE unless you get the engine and car it came in officially smog modified/certified through International Vehicle Importers and G&K Auto since they have just this year begun doing this for R32 Skylines in CA and some other cars they bring in. VERY expensive but Sean Morris being behind that process it is the real deal... for a price. HI is a go-no no matter what since they won't allow ANY grey market import registrations even if they are past the 25-year exemption).
At this moment I think it's "wait and see what happens" with the 1992-2000 SC market. It's too early to tell. However it's not to early to just enjoy one.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 10-23-16 at 08:48 PM.
10-24-16, 05:43 AM
#4
I just don't see these cars going up in value significantly; At least not enough to justify an actual "investment". They were never super popular outside of a small minority of people, they have no racing pedigree, and no staring roles in the media to help push them into the main stream. These are also more expensive to build than the S13/14 platforms you mentioned and pretty heavy for a drift/race car. Not to mention that compared to its Japanese cousins we got the low output versions due to lack of factory turbos. Cars that tend to do well investment wise are usually in stock trim too which is getting harder and harder to find with an SC300/400.
If you want a car for investment I'd look at an E46 M3 due to its pedigree, classic design, last year of the I6, and the fact that it's about at the bottom of its depreciation curve. I'm thinking about picking one up when I get back to the US as clean examples can be found all day around 15K - 20K.
If you want a car for investment I'd look at an E46 M3 due to its pedigree, classic design, last year of the I6, and the fact that it's about at the bottom of its depreciation curve. I'm thinking about picking one up when I get back to the US as clean examples can be found all day around 15K - 20K.
10-24-16, 10:36 AM
#5
There are some real gems left out there though. A few weeks back I saw a super clean all original DWP 98+ SC400 parked outside an expensive restaurant. I looked at it, it looked like it just left the showroom floor, I am SUPER critical when it comes to these things, that car did not have a single chip, scratch, or swirl mark on it. Interior leather didn't have a single crack in it. If I was to guess, it had less than 30k miles, definitely was not winter driven as the chrome oem wheels were spotless and no rust or corrosion underneath. I make a living looking at cars under a "microscope" every day and that thing was a 10/10. My point is, there are definitely some out there that will surprise you. Just when you think all the clean ones are gone, you see a diamond like this thing and it restores hope a bit. I left a note on it with my contact info in case he wants to sell it lol, car was immaculate.
It's possible. However the 240SX is a lot cheaper to maintain and modify than the SC series. It's also much lighter, getting just under the 2800lb ballpark in stock form with a full interior for some model years. They also do not incur the higher prices for some Lexus-specific parts and any Nissan dealer will work on them... which cannot be said of all Toyota dealers being willing to service an SC300 despite being ridiculously similar mechanically to the Supra MKIV. However other than the larger body and weight these cars are well known as serious performance platforms. But 240SX's have a cost advantage we don't have..
(Note: CA is no-go for the 1JZ-GTE unless you get the engine and car it came in officially smog modified/certified through International Vehicle Importers and G&K Auto since they have just this year begun doing this for R32 Skylines in CA and some other cars they bring in. VERY expensive but Sean Morris being behind that process it is the real deal... for a price. HI is a go-no no matter what since they won't allow ANY grey market import registrations even if they are past the 25-year exemption).
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10-26-16, 02:43 PM
#8
I'm actually one of those who veered from the S-chassis to the SC chassis. It's not as small, snappy and light as it's Nissan competitors [more so in the S14 era] but with more of the more 'professional' names out there using them in competition, the chassis is becoming more popular. It's almost popular with the crowd of people who can't fathom spending MKIV money for something so they get the next kind-of-best-thing. I personally went with this chassis because it's starting to gain some aftermarket support geared towards the drifting crowd and they swap support is also gaining speed. With anything, supply and demand. The more people see them out there and want them, the more money they'll fetch. With that being said, the Nissan S-chassis will always be the highest in demand as it's more so the 'Civic' of the drift world [as in every company and their mother makes stuff for that chassis] but the SC is definitely gaining some steam.
Then again, I'm hoping to import a Laurel here soon. :X
Then again, I'm hoping to import a Laurel here soon. :X
10-26-16, 06:01 PM
#9
I hope they don't destroy them trying to drift like the S-chasis. They're starting to become fewer and fewer S-chasis as they are either chopped up for drifting or met their demise to some light pole. Awesome car actually both are and as the years go by they start to vanish.
10-28-16, 12:20 PM
#12
Most of the 240's I have seen are total hack jobs..I have yet to seen a properly built 240.
That being said that the SC is an affordable car from a price standpoint........but to properly build and SC to the level of an MKIV it is gonna cost you alot,
Personally I prefer the SC.....if it gets in an accident it is farely easy to pick up a used SC for cheap and swap everything from one car to the other. Not so much luck to do it with a MKIV and at the prices the cars go for now a days most people dont even drive them.
I have buddy locally who drives his Supra maybe 4 times a year and it just sits in his garage. He commented that it only increases in value as becoming more rare.
I choose fun 100 times over.
So question to ask is to you want a fun car to enjoy and build or a collectible that just looks good.
That being said that the SC is an affordable car from a price standpoint........but to properly build and SC to the level of an MKIV it is gonna cost you alot,
Personally I prefer the SC.....if it gets in an accident it is farely easy to pick up a used SC for cheap and swap everything from one car to the other. Not so much luck to do it with a MKIV and at the prices the cars go for now a days most people dont even drive them.
I have buddy locally who drives his Supra maybe 4 times a year and it just sits in his garage. He commented that it only increases in value as becoming more rare.
I choose fun 100 times over.
So question to ask is to you want a fun car to enjoy and build or a collectible that just looks good.
10-28-16, 08:29 PM
#13
Pit Crew
and you should've taken some pics.. i love a clean SC....
10-28-16, 09:25 PM
#15
Pit Crew
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i'd love to see the SC value go up but as people have said there aren't many clean ones left... there's one near my house that's rusting badly, headlights are worse than unbrushed teeth.. every time i see an SC i try to take a picture. love these cars more than anything!!!