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YES! I had a 1988 300zx with the digital dash and T-top. Man, do I miss that car. So much fun to drive, especially on a nice warm spring or summer day.
Considering pristine 1988 Trans Am GTA's go for close to 40k I'd sell my rough one for half. Only 20k for a second owner 67k mile, top of the line, for 1988, Trans Am. So many dreamers out there. Hoovie, you've saved me and many more viewers, thousands of dollars and headaches by being the dumbest automotive channel on RU-vid.
It’s really strange that Hoovie wouldn’t fix this car. It’s perfect for the channel. Right in your wheelhouse. Cars like this are why I watch. I’m not mad, just disappointed.
Same, really woukd have loved to see this get fixed instead of the 100th Mercedes. Could have cut some cost too with things like coilovers and such. Sad this didn't get the love it deserves.
@@thefallensaints that was 5 years ago when he did 5 minute videos and still dressed like it was the early 2000s... Things are different now. Plus, this car will go up in value just like the NSX did, decent ones are already into the 15k or more mark. There's profit, and content, to be made here.
Absolutely a car worth saving, the value is only going to climb with the cosmetic shape being very good in comparison to what most of these look like now.
It’s crazy that he doesn’t want to fix this car. It’s sickening actually. The value of these cars is skyrocketing and this one has so much going for it. This is the first car he’s featured that I can truly relate to and he wants nothing to do with it.
I actually don't think its worth fixing. Its got 100K miles, not in the greatest shape (though not terrible), its not that low mileage barn find that is going to reward you, its going to hold the same value of any other 300ZX Turbo with 100K that's in above average shape except those haven't been sitting for 1-2 decades and aren't going to require thousands in repairs. Unless he got it at the right price, its not justifiable, and while these may be rising in price, his won't be the shining example that ends up on some auction site and goes for record money. This thing doesn't make sense at all.
I never comment on your videos, Tyler. I love your content. But This seriously a missed opportunity. The Japanese car scene has a huge following and putting 8 to 10k into this to get it where it needs to be isn't that bad. Every youtuber has a Ferraris and Lamborghini cars. This Nissan is an absolute gem.
This is more a car for the Wizard’s RU-vid channel. But the Wizard said last week that he does not want to deal with long term projects anymore. May be they both agreed to take a pass on this one.
I bought the car, itll be restored, dont worry. The 8k estimate is maybe fine to get someone to do everything (and still pretty high imo), but degraded parts and a turbo rebuild (its just an old Garrett t3 and can be upgraded) are under 3k. Someone asked me to do some YT vids on it and I may try some as I restore.
Tyler, I love your channel, but I have to agree with so many others that this was a car that I would've loved to see the Wizard make right. I haven't seen one in several years until this video actually. It's possible this car is cooler than even you believe it is. Thanks for at least showing it to us. But our hearts are broken, brother.
I’m with a lot of these people, that car would actually be worth saving, nobody cares about the junk Ferrari or the ML63, but this would actually be a cool car
Be aware due to the storage there is an outstanding recall on it. It was replacing the fuel injectors and injector wiring harnesses on it. Used to work for Nissan and did LOTs of them.
Correct. There is a mandatory recall on the fuel injection system. Every car should have it done. If there is no record of it having been done, the dealer must replace several parts the fuel injection system AT NO COST. The car will spray fuel across the top of the motor and catch fire otherwise. Good for views, not for the longevity of a car that most definitely should be saved. I owned one (non turbo), a family member had a turbo version. They are amazing cars. If it isn't rusty that car is worth saving. Swap out the adjustable suspension (there are kits for this). It is expensive and prone to failure. Don't let this one go hoovie.
@@paristrout8469 I had a metallic blue with blue interior 85 Turbo manual and had the recall work done in like 2001 or 2002. The service manager literally gave me the “you’re kidding right?” face. However it had never been done so they did it.
@@popejohnny5 Ha. When I took mine in, I had already redone most of the car. I had pulled the motor, replaced the exhaust, cold air intake, electric cooling fans, etc. I had also gotten 3rd party distributor, cap and rotor, that had a lifetime guarantee. Took the car in for the recall. Ran like a top, sounded better, smoked the tires. 2 days later went to pick it up. Pulled it out of the service department, drove around the building, and brought it right back into the service department. Ran like shit. Argued with the dealer for DAYS. their response was "it runs fine for a car of its age". Multiple times. Long story short, I told them it felt/sounded like a misfire (after driving it for .1miles). Asked them to check the distributor, it was common for idiots to wack it with a ratchet handle and crack it when working on the motor. Told them not to replace it if its bad, because I had a lifetime warranty. He calls me back 2 hours later. "Hey your distributor was cracked, we replaced it, and it runs great." Of course they threw away the cap I had. I f'ing hate dealers.
This would’ve been a great content to watch. I’m with everyone, should’ve fixed it and the car wizard can make a profit on top of fixing the car as well by just documenting the restoration on his RU-vid channel which I’m sure a lot of us is also subscribed to
Agree entirely - so many automotive You Tubers thoughtlessly discard what made them appealing in the first place - their success seems to be their undoing....or is it that they become slaves to their sponsors? I wish they'd listen to their subscribers and keep the good stuff coming; if it ain't broke, why disappoint your audience with boring self-indulgence on exotics?
@@ericgraham454 In England we can do a lot better for 85 thousand pounds. Nissan here are considered a bit low rent...like buying a renault...cvt transmission and tiny diesels. It's a crying shame
A never-ending and confusing stream of German and Italian cars that we are informed are all "special" in some obscure way or another, and then finally he gets a car that most viewers actually *know* what it is…and he gets rid of it.
He never claimed this was the smartest automotive channel on RU-vid. Still, his relentless work to go in the other direction never ceases to amaze me. This decision reeks like the North end of a Southbound skunk.
Yes, yes, yes. I guess we'll see if he reads comments on this. Truth is a whole lot of us have zero interest in Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari and less interest in owning one. Even those who can afford them. I'm 40 now and could easily afford a 355 or 360 but they have no appeal at all to me. They were old guy lame cars when I was younger and my opinion hasn't changed. I'm a domestic guy through and through but when this car was new even I looked over at it at the redlight from my Camaro or Mustang and admired it. Looking over at a 355 or 360 at the same time only brought about thoughts of Bosley and wheel of fortune. Hopefully he'll realize the car's here can't only appeal to him because if a bunch of us bounce he'll be left driving hoopties again.
I remember driving these in the early 90’s. They where amazing cars. So much cooler than the stuff you’ve been doing recently on this channel. Very sad your not saving this one, it is the perfect spec.
It is the perfect spec, and the kind of car that built the channel. I am hugely disappointed in both Hoovie and Wizard for passing on this beauty. I was SO EXCITE for this car seeing it in the background of older videos for weeks... Big mistake on their end.
Even with that big bill, having her returned to her former glory, she would've been worth much more than you invested. The price of these classic Z's has been going through the roof lately. Sad that you aren't keeping her, but I guess it's better for the channel to keep "premium" brand cars that repeatedly break down on you.
Nostalgia hitting me hard on this one, especially the voice. This was my first car when I was 16 right down to the color combo, but I had the digital dash and the 16" corvette style wheels. suffice to say that I totaled it 5 months after getting it (canadian winters suck!). loved it so much that I got it again as my 2nd car, but 2+2 and auto. sad to hear that I won't get to see more of it on your channel.
The 300 is one of my favorite from my teenage years. As much as I love the Ferrari’s and such early Japanese sports cars will always have a special place in my heart.
I would definitely pay $15,000 for a mechanically sound and interiors refreshed car like this. You cannot find things like this today - take your pick - this or a $30k+ BRZ, etc.
Hey Tyler, your fan base really wants you to bring this “Hooptie” back to life. Give em’ what they want. When finished it would be a great contest give away car or Hoovies Garage auction. Please reconsider your decision.
My first car was an 89 240sx that had a 92 300zx drivetrain, suspension and brakes... It was a rocket ship...! 3.0L(non-turbo), 5-speed and 4-wheel disc...a 16 year old probably shouldn't have had it, but I did...! Thanks, keep up your awesomeness and go enjoy some nature today...
I'd forgotten we were doing two window stickers for a while here in Texas. They stopped doing the license plate sticker because people were stealing them. They went to having one window sticker for the registration and another for the yearly inspection which is what this car has. Now its all in one sticker.
I had an 83 280zx and one of these in the mid 90s. Both were fun cool cars. Was amazing how nice they were for the period. My 300zx even had the digital dashboard which at the time was way cool. For all of the deferred maintenance on this car that estimate isn’t that bad really and I suspect since it sat for so long it needs quite a few gaskets as well. And had it not sat for so long I’d guess at least a couple of items may not have gone south such as the turbo and the steering rack and power steering pump. Sitting for extended periods is bad for any car. I see a lot of Ferraris that suffer from similar issues because they sat. I remember an old boss of mine bought a Ferrari 512tr that had sat for 6 years that had an almost 6 figure repair bill mostly from sitting. While I understand where hoovie is coming from on this car it’s sad to see one that is a survivor in that good of shape not be “restored”.
Seeing the wizards progression in front of the camera is without a doubt my favorite thing to watch on YT. This man looked like a serial killer at first and now I look forward to his videos.
My dads been through hundreds of Zs buying and selling and even he doesnt waste time on Z31s. Parts are a nightmare to find and demand for them is just not there to justify it. Sadly just doesnt make much financial sense.
When I was 16 I had saved up all the money that I have earned I bought an identical version of that car except for it was all white with tan interior and an extra set of fiberglass t-tops that were colored match to the car from California it was absolutely perfect except the motor was blown. I had a nightmare of a time trying to find a motor and couldn't find one for a long time. One day when I pushed it out of the garage and was cleaning it up somebody stopped and offered me stupid money for it the way it sat. I paid $500 for it and sold it for $6,000 in 2002. The guy I sold It to still owns it to this day.
I would say yes to the Wizard. The body was straight and rust free. Then a few more thousand to clean up the cosmetics. $15,000 in for a car that surely is worth $25,000 or so. Sounds good to me.
That is what I was thinking he paid 5k and then he was going to fix it for 10k plus the paint Wich could be another 3k , I think he really didn't liked the car .
Of course its too much to pay a shop to fix all at once. This is the kind of job that a guy does on his own time with his own hands as parts are sourced from more affordable options. The body is great and the paint and interior are nice. No reason this car won't be a great driver again for the right person.
Yeah. If you were a tinkerer and doing it yourself, then you're looking at 3-4 grand and your time. The cavaet is that their are a lot of "fun" cars of that era you could be in for the same kind of $$$.
When I was a kid in the late 90s and early 2000s, I always said that I wanted an '89 300ZX Turbo! A dream car that seemed attainable. Of course, my Dad said no and I got a Toyota Corolla. I was excited to see this pop up, but I was disappointed to see that you're not going to fix it.
These are great cars. I owned a non turbo and it was a lot of fun. Btw, in Texas they stopped doing the license plate stickers, so you would go off the 2001 window sticker.
Tyler, I agree with the other's, this is the type of restoration we want to see! If a couple thousand of us buy a t-shirt, that should cover most of the repair. Please reconsider!
In 1990 I bought a 1986 Nissan 300ZX with 60,000 miles on it that was in mint condition. It wasn’t the same sports car my 1977 Datsun 280Z was (light, agile, fast) but it was fast and had every power feature you could ask for. It handled well and was a very comfortable car to go for long drives in. By the time I sold it in 1996 it had 324,000 miles on it and was still very reliable. It wasn’t as gorgeous as the Datsun 240, 260 & 280 had been, and the half closed headlights made it look like it was stoned, but it was a good looking car that always got compliments. Too bad the Italians couldn’t ever build cars with same degree of quality and reliability.
I'm kind of disappointed. I would have loved to see this car brought back to life. Don't get me wrong, i love Ferrari's and all, but, that 300ZX is the kind of car in my reach, and with the apparent lack of rust, it seems to be a great project car. Definitely deserves a restoration.
If it was a 280zx it would definitely be worth repairing. As a kid I remember my cousin's dad bought him a new 280zx with black and red paint. Anniversary edition. Beautiful car and fast.
My son had bought one of those back in '05 for next to nothing, 200k miles, rough shape, but it would run up to 100 like nothing. Until a buddy changed his oil. For reasons nobody could explain, he put in 8 qts. The rings were never the same after that.
The reason the plates are 94 and the sticker is 01/02 is because early 90's the state of Texas stopped issuing stickers for the license plate and instead gave you a registration tag for the windshield. So the plates just never got changed after that last sticker on them.
Taking a look on cars and bids and it seems that if Hoovie did it up to good condition it looks like it's feasible to make some money. They come in at $18-30K, most of which are heavily modified . Seems strange not to commit, viewers clearly love it and it looks like the numbers make sense. Still Tyler clearly does have his own financial logic that seems to be working, if the $1m+ appreciating car collection is anything to go buy.
I owned a '90 Twin Turbo. At the time it was a pretty powerful car @ 300hp, but the car was in the shop more than it was out of it. I still remember looking out of my living room window, back in the days when letting a car warm up on a cold winter's day was ok, and seeing a massive cloud of blue smoke. The turbos were blown with less than 40k on the car.
Finally, a car I feel is truly worthy of saving and you uncharacteristically don't. 🙃 There's something about 80s and 90s Japanese cars that I don't feel for literally any other type of car.
Amazing to see this new knowledge on late 80s cars and how they went from almost free or healthy low numbers to what they are now. 80-90z auto . 2010 a e30=500-2500 mk2 toyota 85 3k max clean . Sad things have went up but happy humans have learn new old time are so amazing. These 300zx are sick
A lot of the work can be done by the owner..I had done my 4 shocks (with a friend) the belts and tune up are standard. Timing belt, I have not done that but a lot of guys have. And of course brakes are a cinch! You could have a sweet car after that! Main thing is there is no body rot!!!!
Total sales price plus estimate of repair is in the $13,000 range. Not bad for a classic car that has all kinds of show potential. This car could have been in a parade or something.
Honestly, this car is FAR more interesting than the constant string of expensive to buy and expensive to repair lambos and Ferrs and what-haveyous that come through. all these YT channels. I just watched the R8 update where it was mentioned the engine appeared to have been 'cobbled-together' to save the expense of buying a new one (by a previous owner).... because a NEW ENGINE was $20k! Spending 8k to bring a 300Z Turbo back to life suddenly seems reasonable, and many, many more of us - the viewers - can dream and connect with these kind of cars. Very missed opportunity.
Hoovie must be out of touch with his viewer base. Look at all the comments saying they would prefer to watch content on this, rather than unattainable exotics and expensive cars.
I had a 1984 3oozx that was white and shortly after i bought a red 1988 300zx turbo, the 84 was automatic. the 88 was manuel. both had t tops. sadly they are gone now but i really miss them.
All common/given jobs for a car that sat. Price goes down on those adjustable shocks, because no way are you finding oem ones...that feature will likely be deleted. Everyone here dreams of finding an 80's Japanese sports car in that condition with no rust. A car that will appreciate (both literally & figuratively) it's repairs unlike the Italian stuff which will mock you over & over again. Such a cool car.
You should try and find a Supra from the same period. I had a chance to get into a 1990 Supra back when I was living in Europe - smooth drive, quality build and high tech for the time. Those were some of the best looking Japanese coupes too.
Hoovie!! This is a super cool car, u got to get it fixed!! Maybe not a full restore , and a lot of aftermarket parts use?? Not sure what it’s worth fixed, but it would be so cool to see it done. Maybe Car trek car?
The cheaper/crappier cars make this channel more relatable - all the exotics are definitely less interesting and entertaining to me than stuff like this Nissan.
Awww, I'm so disappointed about the 300ZX! I was looking forward to all the next videos :( It really fit a hoovie car... Who cares about Ferraris and Lambo's, regular sports cars is where is at. They are so much fun to drive and fixing them is a great way to know a car for what it is and what it isn't.
That is how he makes his money and got to where he is at today.He would have been in for 13-14 thousand dollars without getting the interior fixed, cut wiring, air conditioner compressor was seized.The paint job has 100,000 miles old. It probably looks a lot better on camera than up close in person. It wouldn`t be worth his time even though he could have had some fun driving it for a while before flipping it and getting his money back and he isn`t gaga over it like if he had one in high school or owned one when he was younger.
Dude. I subscribe to your channel BECAUSE THIS IS THE KIND OF RESTORATION I WANT TO SEE. If you're going to pussy out of the challenging restorations like this, and just go around buying cars that need a few tuneups, then (a) you're no longer the dumbest automotive channel on the internet, and (b) you've sort of sold out because you're obviously more focused on (not losing) money now than in being an interesting channel.
Not sure how much time the car wizard spent on the quote but he took it fairly well, at least on camera. And Hoovie is a cash cow judging from the comments.
It's a good thing that he got rid of the car he didn't even know that it was an inline 6 he said it was a V6. Don't forget about the Subaru you that you bought it almost snapped in half.
Won’t hesitate to spend 50K on Ferrari repairs, but 8k on a rare clean Z31 turbo...too much. And, it would last for years and would be a good, low cost driver, compared to the insane mx Ferrari sched costs. Hopefully, it goes to a good home.
Would have liked to see a couple videos on this car, too many supercars on youtube.. I liked the old Hoovies Garage with cars people can really buy and have fun with.
Finally! Rather a Z32, but a Z is a Z! My 89 Z32 has a reconstructed title and fires up like new. This is back when reliability was just a thing. As others have said, this car is ONLY going to up in value. You will NOT lose money on it.
My aunt had one of these in red that she promised to me when I was old enough to get my license. She would take me out for a spirited drive through the country when I was over and we would have a blast, some of my favorite memories of her were in that car. Sadly, she got mixed up with heroin and the car disappeared one day. Then her nissan hardbody went, then her house, then everything else she owned. By the time I got my license the only thing she had was her dogs and a bedroom in my grandma's house. Drugs hurt more to the people watching you spiral. Take the help.
A decent mechanic could have that going again for 2500 bucks if he wanted to put the time into it...Thats why it pays to be able to to work on your own stuff so you arent paying retail to fix everything
