My AE86 sits across the ocean from me, tucked under a cover on the side of my folk’s house. From time to time, they tell me they’ve turned away wishful buyers, and it’s understandable. A few times the rejected try again after a few months, likely spotting the rust on the calipers grow. One gentleman comes by every month with new pitches, new ways to “help take the vehicle off their hands.” I admire his perseverance, but that car will be with me to the end. Who’s tried to buy your JNC? I mean really buy it. Any interesting stories, newfound friendships? Especially with prices climbing, surely this kind of thing is becoming more common.
Has anyone tried to buy your JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How would you spend $1 million on your JNCs?”
There were a number of great answers this week, diverse in theme, too. Many, like Lupus, said they would use the funds to build their dream garage. Dave, on the other hand, concocted a brilliant plan to save the manuals. Jeremy A would spend it all on a car that most would not spend even $1,000 to restore, while ahja wanted, admirably, to create enough AE86 parts to fill a Year One-like catalog. GSX-R35 said he would buy JNC (and we’d sell it, too!), but the winner this week is Hakofan. true to his name, would build the ultimate resto-mod C10 Skyline and then open up a shop to teach others about wrenching.
I would buy a 2 door hakosuka, strip it down, build it back up with just the right amount of modern and classic, I am going to daily drive it after all, so I want something dependable, but also don’t want to lose the feel of the car. AC is an absolute must. Next is to put in a heart that beats like nothing else, an L series motor with the os giken tc-24b1z head on it. 0-60, not interested, 0-hell yeah, that’s more like it. Next up is four wheel disc brakes and a roll cage, need to have something when hell yeah turns into hell no. After my car is exactly where I want it to be, I need a garage to work on it. So in comes the car lift, all the fancy and shiny tools and tool cabinets, proper lighting, and some great wall art to glance at as I momentarily give up looking for the 10 mm socket. After all of my selfish desires are met, I want to open up a classic car shop, with an emphasis on JNC’s. The shop would be used on Saturday’s to teach basic lessons to car enthusiasts on how to maintain and care for their vehicles, of course this would happen after the cars and coffee shows to be hosted in the shops parking lot. Phew that was a lot.
Omedetou! Your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop.
Offer to buy? Yes! 3 or 4 years ago at the JCCS a Japanese after market parts manufacturer offered me and Arizona Hit Man $20,000 each for my RL411 and his WRL411. We both said “No” we were keeping our vehicles. He wanted our cars because the first car he owned in Japan was a 411 and Nostalgia had set ion. A vehicle is worth whatever a motivated buyer is willing to offer at the moment.
My first car was a 1985 toyota corolla gts hatchback. I loved that car so much and thought i was going to keep it forever (wish i did). My first job was working at a local hobby shop and 2 young kids came in and asked who owned the AE86 that was outside. I told them it was mine but it was not for sale, they continued to try and offer me $4000 CDN for the car, this was in roughly 2003. I refused the offer but a couple of months later i totaled the car, i was distracted by a bee that flew in my window and didnt realize the 4 runner in front of me stopped for a bus and i slammed into the rear of the 4 runner totaling my GTS. I wish i had taken that 4g…..
Back in 1997 I was offered $1000 for my 1982 Tercel while I was getting gas for it.
(Sold it in 1999 for $300, should have taken the grand).
I have a low-mileage (42k mi), stock 1980 red RX-7 GS. Yes, the one with the optional 5-speed with a black vinyl interior. So naturally, I get many offers to buy it. I’ve even had a guy cut me off before a stop sign—and right before I was able to roll down my windows to give him a piece of my mind—and tell me how much he loved my car and ask how much I’d let it go for (the answer is no price in the world). Invariably, as it is with these kind of endearing-but-not-quite-hot JNCs, the price offered barely covers the previous stock part I had to scour the world for.
But offers aside, it’s the stories that come after my polite decline that makes these cars so awesome. Once, the owner of a custom neon light shop came out to say how he and his father used to work on their ‘79 and took road trips together. In a surprise to the owner, BOTH of his long-time employees also came out and revealed that they, too, had first-gen RX-7s in their childhood.
There I was, watching three gentlemen reminisce about their youth and revving my 100-hp 12a for their aural pleasure. It was only a 15-minute interaction, but they left with a happier connection to each other and I left with a sense of pride and responsibility.
I have a 77 Celica now, and it runs into a very weird “fact” about the car.
From my time at Cars and Coffee and driving it around here and there, I keep getting guys in their 50’s and 60’s remarking “Hey, my Ex-Girlfriend/Wife/Mistress (yes, one guy admitted to the Mistress owning one, TMI) owned one of these!!” And without fail, these guys actually want to buy the car!! I mean, it’s not for sale, but the fact that those two things get intertwined together is amusing to me.
So now, I joking mention that the car is the “Significant Other Car” everytime I encounter a new story from some new guy.
Currently there is a B110 sitting in my driveway , I have dreams of a TS cup styled one that will hopefully become a reality soon. A good amount of the time if I am outside someone usually drives by asking what is that, and is it for sale, every now and then I will see notes on it asking to buy it, and my roommates get asked often, now that there is a ae86 parked next to it in my driveway I’m sure I will get Moreno of those. The rolls is my brothers I’m just storing it for him, and the b110 is going to be with me for life. Just like my s14. Once I decide to keep it I am going to keep it, no matter what is offered. I’ve turned down enough money for a down payment for a house in SoCal before and would do it again. The way I see it, if you want to buy my car, for some dumb amount, just pay me to build you one .
Yes. I have had people offer to buy my ’83 280ZX Turbo. And I’ve always declined, because, for one, I love the car too much, and for two, it’s a 280ZX; I’ve been in the Z community long enough to know that the folks who have offered to buy my S130 only want to rip her heart out to turbocharge yet another S30 Z, and junk the body. I’ve left cars and coffee many a time, having disappointed some member or another of the local Z club, because I won’t part with my L28ET engine. (I know they’re not after the car itself.). I can’t bear the thought of parting with it, knowing that it’s not going to be loved, and driven, but instead torn apart and her heart put into yet another garage queen 240Z.
For a while around 2008-2010, I had a mint condition, bone-stock, 1987 Toyota Corolla SR5 coupe. The red paint still shiny, the black interior uncracked, and it was still on 13″ steelies with oem hubcaps.
I always had to street park it in front of my apartment, and would weekly get the same handwritten note under the wiper.
“Hi, I’m looking for a reliable, fuel efficient commuter car like your Toyota Corolla, I have cash. (Phone number)”
My thoughts were, “No, you want to get a crazy deal on an AE86 from someone who doesn’t know what they have.”
I continued to receive these hand-written notes every week, with their pleas for a “Reliable commuter car” becoming more and more desperate.
Finally I texted them out of sheer annoyance.
“Hi, I keep getting your notes wanting to buy my car?”
them: “YES, THE 1987 COROLLA?”
Me: “Yeah, the red hachiroku coupe.”
them: “Oh. you know what you have then…. (sad face emoji)… never mind.”
Had a few comments but no offers.
Doesn’t help that my jnc’s are hugely unreliable and often break down.
I get:
Rad car man
Nice stance man
What type of car is that
Never seen that type of car before.
What do you own?
2 x 1983 Toyota Celica.
Not worth alot of $