positivetennis

Unfortunately with our 3 year government terms, means that governments are less visionary in planning for the future and more interested in getting re-elected or elected from opposition into government. We have had 5 prime ministers in 6 years where they are more worried about news polls and the daily media cycle than governing for Australians. Countries like China have 100 year plans. Globalism and internationalist philosophies have been forced on Australians and we are basically been given our orders. You can tell that this started in the 1980's when we allowed our dollar to be manipulated by multi-nationals and tariffs lowered in an attempt to create a 'so called' competitive environment. How could have Australian manufacturing survived when China pays its workers nothing. Currently we are selling off our farms and each day we do this our GDP shrinks. With the services industry now being a focal point of Sydney and Melbourne points to an increase in immigration and then building infrastructure and construction sector industry which in turns fuels the demand for real estate and since manufacturing and mining are declining, everyone is thinking Sydney, Melbourne and then Brisbane. Sydney's population growth is ahead of schedule increasing by 1 million in just 5 years.

Yes, many (or some) of the younger generation do spend on lifestyle things. Overseas trips, mobile phone bills and they like to progress quickly to the top when it comes to purchasing property and not afraid of large debt's and credit. Many of the younger generation work in professions that are highly paid. Sydney in particular has some individuals who earn between 500k and 1million a year and this city is their playground along with overseas wealthy people who have lots of money and have changed the value of things. Some of the older generation used to save up and buy when they had the money. Unfortunately the rate of change has made this approach difficult to execute I don't know how a school teacher for example would be able to afford the median price of over 1 million in Sydney, unless they are prepared to live on the outskirts which many do with the hope that they will pay the house down and trade up. The only problem with this strategy now is that the inner and middle rings of Sydney increase in value at a much higher rate than the outer ring so that is it for them. Sydney is a global city now and Melbourne is not far behind in terms of real estate but still cheaper. Brisbane is benefitting from the lower dollar and tourism is the main driver, its been tipped to have its best year yet for growth, but time will tell.

There is no doubt that Adelaide needs to re-invent itself with some more economic drivers than it currently has going. It's population growth is a lot slower than Sydney and Melbourne. I'm thinking that technology, education and the arts (festivals) might be it in addition to building submarines. Maybe another car maker could take over (Imagine Nissan making Z's in Adelaide). The other risk with investing in Adelaide has always been the opportunity cost of investing in Melbourne and Sydney but the difference of entry now is quite great so the lure of getting into Adelaide at a much lower price could nullify this. I went to Adelaide in January and its a beautiful city, easy to get around, lovely coastline and hills to the East, sunset at 9.30pm in summer and very relaxing and prices have jumped by about 4.0% over the past year so eventually all cities will be pricey including Hobart which has jumped as well. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is there in the back of my mind. Is there anyone out there on this forum who lives in Adelaide that can shed some light on the future of this city?

I think another way of looking at this situation is how Nissan-Renault-Mitusbishi will decide what the next Z will be. There is no doubt that they are holding back at the moment. I would have thought that a replacement would have arrived in 2014 for Mr K to see and Nissan's 80th birthday, but nothing has happened and we are halfway through 2016. The point I think I'm trying to make is that I feel that Nissan are trying to work out whether the younger generation are interested in cars like previous generations. Seeing those SUV Z concept was not what I would have envisaged but that could have been just a z derived concept rather than the real thing. If this is true, that the younger generation is less sports car interested, could this also be the case for classic cars as baby boomers and generation X start to decline. Many current high school and university students that I work with seem to be very much green orientated in their thinking and seem to look judgementally on those whosa turn up in a performance type car. There is no doubt that the Toyota 86 and new Mazda mx5 are interesting experiments on the international market.

I'm worried this bust in real estate might not come, instead we might experience more moderate growth. After a break in growth in the December quarter we have just recorded 3.1% growth in the month of May in Sydney and 6.6% for the quarter (Tim Lawless June Core logic.com.au). The only city to experience a decline in may was Perth at -2.7%. Sorry to bring this topic up Gavin, appreciate your response. With Mr Meriton (Harry Trigerboff: currently richest guy in AU) going full steam ahead with mass building construction particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, they must know something in advance. He was interviewed by Ross Greenwood on the money show on 2 GB and was asked if there would be an oversupply of units being built to which he refuted totally. Lots of overseas buyers keen to buy these units sight unseen, particularly that they are brand new and Governments no long interested in supporting regional Australia. (Carbon footprint excuse). Can a city like Adelaide be a future alternative to people who want to live close to the city and not pay a fortune?

As a Sydney person living here for almost 50 years I have never noticed as much devlopment and change. Houses are being knocked down, backyards turned into granny flats, houses over 1 million, high rise going up everywhere. Our incomes are higher than the rest of the country, but everything is so expensive. Traffic is a nightmare and people are very competitive with their behaviour and its hard to get ahead unless you earn mega dollars. My question here is to ask those of you who live in the other cities, how things are going for you. I guess Melbourne is not far behind Sydney, but what about those of you who live in Adelaide and Brisbane. Adelaide in particular has the cheapest housing on the mainland but the highest unemployment even though it was rated highly on the liveability index last year. Any thoughts about this, maybe some of you have lived in more than one city and has some views you could share.

There seems to be a lot of people in Australia asking higher prices for their classic cars. Even a lot of the 90's coupes have expensive asking prices compared to even 2 years ago if they are in good condition and low kilometres. Such is the situation that 350z's, 370z's and Toyota 86's seem like bargains. Interest rates are low at the moment and people are feeling that Australia's economy is stable. Where we may come stuck in the future is our level of debt we are in. Currently we are using immigration to fuel spending on the economy and in particular real estate to attempt to service this debt but these may lead to other problems. I'm finding that everything in Sydney in particular very expensive.

Prestige auto sports on Parramatta Rd Haberfield

I think with house prices, we need to look at the economic drivers of Australia currently. There has been a definite shift in Australia from mining and manufacturing sectors to the services based industry of education and tourism. This has seen WA, NT and to some degree SA have stagnant and decreasing prices, whereas Sydney and Melbourne have had huge increases in prices in the last 2 years, with Brisbane starting to see growth in 2016. The other areas that have suffered in Australia has been regional country towns, particularly the ones that don't have diverse economies. With the many job opportunities in Sydney and Melbourne, there has been a flow of people emigrating here from the other states and you can compound this with overseas Chinese investors for sure. The other thing to look at is lifestyle and convenience, and what we are seeing is the rise in coastal and middle to inner ring suburbs becoming very desirable due to café/beach lifestyle and easy travelling times to work becoming a factor. As a result of all this, the doubling of house prices is not constant, because there are many different markets and market cycles in Australia. So this is my view of real estate. Now with z cars. I think the market for these cars will I think be determined by lifestyle trends and fashions of future demographics. This can be very hard to predict as Government policies and what manufacturers come up with will have an influence. For example in NSW there is talk of allowing customers in 2018 to import there own cars from anywhere is the world and that may affect values of some cars. A base 911 for 220k currently sells in other parts of the world for 150k. If we have a look at Nissan at the moment I get the impression that they are not sure when and what they will release to replace the 370z. Imagine if they decide to release a beautifully styled car car similar to a 240z which is electric and will get you 0-100 in 4 seconds and sell for 40k, something like that could have some influence the market. The 240z is definitely a museum piece of Japanese automobile history that is now out of reach of many buyers (Unless our $ goes up again and you import from the US) and I think as it continually gets older many classic car people may start to look at things such as value for money and certain modern features like fuel injection and air conditioning as well as comfort and luxury in deciding whether to buy something or not. I think the 280zx is an interesting case in point. Its a car that has the 240z retro look, yet it had many features that were ahead of its time and you could probably still buy one now at a good price and drive it daily. On the other hand if you don't like the 280zx but want a 260z 2 by 2 you could get one and modernise it.

I've noticed people referring to the 2 seater 280zx which must be quite a rare thing in Australia, I believe there maybe one coming in to Sydney to one of the import dealers but will be expensive. It's a shame our dollar is low at the moment as there are some good samples in the US. I also feel that buyer interest is increasing with the 280zx. Its still a very unique looking car and therefore a good one has some collector appeal as long as you don't pay too much.

With 2 seater s30 asking prices quite high, a good 280zx represents good value. I would be curious to know what many forum members choices are if 2 seater s30's were out of their budget, what car would you choose?

Those pictures of the SUV look interesting but grotesque. I guess Nissan is trying to look forward to what the new generation of buyers would like as cars. In my opinion, these designs date very quickly, whereas classic designs have an enduring appeal. I guess time will tell. The other day I went to the All English car day at the kings School in North Parramatta and really enjoyed the styling of the E Type, XK8, and the Astons along with a few interceptors and Volvo P1800. Would love Nissan to do something classic.

I hope Nissan don't do an SUV with the zed badge. I would still like to see a remake of the 240z. I'm sure it could be a sensation if done right. Would love to own something that looked like a Toyota 2000gt as well, great shape and wonderful rosewood dash. Both 240z and 2000gt were very elegant designs. I also like the 280zx and z31, but not that excited about the 350z and 370z shapes. I also think the timing needs to be right, should have been done for Nissan's 80th birthday, it would have been great.

Yes, I'm about 2m tall which is around 6ft 5. All zeds up to and including the z32 are very comfortable, even the 86 is fine, supra, Celica and 3000gt all good, but 350 and 370z it's too tight. The z31 has heaps of room and is very practical as well, the z32 less so with the instrument pods hitting your knees. The 240z to 280zx are excellent, very roomy. Now what I would like Nissan to do with a new z is style it like a 240z with its sugar scoop headlights and light body, that's it. Dodge have done it with the new Challenger. Just have a look at some of Nissans latest concepts and they are not good.

Maybe so, but I know a whole lot people who wanted an 86 but were told to wait for 18 months, or pay a premium, so they walked and got something else. Now you can get them immediate delivery and these people have moved on and so has the market which is why Nissan should have had a replacement by now. They were meant to have one released for Nissan's 80th birthday and while Mr K was still around but they missed the boat.

Yes, 60k can buy a lot of things including an XK 8, NSX E Type and a deposit on an investment property. There are many in the US under 10k which is value.

I just think that Nissan is taking too long to develop the 370z replacement. There was a comment made that Nissan was concerned that sports cars lose their demand in the 2nd year they are on the market and that they need to consider things carefully. The problem that I see with Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ in Australia was how we as the public are treated by the car companies. We were told that the Toyota 86 would start at $29,990 and hence the interest in this car was strong, so strong that everyone wanted one, but the waiting list for some models was up to 18 months. However if you were prepared to pay $48k for one, you could get it shortly. With Subaru you had to make an appointment to test drive one and then order it online. A lot of people got jacked of this and went elsewhere, where they wouldn't have to put up with this artificial hyped up demand for the car. Now 2 years later there are over 300 Toyota 86's available on Carsales and people now don't want one because they were stuffed around. It would have been much better if Toyota/Subaru made the cars available in the first place. As far as Nissan is concerned, there is so much love for the original 240z style and concept by enthusiasts around the world, yet they don't seem to be listening. Rather they seem to be focusing on ugly concept cars. Nissan need to wake up and just build a modern 240z, and they have winner. Problem with the current 370z for many people is you need to a midget to get into it, compared to the 240z which had plenty of room. I don't want to be cramped up in a 370z with my head touching the roof and the dash pressing on my knees, yuk

My thoughts about this topic is this. Everyone has a threshold of what they are prepared to pay for things based on how they value money. For me, due to how much I earn and how I value this money I earn, there is a limit to how much I am prepared to pay for a 240z/260z coupe. As much as I love these cars, once the price goes over 20k I start to question whether I'm doing the right thing. Firstly there is the thought in my mind that paying over 20k is a lot of money, especially with a car this old, with rust, fumes and constant repairs and safety issues. You also start to question the comparable factors. There are a lot of cars you can buy in the $20k-$40K mark that may make more sense. I know that I should have bought one of these when they were under 20k. In the late 80's you could get a nice 240z for $5000 and that is what I should have done. When I see one now where the asking price is $50k I'm not interested. That's a good deposit on a rental property. Maybe the 280zx is the value buy right now. Also as Gav was talking about Sydney real estate, with prices now in stratosphere territory many people are being locked out of the market, lot of it in my area due to overseas buyers who have heaps of cash. A house for over 1.2m in the Hills District of Sydney means you may never own it unless you came into inheritance or you are on to your 3rd house, so you start to look at regional areas, the outskirts and other cities which many are now doing provided the economy is strong enough to support jobs. The generational factor is also important as well as the prestige element. MGB's with an asking price in the 20k-30k mark are not selling that well as younger folk will probably buy an MX5. The E type is seen as a top end car and will still appeal to many people especially with its styling and leather interior, it still looks classy today. The younger generation are also a lot more expecting of features that allow them to be carefree. They like modern performance, braking, handling and comfort and reliability. I think at present the 90's Japanese sports cars as classic cars are making a lot of sense as this decade saw a huge improvement in quality, safety and performance albeit complexity. As current options, the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ is a good option.

Thanks mate, sounds great.

Thanks for all the kind, and constructive responses and advice. Now to Agno (Nice photo), I've owned about 7 zeds in the last 20 years, all were in immaculate condition and original, and sometimes finding authentic cars at the right price in your location takes some time. Cros30, there is nothing wrong in asking such questions such as "Is X better than Y etc.?", that should be one of the reasons why forums like these are on the internet.

Hi everyone. Just after a daily driver 280zx or z31 automatic with functional air conditioning. Would prefer something with less than 200k if possible. Is there anyone in Sydney who is considering selling their car please contact me on 0412358057. Ideally looking for something under 9k but all dependent on the quality of the car. After something that is original rather than modified.

Hi Curtis, in terms of overall condition, how does this car compare to the one you got from Eltham Victoria. I am keen to get something similar to what you have there, really like the authenticity of that car.

Will focus on getting a 79 hardtop unless something really exceptional comes up with a 82/83 targa.. Its a shame Nissan Australia didn't continue selling a hardtop version in AU after 1980 as well as making a 2 seater available. So far looked at 2 cars but both were a bit rusty and neglected.

Thanks Imackz. Good point. Just went and had a look at the 79 hardtop. Looked like a nice car and drove well. Unfortunately has a fair bit of filler on both doors and front guard along with rust under battery and some on front rails. Had cracked dash and air cond was just regassed, but love the sky blue colour. Will look at some more tomorrow.

Thanks Dave, good points, need to look at 35 year cars on a case by case proposition. I'm going to drive the 79 model today and do all the necessary checks. I was wondering if anyone knows whether the targa is heavier due to requirements needed to engineer the targa over the hardtop model. Also what about the different steering systems, how does rack and pinion compare to recirculating ball steering systems. Anybody have a preference between the the hardtop and series 2 targa models visually and/or overall package?