ZHP Pricing Tiers

[COBMWs]

This may or may not be the appropriate location for this thread, but I though I'd start here - if it were deemed valuable enough, it could even be a "sticky" here (clearly with much more input from the experts in our community here).

Mostly, I simply want to share my thoughts based on my own personal experience shopping for a ZHP over the past several months, and see what others think. But it may also be helpful for shoppers as well as sellers to get an idea of the market on our beloved ZHPs. As we all know, the popular online pricing resources don't necessarily take into account the "real" market for these. Fact is, we enthusiasts more or less drive the market on such cars.

So I sort of formulated "tiers" in my mind based primarily on mileage. Obviously, when we're talking about these 8-12 year old cars, each one can bring its own unique nature, but mileage is likely the most significant factor, with the assumption that the condition is reflective of the mileage. And body style has some impact as well, though it seems that each of them has its own set of followers. Here's what I've seen:

1. Mileage greater than 100k - $7-8k up to $10-11k

1. Good mileage (70k - 90k) - $10-11k up to $13-14k

1. Very good mileage (50k - 60k) - $14k - $18k

1. Rare low mileage (20k - 40k) - $18k on up to low $20k's

What's nice about the market is generally there's a ZHP out there for everyone.

[NorCalZman]

You're missing 90-100k. I would add a few thousand to each of those for ZHPs located in California and depending on equipment levels. There seems to be a premium for west coast cars.

I had to pay the very high end of what my car was worth due to a stiff seller. I was ok with it because it had almost everything I wanted, including color, and even a few things I didn't even know were available (PDC). The only thing I wish it had was seat heaters, which I am rectifying now.

[COBMWs]

Well, I guess when I say "90k" I mean "90k's".

I suppose California would indeed by a desirable market due to its favorable climate for the cars. It's definitely on my list of places to look for ZHPs.

[ELCID86]

To me the mileage is just one factor. 120-140k mi doesn't bother me much if there is good documentation of maintenance.

[ELCID86]

Well, I guess when I say "90k" I mean "90k's".

That's how I read it. up to 99,999

[NoVAphotog]

This is a good breakdown, but I would say it is definitely missing an additional "bonus" if you will to some of the tiers for the amount of records a particular car in the respective tier has. For example, I could be looking at two cars, one, with 110k priced at the higher end due to the fact that the complete maintenance records are available to me as a potential buyer and that several of the major repairs/replacement operations have been done to the car (coolant, inspection II, vanos, etc). The second car, maybe is in the 70-90k range and has zero records and is priced higher due to the mileage.

Which one you choose depends on your wallet obviously and your sense of risk and overall feeling for the car. It's these aspects that make it a far more challenging endeavor than just looking at the number of miles.

[Newjack]

Manual ZHP's go for more than automatics. Also certain color combos are worth more. Alpine white is a fairly rare color for a ZHP and tends to up the value a bit. Also god tier natural brown leather is worth more.

After that you just have to take into consideration mileage and how well the previous owner tool care of the car. Does it have a maintenance record and what kind of repairs does it need?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[slater]

To me the mileage is just one factor. 120-140k mi doesn't bother me much if there is good documentation of maintenance.

agreed. i would also be totally happy with a higher-mileage car, if the maintenance was right. 1-owner cars are also highly-desirable. my coupe was a high-mileage, 1-owner car that was priced so low i am embarrassed to post it here. but i went for it because of the history and condition.

at this point, ultra-low mileage cars could suffer from lack of use (rubber bits drying out) - so i am on the fence about those and whether they deserve the premium, as you really ought to immediately sink money into them (cooling system refurb). i'm eyeing a 27K-mile car now, priced at $19K, and a 78K-mile car, priced at $13K. i think the 78K car is likely a better value for me, as i'll pile on those 50K miles in 3 years.

peter

[COBMWs]

All good points - thanks for sharing.

Definitely hard to pin down values in general on these cars, or any older BMW. As most of you pointed out, attention to maintenance and repairs is a major factor. One reason I tried to state a fairly large range within those tiers.

I supposed I'm also killing time with the thread as I've looked at every single listing that exists in the country for a ZHP right now.

[ELCID86]

good discussion. So with two cars in the sig that have paper tags, you are still looking?