Got Lucky!

ZeeBabar

I have a 2014 sports package 370z in bright red with 18500 miles on it. All highway miles, pristine condition.

About a week ago, I had dropped into a nearby Mazda dealership, looked at their new Mazda Miata's and got tempted (I have a car shopping disease). However, they were all ranging from $25000 for the basic "sports" trim, about $28k for their "club" trim and over $30k for the Grand Touring.

I could not see them giving my car more than $18,500. I took it to CarMax and they offered me $19k for my 370z. I dropped the silly idea...or so I I thought.

On Wednesday, while on EBay, I saw a used 2016 Mazda Miata Grand Touring with 5k miles up for auction. At that time, with about 9 bidders, the bid was $23,600 (A new GT is about $31k) and 5-6 hours to go for the sale to end. I bid $23,700 and then stopped myself, got off EBay so I don't do anything stupid and get into a bidding war.

Six hours later, I received a notification that I had won the auction. The seller was in the Atlanta area. I tossed and turned all night long. In the morning, I contacted the seller, decided I would tame my 370z to Atlanta area, turn in my 370z to Meet the seller, give him the $19k from Carmax and another $3700 cashiers check.

Last night I cursed myself for having made the bid, this morning I kept looking at my lovely 370z and getting mad at myself for having gone to the Mazda dealer, got tempted by the tan leather seats, Bose system, the easily retractable roof and convertible, the awesom 6 speed but still, given that I mostly do long distance diving, my 370Z interior was much roomier, the power so much greater.

I got ready or the 4 hour drive to Atlanta, called the seller, and let him know that Ai was on my way, had the car title would need his full name for the cashiers check and that I expected the car to be pristine and the title available for me before the exchange.

He then told me that the title was with his finance company and would not be available till the end of the month. While I pretended disappointment I smiled. I called EBay and they said he should never have put up the car for sale without a ready title in his hand and that it would not reflect on me if I did not go through with it.

Whew!!! Almost divorced my 370z!! Just took it for a drive to fall in love with it again!!

cooltoy

I hope she forgives you.

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ZeeBabar

Taking her on a 240 mile drive tomorrow, return on Monday. Spending 8 hours with her will do the trick!!

Z-Girl 12

Don't let it happen again...

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2012 Z-SOLD
2014 Nismo #565 Fast Intentions CBE/HFC/Swift/SPC/RJM/H&R-15/20mm/Z1 CAI/Headers/Intake Manifold w/Uprev Tune 328.31whp/263.64tq

alcheng

lucky you, otherwise we gonna see a used 2016 Mazda Miata Grand Touring with 5k+ miles up for auction on ebay in two weeks.

gbhrps

Zeebabar,

If you are tall like me (6'3") you just about made the biggest mistake of your life.

When I sold my 3 antique cars this September, I wanted to replace the three of them with a modern 2 seat convertible, one that not everybody drove. The candidates were the Bimmer Z4, the Porsche Boxster, the 2016 MX5 and the 370z Roadster.

My wife would not set foot in either the Z4 or theBoxster, because they just "reeked of snob appeal" and she wanted no part of the image. That left the other two.

After much research and test drives in each, we discovered that neither of us would fit the Miata for anything longer than a drive across town. I absolutely loved the looks of the car and how it drove (5.5 seconds to 60 mph versus the 370z's 5.1 is not a lot of difference), but my wife's short stature found the floor hump on the passenger side kept her left leg airborne, while I couldn't get the seat back far enough back, and I did not fit on the passenger side at all. The car is simply made for the standard sized person from Japan.

The 370z just had all kinds of room. Okay, so the gas mileage is dismal compared to the Miata's 41 mpg on hightest, but if you don't fit the car, .... what's the point in owning it?

Trust me, ... you made the right choice in keeping the 370z.

Gene

ZeeBabar

Thanks. The Mazda dealership is next door and seeing those cute cars every day tempted me. I do fit in on the drivers side but not as comfortably as in the Z. The manual, the clutch are just as perfect as can be.

One major reason I considered trading for the Miata is that I seem to have a personality defect. In the 370z, I take it personal when their cars pull up next to me or overtake me on the highway. I drive fast and often rashly. I don't think I would take on the Mustangs and Camaros and other cars on the highway or stop lights. in a convertible with a little engine.

In any case, I am holding on to my Z.

Duc_Z09

This is why you should buy the Miata and do a TT LS3 swap.

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2009 370z #206 (all mods are Home Depot)
2009 Ducati 848 (full Ohlins, Termignoni, etc)
2003 Grand Cherokee (long arms, big tires, 4.56, lockers)

TreeSemdyZee

Fixed.

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Borla S-Type | Motordyne | Z1 (lots) | South Bend | K&N | Nismo/Nismo S-Tune | Eibach | Aerojacket | Fujimara | Spl | ZSpeed Performance | Kenwood-Infinity-Sound Ordnance | Whiteline | Ecutek | Hotchkis | Clazzio | VQ Vortex |Morimoto XB |Dynosty Tune 329.64hp 265.73 ft/lb

UNKNOWN_370

Crazy story!!!

I could NEVER think of giving up my Z for a miata or toyobaru twin. Lol

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Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

Ventruck

Really wanted to say "whoa OP that was mad stupid" but new-gen Miatas look really good. Had it not been raining I would've been test driving one right now at the auto show.

The RF would probably end me. Of course I'd be going in with the intention of FI asap.

OldGuyFla

I would never buy any car sight unseen, no matter what it looked like in a picture.

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Fuzzzy

That's because you aren't a self-professed semi-professional (whatever the hell that means) gambler like OP is.

Chuck33079

It means you lose money for a living.

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2011 MB Touring-Sport-6sp-Nav/GTM TT/FI TT TDX/JTran/Kosmic/Eibach/Hotchkis/SPC/CSF/RPS/SoThatsWhereAllMyMoneyWent

TexasChuck

Would be for the full amount w/o trade.