I had 5 AE86s before the InitialD and the drift craze started. Sold them for what I thought was a healthy profit as the craze started. Three years later and WTF! AE86 prices had jumped up to $10k, now garage queens are selling for $15k!+!! I mean it's a fun car and they taught me a lot about driving but asking prices for the AE86 are insane. <- now that's a hyped up car.

I still have a clean from-CA SR5 chassis and finding parts for that thing has been a nightmare! Should've bought parts long ago for it cause everybody's asking crazy money for used, beat up parts.

 

Interesting article from Hagerty: Why are '90s American sports cars still so affordable? | Hagerty Media

Looks like all 90's era imports are doing really well.

 

The story I have with the car is a little weird. I was looking for a 240 or some kinda 90s to early 00s FR that I could live out my speedy speed boi dreams in (also pop-ups). Hadn't watched Initial D. Sorta knew about the car based on the memes and knew it as the slow car you can start with in GT4. I didn't think I could find one in decent shape anywhere though. But I saw one pop up in San Jose while doing my daily CL searches and figured I'd hit the owner up. I suspected it would be a car that retained value, so I could resell for more if I didn't like it. Too bad the first time I experienced the 4age I fell in love, so I'm stuck with it for life now, but, yeah, I was right in that case as well lol. My paint is faded, my engine is in pieces, and my interior is half gutted after 7 years, but I got a $12k offer not long ago. I would sleep on an offer in the $30k-40k range, but ultimately don't know if I would sell it even then. So you gotta contend with weirdos like that when you're talking about the hype market. Think a lot of other people are gonna be sitting on 80s and 90s JDM stuff as investments and some people are inflating the market intentionally by reselling too.

Same story as what happened with 60s cars and boomers, right? Dudes buy up the dream cars of their youth for crazy prices, sit on them, and then you're seeing some Mustang sell for millions at Barrett Jackson. I don't think we're gonna be on that level, but you're seeing Supras and GTRs going above six figures all day now (granted they had the more mainstream F&F hype behind them). I bet the CR S2k stands a good chance of inflating to some crazy prices.

I really hope Honda and other manufacturers expand their new production of parts for collectors cars to dampen the prices of ancient used garbage parts though.

 

Did anyone else notice that someone fat-fingered an auction on BaT and bid 27,500 instead of 20,750? The bidding had been increasing by increments of $500 and the bidders previous bid was around 19k.

If you’re here, welcome to the community! Your car will probably be worth at least that 27k before too long.

 

I purchased an 08’ Chicane in December of 2019 for $28.5k with 13k miles on it in showroom condition and no mods. It seems like once the calendar changed to 2020 and COVID happened, the values changed dramatically. BaT really has changed the game and finding sellers that don’t charge crazy prices is getting rarer and rarer. I would not have purchased my base model for mid-to-high thirties, even though it appears to be valued around there currently.

My CR on the other hand, that’s another story. The value on that is out of control.

I drive them both regularly and have accrued quite a few miles on each, with little or no regard given to value “lost.”

 

My Sony HU puts out 45 watts and with some NVH stuff I did to the car and doors, the original speakers sound pretty good. I stream but can still use a CD when we go off grid.
More pics as to why the S is doing well price wise.

 

Seeing an S2k being used for roadtrips and doing what a car's supposed to do is the best. I understand the desire to keep miles low on collector's cars, but it's honestly so much cooler to see them out and about and being enjoyed. Great shots.

 

It is easy for many owners to attribute anthropomorphic qualities to cars but it really seems to me that my S smiles at me when ready to hit the road!

 

I just bought one this past weekend for $27500 for a 05 Berlina black with 30k miles on it. I hope I didn't overpay.

 

Wow, your story mirrors a lot of me and similar reactions.

My first fun car was a new 08 Civic Si (FG2). Did the whole gamut of i/h/e mods and FlashPro. Eventually sold it because I wanted a RWD car so with the release of the 2013 FR-S I got one.

Fun at first but underpowered and cheap feeling. Had two engine short block failures (spun bearings) within the first 25k miles bone stock.

Desperately traded out of it into an AP2 with 100k miles. Loved it, drove like butter despite its age and miles. Top got a little patchy and needed a little paint work, sometimes impractical as an only car so sadly traded it for the new CTR.

1000% Agree on the CTR. Boring and muted experience. Sure it looks aggressive, and it’s practical as a hatchback. But lacking the soul and driving experience, it almost feels like it should just have an auto DSG gearbox. Got bored and traded it for the Model 3 performance myself to check out the EV buzz. Love the car, comfy and roomy. Minimal and great, zero complaints but I missed actually driving and shifting. And on nice days, I missed dropping the top.

Still have the M3P (and glad I did with this gas shortage), but picked up another 2006 AP this past weekend. Mint condition really, 70k miles, stock minus an aftermarket radio. Paid under $30k but they really don’t make cars like this anymore and I was picky about year, color, and stock/condition. Got my unicorn, not letting it go again.

Sad to say but Honda isn’t the same company it was 20 years ago. I thought the CTR would be exciting but it just isn’t. I have lost any hope that a proper S3000 or other fun Japanese import car will ever be made again. Haven't followed the new Supra too closely but have heard others say it was somewhat a dud as well.

My plan is to restore the S as much as possible to 100%, including paint correction and PPF. Going to keep the engine and drivetrain stock, just going for OEM plus (aftermarket radio with proper Modifry interface, spoon mirrors).