Lets flip a car! 350Z Copart edition...

As many of you know I sell cars on the side for extra money. I figured it was about time I did a little build thread documenting the process.

Given the several threads floating around the forum and the recent magazine article discussing salvage auctions I figured this was as good a time as any, so here it goes.

Here is the 2003 Nissan 350Z that I bought this morning. It is a touring model which means leather seats etc and a VLSD. This particular car no longer has the original wheels but is instead equipped with a set of 19 Inch Ruff Racing wheels.

Those were the cars good side pictures....

Not so good side

It obviously needs a hood and a headlight...

theres got to be more wrong with it, thats easily drivable!

I have been spending a lot of time on Copart and lost out on my first auction this morning. It was exciting watching the live auction, some stuff went really cheap.

I'm thinking of trying this flip thing myself and am looking forward to hearing how it works out for you!

Clean title?
Do you mind sharing the numbers with us?

OK here are the numbers.

$2100.00 purchase price $325.00 Buyer fee $30.00 Gate fee $69.00 Internet Buy fee

Total check to Copart $2524.00

I was trying to get it for under challenge money but no such luck.

It will have a rebuilt title due to the damage in the pictures.

My goal at this point is to fix it and try to sell it for $4950.00, maybe $5500 depending on how it turns out.

I had it towed from one of the local Copart yards (We have two in Jacksonville) to my friend's body shop. That cost me $45.00. I could have used my trailer but that would have taken at least 3 hours of my time when it was all said an done, not to mention it was almost 100 degrees today.

I also bought a hood off of craigslist this afternoon for $150.00. I will take some pictures of it tomorrow when I pick it up.

Total: $2524+$45+$150= $2719

Watching with much interest

Interior isn't to bad. I will need to fix two panels, one on each seat.

One common issue I've learned from hanging around these is to check the subwoofer amp, it may need the solder reflowed, and / or the relay replaced.

MCarp22 wrote: One common issue I've learned from hanging around these is to check the subwoofer amp, it may need the solder reflowed, and / or the relay replaced.

I will check all the ancillary items tomorrow. Today I just made sure it ran and the clutch / brakes etc worked while i was in the Copart yard.

Is it same to assume you'll be taking us all the way to the end and keeping us informed with the numbers, like the Wheeler Dealer guy?

gjz30075 wrote: Is it same to assume you'll be taking us all the way to the end and keeping us informed with the numbers, like the Wheeler Dealer guy?

Man I hope so.
And to PimpM3: thanks for sharing, amd I hope your successful

Watching with great interest. There was recently a Hyundai Veloster turbo at the Philly copart with vandalism damage, it looked like an easy fix. I was very tempted to bid. IIRC, in the last day of bidding it went up over $8k. Much to much for poor me.

Cool project! I'll be watching this with interest.

I am very interested to see how this comes out. Thanks for sharing.

Very timely. I have interest in an auction car that I just discovered goes to auction on Monday, Aug 3rd.

gjz30075 wrote: Is it same to assume you'll be taking us all the way to the end and keeping us informed with the numbers, like the Wheeler Dealer guy?

That's the plan.

I am watching with interest. Did the hood come already painted in the correct color?

How did you know the car ran and worked first? Or is it just a big ass gamble?

wvumtnbkr wrote: How did you know the car ran and worked first? Or is it just a big ass gamble?

The auction listed it as runs and drives, and it was from state farm who has no incentive to mislead me.

...that and it was a big ass gamble.

Hood is black unfortunately, but I will need to paint bumper as well due to a easily repaired crack.

pimpm3 wrote:

gjz30075 wrote: Is it same to assume you'll be taking us all the way to the end and keeping us informed with the numbers, like the Wheeler Dealer guy?

That's the plan.

Hope you can make more than they do....always pains to see them go thru a car-hours and hours of labor-for a "couple hundred quid"

HappyAndy wrote: Watching with great interest. There was recently a Hyundai Veloster turbo at the Philly copart with vandalism damage, it looked like an easy fix. I was very tempted to bid. IIRC, in the last day of bidding it went up over $8k. Much to much for poor me.

Hey, maybe we can pool our money and still not afford it!!

This also interests me. I bought a lightly wrecked car from Copart too, but mine doesn't quite have the resale value yours has.

vdubinsd wrote:

pimpm3 wrote:

gjz30075 wrote: Is it same to assume you'll be taking us all the way to the end and keeping us informed with the numbers, like the Wheeler Dealer guy?

That's the plan.

Hope you can make more than they do....always pains to see them go thru a car-hours and hours of labor-for a "couple hundred quid"

I hope to make at least a grand, we shall see.

I have been doing this for along time and it is still hard to not fix everything perfectly, which you can't do if you want to profit off of the whole endeavour.