M12 Noble Prices

[M12Jimmy]

Hi I've been lurking quite abit on here infact six months. I'm in the market for one of these. Yet the prices i've seen seem to fluctuate

2.5 prices-range from 20-28k
3.0- range from 25-32k

I'd love to take the plunge but feel that I want get a well sorted one at the right price(up to 26-27k). From what i've seen these cars can hard to sell and there's loads of pitfalls in buying. TBH i've never waited so long or lurked prior to finding one. LOL i might be waiting another year at this rate

Edited by M12Jimmy on Wednesday 3rd January 11:53

[D_G]

Jimmy,

I looked and did research for a while before deciding to take the plunge, coming from Jap cars I didn't want to buy an unreliable car with loads of issues.
After all the positive feedback, I bought a '52 GTO3 with 19000 miles on, the car is really clean with FSH etc for 27.5K. I bought privately as I am a vehicle tech, buying from a dealer gives you more come back if things do go wrong. I think buying the right car with the right background is more important than a grand here or there.
And you won't want to sell it after you have had one......

Cheers

Dave

[M12Jimmy]

thanks for info. Think i'm more after a GTO3 now as all the 2.5's(except the green one) for sale don't look like they had any mods done watsoever and haven't had much seller feedback at all. Trader prices seem steep aswell. There's gotta be one out there for my budget surely.

[D_G]

No worries, good luck with the hunting! From what I understand, the biggest issue with the 2.5 is the ECU, my car needed the fan mod and had the track sump fitted (both highly recommended). I wouldn't be put off buying the 2.5 with the mods, more important to get a good un!

Cheers

Dave

[gadgeroonie]

Go and get a test drive - you will be impressed

paying a few extra k's may be worth it in my opinion to get a good car

if you find a car and want to get it checked over there is a guy in Borehamwood who will travel to look at a car for you.

i suggest you consider a car that has had a LSD fitted - or a 6 speed (some gto3's have a 6 speed) and also go for one with a track day sump - or consider fitting one at a later date

[ajg31]

I was looking at buying a T350C ( not now after the factory relocation looks off forever) and looked at about 5 and questioned alot of owners on here and Autotrader. Now I am in the same kind of boat as yourself mate and looking at what Noble has to offer. I have contacted a few owners and dealers etc and trying to navigate a completely new minefield. All i would say is if your on a tight budget then i don't think this is the car for you. I was told this about the Tivvers and i think this is true abbout the Noble. If you have to sink every penny you have into the car then i think your asking for woe. Agree with one of the comments on here about a few k here and there mean nothing if your getting a well looked after sorted one 27-30 has to be a minumum for a GTO-3. Older 2.5 in yellow on autotrader with 33k on clock could be okay buy? With that mileage i would have thought every problem it did have would have been ironed out by now

[kentviking]

Hi

I sold my 2.5, 02 with 20k on the clock for 25k back in August. Probably the biggest mistake of my car owning life, but I want a convertible and my tin top noble was only ever intended as an interim until the the convertible version was to arrive.

Have to agree with the sentiment on here...a £1k here or there is not going to make the difference...if the budget is tight go for a sorted 2.5 with the ECU, fan, and sump upgrades and a fully stamped history of pampering and save a bit for the costs of servicing and maintenance.

I owned my noble for 2 years...it cost me only £4k in depreciation but £7k in bills (£3k on the ECU)
If the car has been tracked then you would expect a little more to have been spent on it in replacement pads, tyres, etc etc...personally I'd go for a non-tracked and highly pampered one if you can

Hope that helps

[M12Jimmy]

I'm not worried about throwing a few grand here and there but the inconsistencies in pricing of these cars is what worries me. some person might want 30k for his GTO3 Noble but in reality i severly doubt he'll get it. The private 3r's don't seem to shift much even at 30-32k. Some 2.5's aren't sold for 20-23k with 20k on clock whilst others are priced at 26k with same mileage and unmodded. So what am i missing thats so special to put more on their car?
We all have budgets when buying a car. I don't think 26-27k is unfeasable for this type of car at all. I thought about taking the TVR plunge but i don't fancy re-mortaging my house to pay for AA Platinum service lol.

Edited by M12Jimmy on Thursday 4th January 14:58

Edited by M12Jimmy on Thursday 4th January 14:59

[turboman]

The market is always all over the place on sports cars at this time of the year, wait untill spring/summer and you will pay a lot more for the same car as the dealers have more buyers than they do cars.

[snuffy]

M12Jimmy said:

...but the inconsistencies in pricing of these cars is what worries me. some person might want 30k for his GTO3 Noble but in reality i severly doubt he'll get it...

When I bought mine in September the opposite seemed true to me. When I was looking to buy they were very similar. For example, a 3 year old 3 was about £30k to £34k, depending on mileage, from a dealer. Private models were about £2k to £3k less. A variation of £3k on a £30k is only 10%. If you compare that with the low end car market, you can see the same car at £1000 and another at £2000, i.e. 100% difference.

[worty]

What you need is a mint 2.5. Fully sorted ECU , fan upgrade ,Faulks intercooler,BOV ,TRS,upgraded brakes via Plans ,full Noble service history 33k miles, looked after money no object.















Unfortunatly mines not for sale

But there may be one or two others about like mine ( but not quite as nice !!!!!!!!!!)
HTH
worty

[M12Jimmy]

WHat i do look at when buying one of these is the house etc. Maybe snobbish but a posh pad certainly means the car will have been pampered hopefully.

[EpsomJames]

M12Jimmy said:

WHat i do look at when buying one of these is the house etc. Maybe snobbish but a posh pad certainly means the car will have been pampered hopefully.

My house is very nice, ta.

[ajg31]

here is something i found odd while looking. I enquired about a black GTO-3 from a dealer, who gave me the cars history. went to factory for 1k checkup then never saw a dealership again for 3 years (and then had 6k service). Does it strike you as odd that you would spend 50+k on a car then not service it every year, regardless of mileage? like more history if i was paying 31k for a car, thats 100% of my yearly bringhome pay!!!

[sjc]

Nope i've never understood why someone would pay £50K for a car and then skimp on servicing, but I've turned down several cars recently because of that reason.

[nobleguy]

sjc said:

Nope i've never understood why someone would pay £50K for a car and then skimp on servicing, but I've turned down several cars recently because of that reason.

Crazy also since the service may well save money in the long run.
Can't be good if fluids/parts are not replaced when needed.
Maybe there's the incentive to buy in the Spring, rag it in the summer then sell in the Winter and get away with no maintenenance costs, I don't know.

[ajg31]

Nobleguy, that is a nice coloured motor you have got there. What colour is it? Shame about the 2.5, picture looks "ouch"

[preA356]

new to nobles, i've been looking for a while as well, can anyone tell me why is the gto3 at champ garage not sold yet, is it the price or what, seems to have been for sale a while.

[ajg31]

i went down to look at this car on thursday. or i would have if the web directions were correct. i sent 2 emails and left 2 phone messages to view the car over christmas that were ignored. i phoned for directions and was directed fron junction 10 not 9 like the website says, then when i had been driving for 2hrs (i live 35 miles away) i phoned and expressed my annoyance and was told to come back another day. i had 30k ready to deal but i told him to stick it. to me it is alot of money and i deserved better treatment. maybe this is why it has not sold, shoddy customer relations ???? also tried to meail the guy with the vegantune rebuilt Noble twice. Maybe he has no net, but i find it mad that someone like me can have a wad of cash ready to do some business only to find nobody really seems comitted to selling I must try to phone hi over the weekend. Anyone know of the history of the rebuilt engined one for sale?

Edited by ajg31 on Saturday 6th January 16:19

[AMG Merc]

ajg31 said:

i went down to look at this car on thursday. or i would have if the web directions were correct. i sent 2 emails and left 2 phone messages to view the car over christmas that were ignored. i phoned for directions and was directed fron junction 10 not 9 like the website says, then when i had been driving for 2hrs (i live 35 miles away) i phoned and expressed my annoyance and was told to come back another day. i had 30k ready to deal but i told him to stick it. to me it is alot of money and i deserved better treatment. maybe this is why it has not sold, shoddy customer relations ???? also tried to meail the guy with the vegantune rebuilt Noble twice. Maybe he has no net, but i find it mad that someone like me can have a wad of cash ready to do some business only to find nobody really seems comitted to selling I must try to phone hi over the weekend. Anyone know of the history of the rebuilt engined one for sale?

Edited by ajg31 on Saturday 6th January 16:19

Not a good story! If I were Noble I'd be wanting to speak to said dealer (whether factory approved or not). Oh for the good old days of Noble customer relations (2003-2004)!