How much for a "good" Gallardo?
Discussion
I'm seriously thinking of a G when I renew my car in August. As much as I'd love to make the jump of faith financially into a new LP560, right now I cannot see that happening. So... if I'm going for a used G what age/price should I be aiming at if I want something that I can reliably use every day (I do not commute so I'm talking evening and country runs of 50 miles or so) and would take me to the South of France with no issues/breakdowns etc (ceteris paribus)?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Gary - a simple caveat for you: all things are never equal when it comes to Lamborghinis!
The received wisdom both actual and implied seems to be that the later the car the better and always with the latest sintered clutch fitted whenever possible. There are always exceptions to that often over-simplistic rule of thumb though.
Less owners than the occasional 'many' is better, with an established record of maintenance with one or other of the main dealers / service agents though there IS a lot to be said for quality work carried out by better known independents who may take that 'interested in the owner as well as the car' viewpoint that main dealers often can't find the time for.
There were (and still are) some ongoing issues that are usually discussed by early adopters who were (perhaps) a little over-stung financially in the early years of the Gallardo. On the other hand, there are a number of early spec. cars that have been no more troublesome than any other supercar-level vehicles and often rather less so.
There is at least one fairly regular poster on PH who uses his (05?) Gallardo every weekday for a long-ish commute through Cheshire and at least one other who has driven his car to Italy and back at least twice with no more worries beyond the limited luggage space...
Lamborghini Club UK has a new Member who is driving his Gallardo to Cyprus as you read this. He's bought the car quite recently but seems very confident that it's up to the task!
To paraphrase Hemingway, a good Gallardo is worth whatever you have to pay for it but I'd add that you need first choose your vendor with as much care as you can, possibly with even more care than the car itself.
They look great in black with black inside and are extra great when they're also Spyders but that's just my opinion - I'd go for a manual as well, but then if it was all just my choice, I'd go for a Murciélago LP670-4 SV, in a similar colour scheme.
And best of luck whatever you do... You'd be more than welcome to join LCUK, should you wish - perhaps even before you actually begin the final hunt for your Gallardo?
www.lamborghiniclub.co.uk
The received wisdom both actual and implied seems to be that the later the car the better and always with the latest sintered clutch fitted whenever possible. There are always exceptions to that often over-simplistic rule of thumb though.
Less owners than the occasional 'many' is better, with an established record of maintenance with one or other of the main dealers / service agents though there IS a lot to be said for quality work carried out by better known independents who may take that 'interested in the owner as well as the car' viewpoint that main dealers often can't find the time for.
There were (and still are) some ongoing issues that are usually discussed by early adopters who were (perhaps) a little over-stung financially in the early years of the Gallardo. On the other hand, there are a number of early spec. cars that have been no more troublesome than any other supercar-level vehicles and often rather less so.
There is at least one fairly regular poster on PH who uses his (05?) Gallardo every weekday for a long-ish commute through Cheshire and at least one other who has driven his car to Italy and back at least twice with no more worries beyond the limited luggage space...
Lamborghini Club UK has a new Member who is driving his Gallardo to Cyprus as you read this. He's bought the car quite recently but seems very confident that it's up to the task!
To paraphrase Hemingway, a good Gallardo is worth whatever you have to pay for it but I'd add that you need first choose your vendor with as much care as you can, possibly with even more care than the car itself.
They look great in black with black inside and are extra great when they're also Spyders but that's just my opinion - I'd go for a manual as well, but then if it was all just my choice, I'd go for a Murciélago LP670-4 SV, in a similar colour scheme.
And best of luck whatever you do... You'd be more than welcome to join LCUK, should you wish - perhaps even before you actually begin the final hunt for your Gallardo?
www.lamborghiniclub.co.uk
Thanks David for the reply.
I was obviously aware that later is better but just wanted to see if there was a price/build point below which someone might say "I wouldn't if I were you"!
Spending £60-70K is a fairly easy decision for me to make and would obviously get me something very nice (Aston V8V, Audi R8, Gran Turismo etc). Going with the heart and spending £100K (and possibly more) on a dream car like a Gallardo is pushing my comfort factor. However, as I'm sure we all know, once you have adequate information to make an informed decision then spending the money does not seem so crazy/difficult to justify. If a G at £80K is not thought wise by those in the know, for whatever reason, then at least I can make a decision to either forget it or spend the time getting comfortable with an expanded budget
I was obviously aware that later is better but just wanted to see if there was a price/build point below which someone might say "I wouldn't if I were you"!
Spending £60-70K is a fairly easy decision for me to make and would obviously get me something very nice (Aston V8V, Audi R8, Gran Turismo etc). Going with the heart and spending £100K (and possibly more) on a dream car like a Gallardo is pushing my comfort factor. However, as I'm sure we all know, once you have adequate information to make an informed decision then spending the money does not seem so crazy/difficult to justify. If a G at £80K is not thought wise by those in the know, for whatever reason, then at least I can make a decision to either forget it or spend the time getting comfortable with an expanded budget
SimonSays said:
Most of the hassles with the 1st series of Gallardo were sorted for the 2006 Model (which also got the increase in power from 500 to 520 HP). The first of those were the SE model, IIRC.
So 2006 or newer would be a safe bet.
Thanks Simon! That takes me from around £80K upwards looking at PH classifieds. So 2006 or newer would be a safe bet.
Hi Gary,
I've been looking for a G on and off for a while. First off - 2006 MY and above is the way to go. Look for a proper report on the clutch for an e-gear OR simply remove the cost of a new clutch from the price. What else? Well, the main niggle with the G that I have seen and heard is the electronics - so check EVERYTHING works.
Others will no doubt chip in, but I think you'll have a beautiful car for c. £85k.
Note - the bid/offer spread on a G seems to be wider than on comparable priced Astons - so when haggling kick hard on a dealer. Private sale - well - find out what a dealer would offer and offer a wee bit more....
Good luck! And if you are in North London with your new car - let me know - there's a few lovely tunnel runs where I reckon that V10 redlined in 2nd would be sublime!!!
I've been looking for a G on and off for a while. First off - 2006 MY and above is the way to go. Look for a proper report on the clutch for an e-gear OR simply remove the cost of a new clutch from the price. What else? Well, the main niggle with the G that I have seen and heard is the electronics - so check EVERYTHING works.
Others will no doubt chip in, but I think you'll have a beautiful car for c. £85k.
Note - the bid/offer spread on a G seems to be wider than on comparable priced Astons - so when haggling kick hard on a dealer. Private sale - well - find out what a dealer would offer and offer a wee bit more....
Good luck! And if you are in North London with your new car - let me know - there's a few lovely tunnel runs where I reckon that V10 redlined in 2nd would be sublime!!!
Hi Garyhun
Im the chap that has driven my 06 G to Cyprus. I personally spent ages learning about the various options available decided very quickly that i wanted an e-gear and then sourced the vehicles that fitted the bill. I wanted a 06, i wanted lifting gear, satnav, a yellow car, black interior with branding pack and a service history that stands up to scrutiny. I used PH as well as Auto Trader to source the vehicle. I bought mine in Sept 08 and i spent many many hours checking out the maintenance history of my target vehicle.
I spoke to the guys that had maintained it and i felt really comfortable with my choice. I spent around 80K for a 26,000 mile vehicle. 30,000 is the big service in the book and my researched was rewarded with a £2,000 service bill from MP Supercars including parts that saved me north of £1,200 from a dealer. Sure i had previously negotiated the service with MP but i collected the car from them and drove it directly to Cyprus and it didnt miss a beat. All i did was top up the oil. Im bringing it back to them via Oslo soon. Check the oil every 500-1000 miles. I dont do stop start journies. I dont leave the vehicle sitting for long periods because humidity is really really bad for mechanical parts. I warm it up before letting go and the first purchase i made for the car apart from fuel was a battery conditioner for £50. Its probably worth budgeting £1,000-£2,000 a year on servicing and consumables including Tyres.
I had a drive shaft to the oil pump fail on me. The difference between how a specialist independent handled the situation and the dealers was so vast that i would rather shoot myself in the head than give a dealer a penny of my money. I bought a warranty for £2,000 to give me peace of mind after the oil pump issue. The car had only just come out of warranty 2 weeks earlier. The warranty i bought, with Warrantywise is basically a nose to tail warraty that includes Tyres etc etc.
Hope the above helps and whatever you buy........enjoy it
GW
Im the chap that has driven my 06 G to Cyprus. I personally spent ages learning about the various options available decided very quickly that i wanted an e-gear and then sourced the vehicles that fitted the bill. I wanted a 06, i wanted lifting gear, satnav, a yellow car, black interior with branding pack and a service history that stands up to scrutiny. I used PH as well as Auto Trader to source the vehicle. I bought mine in Sept 08 and i spent many many hours checking out the maintenance history of my target vehicle.
I spoke to the guys that had maintained it and i felt really comfortable with my choice. I spent around 80K for a 26,000 mile vehicle. 30,000 is the big service in the book and my researched was rewarded with a £2,000 service bill from MP Supercars including parts that saved me north of £1,200 from a dealer. Sure i had previously negotiated the service with MP but i collected the car from them and drove it directly to Cyprus and it didnt miss a beat. All i did was top up the oil. Im bringing it back to them via Oslo soon. Check the oil every 500-1000 miles. I dont do stop start journies. I dont leave the vehicle sitting for long periods because humidity is really really bad for mechanical parts. I warm it up before letting go and the first purchase i made for the car apart from fuel was a battery conditioner for £50. Its probably worth budgeting £1,000-£2,000 a year on servicing and consumables including Tyres.
I had a drive shaft to the oil pump fail on me. The difference between how a specialist independent handled the situation and the dealers was so vast that i would rather shoot myself in the head than give a dealer a penny of my money. I bought a warranty for £2,000 to give me peace of mind after the oil pump issue. The car had only just come out of warranty 2 weeks earlier. The warranty i bought, with Warrantywise is basically a nose to tail warraty that includes Tyres etc etc.
Hope the above helps and whatever you buy........enjoy it
GW
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