Discussion
Ever since they first came out I've always had a DB7 at the top of my list, but it was way too pricey.
Time has passed, values have gone down and perhaps just possibly I could stretch to an early example. However is it likely to be any good? Will I merely have an expensive turkey on my hands? I prefer not to line the pockets of traders so plan to buy privately and have the car maintained by Scole Engineering, who currently do a great job on the TVR and are well priced.
What is the minimum private budget needed to secure a clean example, and what horrors do I need to be aware of? It will be a big step for me.
Time has passed, values have gone down and perhaps just possibly I could stretch to an early example. However is it likely to be any good? Will I merely have an expensive turkey on my hands? I prefer not to line the pockets of traders so plan to buy privately and have the car maintained by Scole Engineering, who currently do a great job on the TVR and are well priced.
What is the minimum private budget needed to secure a clean example, and what horrors do I need to be aware of? It will be a big step for me.
Thanks very much for the detailed reply. Being careful with money I never buy new cars and rarely use franchised dealers, so am familiar with the independent aspect, and I guess the TVR Griffith I own also falls into the 'not supported'/low volume/bit quirky category. In fact with TVRs the dealer network is/was highly patchy as the factory never bothered to enforce any standards; I would imagine this is rather different with AM. But anyway, the thought of having is maintained cost-effectively by a good independent outside dealer networks is fine by me and is a positive, not a negative.
As for 'best I can afford', well, I could sell everything and buy a brand new DB9, but would prefer not to because I'd like some savings and I don't want battleship depreciation. So my idea is to start far more modestly with a 6-cylinder coupe as close to £20K as possible without it being a complete turkey. I don't mind high mileage but I do want one in good condition with good history that's been well-looked after (cherished not ragged). I understand they are essentially Jaguars underneath, so am hopeful that a good place like Scole, run by engineers not salesmen, will be able to look after it for hundreds a year, not thousands. What expensive AM-only things are likely to go wrong?
It's easy to look on a DB7 and feel intimidated, but if it is 90% Jaguar maybe that's unreasonable?
As for 'best I can afford', well, I could sell everything and buy a brand new DB9, but would prefer not to because I'd like some savings and I don't want battleship depreciation. So my idea is to start far more modestly with a 6-cylinder coupe as close to £20K as possible without it being a complete turkey. I don't mind high mileage but I do want one in good condition with good history that's been well-looked after (cherished not ragged). I understand they are essentially Jaguars underneath, so am hopeful that a good place like Scole, run by engineers not salesmen, will be able to look after it for hundreds a year, not thousands. What expensive AM-only things are likely to go wrong?
It's easy to look on a DB7 and feel intimidated, but if it is 90% Jaguar maybe that's unreasonable?
williamp said:
The prices of DB7 are something I am taking a keen interest in, as I will be in the market for one soon. This is what Parkers say about the prices. They certainly dont match what the market currently has for sale:
For example, a 98R DB7 auto is listed as:
Independent Dealer £19,190
Private Good £17,475
Private Poor £12,905
Part Exchange £14,900
With 100K miles.
That looks very good to me - but I guess actual prices are much higher as there don't seem to be any high-mileage ones about.For example, a 98R DB7 auto is listed as:
Independent Dealer £19,190
Private Good £17,475
Private Poor £12,905
Part Exchange £14,900
With 100K miles.
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