Non LS engined Ultima - going rate?

[m33ufo]

Being new to things Ultima, I'm hoping for feedabck on what a non LS engined Ultima, say 1 to 2 years old, would be expected to sell for (approximately)? I can see in an earlier thread that the carb fed chevy's aren't so in demand as the LS's.

Thanks.

[356Speedster]

I don't think you can price any Ultima according to a set of criteria. Specs vary a lot, as does age, condition & mileage. I'd say you're right that there will be a premium for an LS car based on LIKE-FOR-LIKE (or very close) specs, mostly due to demands of current buyers.... but what that premium is, only you as the buyer can decide.

Spec is clearly important, but so is condition (assuming similar age / mileage). I've seen some poorly finished LS cars that I'd value at less than a well built / maintained / presented SBC.

Do your research, monitor the current market and look / inspect at as many cars as you can. That'll give you a good view on respective values.

[m33ufo]

Thanks for your reply. There's obviously a lot more to consider than when purchasing your average car car.

[hedgefinder]

In all honesty it depends on what the user wants from the car they are looking for.
A track toy or a regularly useable machine ( first off I am not saying that a small block car cant be reliable, I have run small blocks since I was 17 and never ever has any reliablity issues.) LS engined cars are slightly easier to live with - starting,fuel economy etc...
I have always seen a large premium put on LS engined cars when compared with a similar small blocked car so I would guess at apporximately a 20% difference in price between the 2.
Do be aware that YOU WILL NOT MAKE MONEY OUT OF AN ULTIMA!!
YOU WILL loose a lot of moneybuilding and selling - and thats a fact that anyone can argue with , but its true.
Forget the silly figures you see cars listed at currently in the classifieds.. 50 and 60 is very very very very very very rarely paid for a used ultima no matter what the spec.

[738 driver]

Still beating the same old drum here ... The SBC registered car has far less headaches/hurdles on emissions testing ... fill your boots as you have lots of engine options when starting with an SBC basis.
Many Ultima owners do choose to develop their car after a season or two.
D Hodge being a good example... firstly registered SBC, currently LS and potentially a V10 or beyond !!

G luck .

[m33ufo]

The Ultima world being quite small, do any of you guys have first hand knowledge of this example:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

[pilbeam_mp62]

hedgefinder said:

Forget the silly figures you see cars listed at currently in the classifieds.. 50 and 60 is very very very very very very rarely paid for a used ultima no matter what the spec.

I built an LS7-engined Ultima to factory specification and sold it 9 months and 1000 miles after it was built for more than 60k.... it was well built (so the factory told me - they chose to display it at Stoneleigh, on their stand)

Mind you, the economy was a bit better a couple of years ago....

Regards

[hedgefinder]

Another point worth mentioning is that I personally wouldnt be bothered about the age of the car if you are looking for a gtr, look at the spec and/or finish depending on what you want out of the car. the majority of these cars never see rain and are barely used after being built, so a 2001 model may actually be in better shape than a car 2 years old that has been tracked....

[F.C.]

m33ufo said:

The Ultima world being quite small, do any of you guys have first hand knowledge of this example:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Nowt wrong that I can see with that but if it were my money :



http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

If you can live with the colour that is;)

[m33ufo]

I agree with you, the part built LS3 would be my preference too - if it was ready to drive I actually love the colour.

My issue is that it's uncertain how much more I'd have to spend to get it on the road. My pockets aren't that deep!

[356Speedster]

m33ufo said:

I agree with you, the part built LS3 would be my preference too - if it was ready to drive I actually love the colour.

My issue is that it's uncertain how much more I'd have to spend to get it on the road. My pockets aren't that deep!

Not that much! The car belongs to a friend of mine and is an almost identical spec to my Can-Am (we bought and spec'd them together). If you want to talk more about it, feel free to give me (or Dave) a shout

[hedgefinder]

pilbeam_mp62 said:

I built an LS7-engined Ultima to factory specification and sold it 9 months and 1000 miles after it was built for more than 60k.... it was well built (so the factory told me - they chose to display it at Stoneleigh, on their stand)

Mind you, the economy was a bit better a couple of years ago....

Regards

thats was a number of years ago, and Ultima prices are well down on what they were! - hence my post!

and correct me if i am wrong but that same car was put up for sale by the next owner within a year ... and its still available as far as i am aware a couple of years later...

dont get me wrong.. that is a beautifully finished car, but the money is just not available, the market has changed.

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 10:03

[dandare]

Nowt wrong that I can see with that but if it were my money :

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

If you can live with the colour that is;)

[/quote]

And you may have to re-weld the exhaust manifolds every now and again. They'll be flapping around like ape tits on bumpy roads.

[pilbeam_mp62]

hedgefinder said:

pilbeam_mp62 said:

I built an LS7-engined Ultima to factory specification and sold it 9 months and 1000 miles after it was built for more than 60k.... it was well built (so the factory told me - they chose to display it at Stoneleigh, on their stand)

Mind you, the economy was a bit better a couple of years ago....

Regards

thats was a number of years ago, and Ultima prices are well down on what they were! - hence my post!

and correct me if i am wrong but that same car was put up for sale by the next owner within a year ... and its still available as far as i am aware a couple of years later...

dont get me wrong.. that is a beautifully finished car, but the money is just not available, the market has changed.

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 10:03

Hmmmm... I don't know where you get your information.

My car sold again for over 60k to a guy who has emigrated to New Zealand and taken the car with him. My information is that he LOVES the car and it has not missed a beat.

Factory spec cars will sell for good money. Fact. We have had this debate on here before. None of the cars currently being advertised (as far as I can see) are factory spec.

Factory spec cars often sell (at good money) without ever needing to be advertised - ask the factory - they will tell you.....

Regards

[m33ufo]

356Speedster said:

Not that much! The car belongs to a friend of mine and is an almost identical spec to my Can-Am (we bought and spec'd them together). If you want to talk more about it, feel free to give me (or Dave) a shout

Hi, I have been speaking with Dave. He says AB have quoted about £10K to complete the car and there's a futher £1k or so of components to purchase.

I'm guessing I could complete part of the remaining build myself?

[356Speedster]

m33ufo said:

Hi, I have been speaking with Dave. He says AB have quoted about £10K to complete the car and there's a futher £1k or so of components to purchase.

I'm guessing I could complete part of the remaining build myself?

Indeed! There's not too much to do on Dave's car, infact all the hard stuff is sorted, so it's the home stretch. I've told him I'll help him finish it once mine is done in the next mth or two if it's not sold, so don't wait too long

[hedgefinder]

pilbeam_mp62 said:

Hmmmm... I don't know where you get your information.

My car sold again for over 60k to a guy who has emigrated to New Zealand and taken the car with him. My information is that he LOVES the car and it has not missed a beat.

Factory spec cars will sell for good money. Fact. We have had this debate on here before. None of the cars currently being advertised (as far as I can see) are factory spec.

Factory spec cars often sell (at good money) without ever needing to be advertised - ask the factory - they will tell you.....

Regards

hmmm... maybe i have the wrong car - yellow with black stripe .. was for sale in durham or darlington for a year and a half that i know of..
even if i have the wrong car, i am struggling to believe that the next owner managed again to sell the car at over 60k...

alos i might point out that i also stated that they very very very very rarley sell for that sort of money.. a statement I still stand by - 1 or 2 car sales does not a picture of the market make!

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 12:46

[pilbeam_mp62]

hedgefinder said:

pilbeam_mp62 said:

Hmmmm... I don't know where you get your information.

My car sold again for over 60k to a guy who has emigrated to New Zealand and taken the car with him. My information is that he LOVES the car and it has not missed a beat.

Factory spec cars will sell for good money. Fact. We have had this debate on here before. None of the cars currently being advertised (as far as I can see) are factory spec.

Factory spec cars often sell (at good money) without ever needing to be advertised - ask the factory - they will tell you.....

Regards

hmmm... maybe i have the wrong car - yellow with black stripe .. was for sale in durham or darlington for a year and a half that i know of..
even if i have the wrong car, i am struggling to believe that the next owner managed again to sell the car at over 60k...

alos i might point out that i also stated that they very very very very rarley sell for that sort of money.. a statement I still stand by - 1 or 2 car sales does not a picture of the market make!

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 12:46

My car was indeed yellow, but I didn't have any stripe on it so I don't know about that. All I know is what I said, that the guy who currently owns it has taken it to New Zealand.

There WAS a cheaper non-factory spec. yellow GTR with a black stripe in the Classifieds a while ago with an LS2 engine - are you thinking of that one ?

A couple of red GTR’s sold from the classifieds with LS7 engines in the £60k range in the past 3 or so months alone , and a Kawasaki Green LS7 GTR before that. I like to keep abreast of this as I still hanker after another Ultima…

I am not quite sure what your angle is - talking down the values of Ultimas - as you own one yourself, don't you ?

Regards

[738 driver]

Highly unlikely to 'talk down' the Marque's value.
Money is not easy to get or replace so those with plenty will look and if they see any examples being sold at significant losses may well buy a different toy for now. Those borrowing or blowing their brains (bank account) on ownership cannot be too careful either..and the builders with far too much invested in their bespoke example will get spanked.
You have to be very cost controlling to tread the Ultima path at the minute or risk some depth of pocket !
Not the products' fault at all.

[hedgefinder]

pilbeam_mp62 said:

My car was indeed yellow, but I didn't have any stripe on it so I don't know about that. All I know is what I said, that the guy who currently owns it has taken it to New Zealand.

There WAS a cheaper non-factory spec. yellow GTR with a black stripe in the Classifieds a while ago with an LS2 engine - are you thinking of that one ?

A couple of red GTR’s sold from the classifieds with LS7 engines in the £60k range in the past 3 or so months alone , and a Kawasaki Green LS7 GTR before that. I like to keep abreast of this as I still hanker after another Ultima…

I am not quite sure what your angle is - talking down the values of Ultimas - as you own one yourself, don't you ?

Regards

Yes, and I have no angle at all... i truly love Ultimas and have done since I first saw a sport aged 17..
Buying a brand new factory car from the factory with all that entails is not what I am taklking about here.
Also I am not talking down the values, just being realistic and honest and I certainly dont value non factory spec cars at less than factory spec or factory built cars, although many people seem to. Whats the point in being unrealistic when someone is asking for advice on values? Most used ultimas sell between 30-45k and even then its a limited market.
There are quite a few people gone into buying or building an ultima with rose tinted spectacles regarding resale and took a massive financial hit as a result - builders build their cars because they want to, not to make profit and usually without thought of recouping their investment..
Please forward me the information of the several cars that have actually sold in the last 3 months for 60k, not just been withdrawn from sale because they couldnt get anywhere near the asking price or took a massive reduction in price.
The yellow car which I believed used to be yours ( and I may have been wrong as i already stated) did indeed have an LS7, and is not the car owned by russell (i think it was his with the ls2).




edited to add... around 2 or 3 years ago you would NEVER see an Ultima of any kind advertised for under around 45-50k+, i am talking about the current market place.
Dont get me wrong, I value the cars at far more, but they are not realising their full value curretly, although this may change as the economy changes.

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 17:28

Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 18th January 17:32