Discussion
My immaculate 1996 500 is up at the moment for 14k, someones going to get a well sorted car for that sort of money, just had loads of work done:
Recored Rad
New discs and pads/braided hoses
Alternator
Coil/leads
fuel pump and all new fuel lines
Shocks and springs
and a few other niggles, but its gotta go, making way for a cerb, and there will be no way i'll be selling that puppy !!
Problem is that there are too many Chims, Griffs have a good stable market because they made less of em - Supply and demand !
Recored Rad
New discs and pads/braided hoses
Alternator
Coil/leads
fuel pump and all new fuel lines
Shocks and springs
and a few other niggles, but its gotta go, making way for a cerb, and there will be no way i'll be selling that puppy !!
Problem is that there are too many Chims, Griffs have a good stable market because they made less of em - Supply and demand !
Depends what you're looking at. If you bought yours from a dealer and then look at private ads - not those sort 
Then things do look like you lost money, but of course dealers have overheads and you get a service not just a car!
I was thinking recently that prices hadn't changed as much as I thought. I kind of banked on losing £1000 a year in depreciation, but mine hasn't changed much.
Did you pay over hte odds for yours? Either way there are worse things you could spend your money on.
Quote: I spend most of my money on cars, women and beer the rest of it just gets wasted!
Then things do look like you lost money, but of course dealers have overheads and you get a service not just a car! I was thinking recently that prices hadn't changed as much as I thought. I kind of banked on losing £1000 a year in depreciation, but mine hasn't changed much.
Did you pay over hte odds for yours? Either way there are worse things you could spend your money on.
Quote: I spend most of my money on cars, women and beer the rest of it just gets wasted!
Hughesie2 said:
Problem is that there are too many Chims, Griffs have a good stable market because they made less of em - Supply and demand !
There is an underlying problem that people don't seem to discuss...
The number of GOOD cars is on the decline. That's both Chimaera's and Griffith's. The number of cars that I looked at before buying mine was well into the 50's. I found late cars of both models on dealer forecourts (specialist and main dealer) with some SERIOUS defects... tyres worn on the inside / outside, a buckled suspension arm, frayed (sp?) brake cables, touch up paint that looked like modern art, even a hole in the outrigger...!! Not to mention trim defects, tears, mouldy carpets etc etc... the list goes on. Some of these were up for £19k.
I think a GOOD solid car will hold it's money, but I reckon the ropey ones are bringing them down. There also seem to be more ropey Chimaera's than Griff's. That said a ropey Griff 500 will cost you more than a ropey Chimaera 500.
Griff's often seem to have a lower mileage to the Chimaera's on sale... so reckon this has a profound affect... not to mention the fact that some Tuscan's are now under the £20k barrier, so the older models drop in price a bit.
I still beleive you look at each car and base the price on the condition / spec... you pays your money, you takes your choice.
Podie said:
Problem is that there are too many Chims, Griffs have a good stable market because they made less of em - Supply and demand !
There is an underlying problem that people don't seem to discuss...
The number of GOOD cars is on the decline. That's both Chimaera's and Griffith's. The number of cars that I looked at before buying mine was well into the 50's. I found late cars of both models on dealer forecourts (specialist and main dealer) with some SERIOUS defects... tyres worn on the inside / outside, a buckled suspension arm, frayed (sp?) brake cables, touch up paint that looked like modern art, even a hole in the outrigger...!! Not to mention trim defects, tears, mouldy carpets etc etc... the list goes on. Some of these were up for £19k.
I think a GOOD solid car will hold it's money, but I reckon the ropey ones are bringing them down. There also seem to be more ropey Chimaera's than Griff's. That said a ropey Griff 500 will cost you more than a ropey Chimaera 500.
Griff's often seem to have a lower mileage to the Chimaera's on sale... so reckon this has a profound affect... not to mention the fact that some Tuscan's are now under the £20k barrier, so the older models drop in price a bit.
I still beleive you look at each car and base the price on the condition / spec... you pays your money, you takes your choice.
Agreed - best thing to do if you are depressed about the prices is go and pose as a buyer and then you really get to see how much junk is out there and how hard it is to find a good one.
Problem is the bad ones drag down the price so that the good ones go for the same. Mine's in the classifieds at the moment and its in great condition but I've had NO interest at all. I don't know if its over-priced (£15k, 96P 4.5, 41k, Avo's, MA remap etc. etc) or what. Looks like I'll have to try Top Marques next 
Rob
Rob
arhh don't say that Iv'e just bought one!!!!
I looked at a lot of crap out there... even in so called dealers!
a mate was px'ing his in for an m3 so he let me have it for the px price.... £12000 for a 97 400 with 1200 miles (if I can get it to run right) I thought I'd bought a bargin! ........untill I read this thread that is!!
I looked at a lot of crap out there... even in so called dealers!
a mate was px'ing his in for an m3 so he let me have it for the px price.... £12000 for a 97 400 with 1200 miles (if I can get it to run right) I thought I'd bought a bargin! ........untill I read this thread that is!!
pja said:
the miles don't worry me .........Iv'e always worked on the lower the miles the better!!
Interesting approach.... Back on topic, just had a quick nose through the classified ads... I notice that some of the cars I looked at last October are still for sale...
Then again, clearly my definition of "mint" differs from other people's...
Podie said:
Then again, clearly my definition of "mint" differs from other people's...
I agree, i bought mine knowing it neede a few bits and bobs doing to it, but was prepared to spend a bit of cash on it - Body work wise mines in great nick, it just needed a bit of a sympathetic mechanical work doing.
Up shot is its now a WELL sorted car, nothing wrong with it, Its even in a fast yellow colour
, and a bargain at £13995 Hughesie2 said:
the miles don't worry me .........Iv'e always worked on the lower the miles the better!!
so you bought an 8 year old car thats done - 150 miles per year, what sort of servicing has been done on the car ??
... and what was so wrong with it, that the owner didn't want to drive it...!?!
Podie said:
... and what was so wrong with it, that the owner didn't want to drive it...!?!
Well unless it had been dry stored, the only way to look after a car like this, i'd be a tad worried about perished pipes, tyres, stuck shocks and springs, dirty fuel tank - These cars need to be used, we all know the best ones are daily drivers Podie
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