non depreciating car
Discussion
I'm coming back from bumming round the world march time and already need to think cars! I want a cheap car that wont depreciate that i can use for about 3-4 months until i get a new job / location etc settled. Having suffered melt down depreciation on my elise before leaving I've been looking at something like a new shape ( bar the very latest one ) 7 series bmw for about 5 grand. ( this is until I can afford a real car again.. ). At least i can pretend i'm a mafia boss for a while!!
Any ideas? needs to be able to do fairly high milege in that short period of time and be under 10k?
Any ideas? needs to be able to do fairly high milege in that short period of time and be under 10k?
to replace.what milege do they fall apart - there's a couple of them on autotrader around the 5.5k mark that have done 80 - 90 k miles but theres also some that have done over 170k miles?? is it a false ecomomy or worth the risk for a lot of car ( and more importantly gadgets!! ) at that price?
My theory is the less you spend the less you’ll loose from depreciation. A car’s resale value is what someone is willing to pay and for me I’ll choose a low mileage car with a good history over looks and gadgets. I found a 89 E30 BMW touring with 93K miles and full history for 2 grand. It had a full service, 12 months MOT and 5 months tax. Touch wood so far it’s a cracking car and I’d still be asking £1950 for it if I sold it today.
>> Edited by RAW-SEWedge on Friday 8th November 13:45
>> Edited by RAW-SEWedge on Friday 8th November 13:45
billb said: what milege do they fall apart - there's a couple of them on autotrader around the 5.5k mark that have done 80 - 90 k miles but theres also some that have done over 170k miles?? is it a false ecomomy or worth the risk for a lot of car ( and more importantly gadgets!! ) at that price?
Mine started life with me at over 80k and went on to over 160k before I shifted it. New bits? Where shall I start?
Obviously, they eat pads and discs. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. New catalytic converters (2). New fuel pump (400 sniffs). New water pump. New crankcase pressure valve thingy. Gaskets here and there. Various shocks, shock mounts, springs, etc. Control arms, suspensiony bits. Beware of tired autos as well.
Bear in mind that 7s are big and *heavy* so are hard on any bits under the skirt. And even ordinary stuff that you'd expect to go wrong at that mileage will cost loads - BMW bits, innit, and they're still a bit too modern to have pattern parts from Euro Car Parts et. al.
I might have had a duffer, but on the other hand, most of the bits that failed are to be expected at the miles. Just 'cos it's 5k to buy, doesn't mean it's going to be as cheap to run as your average 5k car.
That said, I bloody loved the thing, and it was virtually mint when I sold it.
Buy an old car if its only for a few months - example:
i bought my Golf GTI (1987 8v) for £900, its an absolute minter, completely immaculate, FSH, 95k, same owner (old ex copper) for the last 11 years. I got it for such a bargain as the guy was moving to Spain.
If i were selling it now, id ask a lot more than £900 for it as its in such good condition. If you can find yourself an old 'performance' car (ie hot hatch etc) youll most likely either get all of your money back or even make a profit.
(BTW my only costs since i bought it 8 months ago are: tyres, brake pads -both killed driving round Castle Combe Circuit - and tax)
i bought my Golf GTI (1987 8v) for £900, its an absolute minter, completely immaculate, FSH, 95k, same owner (old ex copper) for the last 11 years. I got it for such a bargain as the guy was moving to Spain.
If i were selling it now, id ask a lot more than £900 for it as its in such good condition. If you can find yourself an old 'performance' car (ie hot hatch etc) youll most likely either get all of your money back or even make a profit.
(BTW my only costs since i bought it 8 months ago are: tyres, brake pads -both killed driving round Castle Combe Circuit - and tax)
It gets better, while looking for the radio codes in the glove box, I found, buried at the back, a fully stamped up service history. The seller didn't think it had any (*)and I didn't find it when I first looked. Cool.
dern said: I have just bought this morning a 1991 (j-reg) Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 CDX Auto with 100K miles and 12 months mot which is in absolutely superb condition inside and out (only needs a couple of rad hoses and I'm about to do the cambelt on it it just in case) for £795.
Mark
(*) I bought it at a garage where it had been traded in.
>> Edited by dern on Friday 8th November 18:07
IMHO at the moment the 7 series represents the the best value for money. A car like this with a spec where fitted, sat nav and t.v that origanily cost in the region of 50-60 grand new,and can now be had for a little over 11 grand represents good value,as with any car this size you have to go in to it with eyes wide open and expect large running costs,but get a good one and you are on to a winner and you will be rewarded with one of the best luxury cars ever built.
If your interested I am just about to put my BMW 325i touring up for sale a couple of pics at http://uk.briefcase.yahoo.com/wraith34uk under Cottys cars.
Its only done about 48,000 miles with every MOT cert since it was built. Auto, electric everything, windows, sunroof etc. Not an SE but as close as you can get. 80-90% BMW service history, X spoke alloys. Two small chips in the paint work and a small scuff on the front spoiler but otherwise unmarked, not bad for a 10 year old car.
Mtec leather steering wheel, unmarked grey cloth interior. I think I was the first smoker to own it as the ashtrays have never been used and I tried not to smoke in it. I paid £3,750 on 5th January 2002 so expect to get about the same. As its coming up to a year of ownership it needs a service and MOT but should pass with flying colours and will get these done prior to the sale but probably not by BMW, not at there prices but there are a couple of specialists round my way like Bexley Motor Works.
Downside - no Pistonheads sticker in the window.
Anyone who buys it must keep it in good nick because if I can get the money together in the future I want it back.
Im in Orpington in Kent
Paul
Its only done about 48,000 miles with every MOT cert since it was built. Auto, electric everything, windows, sunroof etc. Not an SE but as close as you can get. 80-90% BMW service history, X spoke alloys. Two small chips in the paint work and a small scuff on the front spoiler but otherwise unmarked, not bad for a 10 year old car.
Mtec leather steering wheel, unmarked grey cloth interior. I think I was the first smoker to own it as the ashtrays have never been used and I tried not to smoke in it. I paid £3,750 on 5th January 2002 so expect to get about the same. As its coming up to a year of ownership it needs a service and MOT but should pass with flying colours and will get these done prior to the sale but probably not by BMW, not at there prices but there are a couple of specialists round my way like Bexley Motor Works.
Downside - no Pistonheads sticker in the window.
Anyone who buys it must keep it in good nick because if I can get the money together in the future I want it back.
Im in Orpington in Kent
Paul
Do u have to get bmw approved parts - if the car is at the 5k price is it past the " must have full bm service history" and parts stage to move it on? If so do u reckon they're worth the saving?
Marshy how much did the parts cost u over the lifetime and what did u loose in depreciation?
ta
Marshy how much did the parts cost u over the lifetime and what did u loose in depreciation?
ta
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