Where have all the 500s for sale gone?
Where have all the 500s for sale gone?
Author
Discussion

nickrudd

Original Poster:

822 posts

241 months

Friday 6th October 2006
quotequote all
I've been looking for a decent 500 for about 12.5k and they've all suddenly gone! The one I really wanted has just been snapped up (b4sta4rd!!!!!!!!!!! furious), there's one other contender, but the owner's abroad so I can't view it, leaving virtually nothing! Someones got to have a nice one somewhere..... Dealers just cost too bleedin much!

dkl

4,973 posts

252 months

Friday 6th October 2006
quotequote all
It's interesting, since I have been vaguely looking for a 500 the number of Chimaeras for sale on PH has dropped by a third from 150 about 6 weeks ago to 100 now. The prices seem similarly poor with the type of cars that were advertised in February in excess of 16K will now only make 12. It is a similar story with other similar cars - I run a 944 which I bought in January and is now worth a good 1k less than then which is alot when it only cost 4K in the first place.
It really does seem that used prices are on the floor at present so a good time to buy but sadly as most people are selling too before they buy I suppose you don't gain.
This caught my eye when it first came up but it is still unsold

www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/97816.htm

(No association etc)
Certainly would have been something I would have considered looking at.

David

Rum Runner

2,347 posts

247 months

Friday 6th October 2006
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Also good to look in the autotrader ,spotted a mint 1 owner rolex blue 500 1998 15000 miles £13000 .
I guess the one you are talking about ( owner gone abroad )is the gunmetal 500 on hear .
keep looking myself for a upgrade , looked at some at a dealers the other day and they had plenty , but i would have not swapped my 95' 400Hc for most of the them as the chassis where nowhere near as good , and decided I was only buying a 5.0lt engine and my car it self all round was better than nearly all of them.Oh and a lot less cash !!. Still I fancy i bit more umppphhhhhh.
I want a minter but at the right price , that's what happens i guess when you are brought up in the trade !!.

RedCabbage

3,606 posts

262 months

Friday 6th October 2006
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The guy who's abroad is back in UK 13/10/06

nickrudd

Original Poster:

822 posts

241 months

Friday 6th October 2006
quotequote all
DKL, you certainly know how to rub salt in my wounds! You may have no association, but I have.... that's the one I've just missed! Oh, there's the tears again! cry

dkl

4,973 posts

252 months

Friday 6th October 2006
quotequote all
Oops - sorry about that.
But there will always be another - patience my friend.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

32,033 posts

265 months

Friday 6th October 2006
quotequote all
When you're selling there's loads, when you're buying there's a hooker's hymen. That's how it is.

colinrob

1,199 posts

281 months

Friday 6th October 2006
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Just sold mine for £9800 1998 facelift, was going to buy a M3 convertible but the price seemed to go up once I had the money!!!! like you say when your selling there worth nothing when you want one the prices seem to be higher than you can afford
(Pick up a S4 Convertible tommorrow probably a better long term bet than a M3)

victormeldrew

8,293 posts

307 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
I suspect the comment on price drops answers the question.

Supply and demand. If cars are not getting the money the sellers think they warrant, they won't go up for sale. The number of Chim 500's is limited - it's not like they made a lot, and they certainly ain't making any more. They can be a discretionary sale as well as a discretionary purchase, and if the price is not right then the supply will dry up. Pretty simple.

crazycraig

485 posts

261 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
nickrudd said:
Someones got to have a nice one somewhere


I've got one. Sorry it's not for sale though.

As I put on another topic the other week, out of curiosity I asked what I would get for a trade in and I was offered 10k by a Main Stealer for what I consider to be a half tidy car. cry But then again, I did go somewhere that hasn't got the greatest of reps.

tesstickles

127 posts

241 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
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Well considering that only about 15% of Chim were 500 there's not alot of them for sale at any one time. At this time of year there's probably even less. I noticed that Fernhurst managed to sell all their 500s after being on the site for about a month for so.

It's a case of tracking one down and being prepared to travel.

nickrudd

Original Poster:

822 posts

241 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
Oh I've done some travelling lately, lookig at 450s and 500s. My mind's made up though, it's gotta be a 500!!!!

JonRB

80,071 posts

302 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
Blimey, is that all they're worth now? eek

I'll try not think about what I paid for mine 5 years ago then.

dkl

4,973 posts

252 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
Nick, Here you go
www.dealer.autotrader.co.uk/22137/carsolutionsurrey.htm
you may have seen it but it doesn't look too bad at face value.
See trying to redeem myself!
David

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

32,033 posts

265 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
nickrudd said:
Oh I've done some travelling lately, lookig at 450s and 500s. My mind's made up though, it's gotta be a 500!!!!


Nick.

I was in the same boat, and I asked James Agger to source me one, and left it to him.
Eventually came up with a cracker.

nickrudd

Original Poster:

822 posts

241 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
Thanks Dkl,

I have had that one on my shortlist. It's only today actually that I'm ready to strike like a coiled Cobra. I sold my Westy this afternoon, so I can start hunting in anger. My only drip with the one you've pointed out is the fact it's a non facelift model. I'm pretty set on a 98 on really... Thanks everso much for the heads up though!

dkl

4,973 posts

252 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
Just out of interest why the change? They are very different cars.
I'm considering changing my caterham 21 for a Chim 500 but am at the gathering info stage. It could be we are changing for similar reasons.
David

nickrudd

Original Poster:

822 posts

241 months

Saturday 7th October 2006
quotequote all
A Caterham 21! Blimey. I don't think I've seen one of those since when they came out. A rare beast indeed. Well, in my case, it all got started when there was an article in classic car weekly about the griff a few weeks back. I remembered fondly that my old boss 14 years ago bought one when they first came out and after a spin up the road in it, I was grinning like a fool all day! Never thought I'd be in a position to have one though. After looking through the various adds, I discovered that I prefer the shape of the Chimaera now, it seems my tastes have changed a little over the last few years. My Westy was really quick, but after 4 years I felt like a change ( still can't believe it's gone ). The 500 Chim really impressed me. The 450s were borderline and the 400s were no where near as quick as the Westy. So, all in all, I know they're chalk and cheese, but they both have their own merits and shortcomings. Ideal world? I'd have both!

stackmonkey

5,084 posts

279 months

Sunday 8th October 2006
quotequote all
victormeldrew said:
I suspect the comment on price drops answers the question.

Supply and demand. If cars are not getting the money the sellers think they warrant, they won't go up for sale. The number of Chim 500's is limited - it's not like they made a lot, and they certainly ain't making any more. They can be a discretionary sale as well as a discretionary purchase, and if the price is not right then the supply will dry up. Pretty simple.



quite right. I've had my Taraka'd 500 up for sale for a while to raise money to house works, but unmodifed ones were selling for lots less than i was prepared to let mine go for, so took mine off the market.

tvrchim

1,136 posts

244 months

Sunday 8th October 2006
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I just bought mine from Fernhursts and i love it, its worlds apart from my 400