High mileage Caterhams
Discussion
Dear all,
I'm still looking for a 1.6k, and budget wise will have to go for a higher mileage car. There is a 53,000 mile car on ebay at the moment, will probably go for the far side of £10k. What are the chances of a decent re-sale once another 10k has been added? Also, what should have been done by now (e.g. engine rebuild, gearbox, etc). Is the concensus that condition and history rather than mileage are more important? How do the cars take this sort of mileage?
All help greatly appreciated.
Best wishes,
Bill
I'm still looking for a 1.6k, and budget wise will have to go for a higher mileage car. There is a 53,000 mile car on ebay at the moment, will probably go for the far side of £10k. What are the chances of a decent re-sale once another 10k has been added? Also, what should have been done by now (e.g. engine rebuild, gearbox, etc). Is the concensus that condition and history rather than mileage are more important? How do the cars take this sort of mileage?
All help greatly appreciated.
Best wishes,
Bill
On the whole, condition and history is what determines 2nd hand values.
Mileage in a Caterham is not that indicative of the use the car may have had. 10,000 track miles are a lot more punishing on a vehicle than 50,000 road miles.
The service history will give a good indication of the "care and attention" lavished on the car. I would be inclined to go for a car that has been looked after by one of the Seven specialists, lake Redline Components or James Whiting.
Mileage in a Caterham is not that indicative of the use the car may have had. 10,000 track miles are a lot more punishing on a vehicle than 50,000 road miles.
The service history will give a good indication of the "care and attention" lavished on the car. I would be inclined to go for a car that has been looked after by one of the Seven specialists, lake Redline Components or James Whiting.
That's a lot of miles and for that mileage, the car should really only fetch £9,000. If it's circa 1996 then the powder coating will have flaked off a lot of the chassis tubes. Equally, any Caterham that is used daily or even consistently in bad weather will have some corrosion - check out the rear chassis tubes around the fuel tank, those under the steering rack and around the front of the engine bay in general.
Equally check very carefully the aluminium side skins, especially at the bottom edge all along the sides for corrosion - where there's a bubble there's a hole.
The car may well have cosmetic corrosion to the front suspension.
To give you some idea of pricing, I sold a 1997 1600 K Roadsport 5 speed, with 20k miles on the clock lat last year. No real corrosion - a bit of flaking to the powder coating and suspension, cloth seats and flared wings for £9,500. It may have fetched more with cycle wings, but I think that was really its money.
Higher mileage Caterhams are always harder to sell and scruffy ones are not cheap to put right. The combination of the two of these (and flared wings if you're unlucky) will knock the value of the car down considerably.
Mechanically, the car will do this mileage without a problem, head gasket issues aside, but these don't always afflict cars. Even a Supersported car will comfortably do the mies - I sold my 1600 Supersport some years back with 35k on the clock and with 4 bar oil pressure
Equally check very carefully the aluminium side skins, especially at the bottom edge all along the sides for corrosion - where there's a bubble there's a hole.
The car may well have cosmetic corrosion to the front suspension.
To give you some idea of pricing, I sold a 1997 1600 K Roadsport 5 speed, with 20k miles on the clock lat last year. No real corrosion - a bit of flaking to the powder coating and suspension, cloth seats and flared wings for £9,500. It may have fetched more with cycle wings, but I think that was really its money.
Higher mileage Caterhams are always harder to sell and scruffy ones are not cheap to put right. The combination of the two of these (and flared wings if you're unlucky) will knock the value of the car down considerably.
Mechanically, the car will do this mileage without a problem, head gasket issues aside, but these don't always afflict cars. Even a Supersported car will comfortably do the mies - I sold my 1600 Supersport some years back with 35k on the clock and with 4 bar oil pressure
Rubystone,
I have heard a lot mentioned about that car at £9500! Its interesting to hear the details of it. I'm preferably looking for a 97ish 6spd 1.6 k with about 30k on the clock for about £10.5k with cycle wings - I know it sounds like a hard challenge, but as your car proved its not totally impossible! With the flaking powder coating, I presume its an easy job to brush the loose away and repaint with a rust eater such as hamerite?
Many thanks and best wishes,
Bill
I have heard a lot mentioned about that car at £9500! Its interesting to hear the details of it. I'm preferably looking for a 97ish 6spd 1.6 k with about 30k on the clock for about £10.5k with cycle wings - I know it sounds like a hard challenge, but as your car proved its not totally impossible! With the flaking powder coating, I presume its an easy job to brush the loose away and repaint with a rust eater such as hamerite?
Many thanks and best wishes,
Bill
Bill - now that is a tallish order...you may have to wait...or think about investing more cash in a Superlight - the scabby ones do drop into the £13ks but even good ones are coming down a bit too....
Eric - check my profile....I own a VX....to be fair, the front end lift was on a 1600 K - lighter engine of course and over 100mph...on unrestricted roads of course
Eric - check my profile....I own a VX....to be fair, the front end lift was on a 1600 K - lighter engine of course and over 100mph...on unrestricted roads of course
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