£20,000 to spend. Please help!
Discussion
Hi All,
Ever since i took a test drive in a GT3 4 months ago, i can't get the experience out of my head. The only cure is to buy one!
I thinking of an S4S, GT3 or would an early V-8 be possible? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, this will be my third car on the road at this time. Does anyone know if it is possible to get one insurance policy to cover the three?
Thank you in advance,
Huw Davies
Ever since i took a test drive in a GT3 4 months ago, i can't get the experience out of my head. The only cure is to buy one!
I thinking of an S4S, GT3 or would an early V-8 be possible? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, this will be my third car on the road at this time. Does anyone know if it is possible to get one insurance policy to cover the three?
Thank you in advance,
Huw Davies
Huw,
Most people in the trade consider the S4s to be the best 4 cylinder car. However, you will struggle to find a good one for £20K.
The S4 is also an good option (I have one !) and with £20K you would get a very nice one. Early V8's are more and can be a lot of trouble.
I would join the UK Esprit Group an see what is about
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKLotusEsprit
Make sure you look at lots and take someone who knows about them to look over a potential purchase.
Dermot
UK Esprit group moderator
Most people in the trade consider the S4s to be the best 4 cylinder car. However, you will struggle to find a good one for £20K.
The S4 is also an good option (I have one !) and with £20K you would get a very nice one. Early V8's are more and can be a lot of trouble.
I would join the UK Esprit Group an see what is about
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKLotusEsprit
Make sure you look at lots and take someone who knows about them to look over a potential purchase.
Dermot
UK Esprit group moderator
quote:
Also, this will be my third car on the road at this time. Does anyone know if it is possible to get one insurance policy to cover the three?
As far as I can tell from a decade of having multiple cars on the road you have to start again with a new policy/no claims bonus for each additional car. Norwich Union do cover multiple cars on a single policy but as their premiums aren't cheaper than insuring the cars with them under seperate policies I can't see any advantage.
Please God let someone reading this thread put me in touch with an insurance company who aren't a bunch of money grabbing c
ts. I have no points/convictions/accidents/high risk job/bad eyes and I live in a low risk area yet since I passed my test in 1988 I have spent more on insurance than I have buying cars and I.
have.
never.
made.
a.
claim.
Rant over, sorry.
According to Autocar's letters page, the (wait for it...) National Farmers Union do a multiple car policy.
Might be worth giving them a ring!
Other thing is look out for "introduction offers" - some companies (Direct Line is currently doing this I think) offer 35 or 40% off if you have a clean record by no no-claims.
J
Might be worth giving them a ring!
Other thing is look out for "introduction offers" - some companies (Direct Line is currently doing this I think) offer 35 or 40% off if you have a clean record by no no-claims.
J
Huw
I ran a 98 GT3 before i swapped it for a V8-GT. The GT3 is a fantastic car, and although its slighly less powerful than the s4 its still a VERY quick car and the handling is out of this world.
You get Brembo brakes on a GT3 which are the same as the 96-99 V8 has, plus for a 98-on car you get the nice new interior. An early S4 will have toyota brakes (later ones have brembos) and all the S4 cars have the 'older style' square dash.
If you go for a GT3 (which i'd recommend) you CAN make it considerably faster if you want. Check out andywhittaker.com
cheers
rob
I ran a 98 GT3 before i swapped it for a V8-GT. The GT3 is a fantastic car, and although its slighly less powerful than the s4 its still a VERY quick car and the handling is out of this world.
You get Brembo brakes on a GT3 which are the same as the 96-99 V8 has, plus for a 98-on car you get the nice new interior. An early S4 will have toyota brakes (later ones have brembos) and all the S4 cars have the 'older style' square dash.
If you go for a GT3 (which i'd recommend) you CAN make it considerably faster if you want. Check out andywhittaker.com
cheers
rob
GT3 Running Costs:
Mine was been about £10K over 4 years ( 15K miles a years ). Some large bills, new turbo ( £2K ), new manifold (£1.2K) and new clucth (£750), but ofcause, a clutch is a clutch, so it wil have to be replaced at some time. A "c" service ( 36,000 miles etc ) wil be about a grand.
Have a look at www.adrianmugridge.co.uk under Lotus->GT3. It has all my running costs itemised.
Insurance on multiple cars :
I've had an Esprit as my only car for 10 years but I've just bought a second car. I'm insured with priveledge who wanted £450 for my sninny Micra ! The Esprit is £700. Hmm, £450 for a group 3, £700 for a group 20. They could not care less that you can only drive one car at a time or that it's the same person they are insuring. I went with the AA in the end. They bothered to ask about a NCD on another car and were by far the cheapest.
Adrian Mugridge
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk
Mine was been about £10K over 4 years ( 15K miles a years ). Some large bills, new turbo ( £2K ), new manifold (£1.2K) and new clucth (£750), but ofcause, a clutch is a clutch, so it wil have to be replaced at some time. A "c" service ( 36,000 miles etc ) wil be about a grand.
Have a look at www.adrianmugridge.co.uk under Lotus->GT3. It has all my running costs itemised.
Insurance on multiple cars :
I've had an Esprit as my only car for 10 years but I've just bought a second car. I'm insured with priveledge who wanted £450 for my sninny Micra ! The Esprit is £700. Hmm, £450 for a group 3, £700 for a group 20. They could not care less that you can only drive one car at a time or that it's the same person they are insuring. I went with the AA in the end. They bothered to ask about a NCD on another car and were by far the cheapest.
Adrian Mugridge
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk
Hi Huw
I didn't specificly go looking for the car. My 89 turbo was costing a wad every time it went for a service and I was thinking about a newer one. I bought it from the place where I had my old one ( and now this one ) serviced. I could have gone for an older S4 or an almost new GT3 ( 11 months, 4700 miles when I got it ). I just saw it, took it for a whizz and traded my old one in ( after a bit of haggling ! ). Up until 30,000 miles it was fine ( what's when the turbo blew itself to bits ). GT3's are cheap at the moment, considering they always get good write ups in magazines and the like but second hand values are low.
Adrian
I didn't specificly go looking for the car. My 89 turbo was costing a wad every time it went for a service and I was thinking about a newer one. I bought it from the place where I had my old one ( and now this one ) serviced. I could have gone for an older S4 or an almost new GT3 ( 11 months, 4700 miles when I got it ). I just saw it, took it for a whizz and traded my old one in ( after a bit of haggling ! ). Up until 30,000 miles it was fine ( what's when the turbo blew itself to bits ). GT3's are cheap at the moment, considering they always get good write ups in magazines and the like but second hand values are low.
Adrian
Huw - i think you'd be fine with that budged and that sort of mileage. I didn't keep exact records on mine, but that sounds about right.
Agree with adrian regarding GT3's being cheap right now. It amazes me that people are asking more for S4's when the GT3 had such a great write up and a nicer interior (IMO).
There was a 98S in black on autotrader recently for 16k (..think it had a high mileage, but still excellent value).
Rob
Agree with adrian regarding GT3's being cheap right now. It amazes me that people are asking more for S4's when the GT3 had such a great write up and a nicer interior (IMO).
There was a 98S in black on autotrader recently for 16k (..think it had a high mileage, but still excellent value).
Rob
I have an S4S, I have owned a turbo, borrowed an S4 and owned a 99 V8! Personaly I would not touch an early V8, amazing but really unreliable. Anything earlier than a early 99 may give you a lot of trouble. S4S drives as well, very similar performance and very reliable. You can pick them up privatly with low milage for the money your looking for but it takes time and mates who will let you know when they see anything. Get pally with a dealer!
I would definalt go for he S4 or if you can get one for the money, the S4S.
I would definalt go for he S4 or if you can get one for the money, the S4S.
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