Something GT-ish
Discussion
Don't know if this will definitely come to anything but as things stand, I have an unoccupied space in the garage and money in the bank that is not needed for approx. 2 years.
So, and I appreciate this isn't the sort of advice an IFA would give, I'm thinking I might tie up that money for a couple of years in something metal and interesting. In a perfect world, I won't need to get rid of it when the time comes if I don't want to, but if I do, it needs to have not haemorrhaged money in the mean time. Of course, in an ideal world, I'd want to get more or less what I put in back or at least the vast majority of it. Accepting fully that this is a risky game particularly when it involves something that can break and need maintenance and insurance and tax and and and. That sides for me to worry about but I guess the general sentiment here is that I'm looking for something that is not perceived to be on the downhill part of it's depreciation curve and isn't likely to throw up bills that would make the purchase price an irrelevance.
I already have an Exige and an early MX5 as toys. Neither are going anywhere. Both play different roles in terms of what I use them for. But two things that neither do particularly well is firstly making big engine noises and secondly doing big distances. I do fair few trips into the northern bits of scotland to get to the mountains and though both cars have been used for that, long days aren't their forte and neither has much luggage space and neither can take my dog. So I often end up in our 5-series which is nice but not exciting and a not a car that I look forward to adventure in.
TL:DR I love the idea of another toy that does GT type stuff really well. Must be manual. Must have more than four cylinders. Must look/feel special and something I love to own rather than just being competent. £25k tops. Less is much more appealing.
Options I'm considering:
996 - I'd actually agreed to buy a particular 996 but have been let down on that at the 11th hour. Frustrating but it's given me time to consider other options. 996 still very appealing though. Had one before so know the costs can be troubling. Would have to be an early car to mitigate risk of at least some of the scarier engine issues but it's still not anything like a risk free purchase. Would need to be bought very carefully but ticks a lot of boxes. They're as cheap as they've ever been at the moment it seems.
Cayman/Boxster - Not sure. Most are prone to all the usual engine issues. Drive brilliantly I admit but I'm not drawn to them.
997 - Think I'd be happier with an early 996.
E86 Z4 Coupe - 3.0 or M. 3.0 appeals for being very comfortably in budget, great shape. Shouldn't be too alarming in terms of maintenance. M maybe a bit more special but I wasn't bowled over by one I drove a while back. But maybe fine as a 6/10 kind of car which is really all I need. I have the lotus for setting my pants on fire.
Z3 M Coupe - Love these! I know they're flawed. I know nothing about how rusty they can get. S50 only ones in budget and even then I'd be scraping the barrel a bit. Also not sure about their long distance credentials. But they're very, very cool, they have a dog guard, and though I might not be the one who benefits from this, I can't help thinking that one day they'll be worth a fortune. Rare, cult car but not sure the other half would be bowled over with the idea.
Aston v8 vantage - I feel like I'd be very much at bottom of the market on these and not sure that is a good way to buy one.
Maseratis - They all scare me.
TVR's - See maserati.
JDM stuff - Can't think of anything that pulls at the heart strings that isn't already unobtanium.
Mustang- Modern ones do nothing for me.
Open to other ideas...
So, and I appreciate this isn't the sort of advice an IFA would give, I'm thinking I might tie up that money for a couple of years in something metal and interesting. In a perfect world, I won't need to get rid of it when the time comes if I don't want to, but if I do, it needs to have not haemorrhaged money in the mean time. Of course, in an ideal world, I'd want to get more or less what I put in back or at least the vast majority of it. Accepting fully that this is a risky game particularly when it involves something that can break and need maintenance and insurance and tax and and and. That sides for me to worry about but I guess the general sentiment here is that I'm looking for something that is not perceived to be on the downhill part of it's depreciation curve and isn't likely to throw up bills that would make the purchase price an irrelevance.
I already have an Exige and an early MX5 as toys. Neither are going anywhere. Both play different roles in terms of what I use them for. But two things that neither do particularly well is firstly making big engine noises and secondly doing big distances. I do fair few trips into the northern bits of scotland to get to the mountains and though both cars have been used for that, long days aren't their forte and neither has much luggage space and neither can take my dog. So I often end up in our 5-series which is nice but not exciting and a not a car that I look forward to adventure in.
TL:DR I love the idea of another toy that does GT type stuff really well. Must be manual. Must have more than four cylinders. Must look/feel special and something I love to own rather than just being competent. £25k tops. Less is much more appealing.
Options I'm considering:
996 - I'd actually agreed to buy a particular 996 but have been let down on that at the 11th hour. Frustrating but it's given me time to consider other options. 996 still very appealing though. Had one before so know the costs can be troubling. Would have to be an early car to mitigate risk of at least some of the scarier engine issues but it's still not anything like a risk free purchase. Would need to be bought very carefully but ticks a lot of boxes. They're as cheap as they've ever been at the moment it seems.
Cayman/Boxster - Not sure. Most are prone to all the usual engine issues. Drive brilliantly I admit but I'm not drawn to them.
997 - Think I'd be happier with an early 996.
E86 Z4 Coupe - 3.0 or M. 3.0 appeals for being very comfortably in budget, great shape. Shouldn't be too alarming in terms of maintenance. M maybe a bit more special but I wasn't bowled over by one I drove a while back. But maybe fine as a 6/10 kind of car which is really all I need. I have the lotus for setting my pants on fire.
Z3 M Coupe - Love these! I know they're flawed. I know nothing about how rusty they can get. S50 only ones in budget and even then I'd be scraping the barrel a bit. Also not sure about their long distance credentials. But they're very, very cool, they have a dog guard, and though I might not be the one who benefits from this, I can't help thinking that one day they'll be worth a fortune. Rare, cult car but not sure the other half would be bowled over with the idea.
Aston v8 vantage - I feel like I'd be very much at bottom of the market on these and not sure that is a good way to buy one.
Maseratis - They all scare me.
TVR's - See maserati.
JDM stuff - Can't think of anything that pulls at the heart strings that isn't already unobtanium.
Mustang- Modern ones do nothing for me.
Open to other ideas...
Thats why i asked the question.....
If not too big a dog and a passenger then an F Type coupe. Small dog in football of F-Type Cab.
If its a dog and passenger/s then you will be more in to an RCF V8 Lexus, a C63 AMG or a Mustang GT.
The Mustang is a really long legged GT and largely bulletproof with costs measured in peanuts, id wager a decent GT V8 brought for 25k will return you the majority of that in 2-3 years time.
You could go TVR but buy a mostly sorted one and you shouldnt really have to put your hand in your pocket much to run one.
A nice Chimaera.
https://www.tradeclassics.com/classifieds/tvr/1999...
A nice Chimaera.
https://www.tradeclassics.com/classifieds/tvr/1999...
Sorry, I should have been clearer on the dog thing. He's a dalmatian. Needs a fair bit of space. I think off that list above only the Z3M coupe is in with a chance of being dog transport. It's not a big deal to be honest. I don't take away that often but I do love the idea of being able to take a fun car when I do do trips with him. I doubt it will have much sway on the overall outcome though.
callahan said:
JDM options - 370z (probably the Nismo) if the dog will go in the hatch bit. GR86 would be good but it's a 4 cylinder, could hold it's value though.
Can you fit a dog in the back of an F Type coupe?
F-Type is interesting. Not easy to find a manual though but I might go and take a quick look. 370Z, hmmm maybe. Not really getting me excited though. Love the GR86 but it's not really the sort of thing I'm after here. Can you fit a dog in the back of an F Type coupe?
bennno said:
Thats why i asked the question.....
If not too big a dog and a passenger then an F Type coupe. Small dog in football of F-Type Cab.
If its a dog and passenger/s then you will be more in to an RCF V8 Lexus, a C63 AMG or a Mustang GT.
The Mustang is a really long legged GT and largely bulletproof with costs measured in peanuts, id wager a decent GT V8 brought for 25k will return you the majority of that in 2-3 years time.
These aren't going to be especially rational objections I'm afraid but I'll try my best. Mustangs, anything after the 60's just does nothing at all for me. Don't know why. I should like them, I just don't. C63, yes but as an estate daily. Not so keen on one as a weekend car. Too sensible a car, engine aside. I admit the engine is hard to ignore! Lexus, don't know much about these but are they not all auto? If not too big a dog and a passenger then an F Type coupe. Small dog in football of F-Type Cab.
If its a dog and passenger/s then you will be more in to an RCF V8 Lexus, a C63 AMG or a Mustang GT.
The Mustang is a really long legged GT and largely bulletproof with costs measured in peanuts, id wager a decent GT V8 brought for 25k will return you the majority of that in 2-3 years time.
Belle427 said:
You could go TVR but buy a mostly sorted one and you shouldnt really have to put your hand in your pocket much to run one.
A nice Chimaera.
https://www.tradeclassics.com/classifieds/tvr/1999...
I shouldn't rule these out. I'll do some homework. Have to admit, I worry a bit they are more of a hobby car than I'm after but that might just be a preconceptions. I'll do some digging. A nice Chimaera.
https://www.tradeclassics.com/classifieds/tvr/1999...
V8 Vantage do your homework & you can get a good one:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312064...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409184...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409194...
V8 M3:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401175...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407061...
I know you don't like the Mustang but I'd suggest test driving one as it's a very good car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309272...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409103...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312144...
G80 M3:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409123...
A smidge over budget but do your checks haggle hard & an R8 could be yours:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404309...
VXR8:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409264...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407131...
Forgot to say the 370Z Nismo is a car that's well worth a look, it's a cracking driverss car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406180...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409033...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312064...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409184...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409194...
V8 M3:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401175...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407061...
I know you don't like the Mustang but I'd suggest test driving one as it's a very good car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309272...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409103...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312144...
G80 M3:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409123...
A smidge over budget but do your checks haggle hard & an R8 could be yours:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404309...
VXR8:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409264...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407131...
Forgot to say the 370Z Nismo is a car that's well worth a look, it's a cracking driverss car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406180...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409033...
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Friday 27th September 09:52
rufmeister said:
ZX10R NIN said:
Cars
Not thread related, but I just want to say, you’re a legend, you ALWAYS contribute lists of potential cars for people, and that’s some effort you put in, top man.Thanks for all those ideas ZX.
Vantage is maybe worth consideration.
M3's and VXR8 too sensible. I think anything based largely on saloon cars (or in fact an actual saloon car in the case of the VX) just won't excite me when I see it in the garage. Stupid I know but this isn't a rational purchase. A bit like the C63 mentioned early, a VXR8 estate (hen's teeth I know) would make a lovely daily driver.
370Z might be worth me looking at but I'm very conscious that I watched a friend's 350Z get very rotten over the years he had it until it was eventually pretty much worthless and was broken for spares. I can't see an obvious reason why the 370Z won't follow a similar path.
Vantage is maybe worth consideration.
M3's and VXR8 too sensible. I think anything based largely on saloon cars (or in fact an actual saloon car in the case of the VX) just won't excite me when I see it in the garage. Stupid I know but this isn't a rational purchase. A bit like the C63 mentioned early, a VXR8 estate (hen's teeth I know) would make a lovely daily driver.
370Z might be worth me looking at but I'm very conscious that I watched a friend's 350Z get very rotten over the years he had it until it was eventually pretty much worthless and was broken for spares. I can't see an obvious reason why the 370Z won't follow a similar path.
I know you're scared of them but if it was my money and the brief was to be well under £25k if at all possible I'd be looking at a manual Maserati 4200 GT for around half that amount.
Spares are plentiful and they are very analog machines when it comes to maintenance so a decent indy should be happy to work on them.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403308...
Spares are plentiful and they are very analog machines when it comes to maintenance so a decent indy should be happy to work on them.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403308...
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff