Prices, Summer 2008?

[Jackonicko]

Is this the year that prices start to really dip?

Nah, surely not. Look at the price the engineless red car made.....

BUT

The Horsham car on ebay (BRG, H125CCE, 99,000 miles, Item number: 330232210758) failed to reach its reserve (hitting just £2,455) despite "a recent cambelt change, with tensioners and idler pulley, drilled and grooved front discs fitted, turbo actuator repaired and has been thoroughly serviced by a classic car workshop inclusive of oil change, gearbox oil change, all filters chaged etc."

And carsbyalfie's white SE (98,000 miles) is currently at £2,550 (again below reserve) with less than a day to run. (Item number: 220231204675)

And the lad from Cardiff with his chavved up silver car hasn't had a sniff at £3,000.

While on Autotrader and Pistonheads there are a lot of cars that aren't selling at their advertised prices, despite what must have been a week of perfect Elan-selling weather.

The BRG car at Castle Motors in Devon, for example, has been sitting there for months - and the asking price is only £4,750, which makes it about the cheapest trade-priced Elan on eBay.

I've watched Elan sales for years, and there have never been so many priced within or close to my modest budget, and I've never seen auctions so painfully slow.

Just wondering......

Parkers give a good private 97 Elise as £5,130.....

[Monty]

This is for sale section ie M100`s for sale

at least try a woffle in the right section

[Jackonicko]

Yeah, sorry about that. The presence of general threads 'Elans on eBay', 'Elans on Autotrader' etc. led this newbie astray.

I am talking about current, ongoing auctions/sales, however, and current prices, so it's vaguely relevant.

And you need to cut me some slack 'cos I just lost out on the car that I was really after.

And 'cos I'm a big fan of your nice red car and it's white instruments and Elise wheel. Tasteful modernisation. Very nice.

If anyone has a Parkers/Glass's to hand, what are they saying about prices, today?

[Enright]

This is for sale section ie M100's for sale

at least try a woffle in the right section

I can move it if required, but where do you suggest would be best?

[Rambo]

I've watched Elan sales for years, and there have never been so many priced within or close to my modest budget, and I've never seen auctions so painfully slow.

Just wondering......

Parkers give a good private 97 Elise as £5,130.....

All I can say Jackonicko is you've wasted several valuable years of your life kicking tyres and watching prices and not actually doing anything about it

If you're waiting for the market to drop to sub £2k you'll have wasted another couple of years. If you're really serious about having an M100 just go for it - I don't think there are many owners that have ever regretted it ?

Just go for it, , drop the hood down, plant the right foot and enjoy

[Dico]

Me and you need to stick together Jacko. Don't worry about Murph, he's training for a moderators position. When he does get there, there will only be you and me left. Oh, and Mr Pinks of course, he'll never make it. Then again, Geoff did, notright did.....

I feel a loc-tite coming on. erm, I meant thread lock.

[Jackonicko]

Rambo,

Yeah, thanks for that. Until about six months ago, illness was making survival precarious enough. I'm just not as successful a chap as you, and so couldn't afford the car I wanted and made do with a succession of Audi Coupés, Quattros and MGBs instead. Second best, but ....... I simply didn't have the money to avoid "wasting several valuable years of my life kicking tyres and watching prices and not actually doing anything about it."

Things are getting much better, now, and I could do £2,500 or £3,000 without real thought (knowing that there'd be more to spend), and I'd get encouragement to spend it from the domestic fuhrer, but £4,000 up front is still something I'd feel guilty about spending on a fun car, and I would get some flak for doing so.

It's not a matter of regrettability, it's a matter of affordability.

(And while waiting for prices to hit £2k might be a long wait, this week suggests that a £2,500-£3,000 level is already here.)

Dico,

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't visit a forum that had someone like me as a mod!

[GeoffSmith]

Then again, Geoff did, notright did.....

[Smokey]

I have had a few cars in the past where I bought the cheapest one I could find with an MOT, only to find that for the amount I spent doing up the car, and then only ending up with a 'polished turd', I could have had bought one in A1 condition in the first place, and still saved some cash - the Karmann Ghia I had before my Elan is a good example.

I think you are better off spending more on one which has been looked after, or has already had the work done to it, in the knowledge that if it has been looked after, there should be no hidden surprises.

Whilst that you could spend 2-3k on an elan 'which only needs a respray, and a new hood', or a 'new engine' you could have bought one already in good condition for less than the cost of the work needed!

If you can muster 4k together, I would spend it on the best one you can get.

Just my opinion for whats its worth!

[Enright]

Then again, Geoff did, notright did.....

Ditto Geoff's sentiment.

[theelanman]

It's not a matter of regrettability, it's a matter of affordability.

(And while waiting for prices to hit £2k might be a long wait, this week suggests that a £2,500-£3,000 level is already here.)

there have always been cars for that kinda money....never forget that you get what you pay for!!!!......
double it and you could get a good one....
you can buy one for £3k and then say well I'll just do this little job abd that little job...
and before you know it these goes another £2k

[Monty]

This is for sale section ie M100's for sale

at least try a woffle in the right section

I can move it if required, but where do you suggest would be best?

errrr how about in the Elan Buying Help section

[Paul.P]

Then again, Geoff did, notright did.....

Ditto Geoff's sentiment.

Can it just be clarified that this is how replies are made on a " GRADE A " forum, & please don't say it was done in jest, because so we're the replies on the Medina Month thread

[Jackonicko]

Theelanman,

1) Please check your PMs!

2) £2,500 now and five £500 jobs between now and Christmas are better for me than £5,000 now.

Otherwise I'd have just bought Will B's lovely silver machine for a mere £3,900 or whatever it was!

[theelanman]

you have pm

whilst I see where youre coming from I think you could possibly end up with more on your plate than you bargained for .....

how machanically minded are you????

could you change cam belt etc????.....
the bits in the uk come to about £400 on their own.....(£200 from the USA if its not urgent).......if you can do the work fine...if not then a garage could charge you ££££££££££££
so within the first month youve spent to much

I know what you mean about the price etc....but I just want you to know what youre letting yourself in for if you go the very cheap route

[MattDon]

i hear were your coming from mate, i picked up a pretty decent car in november for around £3k so far ive fitted a new fuel tank, clutch kit, hispec brakes, and a few other goodies, with labour ive spent about as much as a "good" elan would cost, but i do now have a car with exactly what i want in it and i know when it was done and how its been treated since. i do think its possible to pick up a half decent car at £3-3500 (personaly i think thats a crazy price as there is no other car on the market that comes close in performace/pleasure per pound) and get it nice over time and i do think its a legitimate way to get into ownership. i would strongly advise you to buy one off here, the prices are good and the people are honest and generaly id say you get a better car for your money from this lot. also it does seem like alot of spare or repair cars are around and with the cross reference section on here maintaining one should be cheaper that it might have been when the prices were higher. just remember the total for the first year will be around £6-7 weather you by a good one or do one up.

[nitroman]

Most professional car collectors (keith Martin, et al) have consistently said to buy the best car you can afford. If you're going to buy one (of that model) anyway, it's worth it, even if you have to borrow money, to get the best you can repay. Their logic is that in the long run, you'll still spend less, have far fewer headaches, plus be able to sell the car for more.

On a more personal note, a million years ago while I was working for a new car dealer, the perennial top #1 salesman told me his happiest customers were the ones who simply paid the asking price. He said those who haggled over every shilling were later tortured by the thought that maybe they could have squeezed another dime out of the deal. Those who just handed over the money, really enjoyed the car because that's where their focus was.

A questionable statistical sample perhaps, but that was his personal observation.

[Jackonicko]

We all have different circumstances. While I was ill, my wife supported us, because my much reduced earnings were not enough to do so. Her absolute, unqualified approval of what I spend is therefore essential to my feeling that I'm doing the right thing.

At the price level I'm talking about she's hugely supportive and actively encouraging. At a higher price, she'd want me to wait.

And there are clearly some cheap jewels out there - AndyH's BRG car, for example.

And cars that would have fetched £4,500-5,000 last year look as though they're fetching £3,000+ this year......

[dapinky]

The main thing i would say (as everyone has an opinion - but I happen to think mine is valid ) is to be happy with whatever you decide to do.

It seems to me that you have a set budget now, but with a possibility to spend more (either a little or a lot) as time goes by. It is obviously important to keep 'Er indoors' on side (I got round that one by telling Angie that it was her car ), and as long as you realise that the chance of finding a concourse one in your price range is nil, you will get there!

If you are fairly handy with a spanner, and have a reasonable tool set (nothing too outlandish is actually NEEDED, some just make things easier), or are prepared to ask, read, and have a go, then it's no worse than any other car I've owned (apart from restricted access, and having to remove lots of bits to get at the one bolt you need!).

I went for an 'entry level' model at £3k and have spent a few shillings, and many hours, on it in the past 18 months.

Many of the bits i've done were 'wants' not 'needs', and as long as you accept that in standard form, the car is what it is, you can be happy.

People will tell you that brakes NEED to be upgraded, but i find standard ones to be acceptable as long as you maintain them (cheap, but time consuming) and don't up the HP of the engine to extremes.

Basically, all things considered, i have changed the head gasket, radiator, rear shocks, wheel bearings, hazard light switch, rear wishbones and 2 tyres because i NEEDED to, the rest was my choice, and it is an ongoing 'work in progress'. It is used as a daily driver, not a weekend show car, and its condition is as expected for such use.

It has 135k on the clock and is the best value 'fun' car i've had for a long time.

If it is going to be an only car, i think your budget my leave you open to disaster in the future, but if you have another to use, and can do-it-yourself, it's achievable.

You seem to be going the right way about it in that you are looking to view as many examples as you can, and are prepared to ask for someone on here to view cars with you - fair play to you, at least you'll get an honest answer, even if you don't want to hear it (whether its to say that the car is a dog, or will need ££££ spending, or just out of your range at he moment).

I wish you luck - and remember, whatever you need to do on the car, its a 99.9% chance that someone on here has already done it, or had a go, and can point you in the right direction.

PS - virtually everything is availlable (that you NEED), just ask, and someone will tell you the best place to source it (possibly Internationally), it is just the bits we WANT which are getting harder to find.

[Jackonicko]

Dave,

Thanks for the encouraging words. We do have other cars. I would be very happy with a standard car - I have no wish to track it, no wish to scream around at 95, just to drive the way I drove my MGB with an even wider stupid grin on my face.

Jacko