Regarding the Elise,you may well struggle being 6'6"! The engine issue is the fabled head gasket failure (HGF) on the k series engine. But being around £500 to fix at a garage it's not an overly expensive fix compared, say, to a rebuild on an Impreza.

 

I wasn't referring to the Corrado specifically regarding condition. I think it applies to any of the cars you look at. To beat the depreciation, it needs to be in very good condition. If it isn't when you buy, make sure it is when you sell. i.e. spend the money (which may defy the point if you go silly! ).

Corrado's are that old that they shouldn't depreciate but also new enough to still be a reasonable amount on the road (less so the storm models of course, only 500 made in the first place but these are the ones that command top money). They are also pretty well built with good paint finish etc. so avoid ones that aren't. Again, this applies to many cars in the list.

Another one to add to your list is the Porsche 968 (CS pref).

 

Regarding the UK/JDM issue with the DC2 Integras... there is a really strong following for both cars, both are pricey to insure and I'd say that the JDM look is marginally better received from what I've seen and read. Personally, I dont really have a preference, other than its black.

One of my friends bought a 40k mile, 1999 UK DC2 in Black for 8k, ran it for 18months or so and sold it 6 months ago for 8k with c50k on the clock. All he did was replace consumable items and service it.. never gave him any trouble.

I've been lurking around the DC2 Forum recently as its a potential replacement for the Impreza, and a clean 98-spec JDM or UK Integra will still cost between 7k and 9k for a complete minter.


Cheers,
Grant

 

Bentley Turbo.

 

Get a decent E30 M3. Buy the right car and you'll retain the value. See here...............

BMW : BMW E30 M3

Lovely!

Matt

 

Oooooooh! Nice M3, looks in lovely nick...

 

If your being realistic, anything thats valued at £10k right now, will depreciate unless its a very old classic thats rare and semi sought after (certainly not anything mentioned).

Your best bet for depreciation free motoring would probably be something <£5k and over 10 years old from japan like an FTO, early sti, pulsar GTR, RX-7, 200sx ect. If you can buy direct from japan, get a minter with under 100k kms on the clock then unless it breaks you'll be able to sell it for what you paid in a few years time as its already lost the majority of its value.

I think the trick with these cars is stay clear of unreliable marques (so nothing brittish) and get something that has a relatively mass appeal to aid with the selling of it when the time comes. My brother has a 1995 FTO GPX manual. Paid about £4k for it 3 years ago and had someone offer him £3.5k for it in the MOT bay just last month. If your in the under £5k segment and you buy right then its certainly do-able.

 

What about a 944 Turbo.

 

Sorry, but an S1 Elise less than £10k in VGC will not noticably depreciate even though it is [sic] brittish.

 

I bought a 2001 MX-5 for 7K and after 18 months of ownership and no problems sold it for 7K.

 

Dont think you could have read the thread properly then. A 3 door Sierra Cosworth has been mentioned more than once. Very nice ones are around that figure, fairly old and very sought after.

 

Bought mine for £12.5k in 2002. Sold today for £8k.

37k miles later and 500 laps of the ring. In that time it has cost me about £11k.

So £15.5k over 5.5 years.

 

ver 2 sti for 3500-4k will be same in a couple of years.....cant see anything better for that money....

 

Did the person that bought it know that Isn't that about 6,500 miles?

 

He knows it's done some laps.

BUT it still fells "tight" and looks good. But all suspension, bearings, bushes have been changed. Everything thats needs doing has been done.

One of the easiest sales I've made.

 

Possibly going a toy route myself and Elise top of the list at the moment, and have to say 1 year ago I could have got a 60K mileage example for 7-8K. Today to find a good example your looking at 9-10K for a S1. So At the moment they have actually appreciated in value.

For 10K there is not much else out there thats a proper mid engined sports car, that looks gorgous, cheap to service, run, fuel. Really stuggling to find a good one myself and REALLY struggling to find really good one at the 7-8K level.

Also been looking at TVR Chimera's (4ltr rover V8 variety), actually pretty reliable and old school engineering. But the couple I have looked at, looked there age, and wan't that impressed with the car. A slightly bigger budget could make all the difference, but then at say 12-14K you are in S2000, Z4 territory which would be my preffered option at this budget.

Have also considered BMW Z3Ms'. The shape and looks are starting to grow on me with time, but still a potentially pig ugly car. But 321bhp in a car this size has to be fun. Only reservation is I found the M3 Evo convertible a little heavy and clunky to drive and think the Z3M might be the same just in a smaller car.

 

Today the prices are up a bit from a few months ago simply as we're near summer. Very seasonal pricing. I bought my old S1 at the start of March and sold it in the July and made £500 (facelifted S1 27k miles bought for £8.5k and sold for £9!)

I was looking this Jan Feb and the prices are fairly low. For a true price of what Elise's sell for look at completed sales on Ebay, not list prices. Some dealer prices are extraordinarily high. 9k-10k I'd be looking for a medium miler 111 S1 or an S2. I'd expect a 60k 1998 Elise to be around £7k or less at this time of year.

I'll be getting my next Elise in Oct Nov this year when the Impreza goes.

 

Hmm good question...one I think about a lot actually

I would say:

M635CSI or M3 of sorts
Early Impreza, maybe Terzo (only 333 made) or RB5
Pug 205 GTI
Merc 190 Cosworth
Merc 220/230sl needing some work?

Its the 'why is this car going to be a classic' that needs and is the hardest to answer!

 

A set of stickers won't make an impreza depreciatation proof.

I can only see the 22b and maybe P1 standing out.

 

EVO 6 TME