Seriously?

[Paulk]

Originally Posted by Steve 940

Just to update, the very expensive 245 (circa £13k) that was showing as deposit taken for weeks has suddenly disappeared from Car & Classic and the dealers website stocklist.

Unfortunately whilst checking, I stumbled across this......

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1732386

I know, I know......... but its still a VWW, and has pretty much an original interior with lots and lots of period rust in the shell, although I am pretty certain I've owned and driven some old sheds with more holes in the floor.

New wood set is only £850............

Cheers
Steve

Now showing as being removed - did you buy it??

Paul

[Steve 940]

Originally Posted by Paulk

Now showing as being removed - did you buy it??

Paul

😀😀If only……fortunately I think it was a manual and as I’m getting an old git, I am now very much a disciple of a nice lazy auto.

Now if it had been an auto…. I may have had to have a look, just to check of course…

I am sure if it had ticked all the boxes, I could’ve come up with some sorry pile of excuses for justifying buying it, much as I did with my 145.😀😀👍

Hey ho, we only live once and your coffin doesn’t have pockets……

Cheers
Steve

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Paulk

Now showing as being removed - did you buy it??

Paul

I often wonder whether highly priced motor cars from dealers are actually sold, or just moved around the dealer network to try again somewhere else.

[Steve 940]

Originally Posted by Othen

I often wonder whether highly priced motor cars from dealers are actually sold, or just moved around the dealer network to try again somewhere else.

Hi Alan,

Probably a question we will never know the answer to, but I would guess some do find buyers at high prices, and some may well be passed around.

Whilst walking the hounds I was mulled this over, paying £13k for a very nice 245, isn’t actually that mad if you think about it, enjoy it and drive it for say 5 years, if it’s only worth £5k afterwards, then you’ve had 5 years of fun for £8k.

Just checked and a years membership of my local Stowmarket Golf club is £1230 and I know what one I’d choose 😀😀

Anyway, another interesting 940 one has popped up, raising some questions

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1746423

Mileage low, and pretty good MOT history, however advert says one owner since new in 1997 till current owner purchase, they’ve put on 2k miles apparently using infrequently, but car registration check says last V5 on 4th April so only a couple of months ago.

Suggests to me perhaps someone bought for a few quid and trying to punt on trousering a nice profit.

Still wouldn’t mind it though….👍

Cheers
Steve

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Steve 940

Hi Alan,

Probably a question we will never know the answer to, but I would guess some do find buyers at high prices, and some may well be passed around.

Whilst walking the hounds I was mulled this over, paying £13k for a very nice 245, isn’t actually that mad if you think about it, enjoy it and drive it for say 5 years, if it’s only worth £5k afterwards, then you’ve had 5 years of fun for £8k.

Just checked and a years membership of my local Stowmarket Golf club is £1230 and I know what one I’d choose 😀😀

Anyway, another interesting 940 one has popped up, raising some questions

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1746423

Mileage low, and pretty good MOT history, however advert says one owner since new in 1997 till current owner purchase, they’ve put on 2k miles apparently using infrequently, but car registration check says last V5 on 4th April so only a couple of months ago.

Suggests to me perhaps someone bought for a few quid and trying to punt on trousering a nice profit.

Still wouldn’t mind it though….👍

Cheers
Steve

The advert says: one owner until my family ownership. Mot history shows mileage of 65,000 in 2018, so presumably that is when it first changed hands and then had various owners within the same family and subsequent changes of ownership.

[Laird Scooby]

What he said! ^^^^^

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Steve 940

Hi Alan,

Probably a question we will never know the answer to, but I would guess some do find buyers at high prices, and some may well be passed around.

Whilst walking the hounds I was mulled this over, paying £13k for a very nice 245, isn’t actually that mad if you think about it, enjoy it and drive it for say 5 years, if it’s only worth £5k afterwards, then you’ve had 5 years of fun for £8k.

Just checked and a years membership of my local Stowmarket Golf club is £1230 and I know what one I’d choose 😀😀

Anyway, another interesting 940 one has popped up, raising some questions

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1746423

Mileage low, and pretty good MOT history, however advert says one owner since new in 1997 till current owner purchase, they’ve put on 2k miles apparently using infrequently, but car registration check says last V5 on 4th April so only a couple of months ago.

Suggests to me perhaps someone bought for a few quid and trying to punt on trousering a nice profit.

Still wouldn’t mind it though….👍

Cheers
Steve

We have all discussed this many times Steve, it just depends on one's perspective. I always look at owning older motorcars (and motorcycles) from the position of the tightwad: I like to buy older (40ish year or more) cars and bikes for between a grand and about £4,000. At that point there is no depreciation (indeed most appreciate a bit) and running costs are very low.

In my polarised view paying top dollar for a 30ish year old makes little sense: it will depreciate, running costs (particularly road tax) will be significant but it won't have the reliability and fuel economy advantages of a modern (<10 year old, that is plenty modern enough) vehicle.

These are just the musings of a tightwad with a beard and a dog called Bob Steve. I have no view whatsoever on what others should spend their cash on.

That 940 looks okay, but the owner wants more than I'd consider reasonable for a VWW that is a long way from qualifying for the free tax.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

We have all discussed this many times Steve, it just depends on one's perspective. I always look at owning older motorcars (and motorcycles) from the position of the tightwad: I like to buy older (40ish year or more) cars and bikes for between a grand and about £4,000. At that point there is no depreciation (indeed most appreciate a bit) and running costs are very low.

In my polarised view paying top dollar for a 30ish year old makes little sense: it will depreciate, running costs (particularly road tax) will be significant but it won't have the reliability and fuel economy advantages of a modern (<10 year old, that is plenty modern enough) vehicle.

These are just the musings of a tightwad with a beard and a dog called Bob Steve. I have no view whatsoever on what others should spend their cash on.

That 940 looks okay, but the owner wants more than I'd consider reasonable for a VWW that is a long way from qualifying for the free tax.

Going to throw my two penn'orth in now, i think that 940 is probably worth about £5k, maybe a smidge more but the bits that would put me off is if it's a n/asp engine or LPT. As i don't see a boost gauge in the bottom of the tacho, i have to assume it's n/asp or LPT which IMHO would make the performance sub-par for that age vehicle, especially when combined with the not so good fuel economy.
Granted it will be ~10 years until it's anywhere near historic/tax exempt but if the mileage and owner count remain low, it shouldn't lose too much value in that period. As any car will attract the penalty of VED in that period, if someone really wanted what seems to be a lower spec 940, that would be as good a bet as any.

However, if i was minded to buy another 7/9xx (not gong to happen sadly) then i would look for a similar age/colour/condition 960 as the economy wouldn't be much different (possibly better in fact) and there would be the bonus of an engine better matched to the weight of the car.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Going to throw my two penn'orth in now, i think that 940 is probably worth about £5k, maybe a smidge more but the bits that would put me off is if it's a n/asp engine or LPT. As i don't see a boost gauge in the bottom of the tacho, i have to assume it's n/asp or LPT which IMHO would make the performance sub-par for that age vehicle, especially when combined with the not so good fuel economy.
Granted it will be ~10 years until it's anywhere near historic/tax exempt but if the mileage and owner count remain low, it shouldn't lose too much value in that period. As any car will attract the penalty of VED in that period, if someone really wanted what seems to be a lower spec 940, that would be as good a bet as any.

However, if i was minded to buy another 7/9xx (not gong to happen sadly) then i would look for a similar age/colour/condition 960 as the economy wouldn't be much different (possibly better in fact) and there would be the bonus of an engine better matched to the weight of the car.

Some good points Dave.

Again it depends on one’s perspective. You and Steve are seeing a classic car that is worth a considerable amount (whether that is £5,000 or £5,800 isn’t all that important - both figures are a lot higher than this tightwad’s estimate). I’m seeing a 27 year old cooking VWW with very little provenance apart from the seller’s opinion that the first owner was honest and diligent- and that several of the current family members have looked after it properly. It won’t qualify for the free tax until 2038 - which is far enough away to be irrelevant (the concession may not even exist by then and petrol might be £25/gallon), will have pretty poor fuel consumption so the cost of ownership would be considerable. My spectacles are less rose tinted, I’m just seeing 2 grand or so worth of daily driver for a painter and decorator that needs a van that can be used for the family at weekends.

Just different views of the same picture - that is all.

Bobwalkin time.

Addendum: I was thinking about this one as Bob and I were out for our evening walk. It looks like the VWW covered about 50,000 miles in its first 10 years (entirely plausible), then use and maintenance slowed to a trickle for the next 17 years, including 3 years resting under the apple tree from 2013 to 2016 and failing a few MoTs (with the odd mention of the ‘c’ word) thereafter. I doubt any of this documented. My guess is that Steve’s first hypothesis was correct: maybe the seller’s family acquired it for a song (a grand or two) in about 2018 and have done enough to get through the MoT each year, but not much more. Now it is a big, thirsty old car that is taking up a lot of space on the drive, so maybe the family have thrown a bucket of water over it, started seeing it as a classic instead of a van and advertised it for a daft price… all speculation by a tightwad with a beard and his dog, Bob.

[Steve 940]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

However, if i was minded to buy another 7/9xx (not gong to happen sadly) then i would look for a similar age/colour/condition 960 as the economy wouldn't be much different (possibly better in fact) and there would be the bonus of an engine better matched to the weight of the car.

Well Dave, your wish etc etc.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326187472...Bk9SR76Bk-mPZA

Just dont look too closely at the MOT history, may well make you shudder

Cheers
Steve