Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve 940
Exactly ITSv40, eBay photos are indeed a whole lot better, but why is this at £7k and a similar one is at £20k
Cheers
Steve
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The simple answer is the £7grand car isn't a £20grand car.
Looking at the £20grand car it is truly a one owner stunning timewarp example - going by the description and photos. Close inspection of the photos look absolutely correct. One point, look at the rear mudflaps - this is how they are fitted at the factory. Now look at the mudflaps on the £7grand car and you will see the bodge fitting. The £20grand car has correctly refinished sills - smooth paint to the same standard as the rest of the car. The £7grand car has paint over stonechip on the sills - what is it covering? Everywhere I look on the £20grand car is correct.
I would look at the £7grand car in the following way.
Ignore the shiny new paint for a moment. is the interior in pretty good shape and will it clean up satisfactorily? The vendor cannot be ars*d to do it, so I suspect some of the brown staining is permanently ingrained. Interiors are much more difficult to restore than mechanics or bodywork. The mechanics appear to be ok and the car is drivable - mechanics will always need attention in the future, so not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
The car has done 40 odd thousand miles, why did the engine need a rebuild - hopefully the history file will provide the answers.
Apart from the quality of the paint, the finishing of the bodywork is poor, yet the vendor emphasises the glossy paint as a selling point - I wonder why. No under bonnet photos - I wonder why. The LPG conversion hasn't been used by the vendor, so another buggeration to remove, back to original spec - definitely not a selling point.
The history file needs close inspection and if that all stacks up the car could be a fairly tidy example with known history from new. A drivable 53 year old car with history is rare. So we most likely have a tidy car with history, usable with known things that need doing.
Having got to this point, I would then consider if I wanted to drive the car for a couple of years or so and sort out the interior and any mechanical work that needed doing in the expectation that the bodywork would reveal its secrets and I would then need to strip and carryout a full bare metal restoration - knowing that the interior and mechanics were in good order and could all be refitted once the bodywork was correctly restored.
I've no idea what the market value is or the availability of the missing trim parts, but it could be quite fun sourcing parts and doing maintenance whilst keeping the car roadworthy.
I now think the big question is: what is the cost of the work needed in the future to bring it up to a good condition and what it is worth to you in its present condition? You could end up in a few years time with a correct, restored car with history and low mileage. Again, good luck with however it turns out.