Monday, September 27, 2010 - 01:12 pm, by: Mike Beck(Gold_40gt)
Now and then I look at what Soarers are available on Trade Me, just out of curiosity, NOT wanting to buy however...
Anyhow I'm quite staggered at what junk the bulk of Soarer are now days, 3-4k trashed TT's, 3.0GTS and the odd V8...
All in Shabby condition with a nasty heat sucking pod filter thrown in.
You can just tell straight away they have become the new skyline type owner thrash around car for many young punks... which was not the case a few years ago, so many decent ones, or even back 5 years ago when I started looking for one myself (wow that long ago!) they were all tidy, low ks and went for 5-6K at least, all mostly stock!
Obviously it makes sense why this has happened with their value dropping even more so and all the older people that have had them for 5-10+ years on selling them for a newer model car and them being bought up by muppets.
In a way... I suppose it has its benefits as owning and running a mint example will see them become more desirable to those that actually appreciate them, not the ones that see them as another car to ruin.
I wonder if they will appreciate to a certain degree? I am sure the UZZ32 will for sure...
Evan Kaio DieHard Beautiful sunny good @ rugby 'Canes' country '91 UZZ31. 92 TT
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - 03:05 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
Yes, there is a lot of ••••• out there, but why is that staggering. NZ always received the ••••• examples to start with in comparison to what was imported into Aussie, as evidenced by the far greater numbers of later model V8 Soarers over there; the better examples went where they could fetch a higher price, helped of course by the Aussie car industry protecting their turf with stiff import tariffs.
Like someone commented on the forums a few months ago (it might even have been me), most of the Soarers driven around NZ appear to be poorly maintained. There are exceptions to the rule and I know there are a handful of Soarers at different ends of the country that are loved and looked after by genuine enthusiasts.
However, no matter how I feel about the car, I don't expect Soarers in NZ to ever appreciate in value, regardless of model. They have never held their value here, so why should that change. Even if they do become more desirable with enthusiasts, people here in NZ I have found rarely want to pay fair value for a well-maintained car. NZer's in general are a tight-fingered lot. Yes, we are.
In fact, put it this way, which 2nd hand Japanese import model in NZ will ever appreciate, or has ever appreciated, in value here in NZ? I'm quite happy to be proven wrong given a legitimate rebuttal - i.e. no riced-up Corollas whose $500 value has doubled because they were fitted with bucket seats.
An exception to this rule may come in x0 years time when someones mothballed and cocooned, fully optioned car etc. becomes available from a deceased estate, but who here will be holding on to their Soarer that long for minimal financial gain?
Further weight behind this point of view is that we are in the worst global recession in history, and even if NZ avoids the worst of it, there is not going to be a lot of change being thrown about by us plebs on 10 + yr old Jap imports for the next several years...
Get used to seeing junked out Soarers on the roads and cross your fingers that more and more of them are bought up and written off by the muppets who abuse them.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 09:22 am, by: Matthew Sharpe(Madmatt)
Ah well, thats old cars I guess. There are a select few Japanese models that do have some genuine classic car status that are, if not increasing in value, at least holding steady. I guess you have to remember that there are precious few cars full stop that hold their value at all, and they tend to be from top end marques (Porsche, Ferrari etc), or marques that have passed into history and had a air of uniqueness to them (MG, Triumph, Austin etc.)
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