Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 01:19 pm, by: Blaine Hanson(Blaine)
I bought a V8 1993 Soarer recently off ebay - $2500. I also paid $25k for my dream Soarer - a 1997 this year, that I have no intentions of selling. I am very happy with both buys.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 06:26 pm, by: David Vaughan(Davidv)
I do not think too many people worry about depreciation of their car so much as have decision regret when it appears they could buy "their" car so much more cheaply today.
That makes it hard ever to buy a computer or a mobile phone, where you are practically guaranteed to get twice the product or half the price in a year.
My car was good value for money when I bought it. No better deal was evident at the time. The car continues to fulfil my expectations of it. Therefore, nothing has changed that value.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 07:55 pm, by: Mike Bradberry(Halflife)
Paid $18,500 and spent an extra $5,000 on it and I'm not interested in selling at any price. I have my value and I guess it can't be measured in dollars.
Paid $38000 in Jan 2000, since then fuel cost 10508.24, parts 31894.83 and labour for service and those parts 27565.79. Total cost $107968.86 + Insurance and rego.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 10:30 pm, by: Dennis Tito(Dennis)
like the ad said... soarer manual tt with goodies $25K.. days on cruises, dyno's, drags and recognition... priceless.. we all have gone through it and I haven't met one soarer owner who doesn't regret buying.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 08:52 am, by: Blaine Hanson(Blaine)
David, I think you pretty much summed it up. I believe a lot of the younger members who have not owned many cars are just learning some of life's lessons. Long live the Soarer - whatever it's market value!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 01:21 pm, by: Luke Nieuwhof(Luke_nieuwhof)
Yeah my car devalues, to be expected, it's almost like buying a new car because so many get imported in and as more come in the price obviously goes down according to that wonderful law of supply and demand. However as Dennis says, I am also paying for the lfiestyle that comes with this car. It is a great social thing (cruises, meeting up regularly with other owners just to catch up) and even a sporting tool (drag racing championship winner). All of this stuff would not be happening if I did not have a Soarer so everytime I look at someone else in another normal car I just think that. Hey Blaine you are posting lots lately!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 02:58 pm, by: Paul Christian(Paul_christian)
Whenever I have these thoughts about devaluation, fuel / maintenance costs etc I take my girlfriend's Hyundai Accent for a drive. Conclusion: Soarers are worth every cent.
Paul Christian wrote on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 02:58 pm:
Whenever I have these thoughts about devaluation, fuel / maintenance costs etc I take my girlfriend's Hyundai Accent for a drive. Conclusion: Soarers are worth every cent.
I've been driving my gf's Festiva for the past 6 weeks while my car's disabled, so looking forward to jumping into it when it's fixed... don't care it's costing me a few grand to fix it, I know it will be worth it as soon as I start driving it again
Dan McColl wrote on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 10:46 pm:
I just look at my XF and come to the same conclusion.
+2
Whenever I'm out of my Soarer (as I am now) I have to drive either a Tarago or a Yaris. When I had the Leone and drove that you can appreciate how much more car you get from a Soarer
I don't regret any of my spendings on the car and I continue to spend, because I love the car, but you need to have the money, not borrow, that can be very expensive.
Friday, November 17, 2006 - 05:27 pm, by: Adam Barry(Acdchook)
I've been quite lucky so far - apart from my top tank blowing, I've had no mechanical dramas at all, so I haven't had to pay much more beyond my regular servicing. And I'll admit I overpaid a little for the car in the first place. But not once have I had a single regret. I absolutely love the soarer. And even when I see some going for half the price I paid for mine, it really doesn't bother me. My only concern is that as prices fall, some soarers may fall into the hands of less respectful owners.
Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 09:56 am, by: Hayden Miller(Zero)
Does any one think eventualy the prices will go back up? My therory is as they all sell off cheap, people (mainly kids) will mod them with unsightly body kits, crash them, blow them up or eventualy retire them. Leaving a small selection availible to purchase, the majority of that selection have been well cared for by folks like us and they become some what of a rare car.
Its not the best example but if you compare the amount of r32 skylines on the road today to the amount 5 years ago there is half as many. Now many r32's are priced higher than r33's and there are not as many for sale (in good condition)
We forget that soarers are not being made anymore and as they near extinction there values will go through the roof... let them sell there cars for 7k to kid racers, let the kid racers destroy them, because every soarer that gets taken off the road bumps the price of mine up ever so slightly.
Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 10:22 am, by: Graham Dollisson(Alloyvee)
Good theory Hayden, But I can't see that happening for a long time. I would think that would happen with Skylines as they are a bit of a cult car. Soarer a cult car....I doubt it.
Sunday, November 19, 2006 - 11:15 am, by: Don Bagnall(Baggs)
I kinda agree with your philosophy Hayden.
BUT I still say that the TOP examples will still fetch the RIGHT money from the knowledgeable, financially comfortable buyers.
Of which there is a small pool (sadly ).
It's been discussed a zillion times before, but once you get to certain stage of life, where you've achieved the house, wife, kids, sheep, good long term enjoyable employment, sheep and a generally settled future, that's when you think.......Shall I buy a "Fixer-upper" type Soarer (which like it or not, a hell of a lot of em are!), or shall I buy a TOP example and pay TOP bucks for it.
I wuz fortunate in getting a GOOD (but, not MINT) example for a cheaper than normal price................Bargains DO exist, but in reality they're rare.
Mike Beck's car was a steal at $6k(NZD) for a very clean car that'd been owned for yonks by a couple of old foggies who'd had it serviced religiously for years.
But I take me hat off to the guy's n' guyess's who don't have a crap-load of disposable income, WANT the Soarer experience and are prepared to put up with a bit (lot!) of financial pain and suffering to get their Soarers up to a level where others will admire & envy
In MY case, I'm too friggin lazy to spend me weekends tinkering around, so I'd rather pay lotsa bucks for a minty-poo example........
Sooo to sum up. If ewe's have a mint Soarer that ewe wanna flog.............then wait for a fat, lazy, middle aged Soarer (and Sheep! ) lover to pay da mornay that ya car DESERVES
TOP, UBBER-MINT cars like Rob Hayden's & Andrew Vlamos's will always attract the owners and money they deserve.
Average but GOOD cars will tend to get dragged down to the level of the crap-box low $k dungers because someones "Fulli Sik Bro" LOOSER mate who wouldn't know a decent anything! let alone a Soarer if he saw one tells him that ANY Soarer is only worth $8k MAX!!
Go buy a Falodore you weanies it's what you so richly DESERVE!............Leave quality cars to quality people who can appreciate a damn fine hunk o' car when they see it!
Well, that wuz long n' boring...........time for a nap
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 07:10 pm, by: Ashley Leach(Ashlar)
Every day I get in my car to drive to work I thank god I'm not driving a commodore.
I'm more than happy with my Soarer, I really love it.
Sure, I get a little disheartened when things go wrong and I have to fix (new air con compressor is the latest saga) and the savings dip a little. But I didn't buy a 1991 car and not expect things to need doing to get it too my liking. I'm not the most wealthy person around here, probably far from it, but it's good getting around in a nice tidy car that a LOT of people that I know envy. (despite the Nissan rims)
I did get a bargain with my car, but I'm looking at keeping it for a long, long time. It doesn't matter to me if the car devalues. I don't really care if it becomes a "cult" car either, theres always going to be some of us here to help each other out. Soarer's are always a car that will pull more than a few looks, and that's more than enough for me.
Sunday, November 26, 2006 - 07:59 pm, by: Ian Johnston(Ted)
I have a BA XR6 as a company vehicle, and I would not trade my Soarer for one. I still enjoy driving the Soarer as much as I did when I bought it, and would have 2 if I could afford it. My wife uses ours as an every day car, as we have no other car. Cant get her out of it now. For the price you only end up with a Crommydore, or a Fowlcan, so no contest mate.