Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

The £4k is gone. Unless you're expecting the car value to start rising it doesn't matter if you sell it now or next year...

I've spent 4k on the Volvo this year, to put that in perspective.

Don't take this the wrong way, but do you ever expect to see that money back?

Until/unless they become collectible you might well just have to keep it.

Even then the purists will turn their nose up at it because of what you've done.

No, I don't expect to see that back

In that case you have to keep it. I'm presuming it doesn't owe you anything - just keep it, find a bigger lock-up and buy something else.

I drive probably 4,000 miles a year, if I kept it whilst getting (say) that 911 I'd probably drive the Volvo for 1,000 miles/year if that. It's seals would dry up, battery go flat, tyres lose their air etc.

I'd rather lend it to someone who would drive (and maintain it), than put it in a lockup to slowly succumb to entropy.

Get a bigger lockup and break it for parts then, normally the best return for heavily modded cars.

I'd still rather lend it to someone. Spent too much time and effort making it to then break it!

But then who would want a 350bhp, 25mpg, 20 year old estate, is the question.

Hello. I always need to borrow a car that isn't a 2 seater, and I'm still having massive worries over what to buy next.

I really want the E39 M5, there's two minters on PH at 13k, but even at 7.5-9k for a mediocre one, I'm going to have to speak to a bank. Financing a 15 year old BMW, even if it's an appreciating asset is struggling to make sense in even my warped mind! If I'm going to finance a second car for the purpose of having more room and quieter more comfortable longer journeys, I could just buy a 2 year old 1 Series direct from BMW and have a car that's 95% reliable and a warranty to fall back on if anything goes wrong.

Alternatively I could just save hard for 6 months and get a Legacy, but then I'd be running two 90s Jap cars and I don't know if that computes either.

Up until this month my girlfriend was staunchly against us getting a second car (considering we do about 6k/year and live in Hackney in an estate with no garage) but she has decided she cannot stand the new MX5, it's too loud, she doesn't like the ride, she doesn't like the smell of petrol that lingers around, it's too hot in the car, and she's now decided it makes her back hurt and she's reluctant to go anywhere in it from now on - so the pressure is mounting to get a car that she is willing to be ferried about in.

This isn't really a question, it's more of a torrent of thought from my current car situation and also sticking my hand up to say hey, @Dammit, if you want someone to look after your car, I can do that for you.

If you had some money sat in an ISA getting fuck all interest, and wanted to spend, say £5/6k of it on a fun second car that wont go down in value over the next few years with a little bit of use, what would you buy?

All this talk of getting a lock up has got me thinking...

mk1 mx5

madlolz.

dibs

They're holding steady/going up in value, they're fun to drive, in your price range, reliable in stock to lightly modified form, cheap to service and easy for the home mechanic should you wish to do it yourself.

There's a reason every track day has at least 2-3 MX5s

If you just want to be a hooligan on A roads, TVR? They can't go down in value any more.

@hoops I'd find a decent 320i or 325i convertible for that money.

Fair point... I just dont think I could ever buy an MX5. Main reason is they dont have a roof. Cars with no roof are not for me. there's just something about them that I cant get on with. Unless it was a Caterham or one of those 550 Spyder replicas (both too expensive for me!)

Doesn't need to be super fast... I have the M135 for being a hooligan in! (first speeding ticket came through last week, bastard average speed checks!) Just something with a bit of character that I can drive to work every once in while.

I'd be into that if hadn't just bought a BMW as my daily.

There's some really interesting stuff on pistonheads for between five and six grand.

@BRM:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mg/mgb/mg-bgt-1979--professional-restoration-in-2010/4351791

I'd be bang into that! The old man used to have a bgt.
Thought BRM had a convertible?

@hoops - I have always had a soft spot for Merc 500 / 560 SEC's

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1984-MERCEDES-SEC-500-Silver-blue-leather-V8-AMG-Bumpers-Pillarless-Coupe-/161744735554?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a8bccd42

He does, but surely you can't beat a stiffer car?

He needs the wind in his mane to really show off the African Sunset and drop them panties.

nice. that's the look i'll be going for with my respray, apart from losing the brake ducts on the front and the reverse lights and number plate lights on the back.

i don't think it is an issue with mgbs.

i think the gts are starting to be worth a bit more now. you are more than welcome to come and have a go in mine, if you like, rob