Sale price advice

[Scooter]

OK, I "think" it's time for me to hand in my Supra card

I have a car that is genuine low mileage but it now cosmetically challenged, old fitted body kit, it's a bit 50 shades of red, a Maclaren employee cracked the front bumper (barely touched it but its fibre glass so..) I got some front 'leather' seats that turns out were leatherette and have flaked, the alarm key fobs look shocking. Engine bay was chromed which is now irrecoverable and so worst than the stock pipes.

On the plus side it's this car 

so it has great provenance/proof of mileage. I have kept it Mot'd and taxed all the years I've had it and used Opie Fuchs fully synthetic oils, my first bpu so run on 97+ all the time. Everything works bar the old radio, so the dodgy looking key fobs all work fine, Aircon is operational, heater perfect, seat motor fine, turbo's just run off a restrictor ring the boost warning set to 1.15 which is can just hit on a cold autumnal morning (no need for me to go higher) Dash and door cards very very good (dash does have a gauge pod screwed in) Zero valve stem issues, the cylinder head is very clean inside the oil filler cap. It drives great, there are just loads of small/medium cosmetic jobs to do and I never get the time or inclination. 

Running J specs with uprated front pads/disks, I have a set of UK's that could go with it. 

I need to renew the Mot soon, and clean it up as much as possible but do we think £25K is achievable? (£20K+ easily £30K never in it's present state?)

Not sure how much people value body condition versus mileage and honestly it needs a total external going over for most people to own/use/drive it, that's what I'd do if keeping it long term, but I appreciate that's big bucks on top, so you can't ask too much? 

I see loads priced higher sure but few are selling, so trying to get a feel for what's achievable in a realistic time frame.

 

[Scooter]

How it looks now (I have the original Gold wheels still), I have tried everything I know to invert the pic, even rotated my original so that was upside down and then posted it and it's upside down regardless!?

 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by SPG
Fixed orientation (see edit history)

[SupraAyf]

It doesn't take much (within reason) to sort out the body issues of a car these days . My own preference would be to choose a low mileage Supe and then spend a few quid on the body and paint.

I'm first to admit that I'm not current with Supra costs but having a mechanically sound car with the potential to look tip-top is worth a good chunk of Dosh.....

......so £25,000 as a minimum sounds good.

 

[Scooter]

I am still considering investing the necessary and sorting the paint, the small bumper issue has made me weary, I shrugged it off when it happened (appreciated the guy owning up to it tbh) and popped on the 'war wound' plaster sticker to just stop the paint flaking off, it was faded and chipped and so needed a repaint anyway and so I didn't feel the need to go further. I have multiple stock turbo pipework to refresh that, so engine bay could be sorted pretty easily.

It's a great car and I love driving it still, I just sort of feel a pressure of ownership now, spares through the roof and/or unobtainable, it's a difficult front bumper for unplammed trips (again not so much an issue pre a £5K+ respray (some say closer to £10K and some have bad repaint experiences) it doesn't feel so carefree anymore?

I reeled in a Golf R the other day (just) but it's not quite like the old days around 2002 and my stock UK spec obliterating a R32 nearly new Golf, and the monetary lure is obviously there. 

Nearly 25 years of driving them feels enough, the last few years of Mot certificates suggest I'm not that bothered not driving it, it feels like it should be time....

I spose Mot it and spruce up as much and possible and then decide one way or another.  

[rider]

It's only worth painting if its a keeper, a good rule of thumb on cars is you'll add around £2k of value for every £10k spent which can only ever be improved upon if you do the work yourself seeing most cost is for labour. If a car could benefit from a respray it always gives a new owner the option to personalise to whatever colour and finish they desire around whatever budget they have and they will be happy because they got to buy the car a little bit cheaper.

We are close to peak Supra so there probably will be no better time to sell. Not many Supras come with a long time history file which will add to its appeal as an honest car with believable mileage so that probably adds back what the paint condition loses.

PS - As an afterthought I really enjoyed the drive I took my Supra on this weekend. It is just when people drive fast on the single track lanes that stretch miles in every direction from my home that gives me anxiety. I breath a sigh of relief when I reach the main road and when I navigate back home safely. It never bothered me 25 years ago but does today. I have to remind myself its only a car, but it does happen to be one very special kind of a car.

Edited June 12, 2023 by rider (see edit history)

[Swampy442]

Are they original Axis Hiro's? Rare wheel nowadays

[Scooter]

Yes original Axis's I think, picked them up only last summer from JodyT and old member who is not so present on the forum these days. They really suit the Supra I think and the Advans were looking so tired and desperately need a refurb.

Rider appreciate your thoughts, I agree with the chance for someone to redo as they wish, if someone was a body work person the car would be a great base and as you say a car with known history of at least proveable UK miles is rare. We know they can take high miles (there was definitely a time when the KM's to Miles conversion happened more than once on cars!) so I'm sure with regular servicing mine will just be very dependable for a new owner.

At present I don't feel anxiety driving it, mainly because it is a little tatty, if I had it all redone at great expense I'm pretty sure I would though! I admire those that have and that look to keep it forever, I spose I'm at that crossing/decision point, like before you undertook your underside resto. 

[Scooter]

SPG, thanks for the photo flip correction!

[Scooter]

 I would add that while the paint is an issue it has no rust issues, the rear hatch/window being perfect etc. 

[Chrism001]

I'm in the same situation, mines going up for sale next month but see so many conflicting adverts. Some look like they're ready for the scrap yard but have a price of 40k+, some look mint and well looked after for 25k.

If you was to buy your own car what would you realistically pay for it? That would give you a rough idea I guess

 

[rider]

Best option unless you have a friend of a friend lined up is to put it through a classic car auction with a reserve price you can accept. No tyre kickers, no dreamers, no insurance worries, no misrepresentation concerns, no come back and the buyer pays the auctioneers premium. Auction prices can also be the best prices as they set the market price on classic cars and the audience goes way beyond the locality including to  an International audience.

Nothing to lose, no sale no fee so its free if your transport the car to an auction and take it away if unsold.

[Scooter]

3 hours ago, Chrism001 said:

I'm in the same situation, mines going up for sale next month but see so many conflicting adverts. Some look like they're ready for the scrap yard but have a price of 40k+, some look mint and well looked after for 25k.

If you was to buy your own car what would you realistically pay for it? That would give you a rough idea I guess

 

That's the thing I'm not sure I could justify spending any of the current asking prices if i was a buyer now!   

Mine is a known quantity, a history of two other forum members from import, I know it'll likely do years and 10's of thousands of miles with few issues, it just needs thousands spending to look great, I can make it look good enough when moving (ie someone seeing it coming towards them!) but it's cosmetically challenged in a number of areas if viewed parked up. 

I could spend £10K and nothing would change from my driving position which I'd struggle with doing! 18 year old son needs a first car and rather spend some of the £10K on that. 

Think I'm just going through a malaise, and been enjoying the manual 6 series I have enough to think i could live without a Supra now. The post was partly due to me going to see another 6 series, a local manual 630i, but I got gazumped on that (annoyingly so!). At sub £4K it was a steal, but maybe it was the Supra God's sending me a sign!!

[Scooter]

So visited the car yesterday (it's stored either at work or on my parents as it won't make it up mine - another hassle of ownership!) helped dad with his lexus brake caliper, and degreased the engine bay with brushes and rinsed with hose, nothing too intense, but it's made a good difference, going to give it a good going over in general, polish and wax etc and see how I feel. 

It's definitely looking better already and I figure I'll either bond more or at least it'll be as presentable as possible for a sale.

I see some on facebook, £18K one under off and with a rusty arch and missing side pod etc 1998 5 speed NA looks lovely but £28K but rusty sills etc on Mot history.

Should make mine pretty sellable if I push the positives, low mileage/no rust vs the indifferent paint in places.