Would you pay over the top for car that was in exceptional condition

[Frontstep]

Always buy the best you can get, rarely leaves you disappointed.

But and it's a huge enormous but, you do not "get what you pay for" so often its an English nonsense saying that probably explains our high prices.

 

[Timeandleisure]

No... but then again I have spent nearly 24 months looking.... my OCD kicks in .... but reading the above... I feel I could be persuaded....

 

[A.J.]

No... but then again I have spent nearly 24 months looking.... my OCD kicks in .... but reading the above... I feel I could be persuaded....

I will spend as long as it takes to find the right car and usually end up paying over the odds for it. Just as long as I get the right car I don’t mind. Getting the right car is the important bit.

 

[00slk]

I buy the cheapest out there and they are usually rubbish..................Then sell them and 9 times out of 10 make money
I have found that rubbish cars like runabouts are the best because most 'non car people' think they are the best cars
I only paid over the top for a car once and that was a 1971 350SL, but in the end I won that deal as the dealer gave me more for the trade in than I originally paid for it I then sold the SL back to him a year later for the same price

 

[LostKiwi]

I buy the cheapest out there and they are usually rubbish..................Then sell them and 9 times out of 10 make money
I have found that rubbish cars like runabouts are the best because most 'non car people' think they are the best cars
I only paid over the top for a car once and that was a 1971 350SL, but in the end I won that deal as the dealer gave me more for the trade in than I originally paid for it I then sold the SL back to him a year later for the same price

That's like our old 210 estate.
Bought at 98k miles for £600.
Ran around till 167k miles with only a radiator and air con compressor worthy of note and sold it as spares/repairs for £600 5 years later.
The only thing that made me get rid was rotten drivers sill (put the jack on the jacking point and watched the jack go up and the car stay in the ground).

It was never a pretty car externally but it was a great workhorse.
Seen here with the Brabus wheels off the 129.

 

[rorywquin]

I buy the cheapest out there and they are usually rubbish..................Then sell them and 9 times out of 10 make money
I have found that rubbish cars like runabouts are the best because most 'non car people' think they are the best cars
I only paid over the top for a car once and that was a 1971 350SL, but in the end I won that deal as the dealer gave me more for the trade in than I originally paid for it I then sold the SL back to him a year later for the same price

I needed a car for about 9 months while waiting for the project to relocate to Japan. Got a SAAB 95 with ~115k miles on it with a LPG conversion. It needed two new tyres.

I drove it for 9 months and sold if for what I paid. Bargain compared hiring a car.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

If i thought it was worth it . And i did wanted the car , if i had the cash to burn , then there would be no curb on the price i would pay , there would be no stopping me.

 

[00slk]

That's like our old 210 estate.
Bought at 98k miles for £600.
Ran around till 167k miles with only a radiator and air con compressor worthy of note and sold it as spares/repairs for £600 5 years later.
The only thing that made me get rid was rotten drivers sill (put the jack on the jacking point and watched the jack go up and the car stay in the ground).

It was never a pretty car externally but it was a great workhorse. View attachment 77908
Seen here with the Brabus wheels off the 129.

I went to a local car auction and while there I noticed a Mercedes that wasn't attracting any interest. It was white, cloth seats and a 200T. Nothing wrong with that I thought so raised my hand and within a few seconds the little wooden hammer dropped and I owned it. £175, 144ks on the clock, 7 seater though with fees £205.
Drove beautifully and started to use it as my daily until a work colleague showed some interest in buying it, then another work colleague. Hmm this might be worth flicking off, so stuck it on the fleabay think and £475 was the finished result. It did need 1 or 2 things like abs sorting, eml issues, brake lines, 2 front wings and a repaint but it was a cheap and everyone wanted it. Now if it was a top spec, top condition and I wanted £20,000 for it I most likely would still own it

 

[grahamcol]

Well I've just ordered a new car (Jag, sorry!) which means my CLK will become available later this year or early next year. It won't be cheap but it's a lovely car, 07 plate, CLK220 CDI, 53k miles currently, black on black, full history, everything works apart from temperamental parktronic for which a suitable allowance can be made. Probably one of the best available. Anyone interested pm me for more details.

 

[BPD07]

I did, a couple of years or so ago I was looking for a w208 CLK ragtop. If the examples I kept finding were high mileage, then a low(ish) mileage good service history, good provenance turned up nearby for probably a couple of grand more than they were going for in other places. But it was the right colour and spec. and the dealer put it into my local indie for a pre purchase service that cost him over £1,400. I’d committed to buy anyway so that was a bit of Brucie Bonus.

 

[SmartAmg]

Well I've just ordered a new car (Jag, sorry!) which means my CLK will become available later this year or early next year. It won't be cheap but it's a lovely car, 07 plate, CLK220 CDI, 53k miles currently, black on black, full history, everything works apart from temperamental parktronic for which a suitable allowance can be made. Probably one of the best available. Anyone interested pm me for more details.

What, Jag? out of curiosity

 

[grahamcol]

What, Jag? out of curiosity

XE R Dynamic HSE P250 petrol

 

[fire3500]

One day I'll post the story of my SLK... short version, yes. Very much so.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Well if i want the car ,, the price never even enters my head.
But one day we went out to buy a car, and we came back home with a fold up bike for the other half .

 

[Frontstep]

Well if i want the car ,, the price never even enters my head.
But one day we went out to buy a car, and we came back home with a fold up bike for the other half .

I have done that, still got the bike, well they were half price and they certainly didn't do that on any of the cars.

 

[ajlsl600]

Just wondered....Would you pay over the top for car that was in exceptional condition..i.e. usual examples were £15-£18k but was sticking to £20k as it was almost perfect with all the goodies and very low miles...plus full MB Service history...

Yes. I would and do....

 

[5w155t0ny]

Having been in the car job for pretty much my whole life, I have only paid over the odds for a car once and that was the CLK I run now. Going by book price, I should have paid a grand less than I did, but it is such an exceptional car I still think I nicked it. Not too bad for a Facebook Marketplace purchase some 150 miles away

I do believe that proper cars will fetch proper money. I bought a 1 owner 10 plate Mondeo Titanium diesel with 50k on it, changed the discs, pads, cam belt, water pump, all the fluids and put 4 quality tyres on it because I had every intention to run it for a while, but just couldn’t say no to the £1800 profit. Taxi driver bought it last year, about this time actually, and last time I checked the car has done 110k