Seriously?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Many thanks for that Dave,
I've taken a bizarre fancy to that PV544 in the eBay link above (here it is again: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313391007...UAAOSwT9dgCvED). I have never even seen a PV544 up close... but would I be certifiably insane to pay £11,000 (or thereabouts) for a car older than I am on a whim?

I probably know the answer to that one, but I'm thinking of doing it anyway :-)

PS. Insurance would only be £60.06 PA!

I can't answer that Alan as i don't know enough about the PV544 but a couple of things do spring to mind looking at the advert.

First, it's in Portsmouth. Personal prejudice creeping in after a few bad car-related experiences with Portsmouth.

Second, the handlebars are on the wrong side. Not sure if they made RHD UK versions of the PV544 or whether that would put you off.

Third, it's the 1600 version, the B16 engine. It is the forerunner of the B18/B20 engines, i believe Volvo made several improvements to the B18 when they updated the B16 to the B18 so i would be a bit put off by this. Later versions i think came with the B18 and maybe even the B20 which IMHO would be a better bet for a car like that.

There is a PV544 section on the forum, worth having a look and asking a few questions on there about it, for example i may be unfairly dismissing the B16 although if you get some good answers about the comparison between that and the B18/20 you should be able to draw your own conclusions.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I can't answer that Alan as i don't know enough about the PV544 but a couple of things do spring to mind looking at the advert.

First, it's in Portsmouth. Personal prejudice creeping in after a few bad car-related experiences with Portsmouth.

Second, the handlebars are on the wrong side. Not sure if they made RHD UK versions of the PV544 or whether that would put you off.

Third, it's the 1600 version, the B16 engine. It is the forerunner of the B18/B20 engines, i believe Volvo made several improvements to the B18 when they updated the B16 to the B18 so i would be a bit put off by this. Later versions i think came with the B18 and maybe even the B20 which IMHO would be a better bet for a car like that.

There is a PV544 section on the forum, worth having a look and asking a few questions on there about it, for example i may be unfairly dismissing the B16 although if you get some good answers about the comparison between that and the B18/20 you should be able to draw your own conclusions.

Many thanks Dave,

I have already posted almost the same question on the PV section of the forum... we'll see what people think.
I know nothing whatsoever about these cars, and only came across that one when I was looming for a 60 year old Volvo to compare with the 262C - and what its price might be in 20 year's time.

I wouldn't be so fussed about it being LHD - I've lived all over the world and am happy to swap RHD cars in LHD places and the other way around.

I think my son (aged 16) would disown me and pretend he'd been stolen by the gypsies as a baby if I bought that car :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Many thanks Dave,

I have already posted almost the same question on the PV section of the forum... we'll see what people think.
I know nothing whatsoever about these cars, and only came across that one when I was looming for a 60 year old Volvo to compare with the 262C - and what its price might be in 20 year's time.

I wouldn't be so fussed about it being LHD - I've lived all over the world and am happy to swap RHD cars in LHD places and the other way around.

I think my son (aged 16) would disown me and pretend he'd been stolen by the gypsies as a baby if I bought that car :-)

One thing to bear in mind Alan, i don't have a PV544 or any desire to own one so i can afford to be more objective in my answers, albeit lacking in the specialist knowledge of the car.
I think whatever answers you get on the PV section, you should also take into account what's NOT been said as well as what is said. I'm sure you can work out what i'm getting at here.

Hmmmm, your son disowning you - could be a help or a hindrance, only you can decide!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

One thing to bear in mind Alan, i don't have a PV544 or any desire to own one so i can afford to be more objective in my answers, albeit lacking in the specialist knowledge of the car.
I think whatever answers you get on the PV section, you should also take into account what's NOT been said as well as what is said. I'm sure you can work out what i'm getting at here.

Hmmmm, your son disowning you - could be a help or a hindrance, only you can decide!

Thank you Dave, understood. I know very well a car like that would make no sense at all (whereas the RB makes pretty good sense).

John has replied with some sound advice already.

My son disowning me would indeed be a hindrance - we are pretty close. I don't think he will be leaving home any time soon (maybe not in the next decade), but I wouldn't want him thinking me daft for buying a ridiculous car :-)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Othen

An update: eBay tells me that this one received no bids at the £6,000 starting price - in spite of the seller claiming it was a cheap car!

Whilst ostensibly a nice car, it looks like the rather silly modifications (lowered suspension, bling wheels and lower profile tyres) have seriously detracted from this car's value. It may well also be the case that £6,000 is just too much for a middling 244, even if it is qualified as an historic car.

I think both are true: if the owner had not bothered with the modifications and kept the car as a good original car it would sell much easier; it is true also that the car isn't cheap (as the seller claims) and £4,000 to £4,500 would be a sensible price.

The best course of action for the seller would probably be to return the suspension and wheels to standard, sell those parts (I suppose they might be worth something like £600-£800) and re-advertise the car at a more sensible price in the light of this failed attempt at a sale. I rather suspect that will not happen though: we will probably see this one for some months yet.

In this thread we are always happy to celebrate cars that sell well (like the Bude car that made just over a grand), but most of the time we end up lamenting sales that don't happen because the owners think their cars are worth much more than they really are.

:-(

Much as expected, having got no bids at £6,000, the seller is trying another auction:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194076801...oAAOSwDi5gffjp

This time with an opening price of a grand (currently at £1,850) - and with a reserve. This will be much more of an acid test of what the car is really worth. So far it is attracting some good interest (15 bids from 9 different bidders, and no obvious shill bids). It will be really interesting to see whether the bidding get anywhere near £6,000 - my feeling is it will level off at around £3,500-£4,500 (but maybe someone will get auction fever).

Watch this space :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Much as expected, having got no bids at £6,000, the seller is trying another auction:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194076801...oAAOSwDi5gffjp

This time with an opening price of a grand (currently at £1,850) - and with a reserve. This will be much more of an acid test of what the car is really worth. So far it is attracting some good interest (15 bids from 9 different bidders, and no obvious shill bids). It will be really interesting to see whether the bidding get anywhere near £6,000 - my feeling is it will level off at around £3,500-£4,500 (but maybe someone will get auction fever).

Watch this space :-)

Crikey! In the first 16 hours of the auction, there have been 16 bids!

Was at £2050 when i looked just now, not so sure those are genuine bids that quickly in the first 16 hours - often it takes that long for the auction to appear in searches on ebay!

Might be wrong but time will tell.......................

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Crikey! In the first 16 hours of the auction, there have been 16 bids!

Was at £2050 when i looked just now, not so sure those are genuine bids that quickly in the first 16 hours - often it takes that long for the auction to appear in searches on ebay!

Might be wrong but time will tell.......................

I must admit I was surprised at that Dave - the auction seems to be flying along at a pace.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

I must admit I was surprised at that Dave - the auction seems to be flying along at a pace.

Every time i've listed stuff on fleabay Alan i don't usually even get any views until the auction is about 24h old, seems like a lot of people have already viewed an auction that would only be visible to those who were either watching the old listing and had a relist notification or those who were sent the link by the seller.

Not that i'm a cynical old git you understand..................

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Every time i've listed stuff on fleabay Alan i don't usually even get any views until the auction is about 24h old, seems like a lot of people have already viewed an auction that would only be visible to those who were either watching the old listing and had a relist notification or those who were sent the link by the seller.

Not that i'm a cynical old git you understand..................

I'm a bit of a cynical old git as well Dave.

I must have got a notification saying the motor car had been re-advertised because I'd followed the previous auction. I suppose it is possible the same thing happened to a number of others, but I was a bit surprised to see so many bid and so early on... I just wonder whether some of the bidders are the seller's mate, and his other mate, and his mate's mate... so much for conspiracy theories!

:-)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Crikey! In the first 16 hours of the auction, there have been 16 bids!

Was at £2050 when i looked just now, not so sure those are genuine bids that quickly in the first 16 hours - often it takes that long for the auction to appear in searches on ebay!

Might be wrong but time will tell.......................

That car suddenly disappeared from eBay Dave; I rather suspect someone came to inspect, bought a fistful of dollars with them and an price agreeable to both parties was found.

Perhaps we will see it on these pages (I rather hope so - it looked like a nice car under all that bling).