2002 S80 2.4 170 auto project

[nick66]

I don't know,I guess I got spoilt by my current V70,also 2002 and my previous 2000 Mercedes
E240 which I got rid of only because of ULEZ,that had LPG installation,spate set of wheels,I changed shocks,water pump,harmonic balancer,serpentine belt and rollers,alternator,MAF,valve body with new contact plate and solenoids,looked and drove fantastic...for a grand.By the time I finish with this one won't be far off...I paid what I thought was very reasonable,I don't know,last big car I scrapped I only got just over hundered quid,it was 98 E320...Without MOT and with gearbox fault it was impossible to sell.I don't know , maybe my perspective is skewed...

[nick66]

To make things worse I wouldn't even get that if it was not for retrorides forum,best offer from gumtree and Autotrader was 650,and I forgot it also had original Mercedes roofbars and probably grand worth of spare prts,neither of which buyer wanted to collect..

[stuart bowes]

this is the thing I guess I dont every worry about resale value lol I tend to be the last owner, or take them to the point where they're just not financially viable any more

I look at the cost I paid plus total input for parts / maintenance etc and work out how many years I want that to last

so my V70, I paid £3,395 because it's proper low mileage and immaculate, maybe that was too much in some peoples eyes, but I get a feeling about cars when I look at them, I either walk away or pay the asking, not so much based on value more based on a kind of 6th sense of do I like it.

anyway I'm now in for £7k and I'm happy I've got it how I like it, barring any future costs that now needs to last 5 years and it'll be within my £1500 per year car budget. fine by me. If it does 4 years, that's a bit over budget but I can live with that

[stuart bowes]

I've been tempted by a couple of mercs in the past, I dont know what it is about them, when I get there and look at them I just dont feel any excitement about it

I went through a BMW phase though, had a few really tidy 3 series but just went off them in the end.. not really sure why

funny enough though the less I pay the more fun they are for some reason, the gold 360 in my signature cost me £185. a honda civic 1.3 16v I had was £400. both absolute belters

[Kev0607]

Another thing I keep in mind is that you could easily be paying £300-£400 a month for a new car on finance that you technically won't own for 4/5 years (unless you pay the settlement early). That monthly figure doesn't include any running costs, repairs etc. You lose thousands as soon as you drive off the forecourt, as the car is no longer "new" & then you have future depreciation.

You can get smaller cars much cheaper on finance, but its the same story... you don't own it for x amount of years & the monthly figure doesn't include any running costs. Once again, you have depreciation.

So having an older car & spending money on it (within reason) is still much cheaper than financing a new one where you're paying hundreds per month. Then when you go back into the garage in a few years to trade it in for a newer model, you usually get a poor trade in price that's usually a fraction of what you paid for the car.

[nick66]

I actually wanted another mercedes,but only with M112/113 engine,and with 722.6 auto,and only E class,could not find anything.My boss bought 2004 V70 2.4 auto,about 3 years ago,1 owner,and what owner,the car was literally like new,inside and out,60000 miles..I borrowed it few times and really liked it,coupled with relative ease of DIYing,longevity and no rust issues I bought 2002 V70 2.4 170 manual with about 118k,mainly because I was reading too much about Geartronics troubles.I don't regret buying V70,but manual does not gel with me.However , compared with old e-class it is noisier,narrower,rattlier and ride on 17 inch 225/45 is not for me...I took mercedes when it was 18 year old on 5000 miles tour of Europe and it was fantastic,after I converted it LPG it was costing me Micra money in petrol, or LPG rather...

[stuart bowes]

..even when the 4-5 years ends you still get lumped with like 15 grand bill to own it, so you just 'upgrade' and carry on renting

whats the annual bill on that anyway, aside from the huge downpayment worth more than my car total.. £300+ a year.. best part of 4 grand just to borrow a car

[nick66]

Although that W210 was the nicest and least rusty I have seen,still needed cutting out of wheelarch and sill,luckily I done it in Croatia for 150 quid,would probably cost me 4 to 5 times that here.My V70 in comparison only has a bit of bubbling on A pillar above side mirror...

[stuart bowes]

Originally Posted by nick66

My boss bought 2004 V70 2.4 auto .. I borrowed it few times..

thats funny that's exactly how I got into BMW lol my boss sent me down the car wash with his 320 from time to time and it grew on me

he wouldnt let me touch his M3 though lol gutted

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by stuart bowes

..even when the 4-5 years ends you still get lumped with like 15 grand bill to own it, so you just 'upgrade' and carry on renting

whats the annual bill on that anyway, aside from the huge downpayment worth more than my car total.. £300+ a year.. best part of 4 grand just to borrow a car

That would be a PCP agreement with a balloon payment at the end.

With hire purchase finance, you'd own the vehicle outright as soon as the last payment was made or if you settled the agreement early.

With finance or PCP, you don't own the vehicle until either the balloon has been paid (PCP), or the finance has been paid in full (at the last payment, or if you settle the agreement early).

Even so, PCP & finance for big cars like Merc's, Volvo's, BMW's etc isn't cheap.

Then you have leasing of course, which you pay a monthly price for & you never own the vehicle at all. That is effectively renting.