[V8] Depressing

Fri Sep 19 12:38:34 PDT 2014

Its not just the V8.  Most non sports spec luxury cars (M5, 500E) take a
very long time to get to classic status if ever.  Personally I don't mind
at all, it means its easier for me to buy one.  Another  issue is most of
the V8s have been driven lots of miles and haven't been maintained well as
they've aged.  Its hard selling a 200K mile car that needs lots of pricey
work.

On the other hand, I would do anything to get my hands on a 4.2 with less
than 80K miles.  Haven't found it yet but the '92 is doing a great job
filling the void until I can find that unicorn.

Ricky

On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 1:04 PM, Cary <chri0975 at umn.edu> wrote:

> Very interesting. I feel bad about it too, my factory five speed with
> upgrades is just sitting in my garage gathering dust as it too needs
> repairs I am just not all that compelled to do (no time really) nor am I
> ready to shell out what I paid for the car to get it fixed at a shop.
>
> I realize that while I thought I got a crazy deal on it a few years ago,
> it turns out in reality I got it for market price just a year early.
>
> I have been considering parting with it but I realize the market isn't all
> that great and I would have to sell for less than I would like. It is a
> fantastic winter car but driving it in the winter has resulted in some
> minor rust forming, likely further reducing its value.
>
> The core issue is that it is an expensive fussy car that makes no real
> compelling case for investment in its upkeep other than enthusiast value.
> Not particularly fast, not particularly luxurious, not light.
>
> I fear the V8q is going to fade into the annals of history. Mine might
> just eventually fade into a pile on my garage floor.
>
> On Sep 19, 2014 8:55 AM, "Roger M. Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at fairpoint.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > This morning's V8 summary was depressing.  First of all it's been quite
> > a long time sin
>
> ce one was even generated, and secondly, it mostly > discussed the passing
> on of several V8s...either to the boneyard or to > someone...almost ANYONE
> who might spend a little to get a lot.  Depressing. > > As everyone who has
> read anything from me over the past year or so > knows, I, too have been
> pondering the end of my V8.  Last summer it was > featured on
> Bring-a-trailer and I got absolutely zero response. Oh, > there were sixty
> or so comments, some supportive and some not so much as > is usual. But
> zero interest in buying the car.  That coupled with my > effort the year
> before to list the car on eBay has for me, established > the market for
> these cars at zero.  They are worth nothing in the market > place as
> automobiled and their time as collectors' cars simply has not > and might
> never arrive. > > It's too bad. The V8 is an extraordinary automobile.  It
> is in my > opinion, far and away better in most ways than any of its >
> contemporaries, if for no other reason it drives all four wheels and > back
> in the day, few did, and no highline sedans offered what this car has. > >
> Since I tried to sell my car at the beginning of the summer, I have had >
> to make some decisions about what to do with it.  It is truly an "extra" >
> car for us, as our mileage has dipped to around 7500 miles per year or >
> so, and most of the time when we go anywhere, we, my wife and I, go >
> alone.  And when we do we normally time it so that we are going to Sams >
> Club, the other grocery store or perhas Home Depot and the station wagon >
> is the vehicle that is needed.  In point of fact, the V8 is just sitting >
> in the garage, currently not even registered. > > Yesterday was an
> excellent example.  I had to go to Home Depot in the > late afternoon. The
> nearest Home Depot is twenty-five miles from here > over promarily lovely,
> rural two lane roads. I didn't need the capacity > of the wagon, but it was
> in the driveway and was perfectly usable for > the trip.  It needs little
> but will get new front struts in December > before inspection.  I was
> pondering if I would have driven the V8 on the > run had it been available,
> and came to the conclusion that I was > ambivalent about it.  Our normal
> daily use is to the grocery store and > that is just about ten miles each
> way.  A long trip is 150 miles each > way to Portland and either car does
> it, although for that trip the V8 > would be lovely.  We do that twice or
> perhaps three times per  year now, > so keeping a car for that is foolish.
> > > My V8 has a bit less than 90,000 miles from new and is nearly perfect >
> cosmetically.  Well, almost.  I have been using the garage as a > carpentry
> shop this summer and sitting outside hasn't helped the car and > I will
> need to have the headliner redone at some point. In late August > it began
> to sag a bit in the rear.  I'm going to pull the battery this > fall, I
> think and run a trickle charger on it through the winter...or I > might
> just run the trickle charger on the battery in the car and start > it
> periodically.  There is a faint possibility that I might be traveling >
> every few days alone, and I won't leave my wife here without a car if I >
> am gone more than one day a week or thereabouts.  So, the V8 might well >
> have a new mission and be put back on the road sometime between now and >
> summer.  The negotiations are still running. > > I have even thought about
> trying to alternate vehicles....the V8 one > year and the 100 Avant the
> next.  I suppose that might happen starting > next fall, but not this
> year.  Technically we could get alone without > the capacity and utility of
> the station wagon. > > I have also considered the possibility of trading
> both Audis on some one > other car.  But there is nothing I want and
> nothing I would spend enough > money to buy to make a trade other than a
> raping of the me by the > dealer.  So, I think we'll just keep the V8 and
> the station wagon and > roll on the miles.  No matter what the service and
> maintenance costs are > over time, so long as parts are available, it is
> considerably less > expensive to keep them going than to try to buy and run
> anything else. > > And nothing new, or newer does enough MORE than either
> of these cars > does to justify spending a bunch of money all at once. > >
> Just my two cents for this day. > > Roger > > --- > This email is free from
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