Taking the plunge?

hst125 · 9th July 2012, 19:12

I have been trawling the web looking at the market, the availability and the support for owning a 260. I have a good shortlist, a price range/ceiling and have been in useful talks with a few sellers.
I am almost ready but there's still some nagging doubts! Do we really think the market has bottomed out? The scrap/sale values of non v8 ZTs are positively frightening!
I popped into Beech Hill Garage today and asked about any weaknesses in the breed, knowing how little it took to write off a V6 or K series - DMFs and gear cables as much as HGF, but although he said the V8 was less troublesome, he had seen more cases of broken springs and other non-V8 generic failures.
I see on the forum there is a wealth of information and support, the known easy fixes like the orange clip and silicon hoses, and having run a fair few Alfas with forum support, I feel a V8 would be accompanied by the same!
It seems £6k is the starting point for decent ones, I would think a low owner low miler would be more important than spec and facelift?
It feels like its what I want in a car, but I am selling a late model car in excellent condition with day one history, and leaving the security that comes with it.
That aside I also own an MGB...........

trebor · 9th July 2012, 19:55

I reckon most of the members in here would buy a V8 if they could afford to run one, and it is a future classic without doubt.

Prices are rock bottom imo at present but i doubt if the V8s will drop any more so go for it i say plenty of support on here and the 260s to help you with any issues.

If fuel costs are an issue then it can always be LPGd, so enjoy looking for and then owning one !

ksilver · 9th July 2012, 20:35

I think prices for the V8's have started to rise, being an owner I have watched prices closely for a number of years and they were definitely lower a couple of years ago.

Having a high miler 135,000, I don't think low mileage is hugely important, I think it took about 95,000 to run in!! These are the same engines as used in yellow cabs and US police cars which will regularly hit 3-400,000. I think overall condition is far more important.

Best place to ask questions is at www.two-sixties.com it's a good bunch over there and always happy to help someone who wants to join the sect!

MrDoodles · 9th July 2012, 20:53

I doubt that values have bottomed out on these cars yet, as the newest is just 7 years old!

A lot will also depend on what the economy does in the next few years and of course the price of oil!

At £6 a gallon as we are now, they are just an expensive weekend toy, as people with proper money will buy newer and more sophisticated cars and not worry about depreciation, as most new cars are now bought on credit anyway and wouldn't be seen dead in a 7-9 year old car.

Ask yourself how long you want to keep it and whether you could still afford to use it if petrol went up to £12 or even £18 a gallon?

At the end of the day, if you can afford one, then buy one and enjoy it, (as I would if I could afford one) however, don't expect them to go up in value, just yet!

VMax1000 · 9th July 2012, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDoodles

I doubt that values have bottomed out on these cars yet, as the newest is just 7 years old!

A lot will also depend on what the economy does in the next few years and of course the price of oil!

At £6 a gallon as we are now, they are just an expensive weekend toy, as people with proper money will buy newer and more sophisticated cars and not worry about depreciation, as most new cars are now bought on credit anyway and wouldn't be seen dead in a 7-9 year old car.

Ask yourself how long you want to keep it and whether you could still afford to use it if petrol went up to £12 or even £18 a gallon?

At the end of the day, if you can afford one, then buy one and enjoy it, (as I would if I could afford one) however, don't expect them to go up in value, just yet!

Prices seem to go up and down. You can find some cheap examples and some are more expensive. Overall prices seem to be slightly on the up though.
Could be due to more people looking and limited cars available.
It's still a buyer's market until the time the cars become more rare.

Although economics always play a part, the price of oil is less likely to be a problem for people wanting one.

If petrol goes up, people who own the car now and can just afford to run it will be in the same boat as people who own, say a Focus, and are just able to run it. Mine is a daily runner and does about 15k a year. I wouldn't have bought it if I couldn't use it and only be able to run it in the weekend.

As with any car, buying is not really the problem, it's running it.

In the end, it's just another car albeit made in limited numbers.

As you said, buy one if you can afford it and enjoy it. I don't really care what the values do as I don't intend to sell anyway

Les4048 · 9th July 2012, 21:32

I've bought one and not a regret. Go for it

woolleysox · 26th July 2012, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les4048

I've bought one and not a regret. Go for it

Me too mine is a ZTT 260 go for it enjoy

X5POWER · 27th July 2012, 06:46

I bought one too love them. I actually will be putting one up for sale very soon its a facelift with less than 40,000miles its the xpower grey one at the bottom of the page its a very well looked after sample. the wheels,exhaust,reg and back lights will be changed as i will be putting them on my supercharged one. I will be looking for £7000 for her.

EugeneM · 27th July 2012, 13:24

I bought my ZT-T at the end of last year and have enjoyed every minute of ownership.
Did the usual things advised here and on the Two-Sixties forum. As it's my second car I do only use it sparingly, but they're not for the faint-hearted when it comes to maintenance and running costs.
I've had my fair share of woes, radiator, sunroof leaks, door handles snapping, but realise that these things (apart from the rad), happen to all the breed so don't get not too concerned about them.
The help and support offered by the forums is excellent, and immensely useful when it comes to tackling the jobs that are within the realms of an enthusiastic owner.
Finally, if you choose a car with a Chromactive finish, as I did, the costs involved in any touch up/remedial body work will be eye-watering due to the cost of the paint.
Eugene.

Keith · 2nd August 2012, 16:01

I would never consider running one as day to day transport it is simply too expensive to me to justify doing so fuel wise though to be honest not hugely so compared to my 190 ZTT just too much period. So for mundane journeys I use the Scenic.

As for values who cares potential buyers want logically to talk them down, owners want to big them up you will pay what can be agreed on the day if you want one or walk away, same with any car.

I bought mine for £1500 if you work on the basis of what I could have paid on top for the Blower conversion

As for running costs not spent a penny more on mine than I would any other car over the same time period other than tyres at 10000 miles and oil changes at 5000 and thngs like I am doing now after my accident which are either repair items or because I want to.

I had a spring break on my CDT that destroyed a near new tyre so it not just a V8 thing

9th July 2012, 19:12	#1
hst125 Loves to post 2004 ZTT CDTi manual, 2017 Fiat 500L MPW, 1946 MG TC Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Reading Posts: 272 Thanks: 22 Thanked 27 Times in 23 Posts	Taking the plunge? I have been trawling the web looking at the market, the availability and the support for owning a 260. I have a good shortlist, a price range/ceiling and have been in useful talks with a few sellers. I am almost ready but there's still some nagging doubts! Do we really think the market has bottomed out? The scrap/sale values of non v8 ZTs are positively frightening! I popped into Beech Hill Garage today and asked about any weaknesses in the breed, knowing how little it took to write off a V6 or K series - DMFs and gear cables as much as HGF, but although he said the V8 was less troublesome, he had seen more cases of broken springs and other non-V8 generic failures. I see on the forum there is a wealth of information and support, the known easy fixes like the orange clip and silicon hoses, and having run a fair few Alfas with forum support, I feel a V8 would be accompanied by the same! It seems £6k is the starting point for decent ones, I would think a low owner low miler would be more important than spec and facelift? It feels like its what I want in a car, but I am selling a late model car in excellent condition with day one history, and leaving the security that comes with it. That aside I also own an MGB........... __________________ My other car's got 3 V12s under the floors.

9th July 2012, 19:55	#2
trebor This is my second home Rover 75 CDTi Connoisseur SE & MG ZT Saloon 190 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coven Posts: 12,522 Thanks: 526 Thanked 1,877 Times in 885 Posts	I reckon most of the members in here would buy a V8 if they could afford to run one, and it is a future classic without doubt. Prices are rock bottom imo at present but i doubt if the V8s will drop any more so go for it i say plenty of support on here and the 260s to help you with any issues. If fuel costs are an issue then it can always be LPGd, so enjoy looking for and then owning one ! __________________ www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk Robs Car Gallery Coven near Wolverhampton WV9 2000 Cowley Built Rover 75 2.0 V6 Club SE/ Atlantic Blue/ Sandstone/Walnut (daily driver) 2003 Land Rover Freelander 1 TD4 HSE Helsinki Blue/Black Leather (swmbo daily driver)

27th July 2012, 06:46	#8
X5POWER Loves to post MGZT260 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: HALIFAX Posts: 376 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	I bought one too love them. I actually will be putting one up for sale very soon its a facelift with less than 40,000miles its the xpower grey one at the bottom of the page its a very well looked after sample. the wheels,exhaust,reg and back lights will be changed as i will be putting them on my supercharged one. I will be looking for £7000 for her. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

9th July 2012, 20:35	#3
ksilver Loves to post ZT-T 385 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 358 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 10 Posts	I think prices for the V8's have started to rise, being an owner I have watched prices closely for a number of years and they were definitely lower a couple of years ago. Having a high miler 135,000, I don't think low mileage is hugely important, I think it took about 95,000 to run in!! These are the same engines as used in yellow cabs and US police cars which will regularly hit 3-400,000. I think overall condition is far more important. Best place to ask questions is at www.two-sixties.com it's a good bunch over there and always happy to help someone who wants to join the sect!

9th July 2012, 20:53	#4
MrDoodles Banned MG ZT+ V6 190 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Spalding Posts: 13,245 Thanks: 369 Thanked 1,196 Times in 818 Posts	I doubt that values have bottomed out on these cars yet, as the newest is just 7 years old! A lot will also depend on what the economy does in the next few years and of course the price of oil! At £6 a gallon as we are now, they are just an expensive weekend toy, as people with proper money will buy newer and more sophisticated cars and not worry about depreciation, as most new cars are now bought on credit anyway and wouldn't be seen dead in a 7-9 year old car. Ask yourself how long you want to keep it and whether you could still afford to use it if petrol went up to £12 or even £18 a gallon? At the end of the day, if you can afford one, then buy one and enjoy it, (as I would if I could afford one) however, don't expect them to go up in value, just yet!

9th July 2012, 21:32	#6
Les4048 This is my second home Rover 75 Tourer/ MG ZT-T 400 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Lhanbryde Posts: 3,277 Thanks: 2,627 Thanked 1,523 Times in 869 Posts	I've bought one and not a regret. Go for it

27th July 2012, 13:24	#9
EugeneM Newbie Rover75 CDT ConnSE, MGZT-T260SE Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Watford Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I bought my ZT-T at the end of last year and have enjoyed every minute of ownership. Did the usual things advised here and on the Two-Sixties forum. As it's my second car I do only use it sparingly, but they're not for the faint-hearted when it comes to maintenance and running costs. I've had my fair share of woes, radiator, sunroof leaks, door handles snapping, but realise that these things (apart from the rad), happen to all the breed so don't get not too concerned about them. The help and support offered by the forums is excellent, and immensely useful when it comes to tackling the jobs that are within the realms of an enthusiastic owner. Finally, if you choose a car with a Chromactive finish, as I did, the costs involved in any touch up/remedial body work will be eye-watering due to the cost of the paint. Eugene.

2nd August 2012, 16:01	#10
Keith This is my second home ZT400 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ellesmere Posts: 5,948 Thanks: 0 Thanked 43 Times in 29 Posts	I would never consider running one as day to day transport it is simply too expensive to me to justify doing so fuel wise though to be honest not hugely so compared to my 190 ZTT just too much period. So for mundane journeys I use the Scenic. As for values who cares potential buyers want logically to talk them down, owners want to big them up you will pay what can be agreed on the day if you want one or walk away, same with any car. I bought mine for £1500 if you work on the basis of what I could have paid on top for the Blower conversion As for running costs not spent a penny more on mine than I would any other car over the same time period other than tyres at 10000 miles and oil changes at 5000 and thngs like I am doing now after my accident which are either repair items or because I want to. I had a spring break on my CDT that destroyed a near new tyre so it not just a V8 thing