Are there new Vehicle excise charges on the horizon?

Fuzz

Fuzz

Fuzz

Soldato
Joined
3 Aug 2003
Posts
15,921
Location
UK
As you may know I've been keeping my eye on for sale ads for the V8 M5 and noticed in the last month or so the prices for private and dealers alike are asking, has dropped considerably!.
Good news for me obviously :D
The only two things that I think that have a bearing on this sudden price drop are the costs of fuel going up and maybe vehicle excise duty going through the roof.
Obviously could simply be "they are another year older mate" but to go from looking at examples at the 10K mark that are now showing up for 6.5k :eek: has got me thinking WTF has caused that!

(less than 100k miles/ FDSH etc etc)

Is there something going on other than the "current financial climate" ?
 
I haven't heard of any new revisions coming out. It may just be the fact that there is a new M5 coming out and thus making the E39 V8 M5 3 generations old?
 
Pretty damn old car now mate, as said above it will be (i make it 2 gens old), and with a 5.0 V8 under the bonnet it is also very thirsty.

No-one wants an old extremely thirsty car. Its the same for most cars like this, look at older Merc V8s etc too, worthless.
 
In the case of the E39 M5, it isn't just thirsty, it has horrendous running costs generally.
 
You don't get a low mileage M5 for £6.5k unless its:

a) a shed

or

b) Prefacelift

I can't help but think that regardless of how heroic your spannering skills are, its still a pricey car to run unless your arsenal of skills also includes the ability to ram-raid dealers for the expensive parts (4 MAF sensors at 250 quid isnt it?)...

But this all affects the value, so if you've got a £12k budget then an £8k M5 might well be viable.
 
Last edited:
The thing is, it doesn't matter if it's a shed (mechanically) I can deal with anything and everything it could throw at me.
All I'd really be looking for is a decent body in original paint that hasn't been driven behind a gritting lorry half it's life.
If the suspension bushes were gone for example, I could refit the whole car for around £150.
GENERALLY, these sorts of cars are looked after properly, admittedly there are going to be utter sheds out there that I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.
 
£6k M5's are not looked after properly thats why they are £6k M5's :p

Labour - which I'd imagine is what you have the upper hand on - is only part of the story. Things like the 4 MAF's at £LOL each for example. Even fitted for free it's still not cheap.

Great cars but a real commitment that few can justify to make on a 10 year old car.

They will always be my favourite car ever, mind.
 
Let's be honest, the chances of all four mafs failing or having failed is slim at best.
With the technology at my disposal I'm pretty sure I can diagnose those sort of faults without buying one "on a hope" as some do.
 
Scubascorpion said:
Let's be honest, the chances of all four mafs failing or having failed is slim at best.
With the technology at my disposal I'm pretty sure I can diagnose those sort of faults without buying one "on a hope" as some do.
Click to expand...

I don't think you're quite getting it. Pretty much every part on an M5 is expensive, and unless you're going to turn the car into a ruined shed, you need to use the right parts...
 
Isn't this going to end up going the same way as your last decent car? Didnt that end in a £40,000 credit card debt and near bankruptcy? :p
 
Lesson learnt there, don't you worry. ;)


It will have the correct parts, it won't be turned into a shed, they won't be any more costly than what I'm already used to.
 
What are you already used too if you don't think parts on an M5 are any more costly? Thought you had a 106 diesel and an e36 track car?
 
What's it got to do with what I currently own (but I do own more than you mention there)

I am buying parts for broken cars day in, day out. I think I know what stuff costs.
 
Well I am used to buying parts is what I meant, I didn't mean I was bolting them to my own cars. :D
Never mind, sorry for the confusion. :p
 
Scubascorpion said:
Lesson learnt there, don't you worry. ;)


It will have the correct parts, it won't be turned into a shed, they won't be any more costly than what I'm already used to.
Click to expand...

Could you afford to buy, run and maintain a £7k Ferrari?

If the answer is no, then you can't afford a £7k M5, because that's the sort of parts costs you are looking at... Everything is horrendous, pretty much take 'normal' car parts prices and add an extra zero, and you're getting the idea.

I looked seriously at getting an E39 M5 a few years back, but the running costs were too much if anything ever went wrong on it.
 
Probably, but then I realise that ferrari sensor that's broken, that they want £200 quid for, in the bosch book (we are now Bosch Motorsport UK ;) ) it's about £10 :D :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom