About To Buy A Zero

[Guest Steve M]

Hi

 

I've been looking at buying the new comprehensive zero7 kit and was just curious on the possible resale value.

 

Basically i'm looking for a car to build, play with for a couple months and then sell on, so it's mainly the building as opposed to the owning I'm looking for at the moment, and i just want to check that I won't actually lose money on the whole thing (i'm saving up for something else, so this is just a project in the meantime).

 

The engine i'm going to use is the brand new 2l zetec with throttle bodies, emerald ecu etc.

 

Bearing in mind that the total cost for the whole kit and engine will be roughly in the region of £7500, am I likely to get much more than this when I sell it on?

 

Cheers

[Guest viking13]

[where did you get your information from about the zero robin hood.

[Guest Steve M]

numerous phonecalls to GBS and a trip up to their workshop last weekend in Nottingham.

[Guest Takumi]

How did you arrive at 7500£ ? break it down for us..

[Guest timswait]

Bearing in mind that the total cost for the whole kit and engine will be roughly in the region of £7500, am I likely to get much more than this when I sell it on?

In a word no, not unless your very lucky. It's rare to see any Robin Hood being sold for much over £5000 regardless of spec. I know the 07 is a new model and very different to previous ones, but even so it's still a Robin Hood, and I really can't see anyone paying that amount for one. Also remember that RH are marketing the 07 as their budget model, I believe it's their cheapest kit, so I can't see anyone wanting to pay a premium for one.

That only applies if your planning to do it as an investment, I think a car to the spec you dscribe would be an awesome machine, if I was you I'd build it and then keep it for myself.

[Guest outtolunch]

I have to agree all cars lose a lot of their value in the first year and the Robin Hood is no different from anything else but where they score is over the long term, dont know if I'd call it an investment as cant see them rising in value but its a far better than spending £7500 on a small hatchback which even if very little used and in execelent condition you would be lucky to get a £1000 for after 10 years where as a Hood in good condition would still be selling for £4000.

 

I would have thought that the only way to not lose value is to buy a tatty or part built one which seem to go fairly cheaply and improve or finish that.

 

 

 

a depreciation index to play with link?, caterhams and westies seem to be valueless after one year according to this

Edited October 10, 2007 by outtolunch

[Guest scottie686]

I was up at GBS sat picking up my Zero 7 and was discussing their plans for the 07. The model you can buy at the moment (£1,795) is the basic kit and all your donor parts (as with previous models) and coilovers etc you source yourself. It's only cheaper as it is not as comprehensive as say the 2b. They have info sheets on the zero and the different packages they will be offering. i.e. 'the delux pack' which has a lot more components, donor parts, coilovers (which aren't included in the base pack) and are priced accordingly. I think, if memory serves, the price brackets are £1,795 for the basic, £2,500 ish for the next package up and about £3,995-£4500 for the top two packages.

 

Scott.

 

In a word no, not unless your very lucky. It's rare to see any Robin Hood being sold for much over £5000 regardless of spec. I know the 07 is a new model and very different to previous ones, but even so it's still a Robin Hood, and I really can't see anyone paying that amount for one. Also remember that RH are marketing the 07 as their budget model, I believe it's their cheapest kit, so I can't see anyone wanting to pay a premium for one.

That only applies if your planning to do it as an investment, I think a car to the spec you dscribe would be an awesome machine, if I was you I'd build it and then keep it for myself.

[Guest Steve M]

As previous post - the Kit i was loking at is the Zero 'superspec', which includes all donor parts apart from the engine, gearbox and diff, and is £4500 + vat. The 2l zetec engine with throttle bodies, emerald ecu and gearbox is £2200. Not 100% sure on the exact cost of the diff but the guy at GBS said the total would be around the £7500 region (i'm awaiting an e-mail from GBS with an exact quote for me).

 

With regards to the cost of resale, I just find it difficult to believe that I wouldn't even get my money back if I were to sell the car pretty much straight after i've built it. Surely there's people out there that want a brand new car with a brand new engine that don't want to have to build it? It's one thing asking a premium for building the car (e.g buying the kit for 7.5k and selling it built for 9k), but if I was only asking for what it actually cost me to build then surely people would buy it? Nobody in their right mind would buy the kit, build the car and then sell it straight away for a loss, so selling it at cost price (with only a few hundred test miles on the car) must be appealing to some people.

 

Interestingly GBS sell a fully built Zero (not sure on engine) for £12k + vat.

[Guest salty_monk]

Tim's right, I've bought & sold a couple of Robin Hoods. You won't get your money back on the build cost. If it's a learning process you want & you want to get your money back or even make a bit then buy a part built, rip it apart & rebuild to your spec then sell it on.

 

The fact that you are buying the "Superspec" kit & adding in parts such as a brand new Zetec, Jenvey throttle bodies etc just make it all the more likely you won't get your money back in my opinion.

 

If you got the basic kit & could build it up as a Zetec injection using good secondhand parts sourced cheaply for £5000 then you'd be somewhere close, even then it might be a struggle to sell it for what you paid out. Remember to include the cost of SVA & registration in your estimate.

 

Dan

[Grim]

the problem is that robin hood has have a history of being worth much much less than other kits. To be honest that has been fair because of the compromises that have been made in the design stages of the kit that the previous owners of robin hood have made in order to be able to sell a kit for such a low price. Alas now the new kits for sale are fantasticly better than anything that has been made before, but they still have the old RH reputation. If you were looking to make a RH for a profit, i'd make an 07 as basic as you can, pinto on a carb, with basic kit parts and sell it on, but even then you'ld only be looking at getting your money back.

 

Andy

[Bob Tucker]

I just find it difficult to believe that I wouldn't even get my money back if I were to sell the car pretty much straight after i've built it.

 

The problem is that youve built it, not Ford or Vauxhall with a proven track record, but an unknown amateur.

There are hundreds of other pre-built projects that have had to be completely stripped, corrected, & rebuilt (Eh Bill!!)

and the risk will certainly drop the price drastically.

You will never get your time paid for on any kitcar build, plus you are buying (paying for) new parts, and selling them again as second hand ones.

 

Sorry, no offence intended, just trying to stop you losing money.

Max price for almost any Hood will be about £5k, check out the for sale sections.

Bob

[Guest john]

Steve, I think all these comments are probably right going on past history of cars for sale.

The one big unknown that would settle it is that no-one, to my knowledge has done what you are planning to build, therefore you cannot say the market has been tested. Look at the returns on completed Superspecs and go from there.

[Guest outtolunch]

If I was in the market for another Lotus 7 type car with £7500 to spend I would be looking at a bottom end Caterham as their price seems to fall to about there and stick much as a Hood if keep in good condition will stick at £4000 and a Westie inbetween the two.

 

Thats the way the car market goes you dont always get a better car for more money but often just a better badge.

 

Was looking for the spoof ad of the dog turd with the BMW badge on it to illustrate my point but looks like the lawers had got at google.

[Grim]

Max price for almost any Hood will be about £5k, check out the for sale sections.

 

I agreee with your for current hoods, maybe with a little premium for 16v engined models, but for me personally i'd be prepared to pay more than 5k for a hood designed by new rich, simply because they are vastly better than anything made before. That said wether the general perceived value of hoods improves has yet to be seen, but in the long term i think it will improve.

[Guest gdc]

hi

i agree with grim

the rhsc badge has had a lot of bad press and to a certain extent this has been justified, this has depressed the retail price of a second hand car.

but the richard steward ethos got us all into sevens, buy a sierra get a kit from rhsc and in the end with a lot of work and some creativity you end up with a reasnoby well handling good looking 7 style car. at a cheap cost.

however if rs hadnt did what he did we or many of us wouldnt have the 7s that we love and chresish i for one am glad he did what he did,he was a bit bullish about using as many parts as parts as poss from the donor car but that was to save money.

i have spent loads on my lightweight , but i love the car and the concept(my choice)

the later 07 is a well designed car and a much easier build, look at scotts build its going together so quick.

but are we losing some of the rhsc thing here ?

we as hoodies like a challange ,well we dont know that till we buy the kit and try to assemble it ,but it soon becomes apparent.

my thoughts are that the o7 is a good product well priced and it appears fit for purpose.fit what you can afford to give you the best bang for your buck , and if nessarry change things after sva,perhaps to give more bangs .

any car will depreciate as soon as it is regestered, however a part built is only worth what you can get for it.

but i wouldnt expect a return on my investment

regards graham