# Yet ANOTHER maintenance cost thread!



## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

Evening all,

I am currently on the verge of taking the plunge and buying my first GTR!! 

So my question is:

Is the GT-R cheaper to run now than 2/3yrs ago? 

Over time I assume trye prices come down? They certainly have for mine. I still see £1200 for a set of 4 everywhere but threads are like 4 yrs old now lol

So basically what I'm getting at is I want to know the cheapest possible way to maintain the car without compromising performance.

Cheapest brakes available that provide OEM or better performance and what cost? 

Cheapest GOOD tyres? ie. MSS?? and how much? Any other viable options?? Are the Toyo T1 Sports or Eagle F1 AS2's any good for this car? 

Any other viable service consumables that are significantly cheaper?

The point here is I DON'T want to compromise the car in any way and 'just do it on the cheap'... I want to know what is the cheapest way to maintain the car properly  

Thanks. 

Dean.


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## paulmc (Oct 31, 2004)

Servicing is a joke on them. I just paid £1000 for a service. Ok it was the big one (want it right for selling) but come-on. Not having a go at the garage who did it, it's more or less the same cost where ever you go. Being a mechanic it really sticks in my throat I could do the same job (if not better as its my own car) for probably £200!!!!!!!!!!!!

Compare this to my F10 M5 when I had it. 1st service is something like £250 @ 18k miles. GTR needs serviced every 2 days lol

Anyway other than that costs seem pretty good for the monster car it is.


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## rob2005 (Apr 26, 2015)

Paul how can you compare the 60 month service which includes brake hoses, fluids, alignment, plugs, oil.... etc to the first service (oil only) on your old bmw?! 

I'm 5 months into my GTR and yes they are not the cheapest to maintain but as I've said before if you begrudge service costs to ensure the cars tip top then maybe it's not for you. 

Brakes, tyres, gearbox issues are all expensive and showing to be more common as the cars age. 

I find the car the same as my old cars to maintain as I like them to be tip top. 

My 60 month service was £1000 my next one in December is £170... All relative my friend. 

Budget £2000-£5000 a year depending on your use and wear


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## paulmc (Oct 31, 2004)

my point was more around the cost and frequency. BMW usually rip the RS out of everything as we all know but it is way cheaper to maintain than the GTR. Audi is much the same.

every 6 or 9k. If you read the service schedule on the GTR is crazy expensive.

Other main performance brands,
Service one 18k
Service two 36k
and so on. 

its not that I grudge service cost it's that I hate wasting money when there is no need.


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## SPEEDKING777 (Jul 17, 2014)

Main dealer service?


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## paulmc (Oct 31, 2004)

God no, would prob have been around £1600


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## snuffy (Mar 26, 2014)

I was quoted £1250+vat for a 4 year service from a Nissan Main dealer, which, oddly I did not find to difficult to decline. Christ knows what they'd want for a 5 year one.


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## Clogger (Sep 15, 2014)

smoggy12345 said:


> Evening all,
> 
> I am currently on the verge of taking the plunge and buying my first GTR!!
> 
> ...


Gives you an idea of servicing costs.

http://www.litchfieldimports.co.uk/Content/GTR Servicing For Workshop MY11.pdf


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## stealth46 (Jul 21, 2013)

I recently called a Nissan HPC to get my car booked in for its 5 year service. Unfortunately the guy I spoke to didn't have a clue. He first quoted £230 then said it might be £699 then finally £1600. At which point I put the phone down and got it booked in with an independant I can trust.


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## snuffy (Mar 26, 2014)

stealth46 said:


> I recently called a Nissan HPC to get my car booked in for its 5 year service. Unfortunately the guy I spoke to didn't have a clue. He first quoted £230 then said it might be £699 then finally £1600. At which point I put the phone down and got it booked in with an independant I can trust.


I had the same. I have to tell them which service it needed. They did not seem to understand that just because my car has 11 on the plate did not mean it was a MY11. And it's not as if they sold me the car.... oh hang on, they did.


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

Yeah, I'm upto date on the service costs. Just wondered if there was anyway to bring them down even more. ie. Supply certain consumables? I only do 4k miles per year with no track days so i'd be servicing once a year so service costs arent a massive cost.

I had some quotesfor tyres and seen that a pair of MPSS for the front were only £200 each? That sound about right, couldn't find any for the rear (very quick search) but saw MPS3's forabout the same for rear? Also sawsomeone the guy claim he got 4 MPSS tyresfor £760 on the '100,000 mile' thread? So is this information correct? MUCH MUCH cheaper than £1200 for 4 which is good news.

Main expense seems to be discs/pads with people claiming they only last about 15-20k miles! Cheapest I can find as well is about £2,200 for discs&pads all round (inc. fitting) which does seem high still? Surely there must be cheaper options that are on par/better then OEM still??? 

Thanks for the input guys, keep em coming!

Dean.


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## stealth46 (Jul 21, 2013)

You could always give Litchfields or JM Imports a call to discuss options with them. If your id is anything to go by and you're perhaps based around Middlesbrough (smoggy being the clue) then JM Imports are in Cramlington so would be a good bet


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## shaunyboy (Oct 22, 2014)

The whole car isnt cheap lol, cheap & GTR dont go. Brakes arent cheap, i recently had to change N/S wishbone, was £669, modifications arent cheap either if your looking to modify it, obviously gearbox maintainence/repair is a massive cost, my audio unit failed last week, rang nissan they wanted £4180! You have to bear in mind as with any high performance car nothng is cheap, you need to bear in mind servicing is just 1 thing, then you have to deal with any other part failures/breakdown etc..


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

Yep ^ agree totally, got that in check. Have an £8,000 rainy day fund (and counting)

Now you say that though another thing i'dlike to know are common failures. ie. Bell housing and the costs associated....is there anything else I should know about?

Also, Yeh, I'm from Middlesbrough and know about JM Imports....currently on nightshift offshore though so I'm not awake during work hours and not only that I wish to hear from owners from their experience!

Can someone please try and answer my question(s)? 

Facts and figures!! Thanks!


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## HUGHS1E (Jan 20, 2015)

Whats the going rate for discs and pads? 

A set of tires seems to be around £800 depending on rubber


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## Chronos (Dec 2, 2013)

shaunyboy said:


> The whole car isnt cheap lol, cheap & GTR dont go. Brakes arent cheap, i recently had to change N/S wishbone, was £669, modifications arent cheap either if your looking to modify it, obviously gearbox maintainence/repair is a massive cost, my audio unit failed last week, rang nissan they wanted £4180! You have to bear in mind as with any high performance car nothng is cheap, you need to bear in mind servicing is just 1 thing, then you have to deal with any other part failures/breakdown etc..


agreed..


smoggy12345 said:


> Yep ^ agree totally, got that in check. Have an £8,000 rainy day fund (and counting)
> Now you say that though another thing i'dlike to know are common failures. ie. Bell housing and the costs associated....is there anything else I should know about?
> 
> Facts and figures!! Thanks!


fact- I'm 10k down fixing my gearbox, twice. different issues, i have been quite unlucky on that front.
fact - bell housing cost me £750
fact - exhaust cost me 2k
fact - stage 4.25 cost a few k (not including exhaust)

rest has been consumables, clutch/brakes pads and disks , few k



HUGHS1E said:


> Whats the going rate for discs and pads?
> A set of tires seems to be around £800 depending on rubber


discs about 700-800 for fronts, same for rear.. pads £100-600 a set front or rears


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## Evo9lution (Aug 24, 2013)

I'll try to answer your questions as best that I can ...



smoggy12345 said:


> Is the GT-R cheaper to run now than 2/3yrs ago?


Possibly a little. It depends on how old your car is as if it's only recently >3 years old and are now using an Indy to service you have probably seen a significant reduction in servicing costs. Things like tyres may have come down in price a little over the last few years, especially the run flat options



smoggy12345 said:


> Over time I assume trye prices come down? They certainly have for mine. I still see £1200 for a set of 4 everywhere but threads are like 4 yrs old now lol. Cheapest GOOD tyres? ie. MSS?? and how much? Any other viable options?? Are the Toyo T1 Sports or Eagle F1 AS2's any good for this car?


Yes, as above, tyres have begun to get a little cheaper. I use MPSS 'square' set-up but this is all for each owner to decide. I can get those fitted for approximately £800-£850, however, I recently bought a nearly new set off of a register member for £500 so there are deals out there if you want them. I think that the OEM RF tyres are now about £1k (supplied) so the price difference is not as great as it used to be. So, your choice of tyres may be more to do with how you want the car to feel (in both wet & dry driving) rather than the cost.

There are a few who are using Vredestein and Pirelli tyres but I am not sure of anyone using Goodyear Eagle F1 Assy 2s or Toyo T1s. I am not sure whether these tyres have ultimately the same level of grip as the MPSSs and probably less still than the OEM RFs. Some say that they're very good though while other advise never to use them.

if you're going to drive on track, Toyo 888s seem to be the best option with MPSC2s the next best. both are road legal but, like all tyres, will have pros and cons for using them such.



smoggy12345 said:


> Cheapest brakes available that provide OEM or better performance and what cost?


OEM rotors seem to cost more than after-market ones and are prone to cracking so going after-market is probably advisable. Other than OEM, I think that there are three main options for discs: AP (two-types; j-hook & slotted), Alcons & DBA but I am sure that there are more out there. If you're going to look at decent discs (APs) and pads (Pagid RS29s) etc., you're probably looking for £2.2-£2.5k for a complete set. I think that the Alcons may be a little more expensive and the DBAs a little cheaper.

There have been a couple of threads recently about using cheaper pads (Brembo and Borg & Beck I believe), which may give OEM-like stopping quality. Ferrodo DS2500 brakes are highly rated by many and are cheaper than the Pagids. Cosworth, Endless or CarboTech pads are also used I believe and may be somewhere in the middle-ground price-wise.

Regarding other items, you can always supply your own fluids and components (replacement air filters etc.) for the service but I'd always speak to a respected tuner / Indy before you do to ensure that you're providing the quality that you need.

There is a saying, "you get what you pay for" but there is also a term used on here, "GTR-tax". It may be a fine balancing act between avoiding the latter and falling foul of the former, but I am sure that it can be done.

Personally, I stick to the tried and tested as I should know where I stand then, but trying to source this at the best possible price is only sensible :thumbsup:

If you're considering alternatives to the 'tried & tested', all I'd advise is to seek out threads on the other options and maybe PM those who have commented, with first-hand experience ... :thumbsup:


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## HUGHS1E (Jan 20, 2015)

Cheers for the clarification on brakes, jeeez I thought they were 1500 now for the lot


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

TBH, If your asking how much to run it, you really can't afford it.
It is the "Unforeseen" things that cost the most and they usually come at the worst times.


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## Simonh (May 24, 2002)

JohnE90M3 said:


> TBH, If your asking how much to run it, you really can't afford it.
> It is the "Unforeseen" things that cost the most and they usually come at the worst times.


This is such a bullshit response - having some knowledge of what those costs may be factors into the purchasing decsions.

ie if every owner is saying yeah it costs £15k a year to keep on the road or £5k a year to keep on the road the OP can make a callif the car is worth that to him.

just saying if you have to ask you cant afford it is b******s


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

Simonh said:


> This is such a bullshit response - having some knowledge of what those costs may be factors into the purchasing decsions.
> 
> ie if every owner is saying yeah it costs £15k a year to keep on the road or £5k a year to keep on the road the OP can make a callif the car is worth that to him.
> 
> just saying if you have to ask you cant afford it is b******s


We all punt around for the best prices don't we!!
As i said it's the unexpected costs that heart the most, and there will be some, who just get caught out with them stretching themselves to a car just out of reach, that's my point.


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## Simonh (May 24, 2002)

the same goes for anything though - none of us buy these cars thinking the gearbox is going to destroy itself and cost me £10k to fix (unless we buy a ropey one with little history and in that case fair enough)

When I first looked at buying most owners were saying around £10k a year to run for "average" miles barring any big issues with engine or gearbox. I've had mine over 12 months now and in terms of maintenance I have spent £950 on a set of tyres, about £600 on two services and that is it, I've done 20k miles in that time.

Okay so I have also spent about £1500 on exhaust, decat and mapping but that is non essential...

But I have done this by buying the best newest car I could afford at the time, or I could have bought an 09 and left £10k in the bank "just in case".


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

Simonh said:


> the same goes for anything though - none of us buy these cars thinking the gearbox is going to destroy itself and cost me £10k to fix (unless we buy a ropey one with little history and in that case fair enough)
> 
> When I first looked at buying most owners were saying around £10k a year to run for "average" miles barring any big issues with engine or gearbox. I've had mine over 12 months now and in terms of maintenance I have spent £950 on a set of tyres, about £600 on two services and that is it, I've done 20k miles in that time.
> 
> ...


Fare comments , can't argue with your case.
You have spent little compared to many.


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## HUGHS1E (Jan 20, 2015)

Just because people are asking the real costs it doesn't mean they can't afford it, it's important to get a good understanding of consumables because your will need them intime, yes parts add up little niggles but if you have a warranty like Litchfield then you would like to hope that youre 2 biggest potential issues, a box or engine are covered.

There is alot of information about these cars online or here but posts that are a few years old are out of date when it comes to running costs or consumables.

How much it costs alters how much I budget for one or if it's worth getting a car with higher millage and all the bits rather that a low mileage car that potential needs 2k of brakes in the first few months. 

It also gives a bench mark to compare running costs to other cars, yes it maybe expensive but if it's rivals are nearly the same then it's irrelevant


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

JohnE90M3 said:


> TBH, If your asking how much to run it, you really can't afford it.
> It is the "Unforeseen" things that cost the most and they usually come at the worst times.


LOL - I too don't like responses like this. I can Definitely afford it....the question is how much cost can you justify to own such a car? And also I like to be in the know how much a car is going to cost so there aren't any surprises.

Surely you would be foolish not to ask and expect maybe BMW M3 running costs to run only to be slammed with a £1.5k service and £2,200 bill for the brakes. Do u expect people to just buy a car going in blind? 

Like I said, I have £8k aside in case something goes wrong, Which will be increasing by £1k per month to run the car. With this fund I will Tax/Service/maintain the car... I'm pretty sure that the fund will not go on a downward trend and at the end of each year have more in than I started....UNLESS something should really go wrong,but I don't abuse cars, I don't track them....I go for spirited drives now and again but owning an R35 will be more of a bucket list/trophy car for me. 

Thanks for the replies folks.....so discs/pads are still a pretty big outlay...I was hoping for slightly less costs for brakes but n/m they're not really that far away from other cars of similar standard....and @ 4k miles and no trackdays a year SHOULD last at least 4yr for discs and 2yrs for pads surely!


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## shaunyboy (Oct 22, 2014)

smoggy12345 said:


> LOL - I too don't like responses like this. I can Definitely afford it....the question is how much cost can you justify to own such a car? And also I like to be in the know how much a car is going to cost so there aren't any surprises.
> 
> Surely you would be foolish not to ask and expect maybe BMW M3 running costs to run only to be slammed with a £1.5k service and £2,200 bill for the brakes. Do u expect people to just buy a car going in blind?
> 
> ...


Ive just ticked over 10,500 miles and the supersports on the rear have just touched 2mm that were on from when i bought it, thats amazing for a car that weigh's so much with a cobb stage 2! Disc & pad sets are available but depends what you want out of them, AP Racing J-Hook Front Brake Discs Nissan GT-R R35 Plus Ferodo DS2500 Pads 

As for my pads im 4k in and wear is good atm, arround 70% pad left on the front ds2500's with mixed driving

Its the faults you dont expect such as my wishbone etc, drop links have been known to have excess play, bell housing you mentioned is arround 7/800 mark, check litchfields website, wiperblades arent cheap, gearbox service inc dropping the oil pan and clean valve body is another cost


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

shaunyboy said:


> Ive just ticked over 10,500 miles and the supersports on the rear have just touched 2mm that were on from when i bought it, thats amazing for a car that weigh's so much with a cobb stage 2! Disc & pad sets are available but depends what you want out of them, AP Racing J-Hook Front Brake Discs Nissan GT-R R35 Plus Ferodo DS2500 Pads
> 
> As for my pads im 4k in and wear is good atm, arround 70% pad left on the front ds2500's with mixed driving
> 
> Its the faults you dont expect such as my wishbone etc, drop links have been known to have excess play, bell housing you mentioned is arround 7/800 mark, check litchfields website, wiperblades arent cheap, gearbox service inc dropping the oil pan and clean valve body is another cost


Thanks for the reply....I like the look of that brake set up you sent ....How much better is that set up over stock? 

also what are expected costs of wishbone & drop link repairs that u mentioned? 

Cars I have been looking at - the majority have had the bellhousing work done and most have the gearbox software updates etc... I'll be choosing wisely when I buy one...I'm not gonna just pick anyone of the bunch or pick the cheapest. 

My budget allows for a MY10 at the most though unfortunately  Still its a dream car for me so I feel I'm just lucky to be in this position TBH! 

Dean


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## snuffy (Mar 26, 2014)

I think it's very reasonable to ask what the likely running costs are. It's one thing to spend £50k on a car, but another to spend £10k a year running it (I'm exaggerating to make the point). Because at the end of a year, you'd still have your £50k (minus whatever) but your £10k has been has gone forever.


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## snuffy (Mar 26, 2014)

The thing with brakes is, it's now become standard practice (on all modern cars it seems) that the discs are a consumable part. A few years ago the pads were the consumables, but now it's the discs as well. 

On my previous cars it was the clutch that was the major expense (say £1000 - £1500), but that's not the case with the GT-R. It's as if Nissan has gone "The clutch should last the lifetime of the car, shit, lets get the bastards on the brakes instead".


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## Evo9lution (Aug 24, 2013)

smoggy12345 said:


> Thanks for the reply....I like the look of that brake set up you sent ....How much better is that set up over stock?


That is a good set-up and will cost a similar amount for the rear set-up as well. The AP slotted discs are slightly cheaper than the J-hooks but either will be fine (I fitted the J-hooks). The DS2500s will give you good bite on both road and track and you should get less dust and squeal than something like the Pagid RS29s or CarboTech XP10s. I fitted the Pagids as I prefer to have slightly more braking performance but I know people who track regularly with the DS2500s and they rate them highly.

I would imagine that the DS2500s may wear slightly quicker than the Pagids but the wear on the discs is likely to be slightly lower as well ...


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## Chronos (Dec 2, 2013)

Evo9lution said:


> That is a good set-up and will cost a similar amount for the rear set-up as well. The AP slotted discs are slightly cheaper than the J-hooks but either will be fine (I fitted the J-hooks). The DS2500s will give you good bite on both road and track and you should get less dust and squeal than something like the Pagid RS29s or CarboTech XP10s. I fitted the Pagids as I prefer to have slightly more braking performance but I know people who track regularly with the DS2500s and they rate them highly.
> I would imagine that the DS2500s may wear slightly quicker than the Pagids but the wear on the discs is likely to be slightly lower as well ...


how do you find the j hook over non j hook discs? don't they wear pads quicker ,but give better bite? thanks


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## terry lloyd (Feb 12, 2014)

If your fairly good with cars you can do most things yourself - brakes / servicing etc you can save yourself a fortune and to be honest its not any different than servicing any other car bar the gearbox - get yourself ecutek /cobb for the clutch learns fault codes and some extra power and gearbox software upgrades


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## Chronos (Dec 2, 2013)

terry lloyd said:


> If your fairly good with cars you can do most things yourself - brakes / servicing etc you can save yourself a fortune and to be honest its not any different than servicing any other car bar the gearbox - get yourself ecutek /cobb for the clutch learns fault codes and some extra power and gearbox software upgrades


yes you can, BUT come selling up time it will make the selling process harder.. people are paying for the tuner stamp on the maintenance book.. I remember once my brother was selling his Audi, He gets it serviced by the 'mechanic lads in work' , He told the person this, and they looked at him like he was an alien! and the car didn't sell, and He still has it.


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## Evo9lution (Aug 24, 2013)

Chronos said:


> how do you find the j hook over non j hook discs? don't they wear pads quicker ,but give better bite? thanks


I haven't used the AP slotted discs on the GTR so cannot compare I'm afraid mate. However, they have lots of bite (the RS29s will help this as well) and I'm very happy with the set-up (I have J-hooks & RS29s front & rear).


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## terry lloyd (Feb 12, 2014)

Chronos said:


> yes you can, BUT come selling up time it will make the selling process harder.. people are paying for the tuner stamp on the maintenance book.. I remember once my brother was selling his Audi, He gets it serviced by the 'mechanic lads in work' , He told the person this, and they looked at him like he was an alien! and the car didn't sell, and He still has it.


Yes i can see a lot of people looking at it like that - but i bet my car has been looked after better than taking it to a nhpc for servicing - i have a spread sheet of times and miles of oil changes (every 3k) / brakes / tyres /upgrades etc and kept all receipts - imo when you test drive a car you can tell if its been looked after oil pressures/ tyres/ brake wear etc


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## chrismgtr (Feb 26, 2014)

Avoiding main dealers and going to indi's is your best bet. It's all money well spent though


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

Thanks again for all the input guys!

Have a decent idea of running costs now.

Servicing/Consumables I RECKON shouldnt be any more than £3k/yr unless all of it comes at once! Even then max spend is £860 tyres, £2200 brakes, £1000 service so roughly £4k - £4.5k in one year which isnt the end of the world....a small price to pay for one of the fastest cars in the world!! Thats assuming nothing else goes wrong. 

So assuming other scenarios. ie. wish bone, bell housing going as well in the same year = £6k tops .... I have an £8k (and increasing) fund so I think I'm good to go!

Then WORST case scenario is catastrophic failure which would rinse me out completely but (Fingers Crossed) that shouldn't happen, feel like i've jinxed myself now lol. In that case i'd just have to admit defeat and sell the car on for someone else to repair...

Yeh, I'd be looking for MY09/10 stage 1 cars, FSH, <45k miles, preferably recent tyres and pads/discs etc... with gearbox updates + solenoids/clips work done and also one with bell housing done preferably! I'd settle for a stock if it had all the above as the stage 1 tune is only £1100 (for an extra 100bhp!!  ridiculous!) With this in mind do you think my £40k - £42k budget is reasonable? 


Thanks again folkssssssssssssss!! Getting excited now haha!


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## Simonh (May 24, 2002)

Tbh I would take your £42k budget, add your £8k and pick up an MY11 with low miles and just enjoy...


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

Simonh said:


> Tbh I would take your £42k budget, add your £8k and pick up an MY11 with low miles and just enjoy...


That would be my move also.


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

Hmmm, 

I like your optomistic thinking but that would literally rinse me out :/ 

I don't think that is wise! But then again you could argue that getting an older car isnt wise either :/ hmmmmmm!

Do u think I should maybe wait another 6 months / 1yr and build up enough to get a MY11??

Are the MY11's really so much better than MY09/10 ??

Once u get into that price bracket though I think there are other cars I'd want over a GT-R??


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

smoggy12345 said:


> Hmmm,
> 
> I like your optomistic thinking but that would literally rinse me out :/
> 
> ...


You may be "over thinking mate TBH", if you find the latest car you can afford with fullest history covering the usual failings, IMO you will be fine.
It's not all blow-ups and doom. You can easily talk yourself out of one reading the costs.


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## Simonh (May 24, 2002)

JohnE90M3 said:


> You may be "over thinking mate TBH", if you find the latest car you can afford with fullest history covering the usual failings, IMO you will be fine.
> It's not all blow-ups and doom. You can easily talk yourself out of one reading the costs.


from vehemently disagreeing to vehemently agreeing all in the same thread 

if you are really worried get a Litchfield warranty for about £1200 which will cover gearbox...


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

smoggy12345 said:


> Hmmm,
> 
> I like your optomistic thinking but that would literally rinse me out :/
> 
> ...



I think your approach is sensible if you don't have big money flushing into you each and every month (eg £2k - £4k fully disposable).

Having a reserve is sensible both because the car might brake but also becuase you might need money for something else in your life and with no reserve it means you may need to sell the car if you can't finance another way.

Don't kid yourself that in a year the MY11 cars will significantly drop. They could do if the car bubble bursts but I think one of the good things about these earlier cars, (MY11 included) is that they are holding their money well. 

It does mean if you spend the extra you will likely get it, or most of it back when you sell - but from a buyers perspective don't expect the same money to fetch the newer model in 12 months.

As for if the MY11 is better - it has bigger turbo inlets so is capable of more power. It also has a better interior and nicer suspension. I haven't driven one so don't really care (other than perhaps the larger turbo inlets). I love my CBA (2010) and don't yearn for the newer model. Perhaps if I was leant one for a week I might think differently, but as it is I don't think it matters.

I broke a clutch basket on Friday. Totally unexpected. Going to cost the best part of £2k (albeit for an uprated Dodson unit). I also have the 60 month service coming up with spark plugs. As I don't need to replace the brake lines, that will be a bargain at only £650....

Incidentally, I also broke my laptop and my almost brand new smart phone.

Shit happens dude - make sure you assess your finances and set yourself up for success - a sensible idea being to keep a slush fund.


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## Simonh (May 24, 2002)

just my 2p - I think the cba cars are going to take a bigger hit when the new model arrives. The purchase value difference between the CBA and DBA model has been discussed a few times on here, it is worth a search and a read though.

Reading those threads was enough to convince me to spend the extra getting a DBA over the CBA, at this point in time I think I could still sell mine for at least what I paid for it!

for good cars the market isn't slow so if you needed to realise the capital you wouldn't have to wait long to sell if things came to that.


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

If by the new model you mean the R36 then I disagree. I think (and hope) it will be uber expensive (£150k would be nice) meaning very few can then afford a GT-R. This means the taps turned off for the R35 so there will only ever be less available and as such prices will hold. 

For the older cars there is also a secondary protection in that as they get closer to £30k, it becomes more affordable to the masses which will drive demand. 

That said, there will then follow a number of poorly maintained cars, thrashed to an inch of their lives which will bring the bottom of the market down. I don't expect to see reasonable R35 GT-Rs trading at £25k anytime soon though


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## JohnE90M3 (May 31, 2010)

Simonh said:


> from vehemently disagreeing to vehemently agreeing all in the same thread


Amen :bowdown1:


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## smoggy12345 (Aug 4, 2013)

£2k - 4k fully disposable!? I wish lol

I earn £3750 p/m (flat month) after taxes/pension, with about £1500 being fully disposable....so expecting to save around £1k per month to run the car (+£8k in the bank) + maybe a holiday.... I have pretty much everything I want tho the house is kitted out....almost too much stuff XD so I literally have nothing else to spend the money on. The OH also has a small wage coming in. I work offshore though so My expenditure is only over 3 weeks and I only do 4k or 5k miles per year! Another thing is I expect to keep the car 2 years max.

If I can get the right car with recent pads & tyres then the only costs would be servicing for 2 years which is next to nothing! + any unfortunate 

I am thinking about setting up a small business though on the side to help keep the funds up.

Do you think i'm mad?? lol Am I over stretching? lol





gtr mart said:


> I think your approach is sensible if you don't have big money flushing into you each and every month (eg £2k - £4k fully disposable).
> 
> Having a reserve is sensible both because the car might brake but also becuase you might need money for something else in your life and with no reserve it means you may need to sell the car if you can't finance another way.
> 
> ...


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## gtr mart (Mar 29, 2004)

No, I think you are ok - but buy a stage 4 or higher car so the mods are done and don't hesitate to buy a CBA (09/10) car.


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