Can't believe I'm even considering this, but here goes....

I'm getting the bug to buy something semi-exotic AND the pace of the Coupe worries me - I've used it for work this morning and after one quick squirt past some traffic, I found myself doing a speed that would probably have resulted in more than £60 and three points....

So - I'm looking at what my Coupe might be worth - I'm under no illusions that the strongest-priced Coupes are clean, late, standard, low-mileage examples, but I'm hoping that the level of modding on mine would create its own "micro-market" - we'll see...

For the benefit of the Mods - this is NOT a for sale thread (at least not yet) - I'm booked to go to LeMans in it later this year, so I don't anticipate selling in the short term

I'm guessing that this might make an interesting "what's a modded Coupe worth?" thread

So - it's a 1999 Plus on a 'V' plate. Moon Grey and with 76,000 miles on the clock (although the engine has done a lot more than that)

the list of mods is extensive (and expensive...)

Dyno results show 400bhp @ 1 bar, 450-ish @ 1.4 bar and 488 @ 1.6 bar

Engine
Accralite 83mm high-CR Forged pistons
Cunningham forged con rods
Columbo & Bariani High-lift cams
Ported & Polished head, 3-angle inlet valve seats.
Garrett GTX3071R (0.64AR) turbo inc billet comp wheel
3" stainless downpipe
Longlife 3" stainless exhaust
Live mapped by FC Performance (many times... )
Siemens 630cc injectors
3.8 bar Fuel Pressure regulator
Walbro 255 fuel pump
ProAlloy induction pipe
Ramair air filter
ProAlloy front mount Intercooler
Helix organic clutch & coverplate
Short-shift
Forge DV006 dump valve
Custom MAF sensor housing
Quaife ATB differential
Blitz SBC-IDIII Boost controller
Vibra Techics 'fast-road' engine mounts
PowerFlex steady-bar bush

Chassis
Team Dynamics ProRace 1.2 17" alloys
Brembo floating discs
Ferodo DS2500 pads
HEL braided brake hoses
Osrav KGA shock absorbers
Eibach uprated springs (30mm drop)
Novitec 23mm rear anti-roll bar
Custom lower subframe brace
Welded front subframe
Uprated wishbone bushes

Cosmetics / body
Aluminium rear light rings

Interior

Aluminium dial rings
Aluminium speaker rings
Aluminium centre console rings

ICE
Clarion FB288RBT head unit
Infiniti Kappa front component speakers
Infiniti Reference rear speakers
PioneerTS-WX11A slimline 200W subwoofer

other
35w HID headlamps

FWIW, all of the above comes to around £11k, and that's just the cost of parts - I may have spent a few quid on labour at Motormech over the years... I reckon that if someone without my access to a specialist wanted to build a car to the same spec, we'd be looking at £15k+ on top of the cost of the car.

General summary - the car is regarded as one of the more resolved modified cars on FCCUK. The handling, brakes, ride quality etc have all had just as much attention as the drivetrain. The handling is just sublime - easily capable of the planned trip to LeMans in comfort, but also easily capable of out-dragging an RS6, 911 GT3 and Nissan GTR at Bruntingthorpe. At Ten of the Best, it would have come in the top ten of the RWD class on the handling circuit

Bad points

Clutch judders a bit - typical Helix Organic
Front bumper is pretty badly stone-chipped (Bruntingthorpe is very gravelly, and GTR tyres are very wide and sticky )
Small rust bubble on bonnet leading edge
A few small parking dings


So - can a Coupe that's been extensively (and very publicly) modded over a long period of time, by a respected specialist be worth the kind of money that might make me want to part with it?

Also for the Mods - I'm happy for this thread to morph into a modded - v - standard discussion, as long as its around the values, rather than the physical benefits, which are already well understood

Discuss.....

My Honest answer is No. Ive been in similar situations and if your purely on about maximising your revenue you'll have to return the car close to standard and sell the juicy bits on.


My honest estimate is 3.5-4k and you wont pick anything up remotely as quick unless you add another 5k-7k and get in modified supra bracket.

any pics nigel? im in stafford at the moment. realise it is not for sale but wouldnt mind a quick look

I don't think DLT has sold his yet!

I think this is the sad part about these cars!

When somebody asks what its worth its a very varied answer, if somebody knows what they are! and wants to keep one long term, they are worth a fair bit of money because they would also be aware of all the things that need doing and value of a good car, especially if the modding route is where they want to end up!

If its somebody that hasn't got a clue but sees that they are fast and cheap, they will only be interested in a cheap one with no interest in a car like yours!
Im sure you know that anyway Nigel

I see mine as a hobby as i know its never going to be worth what i have spent and thats the only way i can deal with spending money on it!

I think you are correct with your original comment, that these cars really need to be mint and original to be worth anything now as the blue plus Motor mech sold demonstrates this against DLT's car!

This place would not be the same without you Nigel! dont do it!

FWIW Nigel's Coupé (well, the original Broomie) was the car that inspired me to modify mine and to take it on track - 2 things i'd never done before. The sound and performance are sublime and if there was a car to drag me back to Coupédom it would be this one, although this year is a no-no due to moving house.

In terms of value it's a difficult one for me, having sold my modified, undersealed, finally reliable Coupé for £3k when i hoped it was worth nearer £5k. So, complete guesstimate but based on knowledge that Nigel spares no expense or effort in maintaining this, i'd say £5k - £6k.

Just a couple I can lay my hands on quickly

my eldest son's wedding day

out for a gentle trundle round Curborough...

I don't think you'll ever get a figure to make you part with it. And I think the problem is that as well as needing pockets deep enough to buy it, you then need pockets deep enough to maintain and repair.

What time of year you thinking of selling? I'm moving in June so late summer this could make an interesting alternative to the jags I've been converting!

i dont think the coupe has reached that high value stage yet, i mean 400+bhp with a lot of suspension mods which clearly makes this a very capable car and easily use able every day(pending fuel bills), its also hard to sell on the forum when atleast 80% of forum users have coupes already, i remember seeing your car when you came down to detail my brothers Sprinty and it looked mint.
i think realistically your coupe is worth 5-6k all day, but deep down with these mods and being a 'plus' its got to be 7.5k-8.5k for the performance and labour included.

you may decide to keep it for even longer(hopefully), i always ask myself what could i get thats any better than a coupe for the money without blending in with all the other bland cars and i cant answer it, so im keeping it till coupes get a firm value.

Nigel, I can't see the point of spending time and effort returning the car to a std trim unless you can recoup the cost of the parts and then some. It is a one off and I am sure worth every penny you have invested in it.
If you really want to part with it then ok but am glad you are in no rush and can consider your options.

The idea is now planted in your head. You will now get drawn to Pistonheads and Auto trader. You'll start by looking at cars in a price range dictated by what you think you can raise from the coupe and eventually you'll let it go for any price you can get that enables you to buy the new shiney thing. I wish you the very best of luck.

I'll do a straight swap with my one it's bog standard lol

But here's the thing, put Nigel's and Moonie's car for sale at the same time, they will both sell for a very similar price and Moonie's car would sell quicker.
Modding is a great hobby but financially, you won't recover 20% of the money you've invested in those mods.
How many times have we seen modified car come on the market at a price which reflects the car and the mods installed, over the next 6 months you see the price slowly coming down until the owner either a) strips the parts for sale separately or b) sells the car for much less than the initial asking price.

Yours is one of nicer examples of a modified coupe Nigel but I just don't see the coupe in a classic car status yet so would someone be willing to pay £7-8K for a 16 year old modified car?

In your position you have access to a workshop full of standard parts, you could assemble a lovely standard coupe plus which would sell straight away, the modified parts will be easier to sell individually on here and I'm pretty sure they would sell quickly too. You may get nearer to the £igure you would like doing it that way?

Have to agree with this. What its worth and what someone is willing to pay are totally different (although this very occasionally can work to your advantage). Hope to see it in the flesh soon anyway nigel

Indeed - Nigel has often pointed out that it's the unmodified cars which are likely to have the highest value.

Though that said, mine would never sell for anything like it's insured value, unmolested and original as it is - what it cost to *get* to its current condition is not what anyone other than a very enthusiastic owner would pay. Because, to be honest, unless you're very very lucky you buy a twenty year old car assuming you're going to have to do *everything*.

I think you know the answer Nigel.

Yup - keep it and mod it even more.....

Wry smile.
Just off to pick mine up with new wishbones, underseal, and the front of the sills stripped and repainted.

Just let me catch up for now

And here's me thinking it came with a chauffeur

Back on topic I think there's a huge gulf between what it's worth to you, and what it's worth to the market. The reality is that it wouldn't sell for anything like the money you've invested in it, which is a real shame.

I can't imagine there's a more 'sorted' highly modified Coupe anywhere, and with access to your intimate knowledge of the car every time a prospective new owner returned it to Motormech for work (assuming they would use MM!) it's got as good a chance as most other 400bhp cars of remaining relatively free of hugely expensive problems.

I think it would seriously hurt to let this car go for the kind of money the market would be willing to pay, so on that basis it might be better to keep it, further mod it, AND buy that shiny exotica, once/if the budget allows