How much is a decent vario worth?

[SteveP]

I'm considering saving a Mk3 Vario with very low mileage that hasn't been on the road in a few years. Just wondered how much do you guys think one is worth in running order? It's done 20k miles, 3 door, DL. Trying to figure out if it's worthwhile, ofcourse I'd like to get the car back on the road but no idea what they're worth as they're a bit more specialist than the manuals. It seems to me that they tend to appeal to a different kind of audience. Would £700-1000 be a reasonable estimate? It sounds as if the car is in otherwise good condition.

[trabitom99]

I agree about the different kind of audience, the people (seriously) interested in my vario all had some kind of Daf history. It might be an idea asking around in the Daf forums.

Prices are definitely UK specific, getting Dutch / German answers won't help you much. In Holland a car registered up to 31.12.1987 is worth more than a car registered from 1.1.1988 because of the "older than 26 years on 1 January 2014" classic tax rule. In Germany a car nearing the (rolling) "30 year" point is worth more than later cars, because of the lower classic tax and entrance to city centres.

My vario went for 2000 Euros (about 1700 pounds), but the "H-plate", Mk1 bonus, the R-Sport front spoiler and the alloys counted for a large proportion of that.

Cheers

Tom

[SteveP]

Thanks Tom. The worrying thing is I've seen some variomatics go for less than £300 here and by the time I factor in transportation (£100), i'd be at a loss already I'm just hoping there's enough of an audience that would appreciate something like this. I did note a late 2300 mile example sold for around the £1500 mark a couple of weeks ago and that had no tax/MOT and terrible pictures to go from!

[Chris_C]

I didn't see the actual sale price of that one though Steve, as you know I was interested in it until the seller appeared to just not want to help himself.

I reckon you are never going to make the money back of doing a proper job, and by bodging it to keep it cheap you remove the appeal of people like me, who'd have preferred to have done the job properly.

To answer your question, I'd suggest it's solely worth what the shells worth. Doesn't matter what spec it is, what box it's got or what engine it's got. If the shells clean, it's worth money, if it's rotten it's worth parts.

[SteveP]

Yeah, the seller didn't help himself at all - speculative ad with no pictures? C'mon...

I dunno, if it only needs little things like brakes, possible bushes and service/MOT it's not going to cost silly money and given that it's been garaged with 20k miles I'm reckoning the shell will be very good.

[classicswede]

it does all come down to the shell. There is limited vario love and I've seen some sell for very little.

That reminds me I need to sort out collecting one

Where abouts is this vario you are looking at?

[trabitom99]

... and once you've found out the shell is OK, then there are things like tyres, exhaust, belts ... what condition are they in? Is the variomatic working correctly? If so, that's quite a bonus.

Cheers

Tom

[SteveP]

Well I don't think I can make the sums work at the moment, and it's not all that desirable to me... here's the car in question:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... 1016515006

I think if you're local to the car it's well worth a look imo. I'd be surprised if it has any significant rust and that slate blue colour does polish up nicely

[Chris_C]

£400 without tax and ticket?!? When you can get a minty fresh one for under a grand still?

I'm turning even more grumpy.

[trabitom99]

In storage for years, does not start, no tax and test ... Sounds off-putting but if the guy goes down with the price, you can get it going with a new battery and the vario works OK it could turn out to be a nice car.

Cheers

Tom

[SteveP]

Chris - you were clearly a Yorkshireman in a previous life I agree to an extent but you'd only need to get 50-100 quid off the asking price to make it palatable - which I imagine would be totally possible. The car has only been off the road 18 months.

If the shells good I figured £350 and a budget of £200-250 to get it back on the road would probably do, which IMO doesn't sound obscene. It'd even make sense if it was a manual but I fear it being a CVT limits the audience enough to make it not worthwhile.

[macplaxton]

Chris - you were clearly a Yorkshireman in a previous life

A Yorkshireman with Scottish parents!

I dropped £330 plus 40 quid transport on that white one with no ticket, and that was over three years ago.

[trabitom99]

I'm not convinced about this "less interest due to different audience" thing. I'm guessing people after a cheap car with T&T don't care whether it's manual or CVT as long as it runs. People after a cheap drift car will want manuals, but probably 1.7's anyway and won't necessarily pay higher prices for a solid shell.

I'm sure someone specifically looking for a Daf/CVT Volvo will pay more for a good car, in the same way as a redblock freak looking for a smaller alternative to V200s will also. Yes, the audience is different, but the value?

Does that make sense ?

Tom

[Hell Driver]

Oh crap, not another one within spitting distance of me...and a 3 door. Looks as though it's been stored outside just there, judging by the moss underneath. If that screen seal has been leaking and it's stood for years outside unused then watch out for a flintstone floorpan.

If anyone wants me to have a look for them I'm very close.

[SteveP]

I thought of you Andy when I first saw the ad - you're like a magnet I've had a brief email back from the seller and believe that it's been garaged for most of its life. Strange that there's so much moss underneath the car, but I doubt it's from this one sitting - it looks too shiny, that blue fades quite badly if left to the elements and the tyres whilst a little flat, don't seem that mossy/dirty