Demand

Con9903

I was discussing this with my father last night. Is there a large demand for modern classics in the Irish market, particularily the MK1 golf GTI, the mk1 capri, and even the peugeot 205 gti. I have noticed that there is a well established capri club, but haven't seen any clubs for the other cars. Would they be easy cars to sell?

Silvera

Con9903 wrote:

I was discussing this with my father last night. Is there a large demand for modern classics in the Irish market, particularily the MK1 golf GTI, the mk1 capri, and even the peugeot 205 gti. I have noticed that there is a well established capri club, but haven't seen any clubs for the other cars. Would they be easy cars to sell?

There is a VW club down south for VW's/Audi's/Skoda's called VAGE (contact details in my Club thread).

Not aware of a specific Peugeot club as yet.

I would say any of the models you have listed would be relatively easy to sell if resonably priced and well-maintained.

Demand for 80's cars is growing as they become harder to obtain.

Blitzkrieger

People do like those cars but what hold them back is insurance/tax. Once they hit the magic 30 year mark you'd probably see big demand for them.

Alfasudcrazy

I am never going to buy another classic unless its over 30 years - hence no VRT and cheap tax - I still have 'operation RS2000 Mk 11' on my books but have decided to wait a few years until these cars are over 30. I of course will have to dispose of one of my current classics first though :rolleyes:

Silvera

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

I am never going to buy another classic unless its over 30 years - hence no VRT and cheap tax - I still have 'operation RS2000 Mk 11' on my books but have decided to wait a few years until these cars are over 30. I of course will have to dispose of one of my current classics first though :rolleyes:

That wouldn't work for me (at least in the short term) because most of the cars I like date from the late seventies to late eighties (i.e. period of my youth :rolleyes: )

e.g. Opel Manta GTE

ds20prefecture

Silvera wrote:

That wouldn't work for me (at least in the short term) because most of the cars I like date from the late seventies to late eighties (i.e. period of my youth :rolleyes: )

e.g. Opel Manta GTE

Hi - A friend & his wife run two of these as daily drivers, from new AFAIK. Great car - very robust. Not my personal cup of tea (they're a bit limp a the rear, looks wise).

Oh yeah - on topic (for a change). I've always fancied a 205GTI. Tax and insurance on a 1.6 or even the 1.9 can't be that bad at this stage. 1.9 was an evil little thing - i'd love to see how one stacks up against something modern on a good R road here. The 1.6 is a better balanced car, by all accounts. Good ride too, like all good frenchies.

Some more serious mile-eating frenchies of that vintage:
AX GT
Visa Diesel - CAR magazine reckoned this was one of the fastest B road cars, point to point.
205 XRAD - so light, so torquey
505 GTI
CX GTi Turbo 2 - 170bhp, 220lb/ft
R5 GT Turbo - 140bhp, 850kg.
R18 Turbo
R9 turbo
BX 1.9 Turbo Diesel - dawn of the diesel performance car?
BX GTI 16v - 160bhp plastic fantastic.
406 Mi16 - ditto, but a good bit heavier

These were probably the fastest cars on irish roads at the time - their long travel suspensions and excellent damping gave them a big advantage over stiffer Germans and Italians because of the poor surface. The problem is they weren't so much assembled as flung together from the far corners of a factory.

205 1.6 GTI is probably pick of the bunch, but i'd kill for a well loved R5 GT Turbo.

Silvera

ds20prefecture wrote:

Hi - A friend & his wife run two of these as daily drivers, from new AFAIK. Great car - very robust. Not my personal cup of tea (they're a bit limp a the rear, looks wise).

???
And a Renault 9 or Citroen Visa are not 'limp' looks wise??!

Are you friends (with the Mantas) living in Ireland or the UK ?
(It's rare to see a Manta in everday use here in Irl.)

ds20prefecture

Silvera wrote:

???
And a Renault 9 or Citroen Visa are not 'limp' looks wise??!

Oh they are, very much so. But they can also be deceptively fast cars.

Are you friends (with the Mantas) living in Ireland or the UK ?
(It's rare to see a Manta in everday use here in Irl.)

Both in or around Dalkey. One is Gold and I think the other is baby blue. I know the guy through my brother in law. I was talking to him in traffic the other day @7:30am on the Rock Rd.

What I meant about "limp" was the the front and profile of the Manta looks "dead hard" for want of a better phrase. They don't date the car at all. The rear is classic 80s ascona, and sits a little high for my taste. Both cars are the booted version, BTW - not the hatch. I don't think Opel sold the hatch, only Vauxhall?

Silvera

Interesting to hear of Mantas in everday use here in Irl ?!

Opel did do a hatch version - right up until the last Mantas in 1988 (though I prefer the Coupe/Saloon !)

Many owners lower the profile of their Mantas with new shocks/springs.

Do you know what year(s) your friends Mantas are ?

Con9903

They're nice mantas. My grandad has two old opel kadetts in his garage. They've been lying up since the seventies. theres an opel kadett B estate :eek: and an opel kadett C saloon. Think there would be an interest in them?

Alfasudcrazy

Con9903 wrote:

They're nice mantas. My grandad has two old opel kadetts in his garage. They've been lying up since the seventies. theres an opel kadett B estate :eek: and an opel kadett C saloon. Think there would be an interest in them?

Post some pics and let us see for ourselves

Con9903

no pics at the minute, haven't been in that garage for years but I could imagine they're eaten with rust, good for breaking though

Silvera

Con9903 wrote:

They're nice mantas. My grandad has two old opel kadetts in his garage. They've been lying up since the seventies. theres an opel kadett B estate :eek: and an opel kadett C saloon. Think there would be an interest in them?

In a word ..... YES !
Such Opel are rare now, and the fact that they were 'everyday' cars in the 70's/80's means that lots of folks would love to have/see a restored example at a car show !
(Just like me wanting a Corolla K30 - which used to be commonplace)