Buying my first seven

[Chris Garner]

Colin,
There is a Seven owner who occasionally posts here and who lives in Stonesfield - a stone's throw away from you ( pun intended! )

[Tony Betts]

My advice is in line with Nick.

Have a look at a number of cars, learn the parts they should have on them. Check the condition. ( not just how shinny the paint is). 

Ask all the questions, has it got a pheonix crank? When was the engine, gearbox, axles restored. Is there any proof to back it up.

An original number is nice. But many people would rather a nice car, than an original number.

The more parts that are wrong, or need work. Then the cheaper the car should be. 

FOR INSTANCE, An RP SALOON should have a riste horn. An item worth £100 to £150. if it's been replaced with a standard horn £30.00 then knock the difference of the value of the car.

I'm not sure if it's just the dealers that are over priced? I find a lot of cars being sold are just priced at the top of what most people would estimate them. Then the seller waites to see how much he has to drop to get rid.

The best condition cars tend to sell quick though, so you have to be prepared to travel at a seconds notice. Or you are only left being offered the scrap.


Tony.

[Ian Williams]

Plenty of good advice, I would add that you also need to consider what you want from a seven and how you will use it, the later the car the greater the level of sophistication. ( a relative term when it comes to our cars! ) However that comes at a price, the later cars are much heavier than the earlier models and consequently do not perform as well, they are however easier (again relative tern) to drive for someone familiar with moderns. The aesthetic of various versions appeals more to some people than others and of course all the differences in performance a marginal so may not be a consideration for you. If I could only have one seven (excluding the sports models) I would plump for a good chummy, they are lively (that relative term again) room on the back seat for luggage if required, the joy of open top motoring, but also have reasonable weather protection when you need it. They have a few quirks to keep you amused, uncoupled brakes, crash gearbox, a couple of levers to play with in the middle of the steering wheel, manual advance/retard, cruise control hehehe. Most of all don't rush in there are plenty of traps for the unwary, as Tony mentioned a shiny paint job can cover a multitude of sins, the Ruby B post thread on there being a good example.

[Colin Greenough]

Thanks for that info on a local owner. ??