rockits
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- 9,190
I have a little quandary I have been running through my head. I have had the 4200 for just over a year and have loved the whole package of ownership. It is a wonderful example and I would describe almost as new. It has been garaged and looked after all its life and it really shows. My issue is that it doesn't get used much and although is run up to temperature often , driven often and kept well I am not seeing the benefit of driving it much.
It is kept on a trickle charger in a nice garage with a nice OEM indoor cover, is looked after and never wants for anything. I only do about 1500 miles per year and as it has only done 13k miles from new I thought I should keep that low and keep it as a semi garage queen.
However it doesn't seem to make total sense. As a late 2007 car it costs £505 to tax, a yearly service of maybe £1k per year on average. Just had new rear tyres and full Wheels in Motion geometry check/tweak at circa £500. Maybe budget on £2k per year to keep her plus fuel and insurance we are looking at about £3k per year. So for 1500 miles per year I am looking at about £2 per mile. I don't think there will be any depreciation on the car as it will always be worth what I paid in my opinion. Maybe as a rare late 4200 car as 1 previous owner with only 13k miles it is pretty unique from what I can see so I don't envisage ever having issues selling her.
My quandary is:
1) Do I keep her as is and continue with low mileage, look after and keep in tip top condition?
2) Use it more and accept it will depreciate and deteriorate a little more?
3) Sell it and replace with a QP or something I would be less precious about putting miles on and using more?
It just breaks my heart to see it tucked up in the garage much the time and not being used as much as it was intended. Seems wrong to me.
It is kept on a trickle charger in a nice garage with a nice OEM indoor cover, is looked after and never wants for anything. I only do about 1500 miles per year and as it has only done 13k miles from new I thought I should keep that low and keep it as a semi garage queen.
However it doesn't seem to make total sense. As a late 2007 car it costs £505 to tax, a yearly service of maybe £1k per year on average. Just had new rear tyres and full Wheels in Motion geometry check/tweak at circa £500. Maybe budget on £2k per year to keep her plus fuel and insurance we are looking at about £3k per year. So for 1500 miles per year I am looking at about £2 per mile. I don't think there will be any depreciation on the car as it will always be worth what I paid in my opinion. Maybe as a rare late 4200 car as 1 previous owner with only 13k miles it is pretty unique from what I can see so I don't envisage ever having issues selling her.
My quandary is:
1) Do I keep her as is and continue with low mileage, look after and keep in tip top condition?
2) Use it more and accept it will depreciate and deteriorate a little more?
3) Sell it and replace with a QP or something I would be less precious about putting miles on and using more?
It just breaks my heart to see it tucked up in the garage much the time and not being used as much as it was intended. Seems wrong to me.