48 replies to this topic

[REDA9X]

Here we go again. This one just keeps coming up doesn't it. When you find me a bog stock L34 and I mean bog stock as it left the factory floor, that means no high output pack, I will find you a bog stock A9X in the same condition with the same rear drive and you will soon find out a few things. 1. the L34 is not much (if at all) quicker over the quarter, and 2, if we are talking ciruit racing, after a few laps the L34 will have run out of brakes or done in the diff. A bog stock L34 never had 140 more horsepower, simple as that. I'm not trying to say the A9X had wonderful performance, it didn't, but lets please stick with the facts at hand. I never said the L34 was a bad car, it's not, and I don't think the "A9X brigade" has tried to say, "Oh my car is better cause it's a mighty A9X", but I'm sorry racy, every time I see you put up a post of late, it's to try and justify the L34 is the better car and the A9X isn't and shouldn't be worth as much, if this is the case, hang onto your car, as I said to you a few times, the market may shift and L34's may pull more money than an A9X sedan, but for the moment, they are not.
Now I have had my rant, back to the subject. I bought my car over 11 years ago now, and back then, you saw A9X's for sale every day, and they were reasonably cheap, especially by todays standards. I had my SS hatch, and it was modified in the way I wanted, but I always wanted an A9X. I liked my cars basically as they came from the factory, and since I liked Toranas, this was the logical choice for me to get. For the money I paid, I could not have bought a Torana and modified it up to much better anyway. Now, the prices have skyrocketed, and as someone pointed out, people with good money are willing to pay good money for them to collect for their own reasons. I'm sure the people paying this sort of money have the money to have other toys if they want them, or they can also go out and buy a HSV, they most likely don't care about the depreciation. If someone is spending big money on one of these cars, and doesn't want to wrap it round a pole in a sprint or hill climb, fair enough, I didn't pay big money, but I have never had the interest in doing that sort of thing, even if it was still only worth what I paid. Zook is on the right track, but the wannabees is a bit harse, just because you don't have a collectable car does not make it a nothing, it's someones pride and joy. I don't drive my car as much as some people drive their replicas or whatever, but I enjoy it for what it is and if I want to go hard or be comfortable, I'll take my HSV.

[RIM-010]

I'm Stayin out of this one...

I'll stick with my "S", modify to how i want (or how mum lets me), and drive the wheels off it, then maybe later I'll upgrade to an LX and do the same, mod and drive the wheels off it. If i had a chance to buy an A9X in the 80's i wouldve, but seeing as i was born in the 90's...

I think that XU-1s will get to be worth about $100k, keeping in mind that every time that someone wrecks a car, there is one less of that type of car in existence. so if the XU-1, A9X, L34 etc etc owners all keep their cars locked in sheds, what reason have they to go up in value?

RIM

[REDA9X]

If you were alive when they were new you could have showed me then RED as i used to race them frequently , i had a new 308 in 75,76,77 did you ? TREX

I was alive, not old enough to drive them, race cars are differnt to road cars however and the fact remains, a stock L34 was actually slower over the quarter than a stock LH SLR5000, simple as that and certainly not 140hp more, even the best HDT L34 engines could only manage 350hp. As pip says, who gives a rats butt which one is better, I don't, but lets at least stick to the facts, and I don't believe I brought this up in the first place, it's not even on subject

Edited by REDA9X, 15 June 2006 - 10:54 PM.

[RIM-010]

Agree 127% with Pip. here we are arguing amongst OURSELVES! We are all Torana/Holden enthusiasts and we are arguing a point of which we now the answer! Toranas RULE! Thats all there is to it!

We are fighting with ourselves when they are greater issues that need resolving (like how to save young guys from dieing in car crashes)

RIM

[WhiteA9XS]

if the xu1 for sale is a bathurst 73 then yes it is more than likely worth 75k or more depending on condition .
there is proof of one selling for 70k on amcs , another for 90k in melb and a buyer who has offered 80k for one ... and after all the garden variety xu1,s have been fetching 55k in good nic , i hope they reach 100k , our little xu1,s are much undervalued compared to the gt falcons that are fetching close to 300k...

however the question still remains , have we missed the boat ?

racy just get that thing on the road then you can brag about it !!!!

[2600s]

See what you started Dazza

[Dangerous]

Getting slightly back on the original point, yes, I think original XU-1s with all the right bits will hit $100k. There may have been a few thousand of them made, but since they were cheap performance at the time, they were available to the masses, including the young guys for their first cars. That means most of them were either modified or written off or heavily damaged throughout their life. Finding an original XU-1 with little or no accident damage from some stage in tis life, and with all its correct bits these days is a very rare thing. I also reckon the same thing will happen/is happening to SL/R5000s and SS hatches - stock examples are now very rare, and commanding good prices.

As for whether to drive them or not, I think that part of the reason that Holden muscle cars are starting to hit the big $$ is because guys like Bullit, REDA9X and 2600s (and a host of others) are still willing to get their original cars out of the shed and get them dirty and rained on - take them for drives, cruises, show them at car shows, and let the general public see them. I know of lots of really nice muscle cars which spend their lives sitting in sheds, and it's a shame that the public doesn't get to see them. I don't blame the owners - it's their car, so they can do what they like with it, but it would be a shame if genuine examples simply disappeared from public view, and were forgotten about.

[Toranavista]

i love my toranas but there isnt a stock torana in the world worth 75k. not even close imo.

some people just have more dollars than sense i spose

Personally i think the market still undervalues the cars.
If I had bought an A9X in 1977 and had baby sit it for close to 30 years for some enthusiast to buy in 2006, I would have thought 70K was fair.
27 years X $500 per annum insurance and reg = 13.5K
12K invested in 1977 would be worth:
24K in 1987
48K in 1997
96K in 2007 based on average inflation.
Total 109K not allowing for repairs, tyres, servicing.

[REDA9X]

I just looked back through the comments and I am wondering why it would appear you were not interested? I think the fact is, the internet and forums mean when something like this comes up for sale, people will talk, there isn't anything you can do about it. Before the internet, people still talked, just on a smaller scale. thats a way of life

[HSVGTS]

It�s interesting to read all the comments however the facts remain,�.

I brought an XU-1 new in �73 and paid top money at $4,100.
Before I brought the SMP XU-1 I have now I looked at them when they were asking $10k and I wouldn�t pay the money.
I looked again when the asking price for XU-1�s was $25k, I could have brought the SMP I have at the moment but never went through with it.
I looked again at XU-1�s at $35k and said no way����

Then down the track I paid $50k for SMP XU-1 that ends up with an offer of $70k even before I pick it up.

So what I�m trying to say is it�s like the young man waiting for the real-estate prices to drop, picture him now with a walking stick still waiting.

If you really want one and can afford it, considering the asking prices of XU-1�s that are available at the moment and work out a deal. The asking price for my SMP was $55k, I never made him an offer, I just asked him what price would he sell it to me for and the rest is history.

However I convinced myself of what I believe a true value is by drawing an analogy to purchasing a new SS commodore, what�s their price and how much do they devalue when you drive them off the showroom floor. I think the XU-1 will always be ahead in that deal.

Anyway, that�s my experience with XU-1�s�������regards