Starting to think about changing..

[Mr Cube]

Prolly not going to happen in the near futrue but an interesting topic regardless..

Keep the AU or Trade to BA MarkII

To me and yes Im biased but I much prefer the AU XR6 then the BA XR6.. Just looks wise I think it is far more agressive, the BA is a little conservative in the front end for me (excluding the XR8 and FPV range)

Just probing around I have found that the change over figure on the upgrade would be around $11,000 (give or take some depending on what mark I get)

Now to the question...

Do the change to the BA or pump that $11 into a engine re-build for one and then some other tasty mods performance mods..

[Hoops]

Originally Posted by Mr Cube

Do the change to the BA or pump that $11 into a engine re-build for one and then some other tasty mods performance mods..

Keep the AU and put the 11 grand into it

[lukey]

Go the BA, its a newer car with a newer look, theres a lot more out on the market for it (tuner kits and such), you can get a new warranty on it, and if you like the XR8/GT front end just chuck the buldge on it!

[jonbays]

You are talking about a changeover price to go from your AUI XR6 to a NEW BA XT MKII?

You want to check the prices first. This isn't going to happen.

It will cost a bit more than that.

A NEW MKII BA XR6 or even the BA XT manual with body kit and decent wheels will be double that in changeover sorry.

You could pick up a S/H BA XR6T for around $28k and sell yours privately and you might just squeak in at the changeover price you are thinking about.

Still for $11k you could do a nice turbo engine build up in the AU and have a much faster, better looking older car that owes you twice what its worth. there the rub. $11k into a car now worth only $15k is a big spend. you would have to want to keep it for another 5 years at least.

[dansedgli]

What is your car like now?

[Mr Cube]

JonBays - Yeah I think I was getting a bit ambitous, then if its more that adds more $$ to the mods equation. If I did this I would have the car for a long time.

Car is not bad now... Im happy with the look, performance though I would like a bit more..

Got the new brakes (rotors and calipers) to put in, just got to save for the labour and rest of the kit...

The biggy is the engine has 130K on it,, so is getting a bit long.. Only money I have had to spend on it is $70 to fix a noise in the Diff, rest has been normal maintainence costs.. So she is a good car..

[FTE217]

Cubey like you I would love more power but the current horse we ride is reliable and behaving well. Heck your worried at 130k ? come on thats nothing still for the 8.
My opinion don't spend the $11 on it, yes I agree the AUXR looks heaps better than the current conservative BA. Keep the $$ for the day comes you can buy a AUTSeries or a BA6T and mod that to kick butt.
I consider anymore $$ spent on my car now is an absolute waste unless ofcourse I kept it for many more years.

[jonbays]

I have had the same sort of BA thoughts too. Been down to the dealer and asked the dumb questions and just smiled a lot. Had a test drive and all that.

Untill my kids leave home (heres hoping) I am pretty much stuck with a wagon so the new BA wagon is a step backwards for me. You can get a Futura wagon or you buy a Territory Ghia. I hate 4wd's for the city so i tried the Futura and well my AUII fairmonts better looking, better equipped and faster. yes I know the BA DOHC is supposed to have 182kw but I tell you my wagon definteley feels faster. Even the salesman who offered me $12k on it (Thanks mate I bought it for $40k new!) reckoned it was better than the new BA Futura.

I walked away knowing that in a few more years I when the kids get their own cars (not borrowing mine!) I would get a S/H BA XR8 or a GT. By then the wagons probably worth $6k and the S/H XR8 about $30k maybe $45k for a GT with any luck.

The standard BA Futura left me a bit cold and the XR6 interior put me off big time.

[Uncle_Ken]

: Keep your AU and give the $11 grand to me : Uncle_Ken

[loxxr6]

Still for $11k you could do a nice turbo engine build up in the AU and have a much faster, better looking older car that owes you twice what its worth.

Sounds like a plan to me.

[Mr Cube]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Ken

: Keep your AU and give the $11 grand to me : Uncle_Ken

Unfortunatly Ken I can't do both.. So Ill have to keep the AU ;)

its just something Im toying with at the moment prolly isn't the most cost/tax effective option..

[TURBOTAXI]

Mmmm. Depreciation sux.
130ks is nothing. start worrying when you have 300,000.
NRMA conducted a study where they compared the cost of upgrading every two years or driving a car into the ground. Driving a car into the ground is by far the most cost effective option.
If you upgrade just remember you are doing it for emotional rather than financial reasons, any of the justifications you come up with are just you convincing yoursef to buy the new car.
I drive the car I drive because I want to retire young and own cool cars later on.

That said the turbo was a purely emotional decision!

[Uncle_Ken]

Yeah it is a hard call. I drive BA's a work. I like the front end, don't much like the boot, love the exhust tip. I prefer the AU interior to the BA.
Uncle_Ken.

I would assume that money spent on the AU would not generate a better cash assest than a new BA.
Uncle_Ken

[FalKeen]

hmmm do you need ME to answer this? lol

think you know which way i went...

[Stav]

I look at the BA wagon,then look at my au wagon.From the outside they look exactly the same except for the front end.
Engine wise...the ba from the factory puts out 135 rwkws ..the au puts out 100.

The Ba stereo is not removable and I simply think I should have the option to get rid of any ford second rate radios and install my dvd,mp3 ,cd player straight in.

The Ba engine looks like a nightmare for the diy mechanic with its dual vct.The Au ford is a piece of cake to work on and a cam swap is not a long process.

[buickman]

I think most of us have had a look at trading up to a BA. I purchased my AU Ghia as a demo with just over 3,000kms in 2000 for $32 ,000. They were $47,000 new. In 6 months the car had deprciated that much from new.When the BA first arrived in 2002 I took a XR8 manual for a test run nice drive but I thought it felt less room in the front seating area than the AU's.

But the biggest insult came when the change over offer was over $30,000 with my car only 3 years old & 30 odd thousand on the clock. I will stick with the AU until it starts having to many issues to warrant keeping it.
I ended up buying my wife a new Mazda SP20 and kept my car and still had change.

One thing I learnt is you never by a premium large aussie model new they loose their value to fast.

buickman

An AU is a lot lighter than a BA. It depends what figures you listen to but most seem to say the BA 6 sedan is around 1800 kg the AU sedan just under 1500kg (Ive heard one say 1700 kg for BA but not sure if this is accurate). add about 90 kg extra for a wagon on both.

The result is the performance gain for BA is almost zip, none. Yes maybe there is a slight gain as the BA charges hard from 4000rpm to 5500 rpm due to its multi valve head that the AU lacks.

Having said that I would be very surprised if the AU was not quicker to 4000 rpm as a two valve per cylinder would head normally make more low rpm power and it does not have the equivalent of a full car load penalty of extra weight to get moving from a standstill.

As Jonbays said his felt more powerful. With a bit of work like his has had I have no doupt it would be.

Ive driven a BA and it is a very nice package but I still prefer the AU because of this.

"Jonbays," with your 144 rwkws you could put a note on your AU saying "Munch Munch I eat BAs for lunch" or better still Holdens.
Cheers Tim

[loxxr6]

An AU is a lot lighter than a BA. It depends what figures you listen to but most seem to say the BA 6 sedan is around 1800 kg the AU sedan just under 1500kg (Ive heard one say 1700 kg for BA but not sure if this is accurate). add about 90 kg extra for a wagon on both.

Yep. The BA being a chunker detracts from its performance. My AU XR6 HP clocked in at 1540kg so a base AU sedan would have to be less than that. Like you said, compare that to a 1700kg+ BA and thats a big difference.

[Dark Horse]

Yeah I think the ballpark difference in weight is around the 200 kg mark.

I've thought about this myself, despite promising myself to never get another new car for a loooong time. I've had the AU since new and now plan to keep it until it's run into the ground.

Playing devil's advocate:
I'll get ripped on resale;
It's a punt if the next car will be as reliable as my current one;
Face inherently higher operating costs.

Guaranteed it will be quicker and newer, but as time goes on, they will get old and outdated anyhow.

It is tempting in my scenario in that yes a novated leasing scheme is possible especially when it comes to tax, but again resale on the current car and the increased operating costs of the BA could quite possibly negate that to a large extent.

Cubie, if I were you I'd throw that $11,000 into a managed fund or a long term deposit.
Be nice to see that little number grow into something more substantial later on in life.

[FalKeen]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Cubie, if I were you I'd throw that $11,000 into a managed fund or a long term deposit.
Be nice to see that little number grow into something more substantial later on in life.

FalKeen searches for the yawn smilie :hihi:

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Cubie, if I were you I'd throw that $11,000 into a managed fund or a long term deposit.
Be nice to see that little number grow into something more substantial later on in life.

Almost as nice as the sound of a blow off valve or a SC's straight cut gears..


Live a little..cant take it with you.

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Casper

Almost as nice as the sound of a blow off valve or a SC's straight cut gears..


Live a little..cant take it with you.

Good advice. You can get a lot of bling bling for $11,000. Bling Bling is cool :sm_headba

[Dark Horse]

Another piece of advice = never listen to owners of Black AU XR's....

something more substantial later on in life could = major major major amount of mods money....

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

something more substantial later on in life could = major major major amount of mods money....

Unless your dead..then its just gives you a fancy coffin! :

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Another piece of advice = never listen to owners of Black AU XR's....

Its just that you don't understand us. :

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Casper

Unless your dead..then its just gives you a fancy coffin! :

Yeah, but Cubie still has a pulse apparently....

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Its just that you don't understand us. :

:lookedat:

[Casper]

But for how long?
I have seen a few people drop dead this year already who are WAY to young. I am now living life like I have no tomorrow. If I get to 70...great, I'll be ok when I get there. If I die in 1 year I dont want any regrets.

Been an interesting year for me, enough to realise how much I have and how much I have put things off...no more I say.

Cubey.. live life like you have 1 year left on this earth.. that is the best advice I can give.

[Mark351]

I was offered chump change as a trade-in today (fishing for a quote on a Terri...) and my car only has 74K on it.

Your changeover will be so brutal, the cost of it would be more than $11K on AU mods PLUS $11k in the bank. Best of both worlds.

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Casper

But for how long?
I have seen a few people drop dead this year already who are WAY to young. I am now living life like I have no tomorrow. If I get to 70...great, I'll be ok when I get there. If I die in 1 year I dont want any regrets.

My supervisors wife passed away 2 weeks ago. Just 48. Died from an annurism (excuse the spelling). Terrible thing to happen. No sign of illness, complained of a headache, and 2 days later, she died.

Live life to the full.

[jonbays]

[QUOTE=DeathXR]I was offered chump change as a trade-in today (fishing for a quote on a Terri...) and my car only has 74K on it.

Yes note to self never buy another new Falcon. Resale is so Bad.

Still a hard bargain on a S/H one is always attractive.