I am loving how this thread is evolving into a larger yet less quantifiable meditation on "value", and what it means to each of us.

My quest began somewhat simply, as a result of a logical question that I'd not considered previously: "yeah, your warranty's great, but aren't those a lot of repairs for a car with relatively few miles?" A good question, and it got me to further thinking: the NEWEST XKR I could possibly get is a 2015, so the window for getting what would be a "newish" XKR is closing. So I started sniffing around at 2014 and 2015 models.

And, yes, there's something to be said for the "just-do-it-or-don't" mentality. Which I don't have. So I looked for a while.

But I've never actually considered purchasing a car like this brand new, and I have never ordered a car built to my specs in my life. (My father bought a grand total of 1 new car: a 1974 Dodge Dart. This after about six months of obsessive analysis of Consumer Reports, his personal bible. I suppose that's where I get it.)

I think the XKR in Wichita is as close as I'm likely to get-- ultra low miles, a black-black color combo that I like, and it truly looks and feels brand new. And if I'm not going to bite on that, I'm not going to bite on any of 'em. So it's my trusty 2010 for me. Hell, it got me around the country, and through some storms that NO car should have been in. I'm keepin' it.

 

Just looked, nothing out of the ordinary.
You have to realize we live in a world now where grocery stores sell onions that are peeled and eggs that are boiled and peeled. Because it is so difficult to do either and folks would rather pay double for stale eggs. Cars are similarly being leased to the same crowd. They have the tolerance of a fainting goat.

They even try to sell folks payment insurance. You know what I tell them, if I cant make a payment, you got a problem.

 

Dont forget they got the worst of both worlds now.
Young guns who cant turn a wrench and want the ultimate in convenience. (probably why they leased a Ftype in the first place)
And baby-boomers scared to death of computers and bugs that live inside computers.
So a simple battery is a huge problem for both of them.

 

The rot started when we got rid of full-service gas stations.

I would pull up in my mustang and ask for them to check the gas and fill the oil.

Now they go to a dealer for a battery and the priest if they see a drop of oil on the floor.

 

This is a commonly espoused view, which, to me, simply indicates lack of appreciation of either the complexity of a boat, or the costs required to run it.
If you can't afford the repairs, then you couldn't really afford to buy the boat in the first place. At best you were taking a gamble, at worst you didn't understand what you were buying. A big boat is a floating house that has the additional complexity of propulsion and navigation, whilst located in a deeply hostile environment (damp, salty and moving).
FWIW, we're on our second boat, each of which had a different purpose and expectation. We certainly learned a huge amount from the first, which we bought several years old and kept for eight.
We understand that maintenance and repair are a part of ownership of a second hand item (be it a car, a house or a boat!) and I'd be sad if these cliches put people off a boat for the wrong reasons, much a they do for potential XKR owners!
Cheers,
Rob
(from the bridge, moored by an island in a stiff breeze, eyeing the beer fridge..)

 

I wasnt going to tell him and break his heart.
In Ft Lauderdale Florida they cant build them fast enough, and these are all 50ft+
That's $50k a year+ just for the captain.
And although Ft Lauderdale has more waterways than Venice, they have run out of slip space.

 

I don't know many 'young guns' outside of silicon valley that can afford F-type. My generation is really screwed, however some of us do appreciate cars.

 

I would go to a priest if it would help with oil leaks... Wait, does it? One of my favourite cars, classic R107 SL took a lot more than one hail-marry to stop most leaks. Even now, it has slight leak from under distributor. I could only imagine what owning MG or Spider would be like.

 

I saw one pimple-faced guy make a youtube video on how to change oil using mobil 1 from Walmart. LOL
Another keeps posting his phone number looking for 'networking'
I guess its better than going to the bathroom at the gas station for networking.

On a serious note, its a changing world, starter homes in my neck of the woods, $900k. A Ftype is a rounding error on the refi.

 

Ha, those aren't boats, they're small ships. I'm talking the 20-30' cabin cruiser class that average folks end up regretting after a couple years. There's a huge difference in what a 1/2 percenter will own vs. the rest of us. A 20-30' cruiser isn't terribly expensive to get into but it's too large for most to work on themselves. $150 to pull it out and put it on stands, $1600 per year for a slip on the Chesapeake and I think mid grade is up around $4 per gallon now. I help my dad out with his 28' Chris Craft. The hull is old but it's in decent shape and he enjoys the hell out of it.

Here's a pic of mine


I stretched out a 14' alumacraft to 17'6", added a Seadoo jet drive and run the local rivers for bass and channel cats. 45 mph in 6" of water gets exciting. Kind of like my XKR, it's cool and works.

 

People in the middle lose the most, not the rich, and not the smart like you.

But not just on boats, everything in life. Think about who buys an XKR- brand new its the rich, 2nd owner middleclass probably living just above his means- 3rd owner: long on resources short on money.

There is an old saying that really says it all. The poor spend money, the rich only invest.

If you bought a Ford tempo sedan in the 80's and stayed with ford, you probably bought 6 cars by now, lost friends and customers. If you invested twice as much back then and bought a Merc 300, you would have it now and life would have been rewarding for at least 20 years of its ownership.

 

PK4144
Check this out, its investment grade. And its from a Jaguar lover, he is replacing it with an Etype
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...d/1917787.html

 

Trust me, finding a 2nd hand Aston Martin in a preferred color combo is a task. Add in a manual and it's even more difficult... I've been looking for one for months now.

 

You found a gem.
It speaks volumes about who previously owned it and the treatment it received.

I cringe when I see guys going for cars that look like they were owned by someone that wanted a track car.

 

Nice - but I'm a convertible guy, so if I was going to bite on an R-S, there's this (which I actually think is a decent deal):

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...&modelCode1=XK

Still, while gorgeous, that French Blue is not my color. It's like that specific yellow on a Ferrari: it looks great, but not a color that I could drive every day.

If I was going to go for one of these, I'd play lowball-and-wait with these guys (...and, Bellvue, WA? Nice. Some kid whose app got bought by Microsoft.)

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...&modelCode1=XK

But still, for me, three issues with these R-S's:
- I stand alone on this, but that rear spoiler always looks a little aftermarket to me. It somehow doesn't fit the car; it's like it's saying "this is a really fast car!!" I like our cars the way they are-- they say "this is a really gorgeous car," so the speed and power is a nice "holy crap!" surprise.
- the insurance. I checked. Ha! Hahahahahaha!
- Finally: I need cooled seats. (There. I said it.)

 

Although I will say I really like that grey on the XKR-S, it really makes the carbon spoiler and front splitter blend in, in that color they don't feel like add-ons at all, and I DO like the charcoal with red stitch interior, and it is a better investment, and--
Nope. Nope nope nope. Can't.

 

You nailed it when you alluded that all these cars only underscore how much better yours is.

 

Man, if I wasn't so hot for manual, I'd already own a French Blue XKRS; they are so cool looking.

 

Moses, this is the car you want and in this exact combination. Look how rich the interior space feels. You will appreciate the Lotus in the drivetrain. As a bonus, it's the first Aston that stands on its own, at least in the interior feel.

 

Sorry wrong video- too short. Here is the full.