What cars to bring back from France to make cash monies ?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

FathaNorfolk has had a brainwave. He lives part of the time in Brittany and often comes back with an empty 20 foot farm trailer. He's also just sold a property in the UK so has a bit of disposable cash, his plan is to find a TR4 or possibly a Daimler V8 250 to inflict giffer repairs on and generally get in people's way in the summer, thank god hell mostly be annoying the French.

Anyway he's now thinking ,what with the Euro being low at the moment , of getting something out there for up to about £5k with a view to bringing here,maybe go to a couple of shows then flog on for mega profit.

 

So far he's thinking R16 TX or Panhard , he doesn't acknowledge the existence of the Internet so when I show him Leboncoin, that will probably blow his mind.

Suggestions please, preferably stuff that just needs a polish and a UK logbook, that will be easy to sell ( or that I'll enjoy whilst trying * to sell it for him).

[dollywobbler]

H van. If there are any left.

[panhard65]

I wouldn't bother with Renaults or Panhards. They are nice enough cars but the market is very limited. To make cash look at citroen DS or better still 2CV. Otherwise the old favourite 2 door Escorts. Just make sure it has a carte gris and very rarely believe the sellers description. Van suitable for catering still make decent money over here but beware the Estafette there is a one man army trying to talk them up into the next big thing but they are really a crap van. Obviously this is not what I would do but I never make any money.

[dollywobbler]

If you can find me an Ami 6 in good nick, and don't want vast profits, do get in touch. Well, later in the year when I've hopefully got some cash anyway.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

DW. That would suit me down to the ground, he pays for it , I drive it for the summer, you buy it in the Autumn- everyone's a winner.

 

P65. Yes I've seen those Estafette ads! There's a Hotchkiss like yours but still a saloon in a Froggy CCW type mag he's brought back , for about 6k Euros that he likes the look of. I can't bring myself to encourage the nasty Mk2 Escort route however much profit it might add to my inheritance!

[skattrd]

2 door Range Rovers were sold much later on the continent than here, so are cheaper but I doubt there's much profit in LHD RRs. It's probably just me that what's to bring them back here.

[scruff]

^^You ain't alone skattrd!! My winning* retirement* plan is to bring back LHD two doors from Portugal et all. A friend in France has a couple of '90s two doors both V8 manuals and they are properly nice. They do hold their money well though. 

[dave21478]

The problem is that average-ish cars are expensive here - even old stuff, so you will have to research carefully to find something that is more collectable, sought after and therefor more valuable in UK than it is in France, and off the top of my head I cant think of many examples.

 

I  thought about classic Range Rovers myself - plus there are enough kippered "offroad project" examples for sale in UK to provide the necessary parts to convert to RHD, which would make it more desireable but involve more work obviously.

[Bren]

Chrysler 180.

 

Not much money in it but you will be the Ron Jeremy of autoshite.

[DVee8]

I can do FathaNorfolk a Daimler 250V8 if he wants one

[sierraman]

A DS could be trouble, if one car can hide a multitude of sins that's it. I'd have thought something like a peugeot 205 rallye if you could find one, something that's nigh on impossible to find in this country. Either that or a 2 door cortina or granada. In other words a odd derivative of a popular car in UK.

[MarvinsMom]

talbot talgora?

[Timewaster]

Are air cooled VWs sensible money on the continent? doubtful.

 

I agree with 2 door Escorts. Maybe mk1 Fiestas?

Anything with a cult following here and ignored over there.

 

And yes I spelled "cult" correctly.

[dieselnutjob]

something that can then be onward exported to the middle east maybe, or elsewhere.

 

For example I have a Lebanese friend who like to buy cars here but you aren't allowed to drive RHD in Lebanon.

I have a neighbour who bought a Freelander and paid to have it converted to LHD and took it to Romania.  I don't fully understand that one.

[MarvinsMom]

if its froggie cars that are popular abroad, then that means pug 505 and 305 diesels?

 

has anyone mentioned the talbot talgora?

[dave21478]

....

I have a neighbour who bought a Freelander and paid to have it converted to LHD and took it to Romania.  I don't fully understand that one.

 

 

I converted my own Freelander to LHD. Bought in UK for £900 or so from auction, spent maybe €300 on scrapyard LHD parts.....value here is probably €3k+

 

Plenty of stuff is easy enough to convert from one drive side to the other and there is a big market for UK stuff in Europe, especially the Eastern states for conversion to LHD....NorfolkNWeigh just needs to find something suitable that goes the other way to normal, or something that is desireable enough as LHD to not need converted.

[garbaldy]

This one was on sale in the Netherlands last week at 2000 euros which is £1470 and now on the bay of e at £2500 in folkstone.

 

[AnthonyG]

A nice Renault Caravelle perhaps, or Dauphine Gordini. One of those early 4s with the wicker effect body panels would be fun. Are classic Alfas (Spider, Giulia, GTV) good value in France compared to here?

 

Peugeot 504 coupe/convertible is another thought. I'm not sure how many people lust after Renault 16s, Skizzer already has his and the average classic-botherer probably doesn't think they are worth any more than Maxis.

 

For British stuff, a nice Series XJ6 could be the way to go as good ones are going up and up. Best to be a 4.2 and leather, but most importantly rust free with good paint.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

3-dr Rangey, defo.

[forddeliveryboy]

Original shape Range Rover has to be the best bet financially, surely? I've posted a few on ebay tat thread for £1500-2000 which are offered for £3500-4000 upwards here. Buy something from the South where threre's some money. I don't think LHD matters - in fact I'd love a lhd 2 door. Even the simple 2cv needs a knowledgeable eye to avoid buying something smart which is fubar - let alone a DS. Old Cits can hide appalling mechanical wear and general neglect very well.

 

I'd avoid an H-van, the French are aware of what some Brits are paying for them and have rounded up all the ones they want rid of - besides, given their value and massive presence as fast-food vans at shows and festivals here, they've lost a bit of coolness, for me.

 

Renner 4s are much easier to judge and haven't the same amount of scene tax in France as the little Cit - there are plenty of original ones still about, in great condition and are starting to be valued here. Same for the original 5.

[Junkman]

The Renault 4 is the most overlooked Blue Chip Investment in the British classic car scene. Ten years ago, you could get one on the road for 200 quid, now you have to invest about ten times as much.

No other foreign car has seen such a value increase here over the past decade. Add to this, that 'trelle owners don't seem to mind on which side the steering wheel is.

[motormatt]

R21 turbo quadra. The Gallic Sierra Sapphire Cosworth. Possibly not the best investment but I absolutley bloody adore those.

[Formula Autos]

Lancias?

 

Integrale or Thema 8.32, I was thinking of really. More likely to be rust free than UK cars, you would have thought, and LHD anyhow on the British market.

 

Also, using that logic, Fiat Barchetta? Older obscure Fiats, such as 850 Spiders?

[Jerzy Woking]

OK, not a car, but a few old mopeds (Mobecane, Mobylette, Puegeot, Velosolex) would do for me.

[Mr Lobster]

I wouldn't bother bringing R4s in tbh. Yes the value has gone up considerably but the same applies in France too and even then finding and buying a decent one plus the cost of importing and registering it here won't make you rich.

 

Personally I'd look at early Mk1 R5s. Its possible (but not that easy) to find good ones over there for not that much and they are rare here and seem to sell for good money. 

 

Otherwise just find all the Mk1 / Mk2 Escorts you can. Or any decent RS / XR Fords shouldn't see you out of pocket.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Mk1 capris & granadas still exist in France for semi-reasonable prices

[Cavcraft]

Old school Fords are surely the best way forward, though a couple of years ago I saw pictures (can't remember where, sorry) of some really tidy early Novas here and there in France. get a low mileage, tidy one (3 door, non-sunroof probably a good bet) or an SR or GTE (GSi) and I bet you won't go far wrong if it's cheap enough. 

 

If he's doing regular runs, then why not advertise a car collection service? You'd possibly find some people on here who'd pay to have a motor collected.

[Bear]

Good, low-mileage Mk 1 Twingo

Talbot Samba Convertible - again, not projects

Matra 3-seaters - but by fuck, can they hide rust

Clean, straight high-spec CXs from rural France - city values are too high

Chance it on high-spec V6 XMs with DIRAVI - you will find them, €1500 not uncommon, but you need spheres of steel to hold out for the £4K to make it worth the hassle

Fuego, 14, 15, 17

Citroën Belphegor trucks - either show quality or with the makings of show quality. Flatbed or ambulance type bodies

Wine and cheese, like every other bugger crossing the channel

 

Cars hold their value better. Like the Delta thing - Integrales are LHD. There are more affordable, usable Integrales (i.e. not Evo, 16v, stored in a carcoon and not breathed on for 20 years) in the UK than in Europe, where the prices seem to be a £6K 8V will sell for €10K+.

A local trader had a ragtop (IIRC) Twingo on an R, so later interior. £400 or somesuch. It isn't worth the hassle. Now everyone has a computer and there are no restrictions on movement of cars, the market has pretty much evened out for the awesome stuff, and the best you can hope for is a wider pool of cars to choose from with things like CXs.

 

Probably make more by scouring scrapyards for rare items of trim.

[Asimo]

Not this. Probably.

 

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/800100317.htm?ca=7_s

 

AUSTIN MAESTRO 1987- première main - 66000 kms-
5 vitesses- en très bon état - 5 pneus neufs- batterie neuve-
Mise à jour vidange+ révision- dernier bilan néant de toutes réparations-
CT sera effectué avant la vente.

A SAISIR 900 euros

 

As for actually making a profit, what about exporting  5 year old Laguna's to France?

[Junkman]

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/800976806.htm?ca=1_s