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Color is such a personal choice;its hard to say which is the most desirable. There has been some discussion on that topic here though: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...430-color.html
If you really want a more objective measure you can go to Kelly Blue Book and plug in different colors and see the resale price differences. I recall pearl white ( White Gold Crystal 02-05 and Starfire Pearl 06-10 ) was indeed among the most popular.
However, with white exterior you almost always get the ecru (white) interior with the exception of pebble beach edition. And the problem with pearl white exterior is that any repaint will be nearly impossible to color match and ecru leather shows wear and tear quicker than others.
It took me a while to find pearl white and saddle interior. I can live with black interior, just do not want ecru since I have a small kid. My pearl white bumper has been repainted, and if you look very close, it does not color match 100%. It still look good, and I get compliments from strangers. I notice a lot of people went oh ah... when the top opens or closed - pretty cool for old car!
I may get another car down the road, in better condition, with lower miles when my son is older.
Same here, we consider this our "starter SC"...the one we get to enjoy while the kids are in college (maybe we'll give it as a gift one day, who knows). At any rate, we're also looking for a lower mileage SC to keep for ourselves. No rush, there will be good examples around when it comes time. Our daily drivers are a GX460 and GS400 so the SC will mostly be used for weekends and the occasional trip to the beach. Even with 104k on the odometer (and a recent TB/WP change) it's got a lot of life left.
Same here, we consider this our "starter SC"...the one we get to enjoy while the kids are in college (maybe we'll give it as a gift one day, who knows). At any rate, we're also looking for a lower mileage SC to keep for ourselves. No rush, there will be good examples around when it comes time. Our daily drivers are a GX460 and GS400 so the SC will mostly be used for weekends and the occasional trip to the beach. Even with 104k on the odometer (and a recent TB/WP change) it's got a lot of life left.
Its hard to see any sc430s below 50k miles, If you drive the way you drive, your SC will be relatively 'low miles' in few years.....
You mean these cars will start becoming more valuable, like collectibles? I think that is wishful thinking. They will always depreciate, perhaps when their resale hits below $3000 and the top stops functioning, they may no longer going down in value. For most non-collectible cars (this car probably included) thirty year is the life span beyond which people will stop paying anything for it. Lot of things in a thirty year old car will disintegrate no matter how many miles. Preserving "low miles" on a twenty year old car makes little economic sense unless you are sure its becoming a collectible.
Lot of things in a thirty year old car will disintegrate no matter how many miles. Preserving "low miles" on a twenty year old car makes little economic sense unless you are sure its becoming a collectible.
Would you agree this car is holding well...., above average? especially in convertible category? what are some of the criteria for becoming collectable in 30?
Gang I agree the White interior takes a bit more care but with the Pearl White exterior, it is pretty darn cool ! I have owned 4 SC's and my current white SC was by far the best in terms of color in my opinion. If you guys are looking for a white SC, be patient and look for one that has never been repainted . I paid high retail for my current 02SC (40K) because I was very picky. Silver and Navy Blue is also quite nice
Would you agree this car is holding well...., above average? especially in convertible category? what are some of the criteria for becoming collectable in 30?
Its holding up well compared to its peer but there are still many parts in SC that were made of rubber and plastic, from hoses to seat cushions to trims. All of them will crack and come apart at some point...
In terms of criteria for a collectible, I think it must appeal to middle aged men who have plenty of disposable income and who thirty years ago wished to have had the car. So who were the main fans when SCs were new? primarily middle aged ladies. Women are not typically car collectors to begin with and when thirty years later they are in their sixties and seventies its even less the case.
Its holding up well compared to its peer but there are still many parts in SC that were made of rubber and plastic, from hoses to seat cushions to trims. All of them will crack and come apart at some point...
In terms of criteria for a collectible, I think it must appeal to middle aged men who have plenty of disposable income and who thirty years ago wished to have had the car. So who were the main fans when SCs were new? primarily middle aged ladies. Women are not typically car collectors to begin with and when thirty years later they are in their sixties and seventies its even less the case.
I still have original wipers on my 02, how difficult/expensive is to replace rubber and plastic? is that not true with all cars?
About middle aged men + disposable income, I was for Acura NSX before SC430 came (less masculine)
It is all about supply versus demand for vintage convertibles and it is very tough to pick in advance which cars will go up in value over time. I personally think there will be a market for these cars because they are becoming "vintage" but also have a ton of comfort and safety features like airbags and VSC, etc., unlike 50,60,70's vintage which are fun but mostly not comfortable and in case of accident - deathtraps : ) Beat up high mile SC430s, especially those with abused trashed interiors or non functional tops will lose value like any other old car. But very well preserved, owner maintained, relatively low mile examples of the SC430 may surprise folks and hold onto their value based on their current owners willingness to sell. No one is getting mine any time soon unless they pay me some crazy money.
It's pretty tough to know which cars will rise in value due to collector interest, but I have seen a fairly dramatic slow down in depreciation on low mileage SCs of all years in the past 3 years, and in some cases have seen asking prices actually rise. It could be that they have simply reached the end of their depreciation curve and will always be worth about what they are now. The fact that there have been no SCs produced in the past 6+ years, and yet 10-year old low-mileage examples can still get roughly 50% (or more) of the original price, tells me that there are people who still value these cars.
I do know that I don't see any similar cars on the road when I'm out for a drive, and this uniqueness will likely only increase over time. The styling of the SC430 has always been polarizing, with some calling it the ugliest car ever made, and others looking at it like a piece of fine art (most of us on this forum fall into the latter category). The simple fact that this forum exists and is relatively vibrant after all these years tells me there's a dedicated following for this car, which can't be said for many other cars that haven't been in production for 6 years.
I can see myself owning an SC430 for the rest of my life, whether others consider them "collectible" or not...
Now that I've had my SC430 a few days I can only say now I know what being a celebrity feels like lol. This car is amazing. Tons of fun and nothing like it on the road. Smooth, powerful, does everything effortlessly. Oh and the top goes down...forgot about that! With 105,000 miles my SC drives like new. Needs nothing. Spent about $12k to get it to NC from FL (really short supply here) and it is not for sale. But if I did sell it, it would certainly be at a premium...maybe $15k? At any rate, took it out for a spin after sundown tonight to get gas and some kid on his bike yelled out, "is that thing super charged?" lol. I underestimated how much attention this car gets.
04-12-17, 07:07 AM
