WTB: UK (Ralliart) VR4

[dave_5150]

As above cash waiting for Galant VR4 UK model

Ideally with:

<65,000 miles
FSH (inc. evidence of cam belt)
Leather (though I believe this is std. on uk cars)
Recent service & MOT

Black preferred though any colour considered

Price negotiable dependant upon colour, specification and condition.

Saloon preferred though I'd consider a hearse if nothing turns up.

Let me know if you have a car you are selling.


Dave

[Wodjno]

Manual as well ?

[Rambaud]

I was considering this 2001 Ralliart saloon at a reasonable £4800 and 65,000 miles, but the fuel consumption is putting me off.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/290213.htm

Not FSH, and no mention of cambelt.

Anybody here know more details?

[Nick Mann]

I have deleted your second thread - one is enough!

Welcome to the forums, good luck in your search. You will struggle to find exactly what you are looking for, but this comes close:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29991
It is being sold by knowledgable and enthusiastic people who used to run their own garage/bodyshop. The car has been admired at every event I have seen it at!

[Nick Mann]

Anybody here know more details?

It's the sperm car with the sperm removed! Search on here for sperm car - I jest ye not!

[ritch_w]

It's the sperm car with the sperm removed! Search on here for sperm car - I jest ye not!

it lives up my neck of the woods, but yet to see it in the flesh....

[Rambaud]

So it is.

I remember it now.

But still seems a reasonable price?

[Kieran]

Dave - Any reason you're specificaly after one of the Ralliart ones? The imports are just as good in many cases.

[bradc]

K - I think he is specifically after the newest possible car.

That black galant owned by Red is about the best you're going to get, you should consider it.

[Rambaud]

That black galant owned by Red is about the best you're going to get, you should consider it.

But is that not 2 years older, with 35,000 miles more - not to mention £4000 more expensive?

Or am I comparing the wrong car?

[elnevio]

Cripes! I remember seeing the sperm car on eBay previously, complete with spermflames, and thinking, "not sure I could live with that", and that was before I had considered the flames' similarity to the gooey stuff! Seemed quite well done though, but I guess that it wasn't to everybody's taste...



Anyway, welcome to CVR4, Dave, and good luck in your quest!

[dave_5150]

Manual as well ?

Nope tiptronic please

[dave_5150]

I was considering this 2001 Ralliart saloon at a reasonable £4800 and 65,000 miles, but the fuel consumption is putting me off.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/290213.htm

Not FSH, and no mention of cambelt.

Anybody here know more details?

Yep I've seen that one too. Only problem is it's 300 miles away.That said I'll probably try and see it at the weekend if nothing else turns up.

Concern isn't the cambelt as that's cheap enough its the missing service history.

[dave_5150]

I have deleted your second thread - one is enough!

Welcome to the forums, good luck in your search. You will struggle to find exactly what you are looking for, but this comes close:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29991
It is being sold by knowledgable and enthusiastic people who used to run their own garage/bodyshop. The car has been admired at every event I have seen it at!

Yep seen this on on Pistonheads too. Very nice looking car but totally out of my price range. Though it looks like a good set of mods.

[dave_5150]

Dave - Any reason you're specificaly after one of the Ralliart ones? The imports are just as good in many cases.

Personal choice in the main. Though I want verifiable full service history, cheaper insurance and I prefer the UK spec.

[Kieran]

Personal choice in the main. Though I want verifiable full service history, cheaper insurance and I prefer the UK spec.

Service history I can understand , though I would argue that the imports (provided you get a good one and not a shed!) are serviced more attentively in the home market and often more knowledgeably too.

Insurance.... Hmm.... I doubt that. I know some companies are funny about 'imports' but to be honest, they're not the companies to insure a VR-4 with anyway. Specialists like Lifesure and Sky Insurance will most likely be cheaper - and we get a club discount from them on top of that!

As to prefering UK-Spec.... There's no difference. You can get Jap Spec cars with identical specification, though admittedly they are thin on the ground as the ESVA regs mean it's currently impossible to import a VR-4 that's less than ten years old.

The 'Official UK' VR-4s weren't built to a UK/Europe build SKU like the other UK Galants (such as the GLS & V6-24). Basically Colt Cars UK imported around 200 'Cold Area Spec' (hence the brochure blurb about beefier alternators and batteries to cope with the UK climate) VR4-s as company imports, thus avoiding the European Type-Approval regs for that model - They then SVA tested them, fitted a MPH converter, UK radio & labels, foglamp and fuel filler neck restrictor and undersealed them. That's the sum total of the differences. That's also why even the official ones have Jap-Spec VIN numbers.

Other things to consider:

Even with underseal protection, a VR-4 that's been in the UK all it's life (and the youngest examples now will getting on for 6 years old) will more than likely be more badly corroded than a fresh Jap import. Also, now we're in 2008, you'll soon be able to register and MOT a 'Facelift' Jap import - giving you a wider range of trim options, including all of the ones available on the 'UK' cars.

Leather wasn't standard on the 'Official' VR-4s. The standard was a cloth interior like the V6 Sport, though with red fabric rather than blue. Recaros and leather were both options - But nearly all were specified with this anyway.

Anyway - Hopefully that's useful to you. Especially given your wishlist, you may find it's easier (and possibly cheaper) to find an import to your spec. But whatever you end up with, I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Good luck in the search!

[DickBarton]

Admiral do my jap import for £400 - no claims discount...if that helps give an indication of import car insurance costs...

[dave_5150]

Admiral do my jap import for £400 - no claims discount...if that helps give an indication of import car insurance costs...

Yep about the same for me too for 1996 import.

2001 UK can be insured for £220 though

[DickBarton]

Not bad...but not as easy to find...perhaps.

[Nick Mann]

Yep about the same for me too for 1996 import.

2001 UK can be insured for £220 though

Who will give you an insurance quote of half the price if the car is a MMC import rather than a grey?