Newbie looking to get into a late FD

[TrevS]

Hi all,

New to the forum and currently looking for my first FD, so thought I’d introduce myself and ask for some advice from people who know these cars much better than I do.

I’ve been looking mainly at late Series 8 cars and have been speaking to torque GT. My dream spec would probably be a Sunburst Yellow Type R Bathurst R, but I’m quickly discovering just how rare these are and the premium the more collectible late models now command.

It’s made me wonder whether the sweet spot for me might actually be a really good Type R or Type RS already in the UK rather than chasing a high-grade Bathurst R from Japan.

I’m looking for a manual car that’s largely original/OEM in appearance, straight and well looked after. I’m not obsessed with ultra-low mileage and wouldn’t be put off by sensible mechanical upgrades if the car has good history and has clearly been maintained properly. Condition and provenance are probably more important to me than having a particular badge on the back.

I’d be really interested to understand what the UK market is like for these cars now. How many good Series 8 Type R/RS cars are likely to be around, how often do nice enthusiast-owned examples actually come up privately, and what sort of price range would you expect for a genuinely good car?

I’m in no particular rush and would much rather wait for a known, well-looked-after car than buy the first one that appears.

Any advice or pointers would be really appreciated.

Thanks,
Trevor

 

[MILLION]

Hey Trev

Good one's come up fairly regularly. So hold tight until your 100% happy.



This is just my opinion. Materially all the cars from all the years and models perform roughly the same. The differences are somewhat trivial and most of those differences have been replaced with better through normal ownership maintenance

Engine performance. A simple and cheap apexi PFC ecu equalises engine performances across stock platforms.

Handling. Abundance of very good well priced coilovers are on the market along with normal suspension re-bushing makes them all handle the same.

So after that, what separates them? Front bumpers, rear spoilers, slightly different twin turbos (if it hasn't already gone single) ....possibly seats if you get lucky.

Unless its an investment buy, look for condition and spec over models varients

 

[TrevS]

Hey Trev

Good one's come up fairly regularly. So hold tight until your 100% happy.



This is just my opinion. Materially all the cars from all the years and models perform roughly the same. The differences are somewhat trivial and most of those differences have been replaced with better through normal ownership maintenance

Engine performance. A simple and cheap apexi PFC ecu equalises engine performances across stock platforms.

Handling. Abundance of very good well priced coilovers are on the market along with normal suspension re-bushing makes them all handle the same.

So after that, what separates them? Front bumpers, rear spoilers, slightly different twin turbos (if it hasn't already gone single) ....possibly seats if you get lucky.

Unless its an investment buy, look for condition and spec over models varients

Thanks, that’s really helpful and some good advice. I’m not particularly after a specific special/limited spec I just know I want a later facelift car in the good condition. Any ideas on what I can expect to budget for a later series 8 cars?