The Rover 75 is cash sitting there to put into another project, for instance, the Rover 420GSi Tourer, lowered, window tints, respray, fit that big turbo, genuine Q car then. Plus, it's great content and a build series.
In my personal opinion, getting rid of the Freelander is an absolute no brainer. Whilst it needs a lot of work, I also think the 230E would be no loss, as it's just too boring. I feel that the 75 absolutely has to stay, as it's just too good an example to lose, plus it has massive investment potential, and I can see it becoming 1 of the most desirable cars on your fleet. I'd really hate to see the 740 go, as it's easily my favourite car on the Furious Fleet. 🤞🏻 It'll be sad to see it go, but I think the Tomcat should be moved on, as it's more likely to find another appreciative owner than the Tourer. IMO, the Tourer should definitely stay, as it would be great to see that project progress, plus it'll give you an occasional alternative to the C-Class when you need some practicality, but actually want to enjoy the journey for a change. 😉 It would also be good to see more 200Vi action too. 🙂
W123 is what's gotta go for me. It's been around forever (how I found your channel) but seems like that it's not getting the love it needs. The repairs seem to be farther and farther between.
You will kick yourself if you sell that 75 highly doubt you will get another example in that condition, mileage etc again. I’d move on the Freelander and/or the Volvo.
Very interesting video. I would like to see you make a video on the Volvo where you go all over the car and try to find out if you can make it a little more economical with fuel. Would give some interesting generic lessons for other people too.
21mpg out of a 4 cylinder Volvo with a 5 speed manual gearbox tells me something is radically wrong! Our 81 240DL estate had the 2.1 litre and 3 speed auto gearbox and did a reasonable 28mpg when laden for a family vacation. My 391,000 mile 1990 240DL estate with the AW-70 overdrive automatic returns a solid 35mpg. It will do 450 miles on a single tank.
@@michaeltutty1540My bet is the Lamda Sund; had it on my 1990 460 GLE under warranty at the time in '94. This has the hallmarks, except for the "hunting revs".
I think the 75 should go and continue with the flipping series. You could investigate the Volvo fuel economy and do a video on that but perhaps that could be next to leave when you next want to bring in a new fleet member. I definitely think there is more content with the Tourer, feels like unfinished business there, same with the W123 and Rover V8, I'd be gutted to not see you finish those!
If it’s a straight choice between the Volvo and the Rover 75, then I’d say sell the 75. The resale value of the 75 is good, which means more money for the next project. Also you already have 3 other Rovers. The Volvo has also just driven to Sweden and back and originally was never going to be a keeper. So purely from a sentimental point of view I think it deserves to stay. The other option would be to sell the Freelander.
Brilliant video matt, Get rid of the Rover tourer too much work and money. Personally I'd keep the volvo but you can part if you wanted. But you MUST keep the rover 200vi and rover 75 please. There far too good to get rid. Personally, I still think the Mini old one is too much work and mega money. Personally never like the Crown Vic but I know you love that car haha The mercedes and old rover I think would benefit from moving on. Freelander camper van must stay haha But at the end of the day there your cars and your choosing to sell or keep whatever 😊
After watching the video, while walking my dog, I thought about the question raised here which cars should be sold. The answer is actually quite obvious; sell that modern mercedes with its annoying automatic gearbox. Use the freed up money to upgrade the Volvo and get the Mercedes 230E on the road fast along with Rover 75 and the Freelander they should easily get the 20,000 miles a year you do with that Mercedes thing now and it gives us viewers a lot extra viewing pleasure!
Two years ago, I declined to buy a 740 for €500, and bought an MCW Metrocab for €1200 instead. Although I love the Ford/Reliant/Austin/MCW collage aspect of the 1976 chassis Taxi, I still regret passing on the Volvo.... *sigh* ...some day.....
Very honest and fair valuations Matt. The unfortunate fact of times of inflation is that all classic car values will keep increasing as the cost of restoring or replacing is increasing. Your R50 Mini is considered the last of the Rover Mini development program and will attract buyers from Rover, Austin Mini or Leyland groups. Anything BMW designed is a different story.
To be honest, the 75 has still a long way to go in terms of becoming a classic so you might be selling it too soon, whereas the volvo might have more of that classic premium realized already. Also the Freelander seems like an obvious choice given that it is still 4 wheel drive which would demand a premium. As someone driving a ZS180 KV6 with cam belts needing a change, selling a car at the right time in terms of future bills is worth a lot and I guess the Freelander would fit that category.
Definitely interesting and a bit of a pickle to be in. As much as I like the 75, with it being low mileage I’d be scared to ruin it so it’d between it and the ovlov. I’d like to see the story of the 400 Tourer continue, as I think there’s a lot to see there (and to help resist the temptation to buy one myself by watching you 😅). Nevertheless, interested to see what the changes will be!
Not the Volvo!!!! You just had a marvellous adventure in it! Sort out the extreme consumption and enjoy the legacy! It is a car that never will me produced again, so it is unique for what it is. Just because it is a sedan, these are harder to come by that the estates... but then again, I always loved the underdogs...
Very interesting video and all good news for you that your fleet has seen a significant increase in value relatively recently. I think your valuations are pretty accurate too, some a little under where i see them , one or two a little over. Older cars are difficult to value especially rare ones and some asking prices on car&classic certainly don't reflect true market value. I find forums, owners clubs and latterly Facebook groups hilarious on valuations too. If someones selling its worth 4 grand , if they're buying it 1200 quid. As the old saying goes 'a cars worth what someone will give you for it'
I think it comes down to how much further you can go with them. I think there is a lot more you can do with the tourer, I feel like the 75 is just too good to let go and you need to have adventures with it and the 200Vi is a definite future classic. I love the Volvo but I feel like you've done what you set out to do with it and more. You've saved it, you've improved it, you've had the adventure and now you don't really use it so much. Might be time to move it on but I know there is one thing it still has to do first
Whichever ones you choose, I would suggest doing a bit of a sweep, rather than stopping at 1 or 2. Some of those cars you'll never get round to, because there are only so many days in the year. Just keep the ones you expect to continue working on, obviously starting with the Morris Mini.
I don't envy you your task. We love them all and would be sorry to see any of them go. There was Ian trying to downsize his fleet by selling a car and then goes and buys another one to get home.😂 Maybe play Euromillions on Friday?
Interesting cunundrum to have Matt. Personaly I'd be getting rid of the Freelander or the Merc 123 - or both. Can't imagine the Merc being any better than the Volvo on fuel economy. The Volvo really stands out in styling and seems like there's a few more tinkering videos in it yet. The Rover 75 is just too dmned nice to sell.
Didn't know UK prices were so far removed from other EU prices. On the continent, lots of people really think their old car / project is actually made of pure gold. If they can't get the amount they want, they would rather export it or just scrap it, than sell it to an enthusiast For the chopping block, I would sell the 75 first without a doubt, it's a proper car, but it hasn't got much use / content to it. Second it would be dilemma between the Volvo 740 and the Rover 400 Tourer. The Volvo only has a bit of content (e.g. fuel usage analysis, squeeky fanbelt) left and takes up a ton of space. I'm not sure if it would sell quickly though. It has got tons of character though. The Rover 400 Tourer is a nice car, but the extra costs to get it at desired level would surpas the extra value it would add to the car. It might also sell quickly to another Rover enthusiast, who can tackle the restoration job.
I would honestly say, that maybe you need to jot down a Pro/Con list. I know the Rover was part of the repair & flip series, but I feel you will be sad after it goes, especially as Rover's become rarer.
I would be sad to see the Volvo go but I think the road trip to Sweden was the pinnacle for the 740 on the channel. I have a huge soft spot for this car. Firstly it was watching you restore it in 2020 that brought me to the channel. Secondly, my dad had a 760 GLE in the late 1980's, seeing a 700 series evoked many happy memories.
It is hard to part with a beloved member of the fleet. I have just done that myself. Sold my K10 Micra to make room for a Daihatsu Sirion automatic. Issues with my feet can leave me struggling with a clutch pedal at times, so an automatic is a must for me.
Tough decisions, but I think you need to lose 2 or 3 cars to make way for more flippable motors and desirable classics in need of a freshen up such as a 156 v6 Busso 😊 The Volvo is ready to go after it’s fantastic swan-song road trip to Sweden. The 75 is the other obvious choice for reasons you already covered. Additionally the W123 needs a lot of time and work which I think would be better utilized on the new Mini project, which I think is more YT friendly too. My 2 cents.
I've had both a 740 and a 75 (and a ZT for that matter). Would be the 75 going for me.......they are great cars but for me, they still don't feel like classics. The 740 definitely does and the Saloon will end up being desirable because they will become rare just because everyone wants an estate!!
Matt, that is a question that I can't possibly answer!!! (Actually, this American would get rid of the Crown Vic....too much association with "the law" for me, despite being a responsible driver.) But you'd be foolish to get rid of that because of the interesting history on it, and the difficulty in replacing a police spec car not used for police duty (and abuse including high speed pursuits and doughnut runs). I would never get rid of the Volvo (that's me) as I too am in love with the 1980s styling. The Rover 75 entered the fleet as a flip, and though I would not get rid of it myself especially if I had one imported into the USA under the "25 year rule", a similar car would not be especially rare to acquire. Still, I would think that is a keeper. Probably the Alfa Cloverleaf would be my choice. I love Alfa Romeo cars, but this just seems like a "Gussied-up FIAT" or "FIAT in drag", etc because it is a hatchback. I am also not big on 1990s cars. You asked, so I only offer these thoughts. May you make a wise decision!!! Cheers, Matt, and thanks so much for these videos that keep me from being furious!
The old Benz - too much work; the Rover estate and maybe the 75 can hang around for a bit before that goes. The old Mini is sufficiently rare enough to restore though it'd be costly to do so. The Freelander can stay because it's always useful to have a vehicle like that around. What's the latest on the V8 P6?
If I had to choose I'd keep the Alfa, the Volvo, the Crown Vic, the two Minis and the Freelander because of it's family and camping abilities. And maybe the P6 that's running. These are the cars I think from watching your chanel your heart is really beating for.
I'm down to one car currently a 2007 Ford Sport Ka 1.6 SE.....sold all my rovers. my mercedes and jag...needs must at the time ..eventually i hope to build the fleet back up..but in the words of phil hucknell ..money's to tight mention
I'd sell the 75. You have to stick to your flip series. Put the profit in the kitty and then fix up the 420 (paint it yourself!) and sell that too. Then you will really have some cash in the pocket to buy your next flip project.
I have just done the same, but on a smaller scale as all of mine need something doing. I sold the van (sorry to rob you of a future video), and am putting the proceeds into the Signum and Focus to get them near perfect. IMO, sell the slow burn projects, the 123, 740, V8 P6, and maybe the GSI Tourer as they don't fetaure that often in the channel. The proceeds could then sort the Tomcat and the Morris. I reckon the Morris resto videos will more than pay for itself in the long term. However, I only say that because you asked for opinions. A lot of people say similar things to me and I quietly shake my head.
I’d say the 740 has to stay. I’d be looking at selling the Freelander and/or the 75. The project I’m most looking forward to seeing work on is the 420 GSi and some money from the sale of one or both of the above could see some good headway made on the 420.
I think Volvo, Rover 75 and the freelander. You seem quite attached to your other Rovers so I think you need longer to think about selling any of those. I should add up my fleet, but as most need a fair bit of work it would be very difficult. Currently I have 2x Land Rover defenders 90 & 110, mk2 polo breadvan, VW T4 van, 2005 Mini Cooper r50, Ford transit mk4 camper van and the super fun one a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon 2003 😃 they all appear on my small channel. I am currently doing a lot of welding on the T4 and oh I forgot my work van 2004 merc sprinter. Having a fleet of vehicles is fun isn’t it 🤔 good video 🙂👍
I would sell off the 75, the 145, the 123 and one of the P6's. The 2 potential incomers, you might have already bought them , have got to keep the channel balanced and interesting as far as driving and work needed. I don't feel that the 123 can be brought up to a good standard without some pro help whereas the auto Mini is a more DIY project. I feel you can also toss coins on any of the other Rovers and get rid of 2 of them. Give some fun to others. Same with the Freelander. It's nice now and that's the time to sell. That rids you of about half of your cars and finds you space for the 2 newcomers with a chunk back in the bank to get to work on them.
I must admit, I don't "get" Rover 75s. I'm sure a 1.8 turbo is more efficient than a V6 but life's too short for 4-pots when there are so many more interesting cars and engines around. The Alfa's shape doesn't float my boat either and I'm not sure what it actually "does" on the fleet? Talking of which, the Merc doesn't seem to be earning it's keep either. If you can't envisage yourself actually doing anything in the next 6 months with a car, then it is time to go. Just sitting there making you feel good is fine though, that is a reason to stay.
I’d be really sad to see the Volvo go but as long as it went to a loving home then I could understand the logic behind it. Hippo is fun but not really in the vibe of the channel. The 75 is fabulous but would probably be better earning you a few pennies. The 420 Tourer is definitely a keeper, as is the Tomcat - I love the however the 200Vi and I think I’d rather have it over the Tomcat. The Crown Vic and 147 should go nowhere. The W123 is a lovely car but I feel you should concentrate efforts and energy to other projects. The R50 Mini is great but doesn’t really fit into the fleet anymore and is properly better in the hands of a collector which would probably make it quite valuable although I get the investment value lol. Very good video Matt and not at all showy - especially compared to Hoovie lol
Keep the Volvo and sell the 75 for serious money! So you can work on the tourer! And perhaps a new banger project to gain more cash for your ongoing projects and lovely content for the chanel! You have to much history with the Volvo! Give her some more attention and hopefully it will still her thirst a bitt! And it will gif us lovely content! Good luck with making the right decision Matt! It will be hard, but keeping the Volvo is the right one!😜
If I were holding on to that fleet, I'd have to consider box-ticking to work out what ought to go. Two categories in particular. Waftmobiles - the Volvo, the R40, the Crown Vic, the P6s, the W123 - you have quite a few! The P6 V8 has been War & Peace on this channel (ie never-ending) and as soon as it's fit to go, it should go. You'll still have the other P6 anyway. What's more, as an engine-swapped car, it would also serve as a market marker for the P6 fraternity. Just one thing - we want to see it on the road - some fruits for all that labour - before you sell it! That W123 must be a giant millstone round your neck, but you want it as a project, so 'finish' it and get shot of it ASAP afterwards. Funmobiles - the Alfa, the R50, the R3, the Tomcat. As you said, it might come down to what feels like an event when you get in it, so the 200vi ought to go.
Matt, keep just 7 - the ones you love most. Get rid of the money pits. 2 keepers (e.g. Mini R50, Freelander for hols), 2 for fun (eg. 200 Vi, 75) and 2 long-term projects (e.g. Morris Mini, one P6) plus 1 short-term flipper for content. Bin all the others e.g. P6, 230E, C5, 740, 220, 420, 145 and Crown Vic. 🙈🙉🙊
Devalued some off your motors, Your very modest, all your cars hold something special to you in each off there own ways, Just so cool to own different cars, Id say sell the landy, 75 as you was going to flip and the volvo 😊 you've enjoyed a lot off miles, Keep your crown vic and your rovers for sure apart from 75 👌💪, Keep moving forward Enjoy your videos
The fact you are talking about the 75, the Vi and the 740 says they have to go first. Then do a series of videos fixing the others that need work and clear them out one by one. Then buy new different stuff to keep the channel fresh. I love the fixing videos and be good for some new editions
Adding to my comment, sorry noting your tag line, broken rovers, shattered dreams, I think your love of these last of the line British cars shows and does enthuse the audience. You are keeping them alive. Sadly an old Volvo is just a volvo...
The 75 makes sense a that was bought to sell on. As does the Volvo as you've had a memorable adventure in it. I'd also say the Freelander as well. That should open up some space and get some cash in to fund future projects
I would not sell the Volvo after the road trip and the memories you have of it. You will regret it, as finding one like it in the future will be impossible. I had a 740 like that and sold it because I had too many other cars. Guess which one I missed the most, lol. Even now, the look is classy and distinct; there was nothing like it again in the 1980s. It makes you smile, as you said, and nothing else can do that, sadly. It's the only one in the fleet that does not look the same. I'm not sure anything would have been as good as driving all the way you did and making it back. It would have been as much fun on your budget. I have been a subscriber to your channel since the very start, even watching your camera channel. I would sell the flip car; putting more miles on it will make it lose money fast. Sell the rover like you said you would.
If it was me I would sell the 200Vi, Alfa and Tomcat. Probably the Volvo too just due to lack of use. The Merc 230e and 1 of the P5s. I like the 75, 400 Tourer and Freelander, R50 Mini and Crown Vic and would happily sit and watch more work being done on these. Especially the 400, would love to see that back to looking good. I killed off a load of my fleet this year, went from 6 to 2. Decided to keep 1 old and 1 new as the costs are too high to keep cars nowadays. Gone are my days of owning 6 cars, 2 vans and a double decker bus 😂😂
W123 to go. I can tell you are sick of it and see it as overwhelming. Little financial gain from what you would need to spend on it. You would regret getting rid of the Volvo, lovely example, rare, and I can tell you have love for it. The 75 is similar
I think you main issue is not financial or even numbers, it's that you have two projects that require a lot of time. Either the 68 Mini or the Merc W123 while not sellable should be put into cold storage until the other one is complete otherwise you suffer that problem of lack of focus, which becomes lack of progress. It's a real, negative spiral.
After reading through some of the comments, it seems a few would prefer if you ditched more than 1 of the fleet, harsh but probably true, common picks are Freelander, Mercedes, Volvo, Rover estate, Rover 75, but you probably picked up on that. Tough decisions to be made.
Love this. My collection is only 3 cars (though they couldn't really be more different). It is nice to see your collection is even more different (lot's of Rovers though ;) ) I keep enjoying your vids!
Sell the 75. Get rid of one Rover and keep the others for now. I'd ditch the Merc W123 as well, as I think you're up to your gills in big cars. Keep the Volvo 740, but investigate those fuel economy woes. Those big Volvos were never great on MPGs, though not horrendous. I love the blue interior on that car, anyways. I'm most interested in the Morris Mini project for what it's worth.
Heres my take, and after watching I didn't know half of these cars and I've been watching for 18 months. Some of these are redundant I think. I also think the value of these cars are higher, especially if you sold them on Bidding Classics or Car & Classic, simply for TH-camr tax. You could easily add 15-20% onto the value of any vehicle because their history has been documented over the years in video. Morris Mini - Keep, it's a good channel car for a long term project. Rover 2000 - Leave the paint, sell it. Rover P6 - Keep, modified cars good for the channel. Merc 230E - Sell, too much work for one man solo. Sin C6 - Keep, just a fun summer toy. Volvo 740 - Sell, it's worth a few quid and it's a easy quick sale. Tomcat - Life car, keep her. Rover Estate - Leave the paint, sell it and use the cash to paint the Tomcat. Rover 200 Vi - Maybe flog it back to previous owner for a silly value (£4000?) and see what they say...? Cloverleaf - Keep it, they'll be worth 25k in 10 years. Interceptor - Cool car in UK. Would make an awesome car for a Europe roadtrip series. Y Reg Mini - Keep it, very cool car for people in the know. Freelander - Sell it ASAP! It's worth mega money! £2500+ Rover 75 - Not in the spirit of the trade up series, but I'd say that if a car is worth a lot more than the trade a sale is allowed. Easy sale for £4350.
I think the Volvo, the Freelander and the W123 are the main ones to go. The Volvo and Freelander are both runners and easy to move on. The 75 sort of fills the spot for the both of them. The W123 is great, but you've had it for ages and it's still not there yet. It's also evident that when it comes to the classic saloons you seem more attached to the P6 V8. And as for restos the Morris is far more interesting, and will be worth far more once finished. The 420 still has lots of value in terms of content, maybe have a go painting it yourself? Both the VI and the 145 are a bit too rare to let go of. If you do the chances of finding another are slim. Same for the '01 R50 to a lesser extent, however of that set it's probably the one to move on and I say that as a fellow '01 R50 owner. If someone offered me a swap for a Vi it would be gone immediately! And let's be honest, there's 0 chance you'll let go of the White P6, Tomcat and the Crown Vic.
"I like hot hatches"... P6, P6, W123, 740, Crown Vic, 75... There's a pattern, Matt 😅 Will see you on Sunday. My 2017 184,000 mile Volvo V40 will be at the Motorist, hopefully without taking out wildlife en route this time!
Sorry, Matt, but my wife has just seen this video and reckons you're an inspiration to women up and down the country. You may have inadvertently spooked the classic car market - tearful men will soon be selling off, en masse, their cherished wheels. I'd consider starting a home improvement channel.
Great video Matt and very interesting I would like to see the volvo 75 vi tomcat and Alfa stay and then the p6s and crown vic but the merc 420 are way much work and expense and should go
The Alfa, the W123 and the Freelander. I'm partial to keeping the Volvo lol. The Crown better stay, thats been a dream car for you! Same with the pre production Mini.
Yeah I'd be selling the 75 I think. Very nice but what does it have that no other fleet member has? -Not much content left in it for the channel -Nice to drive and comfy but you have others in the fleet that tick those boxes. -Actually too nice / low mileage to be used often, especially with a family/dogs etc.
Only logical that you count in the value of the cars for this channel, but how I see it, there's just a lot of projects going on. And us viewers would also love to see some of them finished 🙂. For me personally, I'm looking forward to how the Mercedes 230E and the Morris mini will turn out. As you've got a lot of Rovers, I would choose the 400 tourer to let go, however rare it may be. If it has to be the Volvo or the Rover 75, I'd choose to sell the Volvo. Economically it makes more sense, I think and how you describe it, the 75's the nicer and slightly faster car to drive. But as I said, that's how I see it - the (difficult) choice is yours to make. 😀 Wish you the best of luck with it.
For me rhe Freelander, Mercedes and Volvo are the prime contenders to go, maybe the VI too. Just to free up space, time and money to make progres on the other projects. Love the 75, but think it needs to go as intended too.
It's an especially thought choice for you Matt because you are looking at the problem from two ends. In the one hand certain cars are good for TH-cam such as the ones which are ongoing project. On the other hand there are the cars you want to have in your collection because you like them. I'd say the Volvo has earned its keep in terms of YT and probably isn't needed as you do have other large cars. You could also ask the question of how many R8's and P6's do you need on the fleet? I live all the Rivers as you well know. The other question is how likely would it be that you could later re acquire any of these if you come to.regrett selling. Only you can really answer many of the above questions because what these cars mean to you will differ to what someone else feels. One thing for sure if you do move on some of the more valuable fleet members it may create opportunities to invest in the ongoing restoration if some of your cars which could be both good for YT and as part of your long term collection. See you Sunday. I look forward to seeing which ever car you bring this time.
A very interesting and certainly thought-provoking video, Matt. Lots of differing views being expressed in the comments! My fleet faves are the Tomcat and the Mini R50, so they would have to stay. For me - the W123, the four-pot P6, the Alfa and the Volvo should go. The Morris Mini is a very long-term project. And, as others have said, that big new Merc should go. Put the money saved into getting the Morris Mini finished, the paint done on the Tomcat and the Tourer and general maintenance on the others. You love Rovers, so the 75 should stay, despite being bought as a flipper. I would love to see you add an 827 Vitesse and a Van den Plas V8 SDI… Decisions, decisions..! Best of luck!
Gosh this is a tricky one. Here's my thesis. 1. Take the profit 2. Invest to accelerate future fun 3. Get the Millstones off your neck... So what does that mean? 1. Take the profit & sell The 75, The Crown Vic, the Volvo, the Vi, the Alfa and the white P6 2. Invest in the Mini Auto and the V8 p6 3. Sell the Tourer ,the Tom Cat, the w123 (too far gone) Keep the Y reg Mini(Growth in this) & the Freelander (always need a 4wd) . So this culls the collection down to 4... but you can do a really great job on the Mini Auto & Rover V8.. quickly... continue the project on selling up (Mondeo. Beetle, Idea, 75) Series. I do think you are 'over' Rover-ed.. In this way you are super focussed and still have some spare for a new project. (and some space the clear out the home Garage) Amen
Interesting video there Matt Makes you wonder what all these older cars are really worth I have to say if it was me I would keep the 75 where are you going to find another one with that history provinance and that low mileage it’s always nice to see rovers on the channel no matter what age they are
You can never ever have too many cars! You should just be able to pay road tax as one big lump sum say £1600 per year for all your cars. Here where I am in Victoria Australia once a car is over 20 years old we can put it on club plates which allows you to drive 90-120 days per year for very minimal road tax. I would probably get rid of the Freelander or rover 75 if I absolutely had to choose.
I know you love the 75, sir, and honestly I dismissed it straight away as a car that you would need to keep. However, we also own a 1998 Volvo C70 T5 with 21,000 miles which we've owned from new. We prefer not to add a lot to the miles. It costs the most just doing nothing. It's not worth a lot but to us, we treat it like a £250,000 supercar..! Total garage queen. We have about 10 or 11 cars here, and really unless I'm going on a motorway run at 10pm on a summer's evening, I prefer driving everything else because I don't need to worry about it. The 75 will become that car for you. You'll make it pristine and then...? You have to keep it pristine. It will be money out every year meanwhile I don't believe values of them will dramatically rise. Also I'm not sure the 1.8t is as desirable as the V6. In that same parking space, if you continue the series you were on, you could have another 8 cars this year, coming and going. I'm obviously a Volvo (and Saab) fan, and I was getting ready to be disappointed that you're going to sell the 740. However, that's the car you used during lockdown. That's the car that took you to Sweden. And really I think there are still more videos in that car, but only you know the analytics. As we also have a 940, I know for a fact this car will not cost you a lot to look after. You can park it for 5 years, and it will start when you come back to it. I also believe its value will increase with no money in on your part. The 75 is probably at its peak, it can go only 1 way. The 740 is, in my view, the opposite. Either way, good luck with your decision - we're all invested on this one!
I keep saying this, but I'd love to see you turbocharge the Volvo. The engine bay is huge so the logistics are perhaps less challenging than any other car, and if you could find a limited slip diff and perhaps play with the suspension, you could have a proper sleeper there.
I can understand selling the Volvo now it’s had its epic trip, but I’d be sad to see it go as it’s one of my faves. I think the 75 was a great find but you should polish a little more money into it and move it on while it’s nice. I’d sell the hippo and the VI too so you’d have more space time and money to put into the mini and 400 tourer. I feel like the 123 is just a massive pain that’s getting in the way of other projects, but I think you feel differently. Really wanna see the v8 finished though and it won’t be cheap!
I totally agree that your fleet is far more interesting than a rich kid's collection of super/hypercars which come with a chiropractor on call or someone's incredibly valuable warehouse filled with classics. To be blunt (and I know this is entirely subjective), I'd lose more than a couple of cars; I think you're spreading yourself too thin, and too many of the cars are not being used regularly. I know you won't agree but I'd keep the 740 and sell the Crown Vic, The Alfa and the Tomcat. 🙂
Mmmmm. I'd sell the Alfa, the modern Rover saloon, the Freelander and maybe one of the P6s. Even though the Volvo is difficult to park in the barn, that would be a keeper for me. I can't really get excited about the Crown Victoria, but you've been after one for a while so enjoy it for a bit!
I love the Volvo and would really enjoy seeing more content in it. Fix it up and drive it down to Spain next time! It's got history with you and that's important. The 75 can go as could the Merc and the Freelander (as much as I love those)
Perhaps sort by theme? One of each type of vehicle (convertable, coupe, sedan/saloon, station wagon/estate - and perhaps manual/auto) or one from each era (1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s 90s)?
No matter which one(s) you choose, there'll be disappointed people so just go with whatever makes you happy. Personally I think the 75 should go as you can't add much more value and therefore there's not much more content either. You could store it in the hope of it appreciating significantly but there's cost involved with that, and it's not definite that they'll go up in value by a decent amount. The profits could go towards the Mini resto. The Volvo should go too, as again there's not much scope for further content and you've given it a great send off with the museum trip.
I've only ever had space for a single car at any one time but I know if I had a big driveway or a barn I'd fill it with cheap cars like FD has... As the video says, the market is certainly healthy so plenty of 'profit' to be had (we'll ignore all the improvements etc). If I was looking to optimise the fleet I'd just be thinking about what I would (or could) do with each car in the next year or two - ie. which shows would you take them to, or what road trips would you do, what series of videos could you make, etc. If you can't think of anything or another car would be better for it then that car's for the chop. What I do with the fleet (therefore you should do the opposite): I think I'd keep the Merc and Alfa as project/content cars. Sell all but one of the 'barges' - Volvo, 75, Crown Vic - keep the remaining one for road trips or long runs (I'd favour the Ford). Tomcat would be a good GT/road trip car for this summer, and then perhaps sell off. 420 estate (that I really like) seems to not have much of a purpose, so sell. Keep one of the 200vi or Mini as an amusing hot hatch 'daily' (although is the Mini too good to use). Freelander seems to have a use as a workhorse for towing, dirty tip runs, bad weather shed, etc. Sinclair C5 doesn't count as a car 🙂 That would free up a load of space and money, plus time to concentrate on the interesting project cars.
Just keep your Merc Estate, Misses Furious Mini, Rover V8, Crown Vic and then keep the 75 until you flip to the next car. Maybe an extra one for content? So much work to do, you'd feel less stressed if you reduce your fleet to?
As someone who may be about to lose his storage, I am having to have a similar conversation with myself. If I were in your position (which I do not envy) I would sell the 75 while it’s good, the freelander while it’s working, the tourer as the money you’ll have to put in it won’t return much (plus you have the tomcat for that r8 itch). As others have said use the Volvo for fuel improvement content (as I have a first year 940 estate, I’m biased) and as for the merc, I think we’d rather see the v8 p6 and original mini get the tinkering hours spent on them.
Enjoyed this video Matt! Personally I'd say sell both the Volvo and the 75, plus the 200 Vi, then get stuck into the old Mini and 230E Merc. Cheers, Al from Western Australia
The Rover 75 is cash sitting there to put into another project, for instance, the Rover 420GSi Tourer, lowered, window tints, respray, fit that big turbo, genuine Q car then. Plus, it's great content and a build series.
In my personal opinion, getting rid of the Freelander is an absolute no brainer. Whilst it needs a lot of work, I also think the 230E would be no loss, as it's just too boring. I feel that the 75 absolutely has to stay, as it's just too good an example to lose, plus it has massive investment potential, and I can see it becoming 1 of the most desirable cars on your fleet. I'd really hate to see the 740 go, as it's easily my favourite car on the Furious Fleet. 🤞🏻 It'll be sad to see it go, but I think the Tomcat should be moved on, as it's more likely to find another appreciative owner than the Tourer. IMO, the Tourer should definitely stay, as it would be great to see that project progress, plus it'll give you an occasional alternative to the C-Class when you need some practicality, but actually want to enjoy the journey for a change. 😉 It would also be good to see more 200Vi action too. 🙂
Good ideas
Great summary, I'd pretty much do exactly this!
@@AdamLeask thank you. 🙂
W123 is what's gotta go for me. It's been around forever (how I found your channel) but seems like that it's not getting the love it needs. The repairs seem to be farther and farther between.
Agreed. I'd get rid of the W123 and the Freelander myself.
Agreed.
Ditto. They're beautifully built, but not wildly interesting things.
@@Imp5011 Agreed also. With so much rust is the W123 ever going to be worth the effort? Also Freelander, unless you really need an off roader…..
You will kick yourself if you sell that 75 highly doubt you will get another example in that condition, mileage etc again. I’d move on the Freelander and/or the Volvo.
Very interesting video. I would like to see you make a video on the Volvo where you go all over the car and try to find out if you can make it a little more economical with fuel. Would give some interesting generic lessons for other people too.
21mpg out of a 4 cylinder Volvo with a 5 speed manual gearbox tells me something is radically wrong! Our 81 240DL estate had the 2.1 litre and 3 speed auto gearbox and did a reasonable 28mpg when laden for a family vacation. My 391,000 mile 1990 240DL estate with the AW-70 overdrive automatic returns a solid 35mpg. It will do 450 miles on a single tank.
@@michaeltutty1540 yeah, I agree, it's insane. Maybe Matt should consult Sledge from @Involvo'd , would make a nice colab too 😁
@@michaeltutty1540My bet is the Lamda Sund; had it on my 1990 460 GLE under warranty at the time in '94. This has the hallmarks, except for the "hunting revs".
I think the 75 should go and continue with the flipping series. You could investigate the Volvo fuel economy and do a video on that but perhaps that could be next to leave when you next want to bring in a new fleet member. I definitely think there is more content with the Tourer, feels like unfinished business there, same with the W123 and Rover V8, I'd be gutted to not see you finish those!
If it’s a straight choice between the Volvo and the Rover 75, then I’d say sell the 75. The resale value of the 75 is good, which means more money for the next project. Also you already have 3 other Rovers.
The Volvo has also just driven to Sweden and back and originally was never going to be a keeper. So purely from a sentimental point of view I think it deserves to stay.
The other option would be to sell the Freelander.
Keep the 420gsi whatever you do. That's the car I am looking forward to you restoring most
Brilliant video matt,
Get rid of the Rover tourer too much work and money. Personally I'd keep the volvo but you can part if you wanted. But you MUST keep the rover 200vi and rover 75 please. There far too good to get rid.
Personally, I still think the Mini old one is too much work and mega money. Personally never like the Crown Vic but I know you love that car haha
The mercedes and old rover I think would benefit from moving on.
Freelander camper van must stay haha
But at the end of the day there your cars and your choosing to sell or keep whatever 😊
After watching the video, while walking my dog, I thought about the question raised here which cars should be sold. The answer is actually quite obvious; sell that modern mercedes with its annoying automatic gearbox. Use the freed up money to upgrade the Volvo and get the Mercedes 230E on the road fast along with Rover 75 and the Freelander they should easily get the 20,000 miles a year you do with that Mercedes thing now and it gives us viewers a lot extra viewing pleasure!
Having owed a Volvo 740. I always regretted letting it go. Even 14 years later I miss the 740 for the relaxing comfort it provided.
Two years ago, I declined to buy a 740 for €500, and bought an MCW Metrocab for €1200 instead.
Although I love the Ford/Reliant/Austin/MCW collage aspect of the 1976 chassis Taxi, I still regret passing on the Volvo....
*sigh* ...some day.....
Very honest and fair valuations Matt. The unfortunate fact of times of inflation is that all classic car values will keep increasing as the cost of restoring or replacing is increasing. Your R50 Mini is considered the last of the Rover Mini development program and will attract buyers from Rover, Austin Mini or Leyland groups. Anything BMW designed is a different story.
I think the old merc & rover that both need work should go. You haven’t fixed them after years. Chances are slim
To be honest, the 75 has still a long way to go in terms of becoming a classic so you might be selling it too soon, whereas the volvo might have more of that classic premium realized already. Also the Freelander seems like an obvious choice given that it is still 4 wheel drive which would demand a premium. As someone driving a ZS180 KV6 with cam belts needing a change, selling a car at the right time in terms of future bills is worth a lot and I guess the Freelander would fit that category.
Definitely interesting and a bit of a pickle to be in. As much as I like the 75, with it being low mileage I’d be scared to ruin it so it’d between it and the ovlov. I’d like to see the story of the 400 Tourer continue, as I think there’s a lot to see there (and to help resist the temptation to buy one myself by watching you 😅). Nevertheless, interested to see what the changes will be!
I think the potential money pit is the Freelander so that would be my choice to get rid of.
Not the Volvo!!!! You just had a marvellous adventure in it! Sort out the extreme consumption and enjoy the legacy! It is a car that never will me produced again, so it is unique for what it is. Just because it is a sedan, these are harder to come by that the estates... but then again, I always loved the underdogs...
Very interesting video and all good news for you that your fleet has seen a significant increase in value relatively recently.
I think your valuations are pretty accurate too, some a little under where i see them , one or two a little over.
Older cars are difficult to value especially rare ones and some asking prices on car&classic certainly don't reflect true market value.
I find forums, owners clubs and latterly Facebook groups hilarious on valuations too. If someones selling its worth 4 grand , if they're buying it 1200 quid.
As the old saying goes 'a cars worth what someone will give you for it'
Freelander, Volvo, Rover 75 would be my choices to go
I think it comes down to how much further you can go with them. I think there is a lot more you can do with the tourer, I feel like the 75 is just too good to let go and you need to have adventures with it and the 200Vi is a definite future classic. I love the Volvo but I feel like you've done what you set out to do with it and more. You've saved it, you've improved it, you've had the adventure and now you don't really use it so much. Might be time to move it on but I know there is one thing it still has to do first
Whichever ones you choose, I would suggest doing a bit of a sweep, rather than stopping at 1 or 2. Some of those cars you'll never get round to, because there are only so many days in the year. Just keep the ones you expect to continue working on, obviously starting with the Morris Mini.
I don't envy you your task.
We love them all and would be sorry to see any of them go.
There was Ian trying to downsize his fleet by selling a car and then goes and buys another one to get home.😂
Maybe play Euromillions on Friday?
I did buy a ticket tonight, Im still waiting for the email...
I vote for the 75 to go. As you said using it, and putting miles on it, will only devalue it
86k subs blimey you’re on a roll now congratulations 🎉
Interesting cunundrum to have Matt. Personaly I'd be getting rid of the Freelander or the Merc 123 - or both. Can't imagine the Merc being any better than the Volvo on fuel economy. The Volvo really stands out in styling and seems like there's a few more tinkering videos in it yet. The Rover 75 is just too dmned nice to sell.
I couldn't agree more!!
Oh please keep the Volvo, I have a ‘86 740 and I love seeing the repair and driving videos of it.
Keep the volvo
Totally agree that Volvo is brilliant too many of them have left us it’s great to see one live and be loved
Save the block of flats.
Rest are scrap😂
Didn't know UK prices were so far removed from other EU prices. On the continent, lots of people really think their old car / project is actually made of pure gold. If they can't get the amount they want, they would rather export it or just scrap it, than sell it to an enthusiast
For the chopping block, I would sell the 75 first without a doubt, it's a proper car, but it hasn't got much use / content to it.
Second it would be dilemma between the Volvo 740 and the Rover 400 Tourer.
The Volvo only has a bit of content (e.g. fuel usage analysis, squeeky fanbelt) left and takes up a ton of space. I'm not sure if it would sell quickly though. It has got tons of character though.
The Rover 400 Tourer is a nice car, but the extra costs to get it at desired level would surpas the extra value it would add to the car. It might also sell quickly to another Rover enthusiast, who can tackle the restoration job.
That 740 is a lovely car.
I would honestly say, that maybe you need to jot down a Pro/Con list. I know the Rover was part of the repair & flip series, but I feel you will be sad after it goes, especially as Rover's become rarer.
I would be sad to see the Volvo go but I think the road trip to Sweden was the pinnacle for the 740 on the channel. I have a huge soft spot for this car. Firstly it was watching you restore it in 2020 that brought me to the channel. Secondly, my dad had a 760 GLE in the late 1980's, seeing a 700 series evoked many happy memories.
It is hard to part with a beloved member of the fleet. I have just done that myself. Sold my K10 Micra to make room for a Daihatsu Sirion automatic. Issues with my feet can leave me struggling with a clutch pedal at times, so an automatic is a must for me.
Tough decisions, but I think you need to lose 2 or 3 cars to make way for more flippable motors and desirable classics in need of a freshen up such as a 156 v6 Busso 😊 The Volvo is ready to go after it’s fantastic swan-song road trip to Sweden. The 75 is the other obvious choice for reasons you already covered. Additionally the W123 needs a lot of time and work which I think would be better utilized on the new Mini project, which I think is more YT friendly too. My 2 cents.
I've had both a 740 and a 75 (and a ZT for that matter). Would be the 75 going for me.......they are great cars but for me, they still don't feel like classics. The 740 definitely does and the Saloon will end up being desirable because they will become rare just because everyone wants an estate!!
I’ve recently done the same calculation for my fleet and yes it’s frightening to add them all up
Matt, that is a question that I can't possibly answer!!! (Actually, this American would get rid of the Crown Vic....too much association with "the law" for me, despite being a responsible driver.) But you'd be foolish to get rid of that because of the interesting history on it, and the difficulty in replacing a police spec car not used for police duty (and abuse including high speed pursuits and doughnut runs). I would never get rid of the Volvo (that's me) as I too am in love with the 1980s styling. The Rover 75 entered the fleet as a flip, and though I would not get rid of it myself especially if I had one imported into the USA under the "25 year rule", a similar car would not be especially rare to acquire. Still, I would think that is a keeper. Probably the Alfa Cloverleaf would be my choice. I love Alfa Romeo cars, but this just seems like a "Gussied-up FIAT" or "FIAT in drag", etc because it is a hatchback. I am also not big on 1990s cars. You asked, so I only offer these thoughts. May you make a wise decision!!! Cheers, Matt, and thanks so much for these videos that keep me from being furious!
The old Benz - too much work; the Rover estate and maybe the 75 can hang around for a bit before that goes. The old Mini is sufficiently rare enough to restore though it'd be costly to do so. The Freelander can stay because it's always useful to have a vehicle like that around. What's the latest on the V8 P6?
If I had to choose I'd keep the Alfa, the Volvo, the Crown Vic, the two Minis and the Freelander because of it's family and camping abilities. And maybe the P6 that's running. These are the cars I think from watching your chanel your heart is really beating for.
Keep the cars your really enjoy. Might be time to get rid of some projects
I'm down to one car currently a 2007 Ford Sport Ka 1.6 SE.....sold all my rovers. my mercedes and jag...needs must at the time ..eventually i hope to build the fleet back up..but in the words of phil hucknell ..money's to tight mention
I hope u keep Volvo and the mercedes w123 I love watching your videos please keep the Volvo it's reliable though
I'd sell the 75. You have to stick to your flip series. Put the profit in the kitty and then fix up the 420 (paint it yourself!) and sell that too. Then you will really have some cash in the pocket to buy your next flip project.
Good shout frank
I have just done the same, but on a smaller scale as all of mine need something doing. I sold the van (sorry to rob you of a future video), and am putting the proceeds into the Signum and Focus to get them near perfect.
IMO, sell the slow burn projects, the 123, 740, V8 P6, and maybe the GSI Tourer as they don't fetaure that often in the channel. The proceeds could then sort the Tomcat and the Morris. I reckon the Morris resto videos will more than pay for itself in the long term.
However, I only say that because you asked for opinions. A lot of people say similar things to me and I quietly shake my head.
Not only have they been a good investment. They’ve also been good for your channel and probably made a little bit of money from advertising royalties.
I’d say the 740 has to stay. I’d be looking at selling the Freelander and/or the 75. The project I’m most looking forward to seeing work on is the 420 GSi and some money from the sale of one or both of the above could see some good headway made on the 420.
I think Volvo, Rover 75 and the freelander. You seem quite attached to your other Rovers so I think you need longer to think about selling any of those. I should add up my fleet, but as most need a fair bit of work it would be very difficult. Currently I have 2x Land Rover defenders 90 & 110, mk2 polo breadvan, VW T4 van, 2005 Mini Cooper r50, Ford transit mk4 camper van and the super fun one a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon 2003 😃 they all appear on my small channel. I am currently doing a lot of welding on the T4 and oh I forgot my work van 2004 merc sprinter. Having a fleet of vehicles is fun isn’t it 🤔 good video 🙂👍
I would sell off the 75, the 145, the 123 and one of the P6's. The 2 potential incomers, you might have already bought them , have got to keep the channel balanced and interesting as far as driving and work needed. I don't feel that the 123 can be brought up to a good standard without some pro help whereas the auto Mini is a more DIY project. I feel you can also toss coins on any of the other Rovers and get rid of 2 of them. Give some fun to others. Same with the Freelander. It's nice now and that's the time to sell. That rids you of about half of your cars and finds you space for the 2 newcomers with a chunk back in the bank to get to work on them.
I must admit, I don't "get" Rover 75s. I'm sure a 1.8 turbo is more efficient than a V6 but life's too short for 4-pots when there are so many more interesting cars and engines around. The Alfa's shape doesn't float my boat either and I'm not sure what it actually "does" on the fleet? Talking of which, the Merc doesn't seem to be earning it's keep either. If you can't envisage yourself actually doing anything in the next 6 months with a car, then it is time to go. Just sitting there making you feel good is fine though, that is a reason to stay.
I’d be really sad to see the Volvo go but as long as it went to a loving home then I could understand the logic behind it. Hippo is fun but not really in the vibe of the channel. The 75 is fabulous but would probably be better earning you a few pennies. The 420 Tourer is definitely a keeper, as is the Tomcat - I love the however the 200Vi and I think I’d rather have it over the Tomcat. The Crown Vic and 147 should go nowhere. The W123 is a lovely car but I feel you should concentrate efforts and energy to other projects. The R50 Mini is great but doesn’t really fit into the fleet anymore and is properly better in the hands of a collector which would probably make it quite valuable although I get the investment value lol. Very good video Matt and not at all showy - especially compared to Hoovie lol
Keep the Volvo and sell the 75 for serious money! So you can work on the tourer! And perhaps a new banger project to gain more cash for your ongoing projects and lovely content for the chanel! You have to much history with the Volvo! Give her some more attention and hopefully it will still her thirst a bitt! And it will gif us lovely content! Good luck with making the right decision Matt! It will be hard, but keeping the Volvo is the right one!😜
If I were holding on to that fleet, I'd have to consider box-ticking to work out what ought to go. Two categories in particular.
Waftmobiles - the Volvo, the R40, the Crown Vic, the P6s, the W123 - you have quite a few! The P6 V8 has been War & Peace on this channel (ie never-ending) and as soon as it's fit to go, it should go. You'll still have the other P6 anyway. What's more, as an engine-swapped car, it would also serve as a market marker for the P6 fraternity. Just one thing - we want to see it on the road - some fruits for all that labour - before you sell it! That W123 must be a giant millstone round your neck, but you want it as a project, so 'finish' it and get shot of it ASAP afterwards.
Funmobiles - the Alfa, the R50, the R3, the Tomcat. As you said, it might come down to what feels like an event when you get in it, so the 200vi ought to go.
Matt, keep just 7 - the ones you love most. Get rid of the money pits. 2 keepers (e.g. Mini R50, Freelander for hols), 2 for fun (eg. 200 Vi, 75) and 2 long-term projects (e.g. Morris Mini, one P6) plus 1 short-term flipper for content. Bin all the others e.g. P6, 230E, C5, 740, 220, 420, 145 and Crown Vic. 🙈🙉🙊
Have you ever driven an Alfa 145 Cloverleaf? I am on my third having had two Honda CRXS and a Suzuki Swift Gti (1991). Drive, then decide!
Devalued some off your motors,
Your very modest, all your cars hold something special to you in each off there own ways,
Just so cool to own different cars,
Id say sell the landy, 75 as you was going to flip and the volvo 😊 you've enjoyed a lot off miles,
Keep your crown vic and your rovers for sure apart from 75 👌💪,
Keep moving forward
Enjoy your videos
The fact you are talking about the 75, the Vi and the 740 says they have to go first. Then do a series of videos fixing the others that need work and clear them out one by one. Then buy new different stuff to keep the channel fresh. I love the fixing videos and be good for some new editions
W123 I would sale on to make room for the mini ! As your have that mini in the garage at home to work on 👍
Adding to my comment, sorry noting your tag line, broken rovers, shattered dreams, I think your love of these last of the line British cars shows and does enthuse the audience. You are keeping them alive.
Sadly an old Volvo is just a volvo...
The 75 makes sense a that was bought to sell on. As does the Volvo as you've had a memorable adventure in it. I'd also say the Freelander as well. That should open up some space and get some cash in to fund future projects
I would not sell the Volvo after the road trip and the memories you have of it. You will regret it, as finding one like it in the future will be impossible. I had a 740 like that and sold it because I had too many other cars. Guess which one I missed the most, lol. Even now, the look is classy and distinct; there was nothing like it again in the 1980s. It makes you smile, as you said, and nothing else can do that, sadly. It's the only one in the fleet that does not look the same. I'm not sure anything would have been as good as driving all the way you did and making it back. It would have been as much fun on your budget. I have been a subscriber to your channel since the very start, even watching your camera channel. I would sell the flip car; putting more miles on it will make it lose money fast. Sell the rover like you said you would.
If it was me I would sell the 200Vi, Alfa and Tomcat. Probably the Volvo too just due to lack of use. The Merc 230e and 1 of the P5s.
I like the 75, 400 Tourer and Freelander, R50 Mini and Crown Vic and would happily sit and watch more work being done on these. Especially the 400, would love to see that back to looking good.
I killed off a load of my fleet this year, went from 6 to 2. Decided to keep 1 old and 1 new as the costs are too high to keep cars nowadays. Gone are my days of owning 6 cars, 2 vans and a double decker bus 😂😂
W123 to go. I can tell you are sick of it and see it as overwhelming. Little financial gain from what you would need to spend on it. You would regret getting rid of the Volvo, lovely example, rare, and I can tell you have love for it. The 75 is similar
I think you main issue is not financial or even numbers, it's that you have two projects that require a lot of time. Either the 68 Mini or the Merc W123 while not sellable should be put into cold storage until the other one is complete otherwise you suffer that problem of lack of focus, which becomes lack of progress. It's a real, negative spiral.
The ones I would get rid are
Rover 420
The merc 123
Rover 75
Freelander
Alfa romeo
After reading through some of the comments, it seems a few would prefer if you ditched more than 1 of the fleet, harsh but probably true, common picks are Freelander, Mercedes, Volvo, Rover estate, Rover 75, but you probably picked up on that. Tough decisions to be made.
Love this. My collection is only 3 cars (though they couldn't really be more different). It is nice to see your collection is even more different (lot's of Rovers though ;) )
I keep enjoying your vids!
Sell the 75. Get rid of one Rover and keep the others for now. I'd ditch the Merc W123 as well, as I think you're up to your gills in big cars.
Keep the Volvo 740, but investigate those fuel economy woes. Those big Volvos were never great on MPGs, though not horrendous. I love the blue interior on that car, anyways.
I'm most interested in the Morris Mini project for what it's worth.
Heres my take, and after watching I didn't know half of these cars and I've been watching for 18 months. Some of these are redundant I think.
I also think the value of these cars are higher, especially if you sold them on Bidding Classics or Car & Classic, simply for TH-camr tax. You could easily add 15-20% onto the value of any vehicle because their history has been documented over the years in video.
Morris Mini - Keep, it's a good channel car for a long term project.
Rover 2000 - Leave the paint, sell it.
Rover P6 - Keep, modified cars good for the channel.
Merc 230E - Sell, too much work for one man solo.
Sin C6 - Keep, just a fun summer toy.
Volvo 740 - Sell, it's worth a few quid and it's a easy quick sale.
Tomcat - Life car, keep her.
Rover Estate - Leave the paint, sell it and use the cash to paint the Tomcat.
Rover 200 Vi - Maybe flog it back to previous owner for a silly value (£4000?) and see what they say...?
Cloverleaf - Keep it, they'll be worth 25k in 10 years.
Interceptor - Cool car in UK. Would make an awesome car for a Europe roadtrip series.
Y Reg Mini - Keep it, very cool car for people in the know.
Freelander - Sell it ASAP! It's worth mega money! £2500+
Rover 75 - Not in the spirit of the trade up series, but I'd say that if a car is worth a lot more than the trade a sale is allowed. Easy sale for £4350.
I think the Volvo, the Freelander and the W123 are the main ones to go. The Volvo and Freelander are both runners and easy to move on. The 75 sort of fills the spot for the both of them.
The W123 is great, but you've had it for ages and it's still not there yet. It's also evident that when it comes to the classic saloons you seem more attached to the P6 V8. And as for restos the Morris is far more interesting, and will be worth far more once finished.
The 420 still has lots of value in terms of content, maybe have a go painting it yourself? Both the VI and the 145 are a bit too rare to let go of. If you do the chances of finding another are slim. Same for the '01 R50 to a lesser extent, however of that set it's probably the one to move on and I say that as a fellow '01 R50 owner. If someone offered me a swap for a Vi it would be gone immediately!
And let's be honest, there's 0 chance you'll let go of the White P6, Tomcat and the Crown Vic.
Agreed, that's my thinking as well. Plus the Freelander while practical for a dog car, is a boring automatic.
The Rover 75 gives you such a good return you only need to sell that one.
"I like hot hatches"... P6, P6, W123, 740, Crown Vic, 75... There's a pattern, Matt 😅
Will see you on Sunday. My 2017 184,000 mile Volvo V40 will be at the Motorist, hopefully without taking out wildlife en route this time!
Sorry, Matt, but my wife has just seen this video and reckons you're an inspiration to women up and down the country. You may have inadvertently spooked the classic car market - tearful men will soon be selling off, en masse, their cherished wheels. I'd consider starting a home improvement channel.
Great video Matt and very interesting
I would like to see the volvo 75 vi tomcat and Alfa stay and then the p6s and crown vic but the merc 420 are way much work and expense and should go
The Alfa, the W123 and the Freelander. I'm partial to keeping the Volvo lol. The Crown better stay, thats been a dream car for you! Same with the pre production Mini.
Yeah I'd be selling the 75 I think. Very nice but what does it have that no other fleet member has?
-Not much content left in it for the channel
-Nice to drive and comfy but you have others in the fleet that tick those boxes.
-Actually too nice / low mileage to be used often, especially with a family/dogs etc.
I think you need to reduce your fleet by several cars. That would mean we see more of each individual car and the progress on them isn't so slow burn.
Only logical that you count in the value of the cars for this channel, but how I see it, there's just a lot of projects going on. And us viewers would also love to see some of them finished 🙂. For me personally, I'm looking forward to how the Mercedes 230E and the Morris mini will turn out. As you've got a lot of Rovers, I would choose the 400 tourer to let go, however rare it may be. If it has to be the Volvo or the Rover 75, I'd choose to sell the Volvo. Economically it makes more sense, I think and how you describe it, the 75's the nicer and slightly faster car to drive. But as I said, that's how I see it - the (difficult) choice is yours to make. 😀 Wish you the best of luck with it.
For me rhe Freelander, Mercedes and Volvo are the prime contenders to go, maybe the VI too. Just to free up space, time and money to make progres on the other projects. Love the 75, but think it needs to go as intended too.
I love that Y reg Mini.. Hope to see it one day in the flesh. What are you bringing to the Social this weekend Matt?
That will have to get either Volvo or 75 just for the load space on them, probably the rover as it’s better on fuel
It's an especially thought choice for you Matt because you are looking at the problem from two ends.
In the one hand certain cars are good for TH-cam such as the ones which are ongoing project.
On the other hand there are the cars you want to have in your collection because you like them.
I'd say the Volvo has earned its keep in terms of YT and probably isn't needed as you do have other large cars.
You could also ask the question of how many R8's and P6's do you need on the fleet?
I live all the Rivers as you well know.
The other question is how likely would it be that you could later re acquire any of these if you come to.regrett selling.
Only you can really answer many of the above questions because what these cars mean to you will differ to what someone else feels.
One thing for sure if you do move on some of the more valuable fleet members it may create opportunities to invest in the ongoing restoration if some of your cars which could be both good for YT and as part of your long term collection.
See you Sunday.
I look forward to seeing which ever car you bring this time.
A very interesting and certainly thought-provoking video, Matt.
Lots of differing views being expressed in the comments!
My fleet faves are the Tomcat and the Mini R50, so they would have to stay.
For me - the W123, the four-pot P6, the Alfa and the Volvo should go.
The Morris Mini is a very long-term project.
And, as others have said, that big new Merc should go. Put the money saved into getting the Morris Mini finished, the paint done on the Tomcat and the Tourer and general maintenance on the others.
You love Rovers, so the 75 should stay, despite being bought as a flipper.
I would love to see you add an 827 Vitesse and a Van den Plas V8 SDI…
Decisions, decisions..!
Best of luck!
Gosh this is a tricky one. Here's my thesis. 1. Take the profit 2. Invest to accelerate future fun 3. Get the Millstones off your neck... So what does that mean? 1. Take the profit & sell The 75, The Crown Vic, the Volvo, the Vi, the Alfa and the white P6 2. Invest in the Mini Auto and the V8 p6 3. Sell the Tourer ,the Tom Cat, the w123 (too far gone) Keep the Y reg Mini(Growth in this) & the Freelander (always need a 4wd) . So this culls the collection down to 4... but you can do a really great job on the Mini Auto & Rover V8.. quickly... continue the project on selling up (Mondeo. Beetle, Idea, 75) Series. I do think you are 'over' Rover-ed.. In this way you are super focussed and still have some spare for a new project. (and some space the clear out the home Garage) Amen
Interesting video there Matt
Makes you wonder what all these older cars are really worth I have to say if it was me I would keep the 75 where are you going to find another one with that history provinance and that low mileage it’s always nice to see rovers on the channel no matter what age they are
You can never ever have too many cars! You should just be able to pay road tax as one big lump sum say £1600 per year for all your cars.
Here where I am in Victoria Australia once a car is over 20 years old we can put it on club plates which allows you to drive 90-120 days per year for very minimal road tax.
I would probably get rid of the Freelander or rover 75 if I absolutely had to choose.
No chance of that here! the Gov'nt wants to force old cars off the road; doing away with MOT's for >40's is an accident waiting to happen.
Totally correct. What a turnover from 500 initials. Well done FD.
I know you love the 75, sir, and honestly I dismissed it straight away as a car that you would need to keep. However, we also own a 1998 Volvo C70 T5 with 21,000 miles which we've owned from new. We prefer not to add a lot to the miles. It costs the most just doing nothing. It's not worth a lot but to us, we treat it like a £250,000 supercar..! Total garage queen. We have about 10 or 11 cars here, and really unless I'm going on a motorway run at 10pm on a summer's evening, I prefer driving everything else because I don't need to worry about it. The 75 will become that car for you. You'll make it pristine and then...? You have to keep it pristine. It will be money out every year meanwhile I don't believe values of them will dramatically rise. Also I'm not sure the 1.8t is as desirable as the V6. In that same parking space, if you continue the series you were on, you could have another 8 cars this year, coming and going.
I'm obviously a Volvo (and Saab) fan, and I was getting ready to be disappointed that you're going to sell the 740. However, that's the car you used during lockdown. That's the car that took you to Sweden. And really I think there are still more videos in that car, but only you know the analytics. As we also have a 940, I know for a fact this car will not cost you a lot to look after. You can park it for 5 years, and it will start when you come back to it. I also believe its value will increase with no money in on your part. The 75 is probably at its peak, it can go only 1 way. The 740 is, in my view, the opposite.
Either way, good luck with your decision - we're all invested on this one!
I keep saying this, but I'd love to see you turbocharge the Volvo. The engine bay is huge so the logistics are perhaps less challenging than any other car, and if you could find a limited slip diff and perhaps play with the suspension, you could have a proper sleeper there.
I can understand selling the Volvo now it’s had its epic trip, but I’d be sad to see it go as it’s one of my faves. I think the 75 was a great find but you should polish a little more money into it and move it on while it’s nice. I’d sell the hippo and the VI too so you’d have more space time and money to put into the mini and 400 tourer. I feel like the 123 is just a massive pain that’s getting in the way of other projects, but I think you feel differently. Really wanna see the v8 finished though and it won’t be cheap!
Just recently bought a reno Twingo RS. Think you would love it. Very reasonably priced Renault sport
I totally agree that your fleet is far more interesting than a rich kid's collection of super/hypercars which come with a chiropractor on call or someone's incredibly valuable warehouse filled with classics. To be blunt (and I know this is entirely subjective), I'd lose more than a couple of cars; I think you're spreading yourself too thin, and too many of the cars are not being used regularly. I know you won't agree but I'd keep the 740 and sell the Crown Vic, The Alfa and the Tomcat. 🙂
Mmmmm. I'd sell the Alfa, the modern Rover saloon, the Freelander and maybe one of the P6s. Even though the Volvo is difficult to park in the barn, that would be a keeper for me. I can't really get excited about the Crown Victoria, but you've been after one for a while so enjoy it for a bit!
I love the Volvo and would really enjoy seeing more content in it. Fix it up and drive it down to Spain next time! It's got history with you and that's important. The 75 can go as could the Merc and the Freelander (as much as I love those)
Great video Matt. My own preference would be to move on the Mercedes, Volvo and Alfa
Perhaps sort by theme? One of each type of vehicle (convertable, coupe, sedan/saloon, station wagon/estate - and perhaps manual/auto) or one from each era (1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s 90s)?
Or one from each country - gives you automatically a larger allowable collection 🙂
No matter which one(s) you choose, there'll be disappointed people so just go with whatever makes you happy. Personally I think the 75 should go as you can't add much more value and therefore there's not much more content either. You could store it in the hope of it appreciating significantly but there's cost involved with that, and it's not definite that they'll go up in value by a decent amount. The profits could go towards the Mini resto. The Volvo should go too, as again there's not much scope for further content and you've given it a great send off with the museum trip.
simple one. make it a rover collection. you seem to love them quite a lot and they are underappreciated thus far. all else goes.
I've only ever had space for a single car at any one time but I know if I had a big driveway or a barn I'd fill it with cheap cars like FD has... As the video says, the market is certainly healthy so plenty of 'profit' to be had (we'll ignore all the improvements etc). If I was looking to optimise the fleet I'd just be thinking about what I would (or could) do with each car in the next year or two - ie. which shows would you take them to, or what road trips would you do, what series of videos could you make, etc. If you can't think of anything or another car would be better for it then that car's for the chop.
What I do with the fleet (therefore you should do the opposite): I think I'd keep the Merc and Alfa as project/content cars. Sell all but one of the 'barges' - Volvo, 75, Crown Vic - keep the remaining one for road trips or long runs (I'd favour the Ford). Tomcat would be a good GT/road trip car for this summer, and then perhaps sell off. 420 estate (that I really like) seems to not have much of a purpose, so sell. Keep one of the 200vi or Mini as an amusing hot hatch 'daily' (although is the Mini too good to use). Freelander seems to have a use as a workhorse for towing, dirty tip runs, bad weather shed, etc.
Sinclair C5 doesn't count as a car 🙂
That would free up a load of space and money, plus time to concentrate on the interesting project cars.
Just keep your Merc Estate, Misses Furious Mini, Rover V8, Crown Vic and then keep the 75 until you flip to the next car.
Maybe an extra one for content?
So much work to do, you'd feel less stressed if you reduce your fleet to?
As someone who may be about to lose his storage, I am having to have a similar conversation with myself. If I were in your position (which I do not envy) I would sell the 75 while it’s good, the freelander while it’s working, the tourer as the money you’ll have to put in it won’t return much (plus you have the tomcat for that r8 itch). As others have said use the Volvo for fuel improvement content (as I have a first year 940 estate, I’m biased) and as for the merc, I think we’d rather see the v8 p6 and original mini get the tinkering hours spent on them.
Coming from
Australia, I can’t believe what good cars you can buy for so little money in the UK!
W123, Volvo, Rover 75, Rover Touring and 200Vi for me!
I'd love the Rover 75 - I have a 2010 Alfa Romeo 159 ti 2.0 jtdm sportwagon which is going for a song if you are interested.
Enjoyed this video Matt! Personally I'd say sell both the Volvo and the 75, plus the 200 Vi, then get stuck into the old Mini and 230E Merc. Cheers, Al from Western Australia