Suzuki SV650
Am in a bit of a situation and would like a bit of friendly advice!
I currently own a 51 plate Flame Red 172, and on the 30th of September I am going away travelling for a whole year, so obviously I will not use the car or need it. Now I need to have a bit of a think with what I can do with her obviously.
The car is modded (or differs from standard) as such; FK Coilovers, ITG Panel Filter & 182 wheels, Cup splitter, Janspeed silenced de-cat pipe, Viper Bellmouth kit cut into the lower front grille. Soon (HOPEFULLY!) to have an ITG Maxogen kit, and Ive sprayed the engine cover red.
I do not have a garage or anywhere personally where I can keep the car, she resides on the street at the moment. My insurance was renewed in March, although I am likely to change my insurance from Tesco to Greenlight as it will save me around £500 a year. My brother is only 17 and hasnt even started driving lessons yet, although when he turns 18 next March and gets his hands on some money he has saved up he would be able to afford insurance on a 172, (although it would be sky high and probably not be a sensible thing for him to do!) My Mum cannot drive manual cars due to a disability and I do not have any other family that would be willing to look after my car for me.
The car is taxed until May 2006, and the MOT expires in November sometime. She has around 28,500 miles on the clock, two previous lady owners and full Renault service history, receipts etc etc... She cost me £8000 last November and has had around £1200 of work carried out on her since she developed an oil leak (and various Renault faults).
Do I;
A) Keep the car as she is, let someone borrow or look after it for a year, having it insured under their name and losing a bit of money on the tax that will have to be kept on it, also bearing the brunt of the depreciation when I get back, but still having a lovely car when I get back!
B) Restore the car to standard and sell her, thus taking away the loss of depreciation I will suffer whilst away from the UK, and buy another car when I get back from my travels. Also doing this will free up cash from the mods which essentially are easy to take off & replace with of course the original parts which I still have.
C) Dont think this is really a sensible option, but selling the car modded as she is.
D) Store her off road, insure her for off road use only, save money on the tax, and just have her serviced or inspected now and again to ensure the brakes dont seize/battery goes flat etc.
or E), (which I have a scary feeling will be the easiest reply to agree with), spend some of my graduate loan and leave my car with Nick Hill/GDI/whoever for a year and let them tune the b****cks off of her.
If anyone else has been in a similar situation, Id appreciate to know what you did and if in your eyes, proved to be a sensible solution. I think at the moment option B looks like the best thing to do, but Id find it hard to sell and part with such a lovely car!
Cheers, and I hope people are enjoying the sun we have around today, well, certainly in Leicester anyway!
Steve.