I know that the 2008 Mugen Si is not really any better performance wise than the regular 4 door Si, but does anyone think that because of limited numbers (1000 I believe) that the car will someday be worth a lot of money? I am sure many of you have sat and listened to your fathers or grandfathers say "If i had only kept that Yenko Camaro, or Mustang Shelby, or GTO Judge that I paid $4000 for brand new I'd be able to sell it for some ridiculous amount right now." I am in no way trying to compare these types of cars to old muscle cars in terms of performance, but more in terms of rarity. Any opinions would be nice, as I am looking at one with 12,000 miles all orininal (obviously) at my local dealership. I would look to drive the car less than 2000 miles per year, and it would spend the rest of the time in a garage covered up. Thanks in advance for any ideas...

 

i would buy one,just too say i have one. I work for honda and there has been two mugen si that been stolen or stripped on dealership grounds,so mugen si's are going to be extremely rare one day!!!! So just buy it,and dont worry about other people.

 

Probably won't ever appreciate in value, just probably a longer retention of value.

ITR is a great example, even the 97 ones in good shape are selling for $4k or so less than they were bought for way back when.

 

Honestly, I dont see a honda becoming a rarity and making much money down the line. Atleast not the ridicoulous price like your were talking aobut with a judge. However, I would assume a few years down the line that the Mugen with all Original parts in mint would be worth a little money over what it is now. How many years I dont know and how much, but as of now the Mugen SI is the worst marketing scheme Honda has ever come up with. I would only assume that the person buying your car would be a huge Honda Fanboy so maybe if the mods come through for the Si, you could look to make some profit on the car.

All is a big maybe, you might lose money in the long run. Maybe like said before your gonna lose a few k off what you paid. There will be buyers, but trying to make money on an old Honda is not a good investment IMHO.

 

It COULD be considered a worthwhile investment....if you plan on taking care of it. Not driving it everywhere as a daily driver, keeping it in a garage, etc. Just know that with a rare car like that...you're painting yourself a target....and there's someone out there that will want a piece of your car to.

Be careful

 

I live in Nowhere Pa, and nothing gets stolen around here but 4 wheelers and dirtbikes. There is always that chance though and I agree with you there. BTW for those reading the dealer is asking $21,500 for it...and the sales manager is a friend of mine how says we can work something out from that price...

 

I say if you are going to get a car then get the top model. Why settle for anything less? Sure you can get a si and dress it up with mugen parts but it's still a si. Same as if you dress a cat as a dog it's still a cat. lol. I say go ahead and get it before someone else does.

 

I will say this. A car need not be particularly rare to appreciate in value over a good amount of time.

An example, where I have personal experience is my dad's 1966 Plymouth Barracuda. There were 38,029 produced in '66, and while the Mustang outsold the Barracuda 8 to 1, they were hardly a very rare car. My dad's is also not a special edition in any way. It's a normal 273 (non-Commando/Formula S), 727 powered car. However, the car is in exceptional cosmetic and mechanical condition. It has 59,XXX all original miles on it and runs great. In 1966, a brand new Barracuda (optioned the same as my dad's) sold for $2,637. 4 years ago, my dad purchased his for $7,250 and within months of owning it, had multiple offers to buy the car for $10k+ cash in hand. N.A.D.A. values the car between $9450 (average retail value) and $16,000 (high retail value). My dad's car is definitely on the higher level, as far as all original cars go. His reason for buying the car was to drive it and enjoy it (as he does a lot during the spring/summer/early fall), not to make money off of it, but the car has already been a great investment.

The only reason I would ever buy a Mugen Si is if I wanted to keep it as a collector car (i.e.-maintain its original condition, drive it sparingly, etc.). Owning it as a daily driver does not make any sense to me. Keep in mind, it could take time for the car to appreciate it value (thinks decades), but I could see it happening.

Good luck with whatever path you choose.


*AND if they are seriously only asking $21k for it, get it.*

 

for that price Id jump it. ****, where is this dealership? maybe Ill drive up there and trade in the nhbp for her.

 

I should have mentioned I was figuring it would take decades to realize any sort of appreciation; I was thinking along the lines of 30 plus years, not 10. Point very well made on the Barracuda...Thanks! And yes I think for 20k between now and Christmas, and I could own it. After that and people have a little more change to work with it'll be gone in a heartbeat.

 

does the mugen si have a different VIN number?

 

No...oddly enough, every Mugen Si has the same VIN as one another.

I'm sure when you put the VIN into a computer, it would come up as a Mugen Si. But, I don't think there is a special number or code within every Mugen SI VIN that distinguishes them from other FBP FA5s outwardly.


And FYI VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. So VIN number would actually be Vehicle Identification Number Number.

 

Before i make an attempt to argue this topic, let me gain some background information.
Is the 2008 going to be the only year the produce a Mugen Si?
Do they have production number/ Badging number mounted on the armrest like ITR's.

 

Answers:

Question 1: Yes, for now at least
Question 2: No

 

how many in total? for now...

 

1,000

But before you start talking about rarity/exclusivity, read my above post about my dad's Barracuda. I believe any car, kept in excellent condition could be desirable, and more valuable in the distant future. Doesn't mean I'm right, but the past/present speaks for itself.

 

i don't think it'd be worth the hassle. i doubt it'll ever be worth more than what it cost new, and you'll have to go through the trouble of maintaning it, having it take up your garage space, etc. you'll still have to have at least theft insurance coverage on it since the parts are worth some $. i'd say its worth it if you're buying it as a dd, but not just to park in your garage praying that one day the value will go up.

 

Very true. And to be honest, I believe it could be a desirable car in the future. Depending on how much you pay and how much it will be worth in the future is another question. The Mugen Si has been sold well into the +30k range, but also sold in the low 20k range. As far as an investment, hold the variable of production constant, if you were able to get the car at a low price and flip it high then yes...investment. If you got it when it first came out when it was +30k then i see it less reasonable to get what you put in, but that maybe beside the point. I feel the car is rare enough to have an increasing value years from now based on the low production and performance of the vehicle.

My question is how much would you be looking to get when this vehicle has matured? $30k, $40k, $50k. IMO i think you are better off getting stocks and bonds, because a car is going to require maintenance expenditures like oil changes, gas, tires, storage space, etc. There are lots of die hard honda fan who collects rare US Acuras/Hondas.

Thats just my opinion, but i don't think something that can be stolen/stripped should be an investment, but then again that could increase the future desire of the car if you can keep her safe.

 

LoL didnt see your post, but same thing.

 

i was going to ask this before but forgot to. how much has the value of your dad's car gone up when taking into account inflation? pretend that your dad bought it brand new back in 66. with inflation taken into account, is the car still worth more than what it was new? i'm guessing no, or not very much at all (i'm not going to do the math myself). think about how much time and money it would've taken over the years to keep the car in that good of condition. even if the car's value has gone up a little, you're still probably going to lose money overall when you take into account all the costs. i don't think a car is ever worth keeping just to hope that the value goes up. buy the car for the pleasure of driving it, not to try to make a buck. chances are, you probably won't.

 

I am not trying to make a quick buck...I am just trying to get a feel for the distant future. I work on all of my own cars, and there won't be much maintenance on a car that will only be driven 1,000 miles per year.

 

Is this civic near Towanda? I thought I saw a used Mugen way out there about a month ago.

 

op. is. eeeeeeeetard.

 

Oh I agree at some level. I'm not sure of the value, taking inflation into account, but it doesn't really affect my dad, as he bought the car when it was already 35 years old. Someone already did all of the hard work. That being said, it could have potentially already made him money, but that's not why he bought the car. Keep in mind there was A LOT more maintenance to be done on a car 40 years ago, compared to today's vehicles. Cars were less reliable, more dangerous, and things broke a lot more often. Today, the routine oil change and occasional flush of fluids (along with wear parts replacement) is really all that needs to be done to keep a car in perfect working order. It's much cheaper (with inflation factored in) to maintain a car now, especially a Honda.

I said before that I'd only buy a Mugen Si from a collection standpoint. Most collectors aren't in the business of collecting for the money. They just like the feeling of having something rare. Some make a lot of money off of it, while some spend their entire life savings on worthless ehrlooms.

OP. If you want the car, get it. If you can afford to spend that much money of a car that you rarely drive, more power to you. Enjoy the car, and it's rarity when you do drive it. If it makes you a buck in the long run, it's an added bonus.

 

If you're getting a deal and going to store the car i'd say get it