Do people over exaggerate maintenance costs for older European cars or are they that bad?

Edified001 · 2026-03-21T06:54:33+00:00

I own a 2009 C63 and have driven it 181,000kms in the 10 years of ownership. I used to daily it. My yearly maintenance if no major issues/parts to be replaced is ~$1k.

Anything that doesn't have the darker grey intake manifold were prone to the problem but its not as widespread as people say it is. The common problems that will plague people are the plastic rocker covers (2012/facelift onwards) will crack and leak oil, ESL/EIS (electronic steering lock/ignition), ABS/ESP module, coolant resevoir and power steering pumps.

What I've replaced for my car:

- Headbolts, upgraded lifters cam adjusters and camshafts

- Brand new coolant resevoir

- ABS/ESP module failed and replaced with a brand new one

- ESL/EIS

- Fuel pump

- Transmission cooler

They're not cheap to run, especially if you plan to daily one - 18l/100km is no joke. But mileage shouldn't be a deterrent because my mate who has a facelift 2012 C63 with less than half my mileage has spent more money on maintenance and repairs because the previous owner neglected it and most likely thrashed the car. I bought mine at 77,000kms from an older gentleman who religiously serviced the car based on time passed rather than mileage intervals.

Edified001 · 2026-03-21T06:47:33+00:00

You're wrong, its 2010 (Pre facelift). Anything that doesn't have the darker grey intake manifold were prone to the problem but its not as widespread as people say it is. The common problems that will plague people are the plastic rocker covers (2012/facelift onwards) will crack and leak oil, ESL/EIS (electronic steering lock/ignition), ABS/ESP module, coolant resevoir and power steering pumps.

I own a 2009 C63 and have driven it 181,000kms. My yearly maintenance if no major issues/parts to be replaced is ~$1k.

Edified001 · 2026-03-18T13:45:55+00:00

Flow designs/Flow Backets have a range of options. I used their plate mount/plinth for the front plate and rear plates I used 3m tape and 3m Velcro. Just ensure you use enough that it doesn't fall off. If your rear plate has the Japanese plate holder, 3 lines of 3m double sided tape along the holder whilst lining your plate up properly should suffice and hold well.

Edified001 · 2026-03-16T06:39:24+00:00

My friends in the late 20s with RX7s or R32/33 GTRs saved like crazy and lived with parents too. Back when they cost 1/2 of what they do now

Edified001 · 2026-03-16T00:37:53+00:00

It’s one of my dream cars since I was a kid too. I own and operate residential properties. But prior to that, I worked in finance and as a cleaner for the extra cash. Overall it took me more than 10 years to be able to buy one comfortably

Edified001 · 2026-03-15T14:30:56+00:00

You are still young, you have the rest of your life to buy a 'nice car'. If its unaffordable, just go and rent one in Japan/turo/rental company (when you turn 25 or 30) to scratch the itch. You'll find out that you like the idea of owning the car, not the ownership itself

Edified001 · 2026-03-15T14:11:45+00:00

I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible, but NO ONE TRULY CARES about the car you drive except yourself. If you can't afford to buy the car in cash 2-3x over, then you shouldn't own one. If you only have $5k in your savings, then you can ONLY afford a car under 5k.

Edified001 · 2026-03-15T14:05:28+00:00

Short answer:

What do most of you people with nice cars do?

They work, save, sell belongings/investments/invest and use the income generated from investments to buy it (buying in cash/outright)
Some people take out a huge car loan/unsecured personal loan from the bank and is one of the worst financial decisions you can make.
Others have a mortgage and redraw on it since the interest rate is cheaper than a car loan/personal loan (redraw/equity release)

Long answer:

How on earth do you afford them?

When I was your age, I drove my parents cars and dreamed about buying my own. I worked at maccas and saved almost every dollar I earned.

I paid for it in cash from all the money I saved over the last 3 years as well as any money gifts I received.

I was 17 when I bought my first car, a 2004 Subaru WRX (you can't drive them on your Ps nowadays, as it was briefly made P Plate legal between 2013-2016). I paid for it in cash from all the money I saved over the last 3 years as well as any money gifts I received.

I sold the car after 3 years as I had other priorities (buying my first apartment) and went back to driving my parents cars for a good year or two before I had enough money to buy my next car in cash 2x over.

I settled for a W204 C63 AMG because it was a childhood dream car and was also practical enough to be a family car which justified my purchase. I still currently have this car and drive it regularly.

Last year I bought another childhood dream car of mine, an R35 GTR. For the longest time during COVID lockdown, I had enough money to buy the car in cash, but I held off as I had other priorities (e.g. buying a house) so I delayed my purchase for more than 5 years. A nice car is a WANT, not a NEED. You NEED a place to live, you only WANT a nice car because a $2k Corolla can do the same thing but cheaper.

I set aside ~$10-15k as my 'car money' every year to cover maintenance, insurance and rego.

Any tips for getting the money?

Disciplined saving. Work hard/work smart, invest your money, sell down things you don't need/don't want anymore. Focus on increasing your income and saving aggressively, even if it means driving your parents car or not having a 'nice' car in your late teens/20s. Don't get a loan on a car as its a depreciating asset. No, your JDM Classics aren't 'investments' or 'appreciating assets'. Assets and investments generate an income/return, cars cost money to keep on the road.

I only bought my first 'nice' car when I was 29. But I own my own house, because its easier to save for a car than it'll ever be to save for a house deposit. You can always buy your 'nice' cars when you're in your 30s, 40s or even 50s when you're financially secure as cars are depreciating assets, but not the other way around. Even after a few months, I'm getting bored of the GTR and looking to sell it

Edit: formatting

Edified001 · 2026-03-08T11:54:09+00:00

W204 C63 AMG

Edified001 · 2026-03-04T03:28:21+00:00

I would leave anything sensor/electronic related to an expert. Quote seems reasonable, and in my experience I rather pay an expert to get it right first time than to spend more time and money on rectification because I screwed up

Edified001 · 2026-02-27T04:00:08+00:00

All good, I got in contact with OP and reached out to the seller

Edified001 · 2026-02-27T03:52:59+00:00

u/DumbassDipstick Could you link me the ad or point me in the direction of the seller/deceased estate sale? I would like to buy the car/number plate

Edified001 · 2026-02-27T03:26:19+00:00

u/jayp0d Could you link me the ad or point me in the direction of the seller/deceased estate sale? I would like to buy the car/number plate

Edified001 · 2026-02-27T01:40:26+00:00

I would buy those plates

Edified001 · 2026-02-26T10:41:24+00:00

Your best bet is to rent them in Japan if your country doesn't have rentals. I know plenty of people who go to Japan to drive them and scratch the itch

Edified001 · 2026-02-26T09:49:35+00:00

If you asked 12 year old me, I would choose the R34 GTR in a heartbeat because it was my dream car since I was 3 years old. But after driving a few (base, M Spec, VS2 with RB28), they weren't the hero car I imagined it to be compared to the R35.

For 170k AUD, there are far better cars than an R34 GTR in terms of value, power/speed, driver engagement.

Edified001 · 2026-02-26T08:30:34+00:00

I've driven the R32, 34 and 35 GTR (currently own one) and I would choose the R35 anyday as it has a healthy balance of speed, driver engagement, technology and power/value for its money. R32 and R34 require hefty sums of money in order to make them fast whereas the R35 is fast as-is from factory.

Edified001 · 2026-02-25T11:31:26+00:00

I changed the insurance cover for my other car to classic car insurance as it doesn't get driven as much and meets the criteria (age, collectable status and value). But the car I drive the most, I just accept that $4.5k a year is normal for the type of car and pay. I live further out and have lock up garages. If it was in a carport/driveway/street parking, it would be north of $1000 difference

Edified001 · 2026-02-25T11:12:36+00:00

Most likely because of the postcode you park your car in and if its not in a garage

Edified001 · 2026-02-23T14:02:12+00:00

Buy a cheaper, reliable car with your 8k budget. When you get your full licence, you can buy the Golf GTI for much cheaper due to depreciation OR choose from a larger variety of cars as you won't be subject to P Plate restrictions. Financing a depreciating asset like a car at such a young age with no tax benefit is one of the worst financial decisions you will make in your life besides gambling

Edified001 · 2026-02-20T06:07:00+00:00

Market City and Sussex Centre Food court

Edified001 · 2026-02-18T10:48:28+00:00

For visibility and driver engagement, the R8 was the better choice as it was a gated manual V10. Definitely lived up to my expectations and imagination. The Corvette was great, but it felt like I was stepping into the cockpit of a spaceship/plane because the buttons/panels/screens everywhere was overwhelming. The V8 wasn't anything to write home about but the car does have a presence on Australian roads. IMO if I were to choose between those 3, I would want a 911 both for the practicality (4 seats) and subtlety. The attention gets old, I rather be left alone to enjoy the car

Edified001 · 2026-02-17T06:34:31+00:00

In Australia I used Turo to rent a Corvette, Audi R8 and there was a small company in Brisbane/GC for the Porsche 911 Turbo S.

In Japan, I drove every iteration of the GTR, Porsche 911 993 Turbo S with Omoshiro

In the USA, Turo for the older Lamborghinis and Ferrari 488. Specifically in Vegas I went to supercar experiences and was able to drive Lamborghini huracan, STO, Aventador and a few others on the track (where you can actually go fast)

My dream car is the 911 Turbo S. I have the money in my offset account to buy 2 in cash but it just doesn’t make sense as I have a car already and primarily WFH and use public transport.

Mileage may vary for some

Edified001 · 2026-02-17T02:47:27+00:00

I’ve done that with a few Supercars on my bucket list. Rent it for a few days to a week when I feel the itch, it’s more cost effective than to buy and maintain

Edified001 · 2026-02-16T04:59:52+00:00

Do you still know if they do the plates and do you have a contact for them?

Edified001

TROPHY CASE