Wednesday 23rd December 2015
£100K Garage: Colin Deller
Ford, Lotus and Nissan providing Colin's front-, four- and rear-wheel drive choices
Name : Colin Deller
Previously owned : Ford Fiesta Mk3 x2, Ford Orion 1.6i, Rover 416i, Vauxhall Corsa diesel, Volkswagen Scirocco Mk3 1.4TSI, Nissan 350Z, Vauxhall VX220, Nissan Skyline R33 GTST
Currently owned : Toyota Celica ST205 GT4
On the shortlist : "Growing up in Dagenham as a nipper it's no surprise I started life in Fords, graduating to a Rover my dad gave me for free while at uni.
: "Growing up in Dagenham as a nipper it's no surprise I started life in Fords, graduating to a Rover my dad gave me for free while at uni. I then lived abroad for a number of years carless so then lept back into a bargain Corsa on my return to Blighty. Up to this point as you can probably tell I didn't care much for cars, then I got a company car with a new job and went for the Scirocco; my love for something a bit more sporty began! Upon losing that job I just went feet first into RWD performance car ownership with the Zed and my love affair with fast cars was well underway. My wife owns the sensible car (currently a four-door Megane) and she pretty much gives me free reign over what I can own. I have though very much gone down the Japanese sports car route for my real and fantasy garage, the rarer the better. But I do like to see a bit of sunshine when I look up, so without further ado..."
Cost : £10,750
Balance : £89,250
Why I chose it : "Given my early days hooning around Dagenham in Fords it would be a natural starting point to go back and snap up one of these appreciating cars. The standard Focus looks dull and boring, but a bit of RS magic sprinkled on top turned it into something of a beast that announces any arrival with a hearty roar. There are not many of these left in the classifieds as owners hang on to them to watch the value rise. This one has a very good service history which gives me some confidence it will be around for some time more and hence my first investment."
Cost : £18,795
Balance : £70,455
Why I chose it : "I loved my VX220; it was as raw a driving experience as you could imagine, but the snob in me always simmered below the surface wanting that Lotus badge. Well now I get the chance, and I spotted this stunning example lurking in with the numerous 111S models on sale around this price. The VX220 community were famous for the supercharger conversions, and having been out in one I can say it is blindingly quick. Here we have a stunning Lotus S2 with the supercharger, a perfect combo! It even has all the mod cons like a cup holder; whats not to like? Yes it's a Cat D but don't let that put you off; the clams and bodywork on these cars are so expensive to repair a minor brush against a fluffy pillow can cause a write off. This is one serious driving machine."
Cost : £35,975
Balance : £34,480
Why I chose it : "Now you are seeing my Japanese obsession coming through. Bayside Blue is the only colour I would get an R34 GT-R in, and this one is the rarer V-Spec with the additional performance upgrades across the car. What stuck out for me was the suspension work that has been carried out using Tein coilovers and dampening controller. The Japanese service history should hopefully reveal any potential problems lurking beneath the surface. Super lightweight Rays alloys will surely benefit the fantastic handling I can expect from this GT-R along with the obvious performance attributes. My only challenge will be not to modify it and keep it near-standard to retain the appreciating value."
Cost : £33,950
Balance : £530
Why I chose it : "I end up back at Ford after my trips to the UK and Japan, but this time Ford in the US. I was scanning through the Mustang section of the classifieds and struggling to find the right one, then I took a peep in the Ford classics section and found this little beauty hidden away. A 289 cubic inch V8 nestles under the hood of this stunning car, which is enough for me! I must admit I do not know much about what to look for in these cars but I don't care; it's beautiful, I can see the sun and the sky and I could cruise for hours endlessly listening to the thrum of the V8. Somewhat ironically it still has the 'Caution-Fan' sticker on the chassis - I'm definitely one of those!"