Reasonable expectations on selling pristine yet modified Imagine Auto 930
 

I guess I could have posted this on the marketplace forum, but you guys are the target audience and should be a more focused / knowledgeable group for this discussion. After a rough 2007, which resulted in a baby girl blessing my household, I am selling my 930. Some of you have probably read about this car a few years back after Stephen Kaspar did the engine build for us and we dyno'd at 403 RWHP and 438 RWTQ, with a very nice A/F ratio using CIS. The engine is very dialed in and has awesome usable power under the curve. This car was not built for ultimate top end HP, but as a very street friendly daily driver with great power.

The car basically has everything in the suspension, transmission, brakes, engine, A/C, stereo as new, improved, and/or up to date. The car is in excellent cosmetic condition. I easily have 100K into the car, but I know we never get back what we put into these things. I have had a few brokers look at it, and they all seem to think 60K at the top and then down from there. Is this realistic? I am in no hurry, but at the same time I do not want the car to sit for months while I wait for a buyer. Here is the ad: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/395114-pristine-930-480-hp-525-tq-g50-beautiful-condition.html

Feedback from you all is appreciated.

Moderator - feel free to move this if you see fit. Thanks.

My impression is that you have a beautiful and well modified car for sale. The G50 in particular is great. However I think you are going to struggle to get anything near the $49k mark. If I were in the market I would probably be looking to offer something in the very low 40s at most. Unfortunately you just aren't going to get much of your investment back.

Thanks for the feedback, Rob. I hope you are wrong - :p

Really though it will come down to a knowledgeable person who knows what it takes to get these cars to this state and wants a car that is already done and done right. Which means a very narrow audience I fear. I think the transmission and clutch were about $10K for just the parts and assembly (not including installing in the car) and I would think a Jerry Woods assembled 930/G50 with all the extra goodies today would easily be 12K - before install. Add in a 30K motor / suspension and you are close to my asking price. Maybe I should part it out?

Just kidding - but I guess if the market only brings 40K I may choose to just store it for a time when I can get back to driving it.

I seem to remember a very well put together EFI 5-speed 89 for sale a few years ago somewhere in the mid to high 40s. I believe the owner ended up parting it to get what he wanted.

Hopefully I am wrong. Good luck.

Your right, it takes a experienced 930 owner in the market, to appreciate what it takes and what you will get out of it, to step to the next level. To bad those guys who buy those anemic performing, top heavy looking machines, desigined for skinny tire " other cars " that sell way into the 6 figures who do not actually check something out like you have. They would leap out of what they have while the getting is good to own something really great. Most 930s would fit this scenario but one like yours would really elevate their driving and ownership experience.

THIS is a car I would buy -

Bill - I hope you didn't take my comments as a slam in any way. Your car would be a great one to have.

Are you in a hurry? 45?

The guy with the '89 930 with EFI was named Geoffrey Ring, I believe. A frequent contributor to Rennlist, and I'm pretty sure Stephen knows him. That car was beautifully done in every particular.

Could not get $40,000 for it, as I recall. Parted it out. That was a couple of years ago. I'm afraid a CIS car at the price point mentioned will simply not sell, but I hope for the owner's sake I'm wrong.

Seriously nice car!! If I had the discretionary cash it would be a great catch. Unfortunately as Hot Rodders, we mod our cars knowing full well that it's a hobby and we won't recoup a dollar of the money most likely in a resale.

I built my car at a friend of mines shop. He is a domestic car kinda guy. He was working on his '74 Vette at the same time. He saw the prts coming in and asked prices all the time. He asked, how much you think you have in Parts. I said about $35K. He then asked how much the car was worth, I said $35K. He looked at me kinda funny.

Rob - no offense taken. I think the Pelican crowd tends to be pretty realistic so your comments are welcome. I have no doubt if I wanted to sit on the car for a while I could get 50K - in fact I have someone interested at that price now who has driven the car and wants to buy it. He has to sell his Lambo first though - so who knows.

I seem to remember Geoffrey Ring's car - too bad that it was taken apart. I could probably get more for this car if I parted it out, but that seems like a shame.

Les - if I could get the money I paid in parts for the car I would feel pretty good about that.

Heh, I'm hearing you loud and clear!! Good luck on a Sweet car.

selling the lambo to buy a real fast car...930!!!!!

good luck with your sale. i for one am one of those people that think your car is a $50 plus car...what else can you get that is this serious a car? nothing!!!!!!!

ZCAT3,

This is always a sensitive subject especially when the sale is "forced" in lieu of family, so I think I speak for eveyone that none if this is intended to offend.

I don't think you will find your buyer here, but you will get some real feedback from the people who know these cars because they've taken them apart and put them back with their hearts as well as their hard earned $s invested.

That being said I believe you will find your buyer similar to the one you already have interested. I'd take a look at selling consignment with an exotic/classic car dealer - around here Symbolic Motorcars rings a bell. Your buyer is one that owns ferrari's, lambos, etc. They will find the costs of buying and maintaining a porsche well below the cost of italian ownership and will have a much superior performing car. They will even retain the "exotic" bragging rights. Once they drive it, they'll understand.

Sorry to hear the need to sell the car, I just had my 2nd little girl, and for a short (very short) time I did consider getting rid of the P-car.

Good luck!

a good post. i think you are correct on all counts. after incurring a $20k service bill on my boxer 3 yrs ago, i look at anything that could go wrong on my 930 as cheap! you simply become desensitized to the dollar when owning an italian...$50k for a monster like a 930 is a BARGAIN!!!!

i honestly hate to see them essentially devalued on this and another website. why?

the 930 may be one of the very most important sports car in history!! PERIOD!!!

again, good luck.

pcb

Devalued on this website?! If anything you are more likely to find someone that appreciates the car for what it is and what has been done to it here within a group of 930 enthusiasts (such as found on this website). The opinions on value that are being voiced here are not based on a desire to low ball the seller but rather are based on what we have seen other cars in similar conditions sell (or not sell) for.

I also think it is going to be tough to sell for that price, mostly because of the mods. While I agree with your theory that someone can have a turn key great 930, a lot of "new" 930 owners seem to want an unmolested car. Its funny, because most of the time, they end up tearing the car apart and get easily sucked into the "while you are in there" syndrome.

I was actually looking for a turbo that had some work done, knowing that the pristine as factory cars are usually the ones that go for the most $$$. I also wasn't scared with the potential possibility of having to do some work, which I did have to do, and my car had 34,000 miles on it.

In the end, I hope you do find a buyer, but I also agree with what has been said about selling it a high end exotic car dealership. Which is sad, because for the $$, you have a hell of a great 930.

Bill

Most folks don't want a modded car because it is modded for a reason. And some folks want to do the molesting themselves as a personal touch.

I believe few folks have ever experienced a perfectly set up and tuned CIS 930. It is amaizing how well you can get that system to run given its limitations. You must emphasize that fact to potential buyers. Pull off from a stop sign at 1000rpm with no throttle, cruise town at 1500rpm with the air on. Show them fuel mileage figures of 20+mpg. Then once they are used to how docile it is stick it hard and blow the tires in second gear. SOLD!

Unfortunately though I do agree with the others. An '86 Euro with a transplanted G50 and 400HP CIS engine will likely go for ~$40K to the right buyer. Your competition is the '89 G50 cars that go for ~$45K.

Life steps in and punches ya in the nuts sometimes. You are fortunate to have something of value to sell when those rainy days come. Your car will be replaced, family is forever. Hope your wife and little girl are doing well.

Brian makes some good points.

I also meant to mention at the $60K figure, you will be competing with the 3.6 Turbo cars, and while I don't think they are worth that much more than the 91 and 92 3.3 Turbo cars, the collectors sure seem to.

I know what you mean about family. I sold my 86 911 when we had our first child. Now we have two, and I just couldn't stay away.

Bill

Is the hp 403 RWHP and 438 RWTQ, or 480 HP/525 TQ ?