I'm being offered a '99 Boxster for my '72 914... is this fair?

kiesan · 07-24-2010, 02:38 PM

A guy wants to trade me his '99 Boxster for a crazy nice '72 914 I have. The Boxster has 104k, 5-spd manual, nice clean car with no stories. He might have a little $$$ to throw in with the 986.

My 914 I'm asking $12k/offers and is kind of a special car I think. The Boxster I would just sell. The 914 for sale:

1972 914 1.7 one owner 83k miles VIN: 4722911213

Can a guy sell a decent '99 986 for $9 - $10k? Or is that a pipe dream? tia

orcadigital · orcadigital's Garage

Tough to say. There is a 99 986 that has been struggling to sell here in Atlanta for $8500, but it is in average condition. I still see people asking a lot more, but with the 2000+ and S models in the 12k range, I think it's a tough market. I paid 6k for my 97, which admittedly was a very good deal, and while it has some dings, and needs a new rear bumper cover, mechanically it is sound and has been maintained. It also had 104k miles on it (106k now).

I think getting 12 for a 914 right now it pretty optimistic as well, so the question would be, what can you get more for down the road as the economy improves, or how desperate are you to sell? Down the road the 914 should hold it's value more, especially in good condition, while the Boxsters while they keep falling, are probably nearing their bottom.

JMatta · 07-25-2010, 05:23 AM

I would not trade, personally. The 914 appears to be very nice, though it is the 1.7 liter, which is the least desirable. Regardless, it is a classic and seems to be fairly rust free, which is nearly impossible to find these days.

The 99 Boxster is a nice car, but there are lots of them out there with less mileage...they aren't exactly selling like hot cakes these days.

txhokie4life · txhokie4life's Garage

Depends if you are looking for a daily driver -- which the Boxster would do just fine at.

I think the Boxster will continue to depreciate -- while your 914 in good condition
should at least hold its value.

Schumi · 07-25-2010, 11:39 AM

I don't see the 99-up boxsters getting any cheaper than they will be in the next year or two.

8K for a solid running 2.5 Boxster? If you think about how much car you are getting for 8K... it's ridiculous.

The 914 is a classic, but it is a 1.7, it is obviously well taken care of, but from a performance and daily driving aspect the boxster is a better car in every way. So beyond sentimental value & collectors status (there were lots of 914's made, mind you) there's not a lot to warrant the 914 being worth more, in a normal market situation.

Just my opinion.

kiesan · 07-25-2010, 05:23 PM

Thanks for the replies boys, very helpful. The guy with the 986 wants to do a trade and he's really pushing the angle that he would always keep the 914 as nice and original as it is now. As corny as that sounds, that matters to me since I promised the family I got the car from that it would ultimately end up with someone like that.

On the other hand, I'm not that stoked about reselling a '99 986 with 100k. I already have an '05 987 dd... a Boxster/Cayman S 3.4 "thing" that I built from a dead '05 base Boxster. Love it!

mikefocke · 11:58 AM

your asking price for the 914 is off by a lot. In todays market, I see cars in better rust shape (a big 914 consideration) going for half your asking price.

So once you have exchanged a $7500 car for a 986, can you sell it for that? Depends on the condition and the local market. 914s have a more national market for good ones than older 986s so the key is the local market and you can do a search by zip code as I'm sure you know on any number of services or ad sites like www.cars.com.

racer · 07-26-2010, 09:54 AM

Take away the "emotion" behind each car

1) 1972 914 1.7 Relatively low miles (sub 100K)

2) 1999 Boxster 2.5. Similar miles (105K)

The 914 likely won't sell (has it yet? have you had close offers? How long do you want to sell it?) at the price being asked. I got similar money for a '76 2.0 about 1 year ago, but the market hasn't gotten any stronger since last year, only weaker

The 914 is an appreciating asset. While over 120K 914s were built, there are significantly fewer left. There are also over 200K Boxsters sold... but a lot more (percentage wise) are still available.

My guess is that the KBB/NADA TRADE value for the boxster is pitiful.. $6500-8500 as trade (fair to good condision scale) to $12K dealer retail.

NADA values for the 914 are: $7200-10,000 retail

So, while in the end the two cars are of approximate equal value, if you don't want a boxster, then don't trade.

emsdoc · 07-28-2010, 11:08 AM

I am a long time owner of a number of early 911s which are great cars and fun to drive...I just recently purchased a 99 boxster and although it doesn't have the raw feel of the early 911s, it is a blast to drive and super modern and comfortable..(ac works!)...it is now my favorite daily driver and I reserve the early cars for de and club events...if you want something to drive, the boxster is great.

Brillo · Brillo's Garage

Since you have a much newer Boxster, I would not trade unless you want to build track dedicated Boxster.

kiesan · 01:14 PM

Thanks for the insight everyone. Yes, I already have an '05 987 'box 3.4 creation for dd duties. Love it! Not looking to own another Boxster for any reason other than if it is used as payment against something else I own. Like a '72 914 for example!

I guess really I'm just wondering aloud if it is reasonable to expect that I could sell a '99 986 with 104k and in nice shape for $8.5k. If so I'm leaning towards doing this deal. The possible new owner of the 914 is the type of guy I'm looking for. A guy who had one back in the day who wants one again, and will keep it up as nice as it is now.

Matt Monson · 07-29-2010, 01:39 PM

If the question you are really asking is whether or not it will be easier to sell the Boxster, I think the answer is yes. If $8500 is all you need to get out of the deal, then that shouldn't be a problem.
And for those of us who love 914's as bastard children, it seems like a good thing to put that one in the care of one of our own and not just sell it at random. Selling the Boxster at random to whomever shows up with enough cash it much easier to do, especially without a genuine promise to the previous owner of the 914 to keep. I respect that you want to keep that promise.

racer · 07-29-2010, 03:04 PM

Then again, your potential buyer could be a "flipper".. Trust no one.. once you sell a car it can be used however the buyer wants. Maybe he will convert it to a "6" once he "remembers" how little 80hp really is

dad911 · 07-29-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racer

Then again, your potential buyer could be a "flipper".. Trust no one.. once you sell a car it can be used however the buyer wants. Maybe he will convert it to a "6" once he "remembers" how little 80hp really is

So true. The previous owner of my boxster would be most upset if he saw that I converted his 'baby' to a spec racer.....

To the original poster.... has he been marketing the boxster? why hasn't it sold? I'd do a PPI on the boxster, or ask him for a week or two before you trade titles to give you a chance to advertise & market the car..... It's almost august, convertible sales take a dive as the weather gets colder.

Matt Monson · 07-30-2010, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racer

Then again, your potential buyer could be a "flipper".. Trust no one.. once you sell a car it can be used however the buyer wants. Maybe he will convert it to a "6" once he "remembers" how little 80hp really is

Sure, anyone you do business with could be a flipper. And even though I recently had the wool pulled over my eyes by one in our midst here on Pelican, I still prefer to attempt to find some semblance of decency and honesty left in people today. Call me naive, but I don't automatically assume every person I come in contact with is a shyster, a rip-off artist, or someone who is just looking to make a buck.

In return for that attitude I have met some amazing people in this community just through random buying and selling transactions. I sold a guy in Sweden some random trim bits about 3 years ago, and since then I've been party to his complete restoration project with updates and pictures and requests for input all along the way. Sometimes it's more than just the buying and selling transaction.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Top money these days for a near-perfect 914 2.0 seems to be near $8500, with the occasional near-perfect concours car going for $5-8K above that. I would just sell the 914, and don't bother with a trade / selling another car you're not familiar with. The 99 Boxsters are also running in the $8K-$10K range, so you're really just trading sideways in my opinion.

I would just lower the 914 down to about $8500 to start.

-Wayne