The collectibility aspect of an early SC, and if I should mod my car.
 

It's something I've been wondering since the day I bought my car. Like any guy, I love modding and tweaking cars, "personalizing" them. I have a 78 SC with about 38K original miles in great shape, mostly stock, just a steering wheel, shift knob, muffler, stereo. I love the car in stock form as is, it's a blast to drive. However I would also love to throw a duck tail on it and upgrade to an M&K and a prototipo. Since it looks so nice though, and has such low miles, I feel the best thing to do would be to return it back to stock and keep the miles as low as possible. I know it isn't an early 911S or anything, but surely an all original low mileage SC could be a collector's item?

I guess another option would be to purchase stock parts so that I could return it to stock, and if I mod it to only do things easily replacable.

likely it will never be worth anyting, there were just too many SCs made, but 38K miles is incredibly low and there SOOO many hack job 911s out there now becoming more and more difficult to find unmolested examples.

I would keep it as stock as posible.

Too many SCs. Tweak it till your wallet gives up. The more personalized it is, the more enjoyment you will have.

Regardless of the collector value aspect, it's always nice to have the original parts to give to the next owner if they decide to convert it back. When I bought my '73 911T the seller had installed a ducktail but kept the original lid, which I then reinstalled for originality. I like the look better this way and was glad he had kept that lid.

I think I'll find a happy medium and do some minor mods, while keeping all the stock parts. I'll try my best to continue keeping the miles low also. Thanks!

It's "your" car, have at it! I like your last idea except the part about keeping the miles low...drive her, she (and you) will like it :). Seriously, why save 'em for someone else...life's too short!

I do the same thing i cant just buy a car and drive it i allways seem to change things to fit my needs or likes. i have built several porsches and modified most not all but most. most changes can be reversed. i sugjest keeping all stock parts with the chance you may sell the car.

If i had a dollor for everytime i said this is the last one i build i would "WELL" have about 12 bucks and wouldnt have enjoyed all those porsches.

think twice about every mod and enjoy what you come up with,


welcome to the dark side

i've thought about this til my head spins

keep the parts you change, don't weld and do that kind of stuff to it..but change things if you want (anything bolt-on, basically). I keep debating whether to rebuild the original 2.2 engine for mine, but I am leaning towards a 2.7RS engine and keep the original one stored safely. but mine needs a rebuild-your engine is good, so use it.

forget the mileage thing...drive the car as much as you feel like. same reason i am completely comfortable putting a different engine in it and using the car.

I go to a lot of car shows that feature car auctions because like you I am a car nut and specifically a P-car nut. The cars that I see that sell for the highest prices are of course the "all original" cars or cars that have been painstakingly restored to stock. I am sure that there are many on this board that would disagree with me but IMHO P-cars were designed and built to be driven, not looked at, polished and fondled. I understood that difference the first time I drove a 911.
When I go to rod shows I see so many owners of American-built iron that have tons of money invested in their cars with high performance engines and transmissions but few of them ever drive them more than a few thousand miles per year and even fewer of them ever drive them in a manner befitting their degree of investment in high performance parts. I agree, it's their investment and their prerogative but is seems like such a tremendous waste to me.
Three years ago my father-in-law died (quite suddenly) with a garage full of high performance automobiles. Three Mercedes, a Cadillac STS, a Porsche 911 and a Corvette. Only one had more than 20,000 miles on it and the rest had fewer than 10,000. The AMG only had 1,200. He was saving them for when he retired. I suspect the new owner of that AMG is tickled pink he got such a great deal on such a low mileage car.
Mod your P-car, drive the wheels off of it and enjoy it but if you are really worried about its future value like others have said; "Keep the parts". My '74 is no great looker, it smokes, it leaks but it never fails to put a huge grin on my face even when it's just taking me to the supermarket for a loaf of bread. I drive it every chance I get. I'll let my kids worry about getting rid of a high-mileage beater when I'm gone.

Drive the crap out of her!!!

I have most of my stock parts, too but I doubt they'll ever go back on.

My car is set up for me and I enjoy it each time I go out.

Heck, just seeing it in the garage some days makes me feel good.

I gave up keeping stock parts a long time ago - now I sell the stock parts for "upgrades" and don't regret a minute of it. Drive it - the harder the better.

If I was in the market for a car I would be looking for something that was close to original for many reasons. The first would be electrical. There are far to many hack jobs installing stereos and alarm system with little or no documentation. That makes for a troubleshooting nightmare for the new owner. The more the car is modified the more useless the schematics become. I don't think bolt on mods are that much of an issue. You can always take them off and sell the car in a more original form. Sell the add on's separately. I'm sure they would be worth more.

+1

I much as I'd like to think my car is special and valuable, it really isn't. Besides, I bought it to drive until the wheels fall off. I never plan to sell it.

Why did you buy yours?

Its not going to have any significant collector value any time soon. Find and keep all the stock parts if you like but make it your own.

I have an '84 and bought it to take to the track and drive it for fun. I'm glad the previous owner only drove it 4000 miles a year and it was stock.. but I would have had no problems buying a modified car if it had been modified to my liking. Of course, that is where the issue of modified cars lies, what I consider good isn't always what you consider good.

In the end, it is your car, do what you want to it and have fun. It is meant to be driven!

There is no such thing as too many!! Their value won't go sky high, they are great cars to drive. Do the mods you want to make it yours just keep the parts for when and if you do sale. Most of all DRIVE!!!!:)