What is the best way to sell a completely rebuilt '82SC?

[squidmarks]

I completed the rebuild of my '82SC in September. It was a wonderful 2 1/2 year project that started with a rusty, mistreated car and ended with a pristine 911 that looks and performs like one that just drove out of the showroom in 1982. While working on this project, I had visions of me blasting around the local roads on it, or even taking it into work now and then (I had never owned a 911 before purchasing this one). After putting ~500miles on it, though, I realize that I will probably not drive it that much. I am really more of a project guy and just enjoy the process of rebuilding cars more than driving the finished product. While I do admire it, sitting in my shop, I need to make room for my next project (an airplane - Cozy IV).

So, I have decided to sell it. I'd rather it go to a real Porsche-o-phile who will drive it and/or show it rather than collect dust in my shop. The question is, what is the best way to sell a car like this? I have put together a website (you can see it here) so potential buyers can understand the rebuild process the car went through. I'm not sure just posting it in the "Cars for sale" forum here will do the trick. Is ebay the way to go? I've heard that many 911's get sold to Europe - does any one know where to advertise to reach them?

The other question I have for you all is, what do you think this car is worth? In short, it is a bone-stock '82SC that has been completely restored (engine, transmission, suspension rebuild, rotisserie body rebuild/re-paint).

I want to thank you all again, for all the help you gave me during the rebuild process.

Geoff

[mnmasotto]

WOW!!!!

I am impressed. That car is beautiful.

I am guessing you are retired and single? There is no way you are married!

[Zef]

Porsche Cars For Sale - Pelican Parts Technical BBS
That's a good place to start with....

[Nickshu]

Wow...where did you originally find that thing? We don't see that much rust and corrosion very often on the galvanized body 911's....must have been in some serious humidity, left outside in a field or something. BEAUTIFUL work, thanks for posting the website link....love the photos.

Nick.

[widgeon13]

I think a lot will depend on the asking price. If it is priced realistically, and I have no idea what that would be, then PP would be a good place. If you want some out of the world figure then ebay might be the way to go for maximum exposure. Very nice car but may appeal to a relatively small audience. It's a tough question.

[g_vaxed]

If I didn't already have two 911's I would drive up 95N with a blank check....
Click on the website and see how many man hours it took to restore this gem!
Outstanding job!

[nineball]

that is one beautiful car and anyone would be lucky to own it, i just wonder how much you can get for it since it is still an SC. keep it and force yourself to drive it

[vulcan300]

You should price it at an amount that you'll be happy with. Unfortunately these cars just aren't worth the kind of money that will pay you back for all the time you put into it. I've seen a couple of cars recently that were purchased on e-bay with flawless cosmetics in the 25K range. The owners bought them thinking they were in the same league as your car (quality wise) and paid in the 25K US range. Unfortunately both cars were mechanical nightmares!

With the documented history of your rebuild, and the fantastic exterior/interior you should probably price it between 30 and 35K US. You can post it here, on Rennlist, and on your local PCA web site in their for sale section. Those three places will definitely attract a Porsche lover and hopefully keep the test pilots to a minimum.

You can post it on E-Bay at the same price, but beware of fraudsters.

Good luck selling it! I have too many toys already so I doubt I can convince my wife to let me have another one, otherwise I'd be paying you a visit :-)

J

[squidmarks]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

Wow...where did you originally find that thing? We don't see that much rust and corrosion very often on the galvanized body 911's....must have been in some serious humidity, left outside in a field or something. BEAUTIFUL work, thanks for posting the website link....love the photos.

Nick.

Thanks. Yeah, it looked pretty nasty when I started to peal off the crappy paint job someone had given it. I think it was a combination of a leaky targa top and was probably stored outside for awhile.

Geoff

[squidmarks]

Hmm, I'm hearing numbers >$30K here and a thru a few PM's. Excellence mag usually puts the top end of an SC at $25K, so that's where I was thinking. I wasn't sure if a completely rebuilt SC is the less/same/more desirable than a top-quality low-mileage original SC in great shape. I suspect the top end $25K price typically in Excellence is referring to a low-mileage completely unmolested SC, and not a completely restored one. The former has a certain cache because of its originality, but the latter will probably be more trouble-free and last longer. Depends what you want, I guess.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming.

Geoff

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by squidmarks

Hmm, I'm hearing numbers >$30K here and a thru a few PM's. Excellence mag usually puts the top end of an SC at $25K, so that's where I was thinking. I wasn't sure if a completely rebuilt SC is the less/same/more desirable than a top-quality low-mileage original SC in great shape. I suspect the top end $25K price typically in Excellence is referring to a low-mileage completely unmolested SC, and not a completely restored one. The former has a certain cache because of its originality, but the latter will probably be more trouble-free and last longer. Depends what you want, I guess.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming.

Geoff

I think for the caliber and completeness of the restoration you have done, you will find someone willing to pay over $30K for it. Considering people probably pay $25K (high end retail) for SC's in much worse shape every day (nice specimens, but not flawless like yours), you just need to find a buyer who appreciates that (many of us here) you'll get top dollar. For the true collector, this looks like an SC you could roll off the delivery truck and right into a Concours event....like something you see on Mechum auto auction.

[kilodawg]

Congrats on finishing such a giant project. I'll be the one who tempers the responses a little bit. While I greatly appreciate all the work that went into the car I can't see that it's worth the equivalent of an equal condition original. Original is only that way once.

While I'm not saying that somebody won't get emotionally attached to your story, in the world of collecting this car does not have the pedigree of an original condition example and it's only an SC (sorry SC lovers).

Since it only has 500 miles since project completion I would expect some sorting out will still be needed. That would be a concern for me. Also of concern would be understanding your experience base on 911's. If this was the first time you restored one it's conceivable that some errors were made along the way. The question is will they reveal themselves in a year or two to the new owner.

You also might want to talk a bit about the "how" associated with your restoration to help bolster your chances of a higher return. Darrylsgarage.com is a great example of how to inspire confidence in the way the work was done. You might want to see if you can create a journal with a bit more detail on the process.

Hopefully you will get close to an original condition car of equal condition. Good luck!

[sailchef]

Geoff,
Your project was the inspiration for me to get off my a$$ and replace my bumper shock mounts that had rusted out. You got me going in the right direction and provided photos of where I was going. Don't think I'll be building any airplanes in the near future but I hope you have a most excellent time doing so. Good luck with the sale and thanks for the help you've given.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/paint-bodywork-discussion-forum/498431-front-bumper-shock-support-rust-repair.html

[Kevin Stewart]

I think I would pass at that price looking at the pictures, that is in the range of a car that never had any rust, my targa never had any rust and has a fresh 3.6. i dont think i could get that price. please dont take this as disrespecting your car, please post what you get if you dont mind. nice car you have, Kevin

[squidmarks]

Originally Posted by kilodawg

Congrats on finishing such a giant project. I'll be the one who tempers the responses a little bit. While I greatly appreciate all the work that went into the car I can't see that it's worth the equivalent of an equal condition original. Original is only that way once.

While I'm not saying that somebody won't get emotionally attached to your story, in the world of collecting this car does not have the pedigree of an original condition example and it's only an SC (sorry SC lovers).

Since it only has 500 miles since project completion I would expect some sorting out will still be needed. That would be a concern for me. Also of concern would be understanding your experience base on 911's. If this was the first time you restored one it's conceivable that some errors were made along the way. The question is will they reveal themselves in a year or two to the new owner.

You also might want to talk a bit about the "how" associated with your restoration to help bolster your chances of a higher return. Darrylsgarage.com is a great example of how to inspire confidence in the way the work was done. You might want to see if you can create a journal with a bit more detail on the process.

Hopefully you will get close to an original condition car of equal condition. Good luck!

Yes, these are all valid points that I thought would likely be concerns for prospective buyers. Because it was such an extensive rebuild, I had to limit the info/pictures I put in the website. I have another website with many more photos that detail the rebuild in nauseating detail. Darryl put together a great site, though - good example.

You're right, many errors were made in this rebuild. They typically cost me time and money to correct. Generally, I have found that for most things the difference between a professional and a conscientious amateur is the time it takes to do the job. One of the few things (head recon/valve job) I had a professional (a very well respected Porsche mechanic) handle was screwed up requiring me to pull the engine after install to repair. There may be a few gremlins yet to be worked out (working on one right now...). I would like to put another 500mi on it before I sell to ensure I have properly stressed it.

Thanks for the reality check.

Geoff

[VaSteve]

Were you able to get a new VIN sticker for the door? It looks totally different.

[squidmarks]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

Were you able to get a new VIN sticker for the door? It looks totally different.

I beg to differ! It looks totally the same! Well, pretty much, I think. I made the sticker using a combination of laser printer on a special foil label and a laser system to create the dot matrix VIN number. I tried to do an accurate reconstruction of the original. You can look here for a forum post I made that describes the reproduction stickers I made.

I decided to make my own VIN sticker because I've heard that the replacement ones you can order from Porsche are modern and bear no resemblance to the original ones.

Geoff

[RideShoot&Drink]

1. Not an ideal time to sell anything...time to buy...
2. Can you wait? I ask you that, and not sure myself what should you be waiting for, you might wait a few years...
3. My friend sold his car to the gentleman from Norway, I guess exchange rate still favors overseas buyers...
4. Right price is everything in this market.
5. Good luck.

[brads911sc]

Very nice. I would question a couple items.. like flipping the Synchos when you have the gearbox apart... I by no means mean any disrespect.. but things like that would prevent me from paying top dollar...

[aigel]

The Europeans have internet and if they are looking in the US, they know where to go. No need to advertise over there.

I doubt the car will fetch over $25k, but unless you are in a bind, why not try.

George