993 Street/track hot rod

[NYNick]

I was looking at an 88 coupe to lighten and set up as an aggressive street/occasional track beast, that I could drive around town to and from work etc and enjoy. Still considering the car.

I've come upon a 96 coupe that is in great shape but has a 'bad' car fax. I know what happened, why it was marked as such and the shop and mechanic who performed the mechanical and body repairs. I trust them and they're very reputable. The car looks and drives great, has had a lot of new work performed, and is priced very aggressively, probably because of the carfax.

I'm wondering if it wouldn't make sense to turn this into some kind of light weight daily driver hot rod that I could drive to the track and thrash. Certainly the low price affords me some good mod money. I'm just wondering if this road has been taken before, and where to go with it. Of course I'd start with the suspension etc, but do people lighten these cars and modify them aggressively?

Since it's already got a bad rap per car fax, I'm wondering what I have to lose value wise?
I already understand the driving differences between the two.

As always, I appreciate your collective input and knowledge base.

Thanks

Nick

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by NYNick

I was looking at an 88 coupe to lighten and set up as an aggressive street/occasional track beast, that I could drive around town to and from work etc and enjoy. Still considering the car.

I've come upon a 96 coupe that is in great shape but has a 'bad' car fax. I know what happened, why it was marked as such and the shop and mechanic who performed the mechanical and body repairs. I trust them and they're very reputable. The car looks and drives great, has had a lot of new work performed, and is priced very aggressively, probably because of the carfax.

I'm wondering if it wouldn't make sense to turn this into some kind of light weight daily driver hot rod that I could drive to the track and thrash. Certainly the low price affords me some good mod money. I'm just wondering if this road has been taken before, and where to go with it. Of course I'd start with the suspension etc, but do people lighten these cars and modify them aggressively?

Since it's already got a bad rap per car fax, I'm wondering what I have to lose value wise?
I already understand the driving differences between the two.

As always, I appreciate your collective input and knowledge base.

Thanks

Nick

~2800#,geared right, powered right, right suspension, very streetable, not cheap




very trackable

[NYNick]

Thanks Bill.

I'd love to hear the build story, or perhaps you have a thread?

Nick

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Thanks Bill.

I'd love to hear the build story, or perhaps you have a thread?

Nick

Lots, they all start 'phase xx'
long story short
3.8RS engine, Ac delete, north of 300hp




g50/30 Cup trans



Cup Bilstein suspension, custom valved






8.5 & 10 x18 wheels 235/44 & 275/35 tires

stripped interior w/ minimal trim and welded in roll bar



sunroof delete & vented bumper

[BimmerDob]

The pinnacle of a "track" 993 hot rod!

[NYNick]

Well, it's gotten worse, or maybe better.

The title is a mess. I talked to the shop about converting it to an RS for me, and as Bill says, it isn't cheap. I'm thinking at least it would be more salable after that, and I'd have a unique car I wouldn't want to sell.

They'd end up upside down on the car, but they are anyway, and they could get some (of my) cash for the conversion to help lessen the loss they're going to take.

They're thinking about it over the weekend. I'm on the fence with the whole thing. Tough deal all around.

Nick

[JoeMag]

I'd recommend finding one with most of the mods you're looking for... You're gonna spend way more $ than you'll ever get out of it and pay someone 50cents on buck for mods they did.

[earlyapex]

It's very difficult to calculate the resale value of a track car. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you will get anything better than a penny on the dollar.

[Schwarzeritter]

Honestly if you are buying it as some kind of investment, it probably is not worth it.
However if you wanted to do something that is going to make you smile day in day out
and be a labor of love, If all is mechanically in good order and repairs and everything is
straight. I'd not throw-it-out of bed merely on the merit that it had some sort of accident history.

Depends, if we are talking about it being some kind of salvaged title vs. It merely had a accident history. Sorry to say it, but I don't know a whole many race machines of any vintage that were " in fact raced " that have no scars or battle wounds.

Sometimes, it is also not worth owning that prestine machine that one may or may not be phobic about driving hard.

high performance vehicle ownership has never, and will never be affordable. I mean, I kinda chuckle when your average teenager these days spend nearly Porsche money on their Honda for example. So, if you want something ultra special, it will be expensive.

Porsche's are just not cheap, I think if the car makes you happy. And you feel good and everything about the vehicles history and present condition is visable and understood,
consider it.

I tend to be a little on the fence when it comes to say salvaged titles, if the price were right
and it were merely a track toy. But otherwise in mechanically good order, I'd say possibly.

End of the day mate, it is your wallet, your excitement and pleasure at the end of the line.

Have fun!

[NYNick]

I carfax'd it. While not a 'salvage title', it was declared a "total loss". I know the extent of the damage, which was some right side body work, but primarily the damaged transmission was what made the insurance company 'total' the car. They 'wrote' it as R&R($18k!), which along with the body damage, totalled it.

The car was repaired correctly and again, I know and trust the shop. The problem lies with resale, if ever. If it was going to be strictly a track car, there'd be no problem. But as a DD with some track use...a "total loss" vehicle is essentially unsalable. As beautiful as it may be, no one is going to buy a total loss vehicle for a driver.

Unless the price is REALLY low, I think I'm gonna pass. Thanks everyone for your input.

Nick

[Alan Goettel]

Even if you can do the work, its way better to find one done.

Build costs escalate with the generations, 3.2 - 964 - 993.

If you do decide to build one, don't keep the receipts in one place.