993 investment question

[Samdance]

Advertised for $37,999 here in June of 2013.

1995 Porsche 911 type 993 Speed Yellow / near mint

Now for sale today for $48,993 here:

FS: 1995 993 Speed Yellow Nor Cal M030 Sport Seats 61K

11 months later, says he spent thousands on it but only added this:

996 carbon steering wheel, leather airbag
Gemballa pedals
RS Shift Knob

All other work appears to be by the previous owner.

It appreciated 28% or $1000 a month.

If this is what the 993 market is going to do, would you buy in now?

I have to think is not typical....

SD

[KNS]

He's asking $48K, doesn't mean he'll get it. Price is a bit steep in any case.

[christiandk]

Great color - But apart from that I dont really like it. Mods like that often tell a lot about the owner and his/hers priorities. They may be reversible, but for most looking for a 993 with a 50K budget there will be better and more original cars.

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Originally Posted by christiandk

Great color - But apart from that I dont really like it. Mods like that often tell a lot about the owner and his/hers priorities. They may be reversible, but for most looking for a 993 with a 50K budget there will be better and more original cars.

Oh? What does a shift knob, a pedal set, and H&R coilovers say about the owner? Is this like palm reading?

[RacerX1166]

I wouldn't consider a 993 to be an investment, unless I stumbled upon a smokin' deal on a wide body. At this point, you'll be hard pressed to find a 993 (WB or NB) at a reasonable price. They're selling as fast as they're listed, just like the rest of their air cooled brethren. That being said, they're a pretty safe bet in terms of knowing you won't lose money with the right car purchased now even a bit above market.

As far as the car in question is concerned, with no issues, its a $43-45k vehicle so he's not that far off. Yeah, they've gone up a bit. It just hit me that, we're I to sell my 993, purchased in late 2012, I'd list it for over $10k more than I paid for it. And I'd get it very quickly.

[RacerX1166]

Double post. Stupid iPad

[RacerX1166]

Originally Posted by christiandk

Great color - But apart from that I dont really like it. Mods like that often tell a lot about the owner and his/hers priorities. They may be reversible, but for most looking for a 993 with a 50K budget there will be better and more original cars.

I have to take exception to your comment. On a driver quality car, things like an upgraded 3 spoke wheel, a quality suspension, and a pedal set are not frowned upon. In fact, they tend to improve the appeal of the vehicle because they're being purchased for fun weekend use. If you look on Rennlist, most of the 993 board has an upgraded suspension, pedals, wheel, etc.

Besides, these are the sign of coolness. I'll post a pic of my lowered 993 with Rennline pedals and 3 spoke wheel later.

[christiandk]

Originally Posted by RacerX1166

I have to take exception to your comment. On a driver quality car, things like an upgraded 3 spoke wheel, a quality suspension, and a pedal set are not frowned upon. In fact, they tend to improve the appeal of the vehicle because they're being purchased for fun weekend use. If you look on Rennlist, most of the 993 board has an upgraded suspension, pedals, wheel, etc.

Besides, these are the sign of coolness. I'll post a pic of my lowered 993 with Rennline pedals and 3 spoke wheel later.

An original, untouched aircooled 911 is the definition of "coolness", imo - just the way it was born in the factory....but maybe with some patina from the years gone by.

We just have to agree to disagree - "coolness" and "bad taste" is not the same in my book

[KNS]

Originally Posted by christiandk

An original, untouched aircooled 911 is the definition of "coolness", imo - just the way it was born in the factory....but maybe with some patina from the years gone by.

We just have to agree to disagree - "coolness" and "bad taste" is not the same in my book

I'd agree with christiandk. When I purchased my 993 last March, it should have sold much quicker than it did. Why didn't it? I saw a car that could be returned to stock and went after it. It had big, three piece wheels, fiberglass tail, cone air filter, boy-racer three spoke steering wheel, pedal set and a few other odd bits. I think the general appearance, while clean and tidy, was throwing potential buyers off.

Luckily, most of the stock parts were retained but I still had to source 993 Cup wheels and a factory airbox. It is now nearly 100% stock and I'm sure would sell very quick in its present state. I think most buyers (me included) want a car that looked like it did on the showroom floor.

[RacerX1166]

Originally Posted by KNS

It had big, three piece wheels, fiberglass tail, cone air filter,

Those items would certainly be potential issues to most buyers, because they do alter the appearance of the car significantly, and also speak to a level of how much the seller appreciated the car, as a collectible.

Personal taste is just that; personal. Some folks prefer the original look while others gravitate toward modded cars.

My point was that, from a marketability perspective, there are many mods that have zero negative impact on the value of the car, so long as they're done professionally, using factory or quality aftermarket components. These tend to be minor things that improve the drivability of the vehicle.

The best example of this is the suspension. The factory suspension on pretty much any one of these cars (again, we're talking driver quality - 50k-75k miles) is toast by now. I know mine was. Most driving enthusiasts prefer the lower Euro over the US 4x4 ride height. So, they install M030 components or coilovers.

There are other minor mods that are appreciated as well. Swapping the 4 spoke steering wheel for a factory 3 spoke. An understated set of pedals. Mild exhaust swap. etc.

While there are those who only desire a completely original car, my contention is that, for driver quality 993's, there are just as many buyers who appreciate the right mods. I can tell you, by watching 993's get listed and sold, that those with mods that 'I was going to do anyway' (with original parts going along with the car) sold just as quickly as completely original cars.


BTW, my 'cool' comment was my being flip so those who took it seriously....