Another "What's it Worth?" thread ('99 996, track day car)

djmcmath · 08-25-2016, 08:16 AM

So I've decided to walk away from my casual track-day hobby, and have accepted the reality that I no longer need a track-prepped 911 in the garage. Having realized that, I'm considering either selling it or converting it back to a DD -- you know, pull the roll bar, put normal seats back in, and so on. Here in the PNW, for 90% of my driving, it'd be a pretty sweet grocery getter. Some have suggested that a 996 that's seen track time isn't worth more than $10K, which throws it clearly into the "keep as a daily driver" category. When I was looking for this car, I couldn't find anything that looked anything like a track car for less than $25K (which seemed really steep), which would throw it solidly into the "sell it and buy something more practical which is also fun" category.

Relevant details:
- 1999 911, partially converted for track use, with half a dozen or so track days.
- ~90k miles on the clock, give or take.
- Back seat, carpeting and sound damping all torn out, Corbeau race seats, DAS sport roll bar, Crowe harnesses, low temp thermostat.
- Installed the IMS warning system, but IMS not replaced / updated.
- Paint is may a 7; good for a track rat or DD, but definitely not showroom or collector. I could probably do a really serious polish and wax and get it up to an 8-ish, but it'll never be pristine again.
- Turbo twist style wheels, I think stock width. Tires well-worn, but most of the track days were rainy, so I hadn't actually worn through the tires the car came with.
- No other major updates, modernization, or repairs. There are a few niggling things that annoy me about the car (spoiler warning light, for example), but I've fixed everything of any significance.
- The car is located in Kitsap County, WA, which is about 2 hours west of Seattle. Or in other words, approximately half an hour's drive from the middle of nowhere. I suspect that being relatively distant from an affluent market may impact price.

I do not have 7000 posts, and am not an expert. Just looking for opinions. What would it be worth where you live? What would it be worth if I converted it back from track use?

Thanks,
Dan

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

Have some pros and cons there but I would think @$15K

pwd72s · 08-25-2016, 10:36 PM

If under $15K, I'd probably just drive it until an expensive fix is needed, then off to the wrecked-em yard with it.

1990C4S · 08-26-2016, 04:11 AM

$15k is about the best you would see, might be $12.5. The stripped out interior and the track use sure don't help.

Pics would help.

jwasbury · 08-26-2016, 05:31 AM

What does a good, original condition 1999 996 with that mileage sell for? Start there and take off 25%-50%.

I think a track day car such as this is a really hard sell. Its not race prepared, with a welded in cage and other safety equipment like fire suppression (which some people might be willing to pay up a bit for).

You'd have to find just the right buyer who wanted a street legal track toy to maximize your exit price.

djmcmath · 08-26-2016, 05:50 AM

Thanks for the feedback, guys. pwd72s, I think you've got the right idea: for $12-$15K to "just the right buyer," it's almost certainly a better bet to drive it until the wheels fall off. I'm likely to get a few years of enjoyment out of it before I get married and have kids and the wife says I need to trade it in for $3K towards a minivan, or whatever.

pwd72s · 08-26-2016, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djmcmath

Thanks for the feedback, guys. pwd72s, I think you've got the right idea: for $12-$15K to "just the right buyer," it's almost certainly a better bet to drive it until the wheels fall off. I'm likely to get a few years of enjoyment out of it before I get married and have kids and the wife says I need to trade it in for $3K towards a minivan, or whatever.

Yep, use 'em until they're gone. But that's just me. Probably just my age, but maybe not. Traffic has become more crowded, speeding laws more onerous, etc.
Cars just aren't that much fun for me these days. We had a LOT more room to have fun in back in earlier days.

I took this photo back in 1975, I-5 south of Albany, Oregon. Note the lack of traffic...

cockerpunk · 08-26-2016, 10:21 AM

for 12.5 id be interested, or i know someone who might be. PM pics

masraum · 08-26-2016, 12:37 PM

If it had a bunch of other track oriented mods, then the price may have gone up, wheels and tires, shocks, sways, control arms or links, etc...., but just being slightly stripped with seats and a rollbar, that's not really a track car or a street car, so probably like the others have said, just going to take a hit.

I'd think that if you put the stock bits back and pulled the cage, and gave it a really good detailing, you might get a bit more money, then sell the seats and roll bar separately.

onewhippedpuppy · 03:32 AM

The problem is that even if it's nice for a track car, it still won't be very nice for a street car. If it were me I'd try to sell it in its current configuration first, marketed towards others that are looking for an affordable track 911. Your upgrades will be valued by someone that is looking for a track car, a daily driver not so much. Post it on enthusiast focused sites like here, Rennlist, and PCA if you are a member. If you don't have much luck selling it that way, remove the track mods and sell them separately, then re-focus on selling as a street car. I think either way you'll be doing well to get $15k, and ultimately you would probably get more money by selling the track mods separately and then selling the car. It's really hard to get much return on investment when selling a car with modifications.

Really the best option financially would be to use it as a DD. If you reinstall some of the gutted interior and some normal seats, it sounds like it could be a nice daily driver. The 996 is basically compromise free as a DD, they get good gas mileage, are well equipped, comfortable, and a lot of fun. With the right tires they are also exceptional in the snow. From a quality, reliability, and fun perspective, I would definitely take a 996 over your E46 330i.

djmcmath · 08-27-2016, 06:57 AM

That all makes sense. It isn't what I was hoping to hear, but it's realistic and rational.

For the effort required to find Just The Right Buyer all the way out here in the hinterlands of Kitsap County, and the relatively low price it'll command, I'm definitely leaning towards keeping it as a DD, for all the arguments the 1wp makes.

onewhippedpuppy · 08-27-2016, 09:34 AM

One bonus about going the daily driver route, you can easily pocket some cash by selling off the track stuff.