Thinking of selling my '89

[BMWDavid]

I've had my '89 Carrera SA for almost six years. Have not driven it in a while and I'm starting to lose interest in the car. It now needs some typical service (valve adjustment, brake fluid along with hoses and caliper overhaul, tires and etc.) I have a new set of Michelin Exalto tires and a new battery that would go with the car.

Car has 22,250 some miles on it and is totally unmolested and 100% stock. As noted above it is a Silver Anniversary model with original paint and interior. I would rate the paint at 9+ and the interior at 9.5+. The glass is a 10. I know the full ownership history and I'm the fourth owner. Have complete unused toolkit and books. It has always been stored inside and shows no signs of sun damage. The dash top is like new and the instrument needles are still bright red as are the two heater control knobs.

I'm trying to get a handle on a selling price. I realize that it needs about $2000-$3000 worth of service. Please be aware when I say service I mean just that...no restoration is needed at all.

Thanks for any insight.

[cashman]

I have the same car in Cab version with 50K Mi. at the moment. I would describe it this way:
You can sell the car in 5 minutes for $20,000
You can sell the car in a couple weeks/months for $25,000
You can sell the car to the "guy that really wants your car" for $30,000+

Based on your description and low mileage I would hold out for the $30+K number and find the right buyer. Start high, you can always come down.

More concerning, why are you losing interest in it? Have you owned many others and are bored? I've had mine for 6 years, 10K mi and I wouldn't sell or trade it unless I got a really special person interested in it for big $$$$

Mines in top running condition, lowered, good tires, doing Ax and De's and having a blast. . I like it better than my brother in laws 997.

Good luck

[oh snap]

There are obviously a million variables, but an 89 with only 22k miles i dont think it will be long at all before you find a 30k+ buyer. I think in the condition you describe with all the work done you could be low to mid 30s pretty easily.

[MY911S]

SEll it and If you have never experienced and can get into it an MFI car for the weekends and your interest might be renewed.

[MMiller]

If it were me with a car in that condition I would get the service done that it needs over the winter. Then early next Spring I would put the car up for sale, advertise it as needs nothing,ready to go, low mileage example,etc......., and ask 30K plus money for it.

[wildcat077]

Your 89 is the last of the 3.2 Carreras and with the low mileage surely has good value !
Being a Silver Anniversary issue is nice but i'm not sure everybody likes a pale interior as i think your car might have ...

I have to agree with Panerai in that you should get everything done including a leakdown and compression test at your convenience and sell the car as turnkey and ready to go !

It will save you from any bickering from potential buyers !

Cheers !
Phil

[MrBonus]

That's a $34,000 dollar car, no question, possibly more.

[aadrew10]

Originally Posted by cashman

More concerning, why are you losing interest in it? Have you owned many others and are bored? I've had mine for 6 years, 10K mi and I wouldn't sell or trade it unless I got a really special person interested in it for big $$$$

Good luck

He's losing interest in it because he doesn't drive it

[Hodgey]

lets' see........22,500 miles, 1989.....needs nothing.

I wouldn't touch it....too precious, too perfect, needs to be driven but too scary to do so....don't want to damage anything.

Unless it was kept in a controlled atmosphere environment, I would have to pass. Pics would be nice tho'....

[fintstone]

I have a hotrod '74 and a pristine '89. Both are Targas. I tend to prefer the '74. The '89 is just too refined too quiet and geared too high for blasting down country roads. My '74 has a much better feel, is faster as it is geared much lower (much more shifting) and the stock exhause is much louder. The '89 is better for a longer trip.

That said, I wouldn't take less than $25K for my low mileage '89. It is a beautiful car, but your car has really low mileage.

[BMWDavid]

Originally Posted by aadrew10

He's losing interest in it because he doesn't drive it

That is a correct assumption, I don't drive it because it does need maintenance. I've had a series of health issues over the past couple of years that get in the way of me enjoying working on the car. So as a result it sits. I even bought a Subaru BRZ this summer for driving kicks.

I see the car everyday in my garage and I know it is a special car being the last of the torsion bar cars and certainly in the condition it is in makes me hesitate at the thought of selling.

If I could find a shop reasonably close (car would most likely need flat bedded due to a draggy caliper) that had a great reputation for work on air-cooled Porsche's I might be swayed to at least get everything the car needs done. Then perhaps I would reconsider selling as I most likely would end up driving it again.

At that if I still had mixed feelings about the car it would be a least be a very sell-able "turnkey" car.

[Ofishbein]

Originally Posted by Hodgey

lets' see........22,500 miles, 1989.....needs nothing.

I wouldn't touch it....too precious, too perfect, needs to be driven but too scary to do so....don't want to damage anything.

Agreed. The problem with very low mileage cars is that you pay a premium and then with every mile you drive the value out of them. If it's bought to be a garage queen it's not a problem, but I'd rather go for something with more miles I can enjoy on the road. Besides, these cars always run better when they are exercised - they sit for long periods of time and the seals start to dry out and crack.

I don't want to be a buzz-kill but I don't see the Anniversary cars commanding much of a premium from regular Carreras. Besides the color scheme, they are pretty much the same as all the others. Maybe someday down the road . . .

[hcoles]

Selling offshore e.g. Germany has been mentioned with people getting higher prices. You could look into that. Maybe get $40k.

[dsfnctn]

PM if you are interested in selling. I need it for a project restoring my 88 Clubsport

[gregwils]

Prices for this type of car can be hard to pinpoint since there aren't a lot of 87-89 cars traded with that low mileage. An SA car definitely adds value. I would estimate the value in the low 30's as the car sits. You will get lots of attention with such low miles, so I would just remind you that you can accept a lower the price in response to an offer, but you can't raise the price. You don't sound desperate to sell, start high and take your time. Good luck.

[intakexhaust]

When you're ready, interested as is and when you establish a price. Thank's, Scott

[BMWDavid]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of your postings and PM's. As some of you have sensed I'm not in a big rush to sell yet. I want to be sure I do not have any regrets should I sell. I'd hate to sell then later realize that I let a perfect 911 go.

You know, I wish I was close to a specialized shop that I could just drop the car off at and then a few days later pick it up and see how I felt about it again. I read about the wonderful shops in California and others and wish that something was closer to me.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by BMWDavid

I even bought a Subaru BRZ this summer for driving kicks.

Funny. Buying a BRZ precipitated my losing interest in my 3.2l Carrera and getting rid of it. Instead, I now have a SWB 912 for when I want my P-car fix...

I think you've got a $35k car there.

[BMWDavid]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Funny. Buying a BRZ precipitated my losing interest in my 3.2l Carrera and getting rid of it. Instead, I now have a SWB 912 for when I want my P-car fix...

I think you've got a $35k car there.

Hey! A fellow BRZ owner! I think you of all might have a pretty good idea of what I'm feeling. Neat about you getting a SWB 912.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Funny. Buying a BRZ precipitated my losing interest in my 3.2l Carrera and getting rid of it. Instead, I now have a SWB 912 for when I want my P-car fix...

I think you've got a $35k car there.

Down that road of discussion again.... $35k is nice 993 territory. For the right G50 3.2 cars at these prices surely is a sneak preview of what the future holds. I would have never dreamed that one day seeing prices of non-special option or non-S long hood's go for this money too.