Values of bastardized 911s

[mdmiller911]

*relisted from tech forum

I am a newbie and just bought a "hot-rodded, bastardized, middie" 77' 911S (thanks spuggy, I love the description) and have a few questions related to the value of 911s.

I have been looking/reading/researching for about 6 months and I can't get a grip on the values of 911s. An unmolested 81 sc with 86k original miles and in great shape went for $10,600 on ebay (located in Pittsburgh 15 mi from me) about 3 weeks ago. I was shocked it went for so little. I've seen others go for a much higher price. Why didn't it go for more? Just because it was on ebay? Because there are alot of sc's? It was in PGH? No one was bidding that week????....

When someone bastardizes a car, wide body kit, engine swap, etc..., does it GENERALLY bring the price down? I have seen some beautiful / tasteful examples of modified 911s go for alot less than a stock 911 of the same year. In my case, did the 3.2 add value?

I paid $14,000 for my car, description/pics below. It seemed fair to me. Some said it was a great price. Others said it was average. Maybe its a mistake but I really value the opinions on this forum. What are your honset thoughts about the value of my new purchase?


77 911S with 91k on chassis
9,000 mi on 3.2 w/GE40 cams, 46 ida Webers, SSIs & rebuilt 915 w short gears and LSD
New torsion bars and swaybars, clean interior
no rust or accidents
runs and drives great

[mdmiller911]

Interior shots:

[sbmackie]

Ya know, it depends on what someone is willing to pay for a car, right now. In the spring, the PItt SC may have gone for more (or maybe not).

I bought an 82 SC with 62.5 on the clock a year ago and paid more then $10.6, but it had some very nice suspension and brake mods/upgrades/maintenance and some 9 inch Fuch rims that made it worthwhile to me. Plus a cool can can red interior...

In a previous life (like two years ago), I bought a 77 S with a 3.2 in it. Paid less then you, but by the time I took care of some "minor issues" (I don't do much more then basic wrenching) I had about what you have in your car.

[grudk]

I would say you paid a fair price if the work was done well. Some nice parts, and the 3.2 certainly adds value for most. I don't think you can consider the '74-'77 911 a 'collector' car, so mods add some value in proportion to what you 'upgrade.' Certainly you got it for less than it would cost to build, so if you have what you want, you did well with the purchase.

Will it 'appreciate?' I don't think so, but you won't lose much on it. It wouldn't appreciate much as a stock car, either (maybe in line with inflation)

[budge96]

Mdmiller911 ,I think you got a fair deal and the PO got the same.. what he put into that car he really didn't recover in its entirety but you really never do.
The 77 cars usually are a great deal for someone first getting into porsches at this stage..they're
galvanized,(big point for early chassis) and more often than not someone has upgraded it with a
3.0 or god bless him (PO) a 3.2.
Your car is basically a carrera now without the flares,if he had also flared and painted it he would have been way upside down.
One of my first and favorite of many was a turbo bodied 77 I bought in '93 and susequently installed a 3.2,it came with a 3 liter,car ran like stink!
Car looked fabulous too, got hit in LA before I moved back east and my insurance completely redid the thing..I later sold that car for 17,500.00 w/turbo brakes installed.
See the guy who got it from me had a hell of a car ,you couldn't tell it from a factory 77 Turbo !

[racer]

There is NO market guide for a bastardized car, except that perhaps, the more genuine Porsche parts/appearance/replica the car is, the "stronger" the value seen by a buyer. For $14K, the OP car appears much nice/better than a "shot, worn out, needs refreshing 28 year old SC or 25 year old Carerra at the same $$ why? because someone ELSE has already made the investment. Buying a clapped out car at $9k and knowing you need to spend another 9 to make it really nice seems a wasted effort if you can find one "you like", already improved, for say $15.

I DO think that, like any car, even a Mid-year will see market value rise. Why? they ain't making any more. They are OLD. They are sporty. They are a Porsche. Will they match Longhood values? Not unless they are rare (Euro RS, Early Turbo, IROC cars).. But with good to excellent condition 914 2.0ls getting low to mid teens, why wouldn't the better performing 911S be worth "more" than a 914?

[mdmiller911]

all good points. The picture is starting to get a little clearer....

[the]

IMO that is on the upper side of what a seller could expect to get for that car.

But that doesn't mean it wasn't a decent value for a buyer who wants it.

One issue that car has is that it can't be sold in all states. It won't pass smog in most states that have smog rules, including big Porsche-market states like California. So you eliminate a lot of potential buyers.

[mdmiller911]

You bring up a good point the. The car is inspected and passed emissions in PA so I didn't think it would be a big deal for me. But I did hear that classic/antique plates could take care of some of those problems. I haven't researched yet but does anyone have or know the rules and regulations for classic or antique plates?

[Komenda Fan]

Your car made me smile, it reminds me of a younger version of my car, which means I know you are going to have a blast with it. Unless you are planning on selling it, who cares what its worth? Own it long enough, and you will be way past caring about the money in it.

[racer]

On the flip side of the emmissions coin is that, in many states, once a car hits 20 or 25 years old, they qualify for classic or antique tags, which often means they need not pass emmissions testing. For me, an '82 or older is appealing because I can remove the cats/reactors and put on SSis and sport muffler without reprocussions.

[mdmiller911]

I'm most likely in the same boat with a 77 in PA.

[joetiii]

Originally Posted by Komenda Fan

Unless you are planning on selling it, who cares what its worth? Own it long enough, and you will be way past caring about the money in it.

+.01

Drive it long and hard until the smile on your face is plastered on