At what point is a 911 not worth it???

[WANNA930]

Ok, I see ads pushing the pricing limits on every sale. There really seams to be no limit.

I love 911's but at what dollar amount is a 911 not worth it to you? The problem is the pricing of say 1978-88 is getting into the $40-50k for a nice car. That buys a lot of car in todays market. There have been so many performance cars produced now that the early 911's fall short in some areas. Heck you could even buy a later model if you want to stay Porsche faithful.

I know the whole liking an early car deal but remember $40k still buys a car with niggling little issues and possible repairs. So throw another $10k and at $50-60 there is a lot of expectation in that 911. They are great cars and at $18 you can look past the weak points at $50k ??? I am not sure I can.



Just a thought?

[christiandk]

That depends on how much money you have!

[CKPTAuto]

Sure you could go and buy a new one... but they just don't push the same buttons The new Porsches are fabulous cars and would love to have one as a daily driver, but new cars have problems too, many of which make no sense at all!
It's almost like a right of passage, I don't think you should be able to buy a new Porsche without owning an older one

[COLB]

The problem is the pricing of say 1978-88 is getting into the $40-50k for a nice car.

What?!

Your definition of "nice"must be an all original, concours-level car with under 50k.

You can still get a "nice" car for $20-25k. And that is a reasonably sorted, rust free, complete car with adequate history and no immediate needs.

If you have to have perfect paint, every record and original piece since birth, the dealer window sticker, and the factory plastic gloves in your tool kit to enjoy a 911, it is certainly getting pricey. But I don't have any of that in my car, and I love driving it.

And yes, it needs some tinkering to address minor seepage here or there...and perhaps the valve guides will need looking to in a few years. But even those costs pale compared the the depreciation I would have continue to eat had I kept my 05 Boxster, or had I bought a Honda. Much less a new BMW or Mercedes.


So don't sweat the market. Just get a decent car that runs well, and ride the wave. And as long as you pursue some DIY, I bet over 5 years of ownership you will get more return on your investment (or at least less total depreciation + operating cost) than any new car sitting on a dealer lot today.

[The Donster]

Well, for me that figure is around $30K, and I'm speaking as someone who can afford it but has been priced out of the market.
I've been watching the market pretty closely for 2 years now, ever since my friend tried to sell me his used Boxster and I told him if I was going to buy a Porsche it would be an old 911, not a Boxster. Then I thought, wait, I wonder what an old 911 would actually cost? The answer was, as of 2 years ago, 18-25K.
Then I hesitated.
Initially I hesitated because it was a big indulgence and I'm not an indulgent person. Then I decided to put install a pool in my back yard because my kids were the right age to really enjoy it, so there went my Porsche budget for that year (and then some), but then again the whole family gets to enjoy the pool.
Now the pool and landscaping are done and the old Porsche returns to mind but...
What was now an $18-25K outlay is now well over $30K. The typical asking price for a 1984-1989 911 has increased by about $7000-$9000 in a year and a half. I know this because I have checked the listings several times a week for the last 2 years.
I am not talking about show cars, or cars in the $50K+ range, I am talking about a driver in reasonably good shape with no rust. And for me it's just not worth it. I'm not rich, but I can afford a second car for $30K without much trouble. The question is, is that reasonable value for my money? What other things could I spend that money on- family holidays, my kids' university, an earlier retirement, etc.
I know some people claim that there are lots of cars out there at reasonable prices. But I've watched the market I and I know that's just not so. There are lots of cars for sale at ridiculous prices of over $50,000, and plenty of cars at $30-$40,000, but pretty much anything under $30K needs $5K or more in work and anything under $25K is extremely suspect.
So, for me at over $30K, a 911 is not worth it.

[PushingMyLuck]

You can still get a "nice" car for $20-25k.

This.

$30k will get you a "dealer quality" 3.2 G50 coupe with under 100k.
If you're ok with a Cab or Targa, lower. Red, lower. SC, lower.
Quite easy to find something for $25k that is "nice"

Let's just pretend that every 911 was indeed $30k.
(They're not)

But, if they were, there are tons of alternatives.

You can get a BMW //M for $30k.
You can get a brand new WRX for $30k.

If you're approaching $50k,
you can get a barely used mint 997 for that kind of coin.

[wgwollet]

Each person has a theory.

Prices....yes they are going up....people keep forgetting....these are hand built low volume cars. They are not BMW's or WRX's cars....long hoods are going like 356 cars, in fact 356 cars could be going flat or down some....why? Age of owners...

But look at SC and 3.2 cars you will not be disappointed under $30,000.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

Let's just pretend that every 911 was indeed $30k.
(They're not)

The only one pretending that ANYONE is saying this is you.

Every time you post a link, it proves what the more-knowledgeable folk have been saying all along.

I'm not sure why you need to make stuff up to make a point.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by wgwollet

Each person has a theory.

Prices....yes they are going up....people keep forgetting....these are hand built low volume cars. They are not BMW's or WRX's cars....long hoods are going like 356 cars, in fact 356 cars could be going flat or down some....why? Age of owners...

But look at SC and 3.2 cars you will not be disappointed under $30,000.

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. If you want a no-stories original-everything car with every record in a non-red/black/white/silver color, $30k is kinda short money these days. But you can get a whole bunch of aircooled 911 for $25k, and quite a lot for $20k, if you're willing to do some work.

[The Donster]

I kind of wondered how long it would take for Pushing My Luck to weigh in with the same tired BS.
I have followed this topic closely as well as the market. PML has repeatedly made the assertion that there are "lots" of cheap 3.2's available, then posted links to support that assertion. Without exception these links have been to cars with major issues, suspect documentation, gaps in their history, Hurricane Sandy flood salvage, etc. PML has zero credibility.
Your claimed dealer prices are patently false. Reasonably sorted '87-'89 911's at a dealership are typically now over $35K, and '84-'86 cars typically $30+. I am not talking about show cars, but nor am I talking about cars which have rust, need an engine rebuild (or have already had a bad rebuild), odometer discrepancies, etc.
I am also not talking about BMW's WRX or whatever. I already have a nice BMW. If I wanted a new or slightly used 997 I'd buy one. The topic at hand is air cooled 911's. If you're making the claim that prices haven't risen sharply in the last 2 years, well don't bother.
The question was, at what point is a 911 not worth it?
I have contributed my answer to the discussion: at current prices, for me, it's not worth it, and that threshold was crossed at around $30,000. It will be different for everyone.
If you can find yourself a nicely sorted drivable 911 at the prices you claim, then good for you, buy it and I wish you well. But I don't think you can, and in any case that wasn't the question. The question was, at what price point is a 911 not worth it to you?

[PushingMyLuck]

There are MANY of daily driver quality 3.2's for $22-$24k.
Find one locally (CL) and you can score one for lower.

[PushingMyLuck]

$20,800
1986 Porsche 911 Carrera, $20,800 - Cars.com

$22k
1985 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, $22,500 - Cars.com

$22k
1985 Porsche 911 Carrera, $22,951 - Cars.com

G50 for $24k
1988 Porsche 911 Targa, $24,900 - Cars.com

[PushingMyLuck]

I also agreed that at $30,000 a 3.2 is no longer worth it for a 30 year old car.
You can get a LOT of used modern car for $30k (that won't need any engine rebuild)

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

There are MANY of daily driver quality 3.2's for $22-$24k.
Find one locally (CL) and you can score one for lower.

As little as a month ago, you were claiming a LOT of "driver quality" cars were <$20k. I guess you have been schooled by the folks that know much more about this than you do. Not a surprise.

Of course, each person gets to decide what "driver quality" means. In this case, you use it to include any car that can move under its own power.

LOL.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

$20,800
1986 Porsche 911 Carrera, $20,800 - Cars.com

$22k
1985 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, $22,500 - Cars.com

$22k
1985 Porsche 911 Carrera, $22,951 - Cars.com

G50 for $24k
1988 Porsche 911 Targa, $24,900 - Cars.com

LMAO. Two targas and a cab. Those go for less money. Because they are less desirable. They can't be compared to coupes, because coupes demand a higher premium, and have - forever. The one coupe you present here has a gutted interior.

Damn, I love it when you prove my point. You do it over and over and over again. I suppose these cars are all "driver quality".

LMAO.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

I also agreed that at $30,000 a 3.2 is no longer worth it for a 30 year old car.
You can get a LOT of used modern car for $30k (that won't need any engine rebuild)

But we're not talking about modern cars. And folks looking to buy a 911 aren't looking for a modern car.

So that's about the dumbest comparison you've come up with yet, and that's actually saying something.

[PushingMyLuck]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

LMAO. Two targas and a cab. Those go for less money. Because they are less desirable. They can't be compared to coupes, because coupes demand a higher premium, and have - forever. The one coupe you present here has a gutted interior.

Damn, I love it when you prove my point. You do it over and over and over again. I suppose these cars are all "driver quality".

LMAO.

Moron, there are 3 types of 911's, not one.
When I say "911", I am referring generally to all.

Oh, and where were you when I posted the $20k coupe last week?
Right, suddenly had to shut your piehole.
Nice to see you come out of the woodwork.

[PushingMyLuck]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

But we're not talking about modern cars. And folks looking to buy a 911 aren't looking for a modern car.

So that's about the dumbest comparison you've come up with yet, and that's actually saying something.

Sure we are!
The OP stated a car is not worth it" at a certain point?
Why would that be? B/c of something call "substitute goods".
Only an moron assumes the only car people want is an old 911.
If 3.2's went to $100k, people would start buying "substitute goods" b/c the 911 is no longer "worth it"
Some may buy a WRX, others an M5. Others a 997. And, so forth.
I feel like I'm talking to an 8 year old.

[PushingMyLuck]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

As little as a month ago, you were claiming a LOT of "driver quality" cars were <$20k. LOL.

There are,!
For under $20k, you need to find them locally.

For a "daily driver"...
Locally, $18-$22k.
Ebay/internet $22k-$24k

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

Moron, there are 3 types of 911's, not one.
When I say "911", I am referring generally to all.

Oh, and where were you when I posted the $20k coupe last week?
Right, suddenly had to shut your piehole.

LMAO, and you inadvertently prove my point again. Even when you try REALLY hard, you still can't make a point. You lump the three types together when talking price, as you did in your four-car comparo up there. But when you get called down on it, you slip and admit that not all the body styles go for the same money.

As far as not keeping track of the odd CL finds you make, I don't have any apologies, considering the fact that I already have said, on more than one (more than three, actually) occasions that it might be possible to find a good car in the $20k region, if you keep right on top of CL, and have cash in hand. But counting on that is just as stupid as your "market savvy", because you're gambling that the car has been well-kept and that you're not getting a sub-"driver quality" car that has been well-detailed and put up on CL with a bunch of BS as ad copy.

Buy those <$20k cars and try and flip them. LMAO@U.