[Kaj Hallstrom]

In this volatile 968 market it can be hard to determine whether your 968 is worth a lot or just a little. What does it take to get it priced right? When you check the internet for 968’s for sale you can find them from $8,000 to $55,000…quite a spread….right!!. It all comes down to two things. What’s in your buyers mind and what condition is your car in. Let’s start with the buyer. We have the group of byers with a very limited budget and the desire to own a Porsche. They will always go for the low priced cars without spending much time investigating the maintenance of the car they are looking at. A lot of people have no clue of the fact that a Porsche is a high maintenance baby….yes it cost money to own one!!! When they pick up their $ 8,000 baby with “only” 190000 miles on it they are happy to be a Porsche owner. When the dust settles and they take it in for service the “devil” (technician) delivers the bad news. “You’re gonna need new timing belts and waterpump” and " oh by the way your clutch is bad". "You also have a leak in the transmission and oil pan". "You really should get new tires as well"…...and it goes on and on…."but we can fix all that"……."we will keep it under $9000 and it will be as good as new"………That’s when it sinks in that you really did not get a “good deal” when you bought this car.



 

Then we have the picky SOB shoppers who investigate and inspect every little detail on a 968 for sale. They focus on what car they want. They study all details. They Google everything there is to be found on a 968. They make a personal inspection and an independent inspection. They ask for all documentation, Certificate of Authenticity, maintenance (especially timing belt) and then they take the car out for a thorough test drive. They also look for special rare specimens, rare colors and rare options.



Those are the buyers who will spend much more money when they find a good sample.



So if you plan to sell and make some money, maybe this is part of your retirement plans, keep all records and the car top maintained and in the garage when not in use. Then one day you just might have enough dough for that Around the World cruise.



 

Kaj H



Water cooled fan since 1998

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[flash]

that pretty much sums it up.  until the herd is thinned a bit more, it's going to be very hard to determine the value of the 968.  it's just too all over the map right now.  after watching this car for about 12 years now, i can confidently say that only a bit more than half of the cars are still out there.  that's still a lot, if you want to consider collectability.  the key factor here is that the car never caught on.  unlike the mustang, where there were countless thousands of them made, there was never the attachment to the owner.  it just doesn't bring back memories of fun you had as a kid, as if it were right out of some movie.  it was always the red-headed step child.  that holds it back for now.  once these things get really hard to find, especially in good shape, the values will start going up.  i'm guessing that is another 5-10 years away though.

 

in the big picture, we still aren't talking about a lot of money though.  even with a $50k spilt, it's just not that much money.  it's certainly not going to bolster anybody's retirement fund.  might buy the aforementioned vacation though.

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[MLB]

Somebody once told me, just after I had bought my car, "The most expensive car you will ever own is a cheap Porsche"

:0)

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

I have great faith in the 968's value. I truly think this car is a gold mine, that is if we can eliminate the owners who really does not care. I will give them  2 to 4 years to get rid of their "wrecks". After five years I expect  perfect (or near to) specimens with under 80000 miles to top $30,000.

 

...Am I dreaming?.....I really don't think so...but time will tell....Our economy will play in here off course.

 

..and PS: No, it will never make you rich as pointed out. But it might offer you that vacation you have always dreamed of.

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[Rap]

Live for the moment, vacation now, you might not be able to tomorrow! Bob anything specific to make you think only half of the 968's are left? Buying this car and waiting for it's potential appreciation misses the point. Enjoy the car now, this is what owning a Porsche is all about.

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[94SilverCab]

If I got $30,000 for my car I would still be down $30-$40,000 based on maintenance, upgrades, storage, etc.

 

I did not buy my car as an investment, I bought it to enjoy.

 

When I am done with it, I will sell it to the highest bidder and move on, without looking back. That said, I have owned the 968 for 16 years, longer than just about anything in my life.

 

Jay

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[ds968]

There are a number of red headed step child cars which never had much of a following in any circles, selling for absurdly high amounts of money now at various auctions. But they're pushing the 50-60 year mark.. Some even older . Maybe, just maybe a 968 which is in extraordinary shape , or fully restored to its glory ( won't be cheap to do that ) will reach that level of interest and command a true collector's classic price ..in another 30-40 years. Until then however, I think what Karl wrote is spot on, so that's precisely what to expect if you're contemplating selling your car .

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[lbpesq]

I could see this car hitting $50K or more in 5 years. Of course, if it happens, the price of gas will be about $15/ga!


Bill

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[94SilverCab]

The price for all collector cars has soar astronomically due to low return on other investment. Investing in automobiles has become a bubble and just like stocks, all boats will sink in a low tide, which is bound to come.

 

Either bring your car to concourse standard and then shrink wrap it, or enjoy the hell out of it now.

 

Jay

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[flash]

i really don't think these cars are ever going to be worth big dollars, like the earlier 911s have become.  there was just never any love for this car.  in the minds of most people, "it's not a real porsche".  it has nothing to do with how great a car it is.  it has nothing to do with how ahead of its time it was.  it is entirely market perception.

 

i'm with jay on this.  drive the heck out of it

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[unknown4u]

I remember the 914.... not loved for a long time till.... a couple of years ago.

914 and 968 have many similarities.

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[ds968]

i really don't think these cars are ever going to be worth big dollars, like the earlier 911s have become.  there was just never any love for this car.  in the minds of most people, "it's not a real porsche". 

 

Not so sure about that, the Dino was much maligned in its heyday and for many years to follow was also referred to as "not a real Ferrari "  by most people including Ferrariphiles.  Am I comparing the 968 in the Porsche world to the Dino in the Ferrari world ?    Absolutely.   It's precisely a parallel, in every respect.   But doubtful any buyers will plunk down crazy money to get their hands on a 968.  Ever.         

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

You guys are having too many "negative vibes". Agree, the 968 will never make you a millionaire. Let me throw some facts at you, and yes by the way, I am having a lot of fun driving it every day. Taking it to the mountains and top down to the beach.

 

I paid $13.700 for this car in May of 2015. Out the door with taxes, registration etc etc it came to $15,000. Maintenance (60000 mile timing belt etc) was $3,000. Total expenses of $18,000. The last offer I received (which I turned down) was $21,000 which would have given us a $3,000 profit or a 17% gain in just under one year.

My stock market investments the last year is showing a 1.74% gain and my stocks doesn't take me around to fun places.

 

"Look at the bright side of life" (Monty Python) gentlemen, think positive.

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[Langley968]

I bought my 968 with 70k on it in 2009 and it has just over 110k on it now.

* the 968 has brought me to places that I probably would not have gone to if I did not have it;

* I have spent valuable time with my wife and adult children driving around to fun places that one can not put a $ value on;

* four of my five children have asked for it to be passed down to them (three are girls!);

* my grandson is almost 2 and a few days ago he spotted it in the garage and said: "Car!" with a huge smile on his face - priceless;

* Can't wait to give the grandkids rides in the coming years (third one is on the way already and with four married kids all talking about having several children of their own - more are sure to follow!!!).


So... The "investment" in this car has paid back BIG time and with some TLC should continue to do so for years to come!!!

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

Amen!!!!

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[flash]

there is a world of difference between ferrari and porsche.  they really aren't in the same league.  even a 308 demands more respect than a porsche.  if ferrari made a car that did what i want, i would have bought that in a blink, rather than any porsche.

 

a 246 dino is additionally a family honor thing.  that will always carry weight.  further, there just weren't many of them made.  the whole run was only 3569 (an additional 152 if you count the 206).  it's really not a good comparison.

 

as for investment returns, don't start counting that money just yet.  without fail, things show up in the first 2 years of ownership.  if it hasn't been done yet, you'll probably be headed for a valve job if you plan to drive the car a lot, especially if it has been running on dino oil.  suspension rubbers if original are almost certainly due for renewal.  clutch is generally required before 90k.  motor mounts are likely about done if they are original.  there will be a long list, so park a few grand.  i've said it before, and i haven't been wrong yet.  any cab will cost nearly $25k by the time you get it all sorted out, whether you buy it done, or buy low and do it yourself.

 

so, as investments go, the 968 is a loser by most standards.  it will probably cost more than you can sell it for.

 

but that's not why most of us buy these cars.  it's definitely not why i bought mine, and why i sank $150k into it.

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[Inkedupfatboy]

I guess I don't feel the same.

 

I thought I bought the "Cheap Porsche" I was wrong and yes, I found out there is no such thing. I had no idea what it was, other than the "marque" and the cost.

 

However, I did it right and brought it back from the brink. Any longer un-serviced and un-driven and it would have cost much, much more than it did to get it up to spec. I threw many thousands of dollars into the car.

 

But when I look at the car, I like it and I smile when I look at it in the garage, and I do enjoy driving it, but I have lost that giddy, "Oh my God! I just bought a Porsche" feeling that I had bringing it home on the trailer.

 

If I could get out of it what I paid for it, I would sell it tomorrow and move on to other things. I just can't bring myself to drive it every day or even often. I can't bear the thought of a "grocery cart ding" in the side, so consequently when I do drive it, I never park anywhere. I actually surprised myself when I took it to an Orlando cruise in recently, that I walked away from it. (I should have had a for sale sign on it.)

 

I have a few memories with the wife and father in law (he's fighting cancer) in the car, but I wish I could part ways with it. I have another car that has an emotional attachment to me, that I want to restore and need the cash.

 

I might put it on eBay to see what it does, or I could take it to the Daytona Turkey Rod Run. All I know is I am distanced from it and want the garage back. I just don't want to lose my shirt selling it.

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[Bulti]

'there is a world of difference between ferrari and porsche. they really aren't in the same league. even a 308 demands more respect than a porsche.'


Pretty subjective. And so not true.

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[Rap]

Two of my granddaughters love to ride in the 968. One really fast one really slow. My grandson was captured in a pic in the track car belted in the harness when he was one. Priceless. The garage is the first place he wants to go when he visits. Mind you he is a John Deere guy with his cap on but loves the 968. It sits in it and pretends to drive it. The feeling that brings and the huge shit eating grin on my face deserve a pic. The two girls have laid claim to the two 968's. To own two Porsches is pretty neat. I don't know many people that do and most people have no idea of the poor mans moniker. For those that do, good for them.

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[ds968]

+ 1 with what Philippe said. The Ferrari vs Porsche debate is very subjective. Just because Ferraris look and sound better than Porsches does not mean they are in a different league . That's simply a myth and not at all substantiated by any other aspect of the cars' attributes . But I will admit that with the sole exception of the 968 I prefer most Ferraris to any other Porsche . Most, although certainly not all. Then again I am very superficial and will almost always take form over function. And to counter flash's opinion re the Dino vs the 968 ; the 3500+ Dinos made is a far larger percentage vis-a-vis the total Ferrari production numbers than the 12,000 + 968s is vs total Porsche production numbers, so in that sense the Dino is a more common car than the 968 is. Not more desirable lol, just comparing numbers since you brought that up.. Also, I don't think too many people care about the " family honor " thing with the Dino, but I could be wrong. It's all about those Dino lines which arguably have no equal in the history of the automobile world .

So what makes the 968 unique in addition to its still remarkable handling, practicability and rarity is the beauty of its lines and that's what makes it special to a buyer, IMHO ..whether that translates into " big bucks " someday remains to be seen, I just don't think it will command much more than what you invest in it over the years .. So like everyone else here said, drive it into the ground until it dies of natural causes, never buy one for potential ROI reasons ..

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