43 replies to this topic

[Tomikaze]

I'll preface this by saying that this comment/question is not meant to offend anyone... is there something that I am missing here that would make some 968's worth $20,000 plus? I watched a nice 1994 with 36,000 miles sell on eBay for $14,100. Jeff on this forum is selling a nice 1994 with relativley low miles for less than $14,000. I know a nice example of this car or one with super low miles will be worth more than others but is ANY 968 worth $20,000? Or is that an owner just fishing and not really serious about selling? I have read the most recent market report in excellence and it says one in excellent condition is worth $14,211. They allow 10% or so more for low mileage or extrodinary condition but has anyone actually sold one of these for $20,000 plus?

[Fox944]

they are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. a super low mileage '95 M030 coupe will fetch 20Kish, as will other low mileage cars with rare options/colors. The majority are worth somewhere in the 10-15K range with beaters and super high mileage cars going for less then 10K. 15K will get you a really nice 968.

[ds968]

What Fox said. Just from personal experience.. I was offered $ 25k for mine not too long ago. It has 105,000 k miles on it. The guy simply wanted that particular car, in that color, was not interested in what features or upgrades I had, just as long as it did not have major problems ..and seemed to not give a crap about it's "market value " .
Of course that does not mean that there are a lot of chances of finding an insane, obsessed buyer who is willing to pay $ 50,000 for any given 968, but not out of the realm of possibility IMO, to see a car here and there may be go for $ 20k or $ 30k, among those 9 out of 10 others who do sell within the going market value range.

[flash]

yeah - there are a lot of things that affect pricing

as stated, M030 demands a higher premium, mostly due to old perceptions of desirability, but now it's more of a collector thing than a performance thing, as there are better options out there in aftermarket stuff

cabs go for about 2-3k more than hardtops

manuals go for about 2-3k more than tips

white and red cars go for less than other colors

rare colors tend to go for more, because the seller usually hangs onto it and waits

the list goes on, which is why the range is so wide

beware of super low mileage cars too, as they are potentially worse off than a car that has been driven regularly - the paint and such might be better, but the drivetrain could be suffering from lack of exercise

all of the cars have age against them, and something to pay close attention to is anything rubber - the belts need to be changed every 3 years regardless of mileage, and by 45k, regardless of age - bushings are frequently hard and/or cracked - hoses too

so, maintenance is a key component in the pricing of any car

[bob blackwell]

I do not know of any 968 selling for $20K in recent memory (last three years). I hear some stories about great prices being offered, but no actual case of a 968 being sold for anything close to that. Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

[flash]

there have been a couple - i know of one here last year or so that i seem to remember went for $23k - low mileage car

[ds968]

there are certainly some very ambitious asking prices - a bunch of ads in Panorama for 968s asking mid to even high 20s ..for coupes ! - unfortunately, you never find out if any of those actually sold and if so, for how much but I think the sellers are mostly folks who do not really NEED to sell the car.. I would think a large factor in the depressed market value of this car is not its age or relative obscurity, but rather sales by a majority ( certainly not all ..) of owners who MUST get rid of the car for one reason or another and unload it at bargain basement prices. Murphy's Law at play though - works just like loans and/or credit lines : when you don't need or want to sell the car, great offers come out of nowhere, when you want to sell it.. you're SOL. jut my $ .02

[Cloud9...68]

If I were in the market for a 968, after spending many hours researching the car on 968forums, I'd pay a premium for a car that recently had the known weaknesses of the car repaired or replaced. With most 968's probably falling in the 70,000 - 120,000 mile range, things like head gaskets, rod bearings, belts, rear main seals, engine mounts, and hoses would be at the top of my list. A car that recently had these items replaced, and that generally gave an appearance of being well care for, should command top dollar. Nowhere near 20K, though, unless, as others have said, it's an exceedingly rare color combination, or some unique combination of options.

[White968]

I would pay a premium for a well optioned car ($20K+) Currently I am looking for a 993 or 968 6 speed. My 95' 968 is a tip and I love it but has limitations for Supercharging it. I might be in the market for another 968 6 speed manual for that reason.

[rxter]

"15K will get you a really nice 968"

I suppose that depends on what "a really nice 968" means to you. I recently spent several months conducting an extensive search for a really nice 968, and 15 got me to 70K miles, a decent interior and paint, with the promise of a new clutch and timing belt in my near future. Cabs and manuals only so add the 4K premium that Bob mentioned. That means 11 to 12 for that car in a tip coupe.

I was looking for essentially a new 968. I love the car but I'm not so crazy about the repairs of a 100K car, primarily because my lack of wrenching skill puts me at the mercy of local mechanics. Anyway, finding a 6-sp cab LSD with low mileage, but not a car that had been parked and forgotten, regular and recent maintenance, and a concours-close presentation was a bit pricier than 15K.

And based on my recon of cars asking 12 to 15 they are pretty rough high mileage cars. So with my lenses on I'd say that 15 will buy you something decent if you take your time.

I still hold to the adage that you'll spend $25K to get any 968 up to snuff. Pay me now or pay me later.

[flash]

funny how that works out that way

[Fox944]

Rxter, you can pick up my really nice 968 for less then 15K

[flash]

for all the stuff on that car, it's quite the bargain - maybe not the setup for the average guy though - if the right guy gets it, he'll love it

lol - i would have the same problem selling mine, should i ever decide to do that

[rxter]

I think that highly modded cars actually scare a lot of people. Maybe they were raced or driven hard or ..... So I agree that those bits are hard to recover the cost. Like a swimming pool in a house. Some want it, most don't. If you are going to put a lot of money into performance or appearance mods, either plan on eating that cost, along with depreciation, or drive it until you can't stand to look at it any more.

Having shopped for my kids recently I know that you can get a highly modded civic or accord for a song, but where or where has that little car been...?

[94SilverCab]

While I would generally agree that modded cars will bring a penalty rather than a premium, I'm hoping the reverse would be true in the case of my car. All of the modifications have be done by RS Barn. That means installation and service by a single source of a known, top quality, performance engineer.

My Miata was well done, but basically a bunch of bolt on parts from a variety of vendors, and no one taking responsibility for determination of the increases in performance.

In terms of being collectable, my car has very distinctive badging and is well known within the community (provenance).

My car is not for sale, but I would expect a price well above $20k.

Jay

[Cloud9...68]

Another factor I would strongly consider if I were in the market or 968 is whether it had been, as best can be determined, garaged its whole life. The damage cause by the sun and other elements to the paint and interior is very significant over the course of how long these cars have been around.

After thinking about it some, I agree with Jay and others that a truly well kept and well maintained coupe should be able to fetch close to $20K, and a cab a few thousand more. There's just such a striking difference between a car that's been well maintained and kept out of the elements, and one that's just sort of been "lived in," to use a house analogy. It's amazing how many people, even Porsche owners, treat their cars like an appliance, something that, being just a machine after all, will just naturally wear out over the years. Yes, you can buy a 968 that's received average care, and the bare minimal maintenance, for around $10K, but, as many have said, you'd have to sink at least $10K into it to get it up to snuff, and even then, the years of neglect probably can't be completely erased, unless you'rewilng to do a full restoration, which will bring the total tab into the stratosphere.

[ds968]

If 968 owners would not even budge on selling their cars ( well maintained, cosmetically appealing ) anything under $ 30k, I belive these cars would start selling at that level.. in part, because I still contend you can't find anything comparable ( all factors considered ) for under $ 50k.

[Cloud9...68]

Well, I'm not sure $30K is very realitic for even a very well maintained 16 - 19-year-old car. Imagine a 968 that's been kept in a hermetically sealed capsule the past 17 years - a "brand new" 1994 968 with zero miles. Sadly, we'd have a woefully under-powered GT with average handling, that transmits enough road noise into the cockpit to drive the average road tester to distraction.

But on the other hand, picture a 1994 968 with 110,000 miles that has had every conceivable item of maintenance recently completed, including cylinder head rebuild, belts, rollers, water pump, rod bearings, all seals, has had the pinion bearing replaced (if it was needed), all exterior panel and door handle gaskets replaced, fresh brakes, new tires, a complete list of the maintenance done to the car going back at least five years, perfect paint (no door dings, nicks, etc.) and interior, which has been garaged its entire life. Throw in the proper susension upgrades (a limited lip differential, M030 sway bars, firmer shocks, upper and lower braces), and a short shift kit. And definitely the Dynamat treatment in the door skins and in the cargo area. A car like this would be a supercharger away from being competitive with the likes of a new Nissan 370Z, and would seem on an objective basis to be worth possibly close to $20K. But as someone else has said, it's really worth what people are willing to pay for it...

Edited by Cloud9...68, 29 August 2010 - 02:12 PM.

[rxter]

I'm not budging ds - go ahead make me an offer....

[Cloud9...68]

"I'm not budging ds - go ahead make me an offer.... "

Yeah, me too. Just drop the $30K into my Nigerian bank account...