RufGmbH

Hi Guys.



I hope I am posting in the correct 930 Forum. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations regarding the issue I am facing. I have 1984 (euro obviousy) 930 S (factory slantnose delete) that has RUF 3.4 L engine, upgrades, etc. It WAS a gorgeous car. Like an idiot, I moved to FL and rented a condo on the beach. Despite all my attempts at car cover, car bubbles, etc, the car really took a beating (the idiots who designed the building thought it would be a good idea to leave the lower level/parking open to the elements). This idiot (I) didn't realize how serious it was until it was too late. To make matters worse, I just brought the car to the local shop after seeing white smoke. Car has broken head studs, bad leakdown test, and needs top-end rebuild.

Finally, I get to my question. What are people's thoughts about restoring this. From what I gather engine rebuild is $12k-$15k. The car will need complete media blasting, some metal work (possible new engine deck lid because there are rust spots on two corner/leading edges that may be beyond simple sanding, etc), complete repaint $10-12K....and to add insult to injury interior refurb ($3k).

I've had some really bad luck with cars recently (996 TT with engine detonations 1 hour after purchase...after PPI...don't ask...soar subject), and I'm tempted just to say screw it, and dump the 930. But there are a few issues:
1) When I was a younger buck, this was my dream car and it's sort of my baby
2) The value of these cars keep going up up up...and especially this with the RUF engine, etc
3) So I could spend $30k, but my concerns are am I dumping tons of money into a car that really isn't going to have much value after (I will always worry about future rust, if they have to replace deck lid now it's not numbers matching panels). On the flip side, if I dump it I suspect that 5 years down the line when these cars are all $100K+, I'm going to be kicking myself. But then again, this car might not qualify because of the work I'm describing.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I would just really appreciate some honest feedback because I've gotten screwed by mechanics recently and had some really bad luck.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Peace,
Jason

RufGmbH

PICTURE OF THE CAR IN ITS HEALTHIER DAYS

HEAT'N'COOL

She is a beaute Clark! I would say restore it. These cars are just going up in value.

strudel

I think your decision should be based on how much you like the car, with the perceived future value a by product. Your restoration estimates seem low to me based on the prices I experienced living in the San Francisco Bay Area. That could be the difference in labor costs.
If you restore it based on future value I doubt you will drive it much in an effort to keep it pristine. If you really enjoy the car, I'd restore it and enjoy it. While you may not get top dollar when you do sell it, you may break even +/- and enjoy it . The best of both worlds.
For shop recommendations I'd post on the Pelican 930 site for referrals.

theporscheguy

Jason,
If you can find a good tech and restoration company that you can trust I would certainly restore. Both companies should stand behind their work in writing, period. I would not start this project if you don't feel comfortable with the companies you are dealing with. Secondly, will the Porsche end up in a better location? There's no need to go through the effort and then put the car back into the same elements. Good luck with your decision.

Igooz

Jason,
My opinion having gone done this road several times.

Keep vs. sell: IMHO...keep.

Restoration:
+ take your time and do this over 3? years or so.
+ take the car out of where ever its at right now and park it some place else.
+ slow down, think about what you want the final product to be as that will drive the expenses.
+ my estimates would be: $20k for engine/tranny, $5k for interior (minimum), $20k for glass out paint and another $10k for miscellaneous. And this is still not a nut and bolt restoration but pretty darn nice car.

And then you need to have a place to keep the car.

RobT 394

Go take a look at the 356 rust buckets that get restored to either driver or concourse quality. Those cars clearly do not lose value based on where they started, it is where they end up that dictates the value and level of enjoyment.

Now to your 930. Decide what you want in the end and enjoy the journey. Keep and restore.

RufGmbH

Thanks a lot for the responses. This has given me good food for thought. I'm definitely going to post in the other forum to ask for recommendations on reputable shops in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, area.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jason

speednme

A lot of good responses...so I'll add my 2 pennies....since it's the car you always wanted, I vote to fix it. Now with that said proper planning will yield you the best results. Research the shops that will handle the work. You can have the engine removed and the car shipped to the paint shop while the engine gets done. Paint should be between $8-12k. Your demographics will play a role in this. To save a few dollars you can remove the bumpers, headlights, etc..etc.. yourself. Engine wise, a top end should be between $9-13k as long no major parts are needed. Word of advice..let the shop that is doing the engine work obtain all the necessary parts to to the rebuild. Oh and while its out rebuild the turbo. Evergreen Turbo rebuild is excellent and they are in Florida. While at the paint shop and the windshield removed if the dash needs recovering that would be the time to remove the dash. So plan to spend $25-35k on the high end and $20-25k on the low end. Keep a buffer of cash on the side for the "while I'm in there" wishes...

XR4Tim

I don't think the repaint will have a serious detrimental effect on the value since the car has not been in a collision. Be sure to document the condition of the car prior to the paintwork, and if possible, have the reason for the paintwork listed on the invoice.

Ghosteh

In my experience, you can almost never recoup the cost of restoring a car vs. going out and buying a comparably restored one (if they are even available). Pro restorations cost major bucks, and I don't think anyone here would disagree that you could easily spend more than the car is worth just on restoration. And even if you act as your own "general contractor" in the restoration, and do a lot of it yourself, it can be VERY expensive!

An emotion-less decision would be to sell the car to a dreamer for top $, and then go buy another one that is already done (preferably original & unrestored).

But, if you have a real connection to RUF 930s, you're not going to find a lot out there. And this car may have special memories that another would never have (I know I've let some memorable cars go that I never should have, even though similar ones can still be had). Spend $40-50K on a quality restoration and enjoy it the rest of your life, and you'll have made a good investment.

Arnie1

The detonation on your 996 is due to bad coil packs. There was a recall on coil packs. I had the same problem on my 2005

MUSSBERGER

I like Rey's take on your situation. While the Florida coast has done a number on her look at the bright side. Florida being a very business friendly state has some of the lowest labor cost in the nation especially when it comes to body and paint.

Go for it.

The Baron

+2

RufGmbH

Hi Guys.

Thanks for the replies. I am leaning towards restoration, but my experience is these things always end up costing a lot more than initially anticipated. I've contacted a few shops and I keep getting the same rough estimates:

1. Top end rebuild $12K-20K (to be honest, $12k sounds reasonable, $20K sounds pretty high considering a full 996TT fresh engine complete rebuild on new case was going to be $17.5k)

2. Paint: I'm getting estimates anywhere from $10-$15k...about what I thought.

3. Interior : $3-4K by several shops.

Thanks again for helpful replies. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Cheers,
Jason

P.S. Cause for detonation in Protomotive built 1000 HP 996 TT.... stupid mechanic at Fred Lavery Porsche in Birmingham, MI (DON'T EVER GO THERE). He thought it would be a bright idea to do some routine maintenance on the left hand turbo, and then put the electronic boost control line on backwards to said turbo...during PPI. Running 110 octane at 1.35 bar resulted in....

Detonation of cylinder #3 with titanium connecting rod shattered in 3 pieces resulting in hole in engine block.

Company/mechanic denied all responsibility and forced me to go through lengthy, stressful legal battle that resulted in settlement: At the end, I ended up with $1500 from dealership and lawyer ended up with $7500. My net loss $40,000...Typical.