trex_5

New here and wanted to see if the community has any advice for my situation. Our neighbor is an older woman who owns a 1984 911 convertible and rarely drives it. She stored it in our carport for a couple years before I bought a new car and we drove it maybe once a month to keep it running. I'm not a 911 expert but here's how I would describe the car:

- Color: light blue metallic exterior/dark blue canvas top; blue interior
- Runs well, never had any issues driving it, think she has some maintenance records but not sure
- Exterior condition: very good, some minor wear and tear but paint in good shape and top was replaced at some point and is in good condition. The one exception to this are the fuchs wheels on which the black anodized portion is extremely faded/gone on all wheels.
- Interior condition: carpet is decent but vinyl (I think it is vinyl?) seat coverings are in bad shape and need replacement. Dash is ok but has some wear/fading.

My questions are:

- Is it worth it from a return on investment standpoint (i.e. will she make the $ back in sale) to a) refurbish wheels and/or b) reupholster the seats?
- If so, any recommendations on best way to get either/both of those things done?
- Where are the best places to sell these vehicles? I don't see many on autotrader - are there other places like this site/bringatrailer.com/others that are better?

Really appreciate any and all guidance on behalf of my neighbor!

theiceman

people are going to lowball her either way ... it may be worth fixing if she has the energy and time to put into negotiating.
may be better selling it at market minus a bit for the work needed but have your last dollar you wont go past.

lots of guys will offer 10G as it needs " so much work" ..sink a few bucks into it and drive it around as a dirt cheap Porsche.

996AE

post pictures. just a few of car, interior and engine bay.

post miles.

without this no way to give market opinions on this car.

as a rule you wont get money back on refurbishment. DIY clean up stuff, running vs non running sure. but parts and labor paid rarely provide positive ROI dollars.

oldskewel

I agree. I think any serious buyer would easily be able to figure out how much refurbing wheels and seats would cost. And they could choose to have it done exactly how they like vs. being stuck with whatever you did.

I think putting money in up front would make sense if it removes risk for the buyer. E.g., if it is not clear just how good the paint is until it is detailed. Or if the engine does not run quite right and it is not clear whether it needs a tune up vs. a rebuild.

I also agree with the other comment regarding people trying to lowball based on the simple imperfections. Since you know better, you can ignore those offers, and good ones should appear.

Disclaimer - I should say I have never sold a Porsche (have two), so my comments are actually from a buyer's perspective.

Very nice of you to help your neighbor.

Spyerx

"I know what I got" and hence these things sit, and sit, and corrode, and corrode to a further state of dust. I have a neighbor with a blue targa sitting under a cover for at least the 6 years he's been living in that house. Won't move it.

List it for 2 weeks online, craigslist, and here, take the best offer you get. That will be market. Bring a trailer will require a LOT of work to get any value out of it.

theiceman

you know what , thats a pretty good idea,,, kind of like they do houses now...
market the crap out of it and say you will be accepting offers for over a two week period or whatever. Tell no one what the best offer has been and let them bid if they really want it . they will have to put in their highest offer if they want it. then at the end of the two weeks just take the highest one.

911 Rod

Detail it inside and out then get it certified.
For the grand she spends she will get top value for what it is.
Or I'll give her $2500 as is. lol

Patrick3000

Hagerty describes a #4 vehicle as follows:

#4 vehicles are daily drivers, with flaws visible to the naked eye. The chrome might have pitting or scratches, the windshield might be chipped. Paintwork is imperfect, and perhaps the body has a minor dent. Split seams or a cracked dash, where applicable, might be present. No major parts are missing, but the wheels could differ from the originals, or other non- stock additions might be present. A #4 vehicle can also be a deteriorated restoration. "Fair" is the one word that describes a #4 vehicle.

This sounds like your friends car, they but the value at $21,900.

Do not put any more money into the car, price it correctly and it will sell in one day on CL

GLWYS

PS: Meet the prospective buyer at the bank, insist on cash. Deposit the cash and then sign over the paperwork. Take her tags with you when you leave.