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Good evening all. My father who is 74 years old asked if I could make a post for his 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera to see what people think it might be worth, as he is thinking about selling the car in the near future. As you might imagine, with him being 74 years years old, he isn't the greatest with technology and computers, adding pictures to forums and so forth... so he asked if I could do it for him. A little bit of information would be that my father is located just north of the Seattle area and bought the car around 5 years ago now. As mentioned, it's a 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera with the original engine/transmission and approximately 84k miles on it, as well as the original paint, etc. I admittedly know very little about Porsches and myself am much more into classic mustangs, of which I own a 1965 mustang fastback. The car, from looking on Google, has I believe a 3.2 L motor with a 6 speed manual transmission? It does has a clean title to it but I guess my issue would be that the prices online from sites like Hemmings or JDPower say anything from around $45k on up to over $60k. I personally would say the car is probably an 8-8.5/10 in that it's not perfect, it's the original paint and it has a few paint chips here and there. I'll try to post a few pictures that he gave me at dinner tonight but he's going to send me a few more tomorrow of the interior as well as the engine bay. Thank you for your time and if there's anything else that I need to add, please let me know.
Last edited by mustang65fbk; 05-18-2024 at 12:35 AM.
Hello. Nice car and seems like a fair price range. I have an 87 Targa, bone stock, that i work on a lot and can guide you through lots of your questions. Mark on this site is great also. You can PM me for details and I may have an interested buyer. I am also a Detroit guy with 64 Corvette so i know yours and your fathers' passions.
The thing that will determine real value is service history & current condition. Assuming the car is mechanically ”good” (not great) I would go no lower than $60k in the current market.
Be wary of folks trying to lowball you before you determine a good price.
I would say that you are in the range if everything about the car is up to par and the miles are correct. Coupes these days are more popular than targa and cabriolet models for this year range (84-86) and the color is nice. Maybe clean it up perfectly and put on BAT that is the place where the highest sale prices are noted these days
From your description, I'll say it has a 5-speed 915 transmission, not 6-speed, or the 5-speed G50 that began in 1987 for the 911.
I don't pay too much attention to pricing, but the range you list may be low, if anything.
With the car being close to perfect, but maybe not driven much lately, to reduce risk for a potential buyer (which will get you a higher selling price), I'd get at least some basic checkout and maintenance done on it before listing - mainly to eliminate possible concerns rather than to fix every last thing.
Looks good. Nice that your dad has you to help him out here - I'm doing the same for my Dad.
The thing that will determine real value is service history & current condition. Assuming the car is mechanically ”good” (not great) I would go no lower than $60k in the current market.
Be wary of folks trying to lowball you before you determine a good price.
Good information above...
Documented maintenance and repair history is a really important factor in establishing and supporting a valuation. Other things that contribute to value relate to originality of the car. Original radio? Tool set? Jack and spare? Those things may sound trivial (and may be to some people) but to some buyers - it's important. Manuals, additional key - details. The more documentation that you have on the car, the better it is for supporting a higher value.
Depending on the particulars of the car - I absolutely would not consider letting it go for under $60k. This is a very good time of year to pursue selling.
Hello. Nice car and seems like a fair price range. I have an 87 Targa, bone stock, that i work on a lot and can guide you through lots of your questions. Mark on this site is great also. You can PM me for details and I may have an interested buyer. I am also a Detroit guy with 64 Corvette so i know yours and your fathers' passions.
Jim in SF
Thank you for your advice! A potential buyer wouldn't hurt at all. And I love the older Corvette's up until 1967, then they went to a different body style that I wasn't really a fan of. In fact, I work at Boeing and just saw a 1963 sitting in the parking lot the other day.
The thing that will determine real value is service history & current condition. Assuming the car is mechanically ”good” (not great) I would go no lower than $60k in the current market.
Be wary of folks trying to lowball you before you determine a good price.
I always forget about BAT, thanks for the advice on checking it out. I believe my old man is going to take the car to a place in Seattle called Aker's Porsche to have them look over everything. He just retired a couple years ago and was driving the car a few times a month to work when the weather would permit. But I think he's ready to move on to something else at this point. It's a fun little car, though both of us are around 6'2" tall and between 240-275 lbs, of which both of us in the car at the same time is somewhat comical looking. And for sure about the lowball offers. I sold a boat a few years back on Craigslist and dang, there were people offering $10k less than my asking price via email that hadn't even seen the boat in person yet.
I would say that you are in the range if everything about the car is up to par and the miles are correct. Coupes these days are more popular than targa and cabriolet models for this year range (84-86) and the color is nice. Maybe clean it up perfectly and put on BAT that is the place where the highest sale prices are noted these days
I agree and I much prefer the looks of the Coupe to the Targa or Cabriolet models as well. And thanks!
From your description, I'll say it has a 5-speed 915 transmission, not 6-speed, or the 5-speed G50 that began in 1987 for the 911.
I don't pay too much attention to pricing, but the range you list may be low, if anything.
With the car being close to perfect, but maybe not driven much lately, to reduce risk for a potential buyer (which will get you a higher selling price), I'd get at least some basic checkout and maintenance done on it before listing - mainly to eliminate possible concerns rather than to fix every last thing.
Looks good. Nice that your dad has you to help him out here - I'm doing the same for my Dad.
Apologies, I thought it was a 6 speed transmission, but yes it's a 5. I wouldn't consider the car perfect, but it's definitely in above average condition, especially with being almost entirely original. I know my old man bought it from one of his coworkers and he had quite a bit of maintenance records and receipts for the car. So, I'll get back to everyone on here, as well as anyone that might be interested, with some records and more pictures when I can... hopefully today.
Documented maintenance and repair history is a really important factor in establishing and supporting a valuation. Other things that contribute to value relate to originality of the car. Original radio? Tool set? Jack and spare? Those things may sound trivial (and may be to some people) but to some buyers - it's important. Manuals, additional key - details. The more documentation that you have on the car, the better it is for supporting a higher value.
Depending on the particulars of the car - I absolutely would not consider letting it go for under $60k. This is a very good time of year to pursue selling.
I believe the original radio is in the car and working, as well as the tool set, jack/spare and so forth. I'll ask for a couple pictures of the interior, the engine compartment as well as the front trunk.
You’re going to get all kinds of crazy offers and responses , the real value determining point will be when a serious buyer gets a thorough PPI done at a competent shop … where their trained eyes can discover hidden surprises that you might not even be aware of.
It’s a shame that you can’t keep the car in the family though, at least your dad enjoyed it for a few years.
I’m a former Mustang guy as well , having owned a 69 Mach1 and a 1973 Mach1 fastback, but my favourite that i regret the most not keeping was my 1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler with the 429 Cobra Jet and four speed transmission .
Keep us posted on your progress !
Since your Dad is located in the Seattle area, you might have him reach out to Nathan Merz. He is the owner of Columbia Valley Luxury Cars in Redmond WA.
Nathan is a nationally well known / well respected Porsche expert and has especially keen insight on Porsche values, and most certainly air-cooled Porsche 911 values.
Nathan is a super nice person and a pleasure to talk with.
if you put it on BaT take a lot of good pics and make sure to log in every day and answer all the stupid questions. owner engagement and stories sells cars on that site.
if you put it on BaT take a lot of good pics and make sure to log in every day and answer all the stupid questions. owner engagement and stories sells cars on that site.
I'll certainly underscore the point about photography being a key important factor on BAT. If you're thinking about going that route - study past auction results on BAT and in particular, the photography.
I would hire a really good photographer that is experienced with automotive photography. Great photos will increase the value you will get for your car.
I would also stress the importance of including photos of all of your documentation on the car. Details really matter with these cars.
Here's an example of a completed BAT auction that may be worth checking out. It has some good photography and documentation...