hey guys im really looking into buying a 73' 911 a friend of mine who it a few years back and has not really done anything w/ it he dosent no the value of the car and he could care less, so he gong to give me a good deal, so what sort of problems should i look for when buying this car that would toltaly make it not worth buying now keep in mind it has a good body good interior and runs, im also only going to pay 1500 for it

 

I don't think you can go wrong with a $1500 early 911, unless the body is just totally rusted away. In that case the engine alone is probably worth it. This car came with the 915 tranny and 2.4L engine, which make these the more desireable of the early 911's. If you can post pictures of it everyone will be able to give you a much better valuation.

Kind of an idea, I'm looking at this car which is a '72 S Euro model, which is somewhat rare, I think about 1700 were built in '72. The VIN and engine numbers match. I'm looking at paying $6200 for this one.

It needs a new headliner badly and is in bad need of body work / paint. But, I think it's worth it.

A couple of years ago I sold a '72 T that was in worse shape than this (well the paint was better but the interior was worse) for $4500. Just to give you an idea.

So, for $1500 if it runs and drives, it is more than likely worth every penny.

 

L8.... kind of working this in parallell over a couple of threads.... multitasking?

Anyway, you're all over the map... step back and ask what you want to end up with, and your total budget when the dust settles. If performance is not a priority, go with a T for bang for buck.

Do you want....

1. A good collectable car that has some possible investment potential that you can drive on sundays.

2. Something fun to bang around in

3. A high performance/R-Gruppe hot rod

If #1, buy a really clean origional car that needs nothing. Should be... T $12-15K E $14-18K, S $20-30K.... you probably will not lose any money if you buy a quality car.

If #2.. any solid, no rust car that passes PPI, looks good to you at curbside, and doesn't need major engine work. T $6-10K, E $9-14K, S $12-18K. you will probably eat repairs, but you should be able to protect your initial investment.

If #3... Buy that $1,500 T and drop $20K in it, or that $6.2K S and put $25K in it over time.... You will probably not get your money out of it.. figure 40 cents on the dollar..., but it will be fun.

Assume the following for quality specialist work.... $4K for top end and $8K for full engine rebuild of any stock spec. $2-3 for gearbox $6-8K for paint/bodywork on a solid minimal rust car... add $4-6K for structural rust. $4-6K for a nice origional materials interor. $4K for incidentals that you never thought you'd need but end up needing.

My advice? it is always cheaper to buy the "end game" car rather than build it.

Good luck

 

JCP 911S: Thanks for the advice. Here's my situation:

My wife & I work together so we currently only use one car on a daily basis. Within the next year we'll be having our second child (hopefully) and my wife wants to stay home with the kids. I'm about 10 miles from work. When she starts staying home then I can have a "Dad's car" that won't really need to be used to haul kids, but I figure I'd drive it to work every day. I currently have a '03 GTI that is depreciating in value as we speak.

I have about $3,000 to put into a car now, so I was looking at 944's in this price range. Then I discovered that there are a couple of banks who specialize in financing classic cars. Then the gears started turning and I figured the 944 will depreciate into nothing, but an early 911 will hold its value and possibly appreciate. So I called and got approved for around $13k on a loan for an early 911. I'm now trying to figure out how to best spend the money on what will become a daily driver during the course of the next year.

Originally, I wanted a '72 911, the model didn't really matter. But when the '70 E popped up I realized it was a nice car, but since I was unsure about the mods I figured I would post.

If I wait, how likely do you think it is that a nice '72 S (compared to the '70 E on the other post) will pop up in my price range? And how long would you normally wait for that "right" car to pop up?

I tried to PM you but couldn't figure out how...

 

L8,

Given your whole situation as you've now described, I'd get the 70E. I don't think you will likely find a reasonable 72S in your price range anytime soon, especially given where you live! From everything you've said about the 70E it sounds like a nice car and not a bad gamble, all things considered.

Since you are planning to drive this car every day, I would put MOST emphasis on the overall condition rather than nifty performance stuff or collectability. I drove my 71T for 10 years as a daily driver. Little things like grabby window regulators, worn out seatbelts, mirrors that won't stay adjusted, doors that don't close quite right, etc. get to be a major pain after awhile. Now that I don't drive my 911 every day, all the little things don't bother me NEAR as much as they used to because I am not confronted with them all the time.

Of the two you are considering, the 70E seems far more realistic than the S, but neither sounds optimum speaking purely from a practical standpoint. IMHO. You might want to consider expanding your search to California as your chances of finding something in great shape for 10-12k are greater than in your neighborhood. At least there are FAR more to choose from even though they are a long way from where you live.

Of course when it comes down to it, all this objective advice is silly when when we are talking about sports cars. Just buy the one you LOVE, that seems to check out well, and then be prepared for some wild times financially and some great driving experiences that will last a lifetime!!

Good Luck,

Vol

Been there, done that, and have mostly lived to tell about it... :-)

 

MY guess is an S that you would want to own will not appear in the $13K price range. Also, any of these cars will require maintenance, so leave yourself some cash for that.

You can probably find a really good clean T in that range.... that would be your best bet, but I would not consider that a daily driver.... you won't want to drive it in rain or snow, and even the best have periodic problems that can sideline them for a day or so.... don't count on it for work.

If you are really looking for a daily driver, an SC would be a better bet. with galvanized body, they are pretty protected from rust, and if well maintained are really reliable day to day cars. They don;t have the looks of the earlier cars, but are still pretty nice.

 

JCP: How well have the SC's held their values as of late? I was / am looking for an early car because they seem to hold their value well, I like the way they look, and most importantly, they are much less complex than a later car. No emission controls and engine management to deal with. I'm capable of and enjoy performing a lot of my own maintenance, but I'm not very good at diagnosing problems with the engine management stuff.

That's why I got the Audi w/ 50k mile service and VW with 48k warranty! :-)

 

I concur with JCP 911S: I think the best car for you all around would be an SC. They hold value well and are more reliable and stable. Some would say not as much fun as an early, light car, but if I was going to choose a candidate for a daily driver in your climate, it's an SC all the way.

The CIS system is pretty well behaved and pretty simply as engine mgmt systems go. Not terribly sophisticated, which suits your situation pretty well.

Vol

 

Ok, thanks a lot guys. Now you've got me doing a new search.

I found a sharp looking '84 Carrera, Guards Red with tan leather, 129k online for $12,500. It does seem like a lot more car than that '70 E for about the same money, actually less if you consider the transmission work that I would have to do to the E.

But the question is, if I own it for 5-10 years, how much will it be worth when it's time to sell?? I'll have to do some comparison shopping on this but I am open to the fact that this may be the preferrable and possibly the least frustrating and most enjoyable way for me to go.

I sure like the early models though.

 

Nothing will hold value like an early S. You are gonna have to balance out your competing selection criteria to decide. Also, a daily driver anywhere in Ark. is not like doing the same in 2 hrs of gridlock in Socal (the place with all the high speed fwys...).

 

I also agree that an SC would make a superior daily driver, I have a customer thats closing in on 300K miles on the original engine! they're like the energizer bunny, they wont go down! I like long hoods but, as a daily driver, eehhhh.........they're less refined, more of the raw sports car, and they are susceptible to rust.
here in Socal, clean -89 911's are always in demand an fetch a good penny, I think it will be interesting to see what happens with the values of these cars over the next few years, and IMO I think they have hit the bottom and are going up permenently due the fact a similar car will never be produced and as sad as it is, they decrease in numbers every year, example, my grandfather bought a one owner black/black SC targa with 68,000 miles and nice options with all recepits from new that slept next to a Rolls in a climate controled garage a couple of years ago for $15K! now its worth a hair over $20K!
unfortunately my 84 looks immaculate but has high mileage (180K) but I'm doing a more than thorough rebuild of the engine and trans so it looks/runs better than the day it left the showroom, but I wonder what it would be worth when i'm done? (not like I'd ever sell it)

 

Talk about a tragically hijacked post, the orginal poster wanted some input on buying a 911 for 1500.00! Errrr sorry about that!

From what you've said "good body, interior, and runs"--if we take that at face value you can safely buy that car and be able to sell it for a profit if you chose to. However, old 911's are "guilty until proven innocent" when it comes to rust. Too much rust can cost you more to fix than the car will be worth. Also, if the engine needs to be rebuilt, it will cost you 5-10k dollars depending on what you do. Few people ever buy these cars, do extensive restoration, and are able to break even. For that 1500 price you would stand a rare chance to breakeven as you could afford to do a lot of things and still not have spent its likely street value.

Sounds like a pretty good deal on the face of it. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Vol

 

oh sorry L8 apex was being distracting! LOL...a cheap buy-in like $1500 is always a good time to buy a car like that IF the body is clean, I wouldn't hesitate, It will afford you some more $ in your budget to put it back on the road and still be in black ink. a motor can be expensive so think carefully if thats the car you want and the road you have laid out for yourself, budget and extra 10-15% to allow for extras (stuff that needs to be replaced or the old saying "as long as the motor is getting rebuilt I should do _______ at the same time"

 

Hey, I was just trying to give him an idea of some other cars that are out there, their conditions and prices!

Sorry bro, didn't mean to hijack your post. I hope the Dept of Homeland Security doesn't find out.

Post some pics and these guys will definitely let you know what the car is worth, and I'll help if I can. If you decide you don't want it, buy it anyway and resell it. SOMEONE will pay $1500 or more for this car if it runs, drives, and can be titled and tagged.

You can't buy a moped for $1500 nowadays

 

I think if you're looking for a 911 that holds its value steadily over the next 5 years, I'd say you're looking at the pre-74 cars (I think all of them will hold steady, while the S will be the most valuable and may appreciate) or the 87-89 911, considered by the cognescenti to be the last real 911.

But I'd second the recommendation for an SC or early Carrera as daily driver. I don't think they'll depreciate significantly (mine has actually gone up in value since 2000 when I bought it) and while not as raw and sporty as the early cars they are less prone to rust, dead reliable, more comfortable, and still quite fun to drive. I drove my targa every day for 2 years without a hitch, and I'm in Chicago - AR should be a piece of cake.

Emanuel