Chris Martin

I think Bruce Anderson's market update is the most popular price guide for Porsche's out there. Of course it is not perfect, and some will argue that it's complete BS. With that said, in August of 2002 a poor 1978 SC listed at 12k and an excellend 1983 listed for 20k. I think these are high, especially since it's winter and the economy has done nothing to show signs of improvement. It seems there are a lot of nice nices in the 12-14k range currently. I would suggest buying the nicest car you can afford, these cars are expensive to maintain and saving a little up front will usually come back to bite you in the end.

Good luck in your search!

Bill Gregory

Whether a guide is high or low depends on whether you're buying or selling One I like is the Kelly Blue Book private party values. Bruce Anderson gathers data from several sources to develop the prices printed in Excellence. The main point is that there isn't one definitive source, just a choice of data points. Also, you want to be generally aware of asking prices, however, we know that asking usually doesn't equal selling prices. Here, there's information in Excellence each month where people write in on asking and selling prices, which can help (provide another data point) to gauge the market.

PS. Forget Hemmings. Those prices generally, IMO, tend to be too high to bother with. Look at PCA region web sites where, again generally, you'll find knowledgable enthusiasts selling their Porsches.

pig4bill

I wouldn't suggest a 914. You'll get bored quickly with it's lack of punch and it sounds like a VW bug because, well, that's the kind of engine it has. A 914-6 can be a lot of fun (I had one) but a decent one costs as much as a 3.2 Carrera. A "starter" Porsche the way you're describing it often turns into one you "start" fixing. You'll almost never recoup what you put into it to fix, so you're probably better off to get the one you want. Then when you start fixing it (and you will have to fix it) you'll feel better about putting money into something you can hang onto for awhile.

SHRKBIT

Go drive 'em all and see which ones you like!

[quote]Originally posted by brian_l_cummings:
<strong>advantages of 928- relatively modern tourer, comfortable, fast...disadvantages- not an aircooled porsche...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Okay, I'm biased, but I still don't comprehend how that's a disadvantage, unless you're overly concerned about what a few small-minded people think. And it's not like you have to adjust the valves every 3 months on a 928.

Curt

TomTurtle

How about the "Porsche Market Letter"?

This monthly periodical has listings from all over the country for all P-cars - you can get a feel as to what others are asking too determine if the one you are looking at is "in the ballpark" price-wise.

Tin Man

A nice SC should go for at least $10,000. I don't believe the economy should affect the price much. These cars are desirable and valued for their longevity and reliability. Parts are relatively available and reasonable too. I would not trust the low numbers that Blue Book apparently has. Bruce Anderson's figures seem the most realistic. Its worth just getting Excellence issues and go from there. Good luck.