OK, I battled GEICO when the S2 was stolen and got more than anyone would pay, but less than it was worth. I decided to look for a NA and will share my methodoly with you guys. If you disagree with any of the values or methodogy please add to the post.

I first have to start with the value of a "time capsule" NA with say 34k miles on it (like my brother's 84 when he bought it 3 years ago).

He bought an 84 NA with 34k miles, recent clutch and belts. The car had the sport suspension, leather, sunroof but no fuchs or lsd. He paid the outrageous sum of $7,500 (or $7,200 not sure) for that car.

Three years later I start with $7,500 for an 87 NA with leather, rear sway, sunroof and phone dials and work from there.

Do we all agree that a time capsule 89 NA with 30k isnt worth more than $8,300, and a time capsule 83 NA with 30k isnt worth more than $7,000?

remember this is just a guide, not something to set in stone.

Year: $100-$200 year
Mileage: $100-$150 for every 10,000
Leather: deduct 200 if not in car
ABS: add 300
Fuchs: add 300
LSD/M030: add 300
Rear Sway: deduct 100 if missing
Clutch: deduct $100 for every year it has been in car up to 1200, or deduct 1200 if over 70k miles on it.
Body: deduct cost to repair any damage, and if it was in a serious accident deduct accordingly
Belts: deduct $100 for every year up to 500
shocks: if bad deduct 750
tires, brakes etc - deduct cost if less than 1/3 life on them
radio: add maybe 100 if recent cd player add 100 more if new speakers
other stuff: deduct cost to bring into top condition

how is this for a rule of thumb way to value a car?

plug your car into the calculations, and see if the value you come up with seems reasonable.

forgot to add these two things
dash cracks: deduct $500
Automatic :deduct $500 if damper is recent, 1200 if damper getting old.

And one more thing. Convenience. Add your own premium for convenience. because you have to travel 600 miles to pick up the car shouldnt decrease the value. But, finding the right car in your backyard may increase the value depending on how much value you put on your time.

 

I usually like the color, like the interior, write a check!

 

your 83 $7000

my 84
+ 100 for an
-1200 for miles
+300 fuchs
no clutch...auto
belts -500 (unsure)
radio +100
interior -1000
other -200

=4600

a bit on the optomistic side probably

 

There is an 83 NA near me with 75k, original clutch, belts done at 60k, but the car had 72k in 2000, claimed perfect paint and no dash cracks.

Here is how i would value it

$7500 start for an 87
-800 year
-400 miles
-1200 original clutch
-700 belts needed since at least 7 years old
+300 fuchs
-200 no leather
=4500 if the tires are very good, the paint is time capsule perfect, the dash isnt cracked, and everything else checks out. I start at 4500 and deduct from there.

 

no, we don't all agree

good luck finding a car tom.

-Mike-

 

here is an 89 i am working on

7000
+400 year
+300 abs
-1200 original clutch
-0 belts two years old 5k miles
-400 original water pump
-500 tires - even though fairly new, subject of a recall that i cant collect on
+300 rare good color
=5900

four board members said go up to about six

remember these are rules of thumb and there are exceptions. i hope this can help a newbie get an idea of what they are looking for is worth.

 

I see one flaw: deducting the cost of the damage, even from a very minor accident, could decuct from the value of the car substantially. And that uncovers another flaw. If a person paid a very high quality bodyshop to do the repair work, they devalue their car more than a guy who went to a cheaper bodyshop under your guidelines. I'm hoping your talking about a rough estimate for the bodywork deductions, not the actual costs paid by the owner. Given that even the newest of 944 na cars are still 15 years old, the chance that any given car has had some kind of bodywork is quite high, and so long as it was repaired properly and with care, I don't see bodywork as being as much of a factor as you make it out.

Oh, and I guess maybe a differentiation can be made between 15 and 16 inch Fuchs. Overall i would say that the pricing outline you compiled is actually pretty good. By far better than Excellence's values.

 

Nabeel.
bad grammar on my part. if the nose has the usual 300 rub, and 200 worth of dings deduct 500. i should have said deduct the cost of bodywork necessary to make the car "perfect" (other then the usual chips)

On the other hand, if the car was in a major accident and poorly repaired, deduct big $$.

If the car was in an accident, and properly repaired then the deduction for a car purchased as a driver is nothing, as a collector, well thats another story. while i agree 944s are wonderful cars, i think they are awful investments as collectibles.

 

Hope you aren't looking locally Tom.
Within 2 hours of Manhattan, add $1000
A decent set of Fuchs will set you back ~$1000, PDs are worth $300 and you'll only add $300 for the Fuchs?
If you had added LSD to the S2, I bet the whole $2000 would have been added when you figured the cars value but you'll only spend $300 for LSD/MO30? Figure $500 for each lsd and $500 for MO30.
From what I've seen you're being VERY generous to the auto's, usually that seems to take 40% off the top.
Most cars didn't have the rear sway bar, add $50 if it does (for <$100 you can add a turbo sway bar in a couple hours).
Shock Figure is high, a set you call "good" might be 2/3 used up for all you can tell but once they're gone you want the full cost of a set of Konis, installed?
Leather is nice, but subjective, but I'd pay for condition more than material.
ABS is also subjective, I'd subtract $300 for it (yeah, I know I'm in the minority)

 

40% for an auto?

I think that may depend alot on where you live......Anyone with a stick daily driver in the DC area is hating life.

 

When my car was hit (and totaled) a few years ago the ins. co. did the usual lowball figure. I laughed at them told 'em to fid some comps that supported their numbers. Two weeks later they came up with 3 automatics in the Philly area. I laughed at them again and then faxed them an appraisal for 3 times their number. I told them I wouldn't accept an automatic and to get a couple manual trans cars in MY area.

They couldn't. I got my number.

 

Sounds about right for the car i am looking at on Long Island also.

The basic info is...

Original owner
75,000 miles
Original Clutch
Belts and waterpump need to be done (not sure if they were ever done, all i know is they are old)
Needs new tires
Perfect interior and exterior
new Alpine headunit

Figuring it came to $5150. Seems a bit generous, though my father who is negotiating the deal (owner is a friend from work) offered him $5000 for it. Personally i think its worth a little less, maybe in the high $4000 range. I would pay the extra considering i know the car was never beat on. The owner does not know when he wants to sell it however, im hoping sometime within the next few weeks..just in time for my arrival back home from school.

 

Too many #'s Tom, go check the car out, drive it, see how it feels and how much YOU enjoy the car, go by that, not just necessarily on numerical rule of thumb, and if you must do this rate the car in your mind from a 1-10 scale. Thats the problem with you CPA's, too many #'s your gonna go nuts trying to put a numerical(logical) value on everything and you miss the emotive part of the car,being how much you LIKE IT, how it appeals to you.
If this was a the case we'd all be driving honda civics.

Good luck with your search-Chris

 

My 89 comes to 5900 thats about what I figure its worth.

 

what about upgrades? Does that fit in anywhere? Like good upgrades, ie short shift and throttle cam?