Ok, so I'm just not sure what the best course of action is anymore. For those of you who don't know me, I've been drooling over the thought of RED GT's or GTS' for a while now. A car to keep and perhaps increase to 6.5L one day. A PRISTINE car. In my car world there are two types of cars: perfect and not perfect.

I have a 5spd Diamond Blue Metallic w/ Burgundy Interior car (tons of extras/upgrades you name it-a very pretty car in excellent but not show condition) and have thought about selling it at various times but just can't get past this point:

I've got probably 8k into the car over 15 months (12k miles) and I just don't want to take anything lower than "what I want". At the same time, I'm thinking that I'm just chasing $ as I'm always going to want that RED car.

I'm basically an intelligent and logic driven person (at least I like to think so) so what is this emotional thing about selling this car and taking a couple of K less than I want?? (no pop psychology please) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

I've previously advertised the car for $19,500 and that was about $3k ago in continued upgrades/maintenance. At THAT time, I had an 18K offer and did not take it. Stupid? Probably. So here I am again except I'm a few more $K (and about 6k more miles) into the car.

What is the consensus/advice? Drive the car, get more $ out of it (by getting miles) or sell the car, and only put $ into something you want to keep long term? Right now (knock wood) the car needs NOTHING.

If I do sell it, does anyone have any ebay advice? Is that the best place to get a large audience? I don't want to deal with tire kickers.

Any buyers out there?

A piece of advice to others: NEVER buy it if its not EXACTLY what you want and buy the newest and BEST car you can afford--even more than you can!

 

Seth you will have a very hard time finding a nicer car as I recall you paid about $ 17,500 plus another $8,000 in maintenance etc. That is $25,500 plus tax of $1,400 puts you at about $27,000 . You are ready for a $9,000 hit ? For that kind of money I might be color blind . Should you find a red one what are the odds it will need much of the same work you have just completed ? Your monthly expense comes in at about $600 per month . You may want to rethink your comment about "logic driven". Perhaps the biggest trap is you find the red car then must spends a lot of money on things which just happen to fail ; at that point you can easily regret selling the blue car especially if the new owner keeps in touch and has few problems ! I also firmly believe red cars get more tickets "blend" less than many other colors , get more attention ...but perhaps that is THE problem . So you wanted to marry a red head but married a woman with blue grey.....AH , never mind ....

 

Yeah, I thought the part about "logic driven" was inconsistent with the whole notion of owning a 928, let alone buying another for color.

Maybe a drastic injury rendering me otherwise fine but color blind is the right answer here!

Well, Jim, you do know the car that I bought (Ronn's) pretty well and frankly I've poured countless hours of my own labor into the car (which I enjoyed)-still more to think about.

But as to the investment in these cars, does it ever really decrease?? Isn't the rule going to be 3-5K per year (if I dont turn my own wrench) in work so that the "hit" is really the delta between the two (i.e. anything I've done the past 15 months that exceeds an annual cost of 3-5K per year?) Or is that rationalization?

 

Hey Seth: Here's an idea...If you were willing take that hit of 9 grand take that monies and put it into another 928...red of course...keep the 88 and build up another classic................

OK ..I'll go away peacefully...and yes I was told once today...Good luck Bill 84 928s

 

Seth,
As much as you want a red GT or GTS, my advice would be to enjoy the car you currently own and have put so much time and $$ into. Wait a couple of years until the economy is kicking *** and then buy the nicest GT/GTS you can find. It can take a year or more to find the right car and when you do, the time will be right. If I have to sell my GT due to my job loss, my goal will be to buy the nicest GTS money can buy once recalled to work and I will be in no hurry to find the car that is right for me. Just enjoy that beautiful S4 you have!

Ben '89GT

 

Seth,

I can relate to what you are saying…all told…I have about $29K into my 88S4 now pushing 42K miles and boy howdy do I want a GTS bad simply because they are the last of the best breed out there but again…I’m so deep into my shark now and it runs strong…doesn’t leak a DROP OF OIL and really needs nothing and consider it an 9 out of 10…I luv the car and financially it wouldn’t make sense to sell it…so for now I will keep it…drive it every day it’s nice out…put the miles on it…enjoy it…maybe even on a trip across the states and if/when the right GTS comes by…then maybe I’ll consider selling but till then I’m just a grinning every time I start it up just to listen to the RMB…Bawwwwwaaaaaaaaa

Think deep and hard on this on bud!
<img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />

 

Is this a mode of transportation, or a hobby for you? How much would losing $9k hurt you? Some of us would scream because of all the pain!

My first 928 was a very nice '88 S4. It was black with light grey interior, chrome wheels with painted center caps, tinted windows, and it ran perfectly, except for two little issues: a torque tube rattle, and the transmission shifted with delay when cold. Oh, and the stereo drained the battery in 15 minutes when the engine was off.

Then I found out that the car must have been in a serious accident. The drivers door had been replaced and the car was repainted all around - and the paint prep had not been done quite right. I started wondering, if it makes sense to keep putting money into that car, and decided to sell it. Fortunately I only lost the money I had put in for repairs in the two years I owned it, but I recovered most of my purchase price.

Then the search went on for the next 928. Bought a '91 GT and didn't like it. I lost about $1,500 - it could have been a lot more. But I will never forget the trip to drive it home from the East Coase... So I try to see it as "travel expense"...

Two 928s after that first one, I own my favorite model and year. Yet, since selling the first one, I have spent/lost an additional $14k or so on that hobby.

Is my '91 worth $14k more than the '88? Certainly not.

Do I regret selling the black one? Sometimes.

Do I love the car I have? Absolutely (at least now, that it is in awesome condition).

There is NEVER a logical justification for owning a 928. If you don't want to live your life without a red 928 GT/GTS, than that's what you should get. It's all a matter of how important it is to you. And that is a question only you can answer...

PS: I found my sharks on cars.com. Less airheads than on some other sites...

 

Paint

 

Paint it red, stuff the stroker in, go eat GT's and GTS's.

 

Get what you want. It's not just the miles you drive it. You'll appreciate it every time you look at it in your garage. Or every time you walk out of a store or restaurant and see that shape under the street lights. In the meantime, enjoy your current car while you hunt.

Are you still thinking of getting Joe Maniaci's red '91 GT at Willhoit? Or the red '89 GT listed under consignment on the Devek website?

 

Seth,

Have you no concept of a "sunk cost?"

If you can afford it and want it, go buy it. You lost the money on your current car when you wrote the check. It's gone, never to be recovered. Look forward.

 

Seth,
I just wrote a check to the IRS for more than $9k. I thought I had already given them more than my fair share, but the tax man says otherwise. I wish I had given it to you instead, then I'd know it went to a good cause.
Trying to break even on your blue 928 makes about as much sense as holding on to your Pets.com stock waiting for it to regain its value. You wouldn't have started this thread had the thought of a red GT not been gnawing away at you for some time. You asked our advice. This is your Uncle Dave telling you, "Sell the blue car for what you can get, add a bunch more dollars and buy the red GT. You won't be happy until you do, and I want you to be happy!"

 

Thanks to all for the thoughts. Some reply thoughts.

Bill: One project 928 is plenty (I have a baby on the way and a needy Audi as well)

Tim: Your car and website look great. You can really make an S4 into a GTS if you want to, I've done so many of the mods myself at this point. If you like the color combo, I would stick with what you have. Besides the s4/gt rear end is nicer IMO than the GTS.

Nicole: Its a hobby. I have a heavily modified audi that is still a daily driver (1.8T wagon with 290hp). The porsche, though I drive it a LOT, is nothing but a toy. Thanks for your input and for sharing your experience. You are a valuable member of this community and speak with great experience.

Mike/4midlife: Paint it RED? Blasphemy. I'll never change a car color.

Ben: You have an awesome car. I hope it all works out for you.

Dennis: Joe's car is a tiny bit over market cost and has had rear accident and does not have the interior I want. If I am going to do this then I am going to get EXACTLY what I want--black interior with red exterior.

Dan: I do have a concept of a sunk cost. Its accepting that sunk cost and trying to justify to myself that just b/c I want something that I can give myself permission to ignore the sunk cost.

Uncle Dave: Well, shucks, you can write me a check for that 9K and I'll promise to hold it for a while. Damn, I wish I had an uncle like you when I was a kid--drives a 928 and would support my crazy car ideas.

Here is what I have decided to do:

I'm going to button my car back up (rear panels are being recovered and install new rear speakers). Then I am going to advertise my car for sale very broadly. At the same time, I am going to start the search for my dream 928. It will have an amazing service history, perhaps only 2 owners, less than 50K miles, will be in pristine condition, RED, GT or GTS 5spd.

I've thought about this a lot--and yes I would not have made the post w/o really wanting the red car. I think the part that helped the most was that I'm not the only one who has bought one and decided that it was not exactly what they wanted and then gotten another one. I think in the future I will be able to advise prospective buyers a lot better having had this experience.

Again, thanks to all. See some of you at SITP with my newly restored interior and keep an eye out for that 928 stored in a climate controlled barn but driven weekly by an old lady who was good with a clutch.

 

If you look at <a href="http://www.928registry.org/" target="_blank">http://www.928registry.org/</a> there doesn't seem to be any GTS that match your criteria (Red exterior, Black interior and less than 50k miles). There are about 3 or 4 GTs, each year ('89, '90, and '91) that are candidates. Looks like slim pickins. Maybe you will find one that is not listed on the registry.

 

Gary:

Yeah, I know that the registry, however, does not have them all on there, just about half are still "MIA" when it comes to GTS.

It will be a very focused search. Fortunately, I'm willing to do a GT as well as GTS and there are a number of Red GT's out there.