Air Cooled Porsche Market
12-16-2015, 08:13 PM
#31
Race Director
There are some guys modding their 986's - check out the Boxster Tech Fan group on Facebook - but anything truly unique getting done runs up against the "purists" who flame endlessly about the sacrilege of defiling a Porsche.
A modded STi or Evo is still a capable DD that can haul 3 or 4 drinking buddies and/or a girlfriend/wife with a kid or two. Sure, there are some guys who have show-only cars that can be down for days or weeks at a time, but that's the exception...
12-16-2015, 08:45 PM
#32
Disagree. The engines are too expensive for this to be a true enthusiast platform. Even if the aftermarket starts producing affordable power-adders (which I also don't see happening), $10K for a used, as-is block is just too damn much money.
Modders/tuners/whatever-ers dump money into their cars, but it's a couple hundred bucks at a time. These are not the people who have $8K to drop on a turbo kit, $15K for a rebuilt long-block, etc.
To truly become a popular platform, the car needs to be plentiful, affordable, and inexpensive to fix. The 996 meets the first two criteria, but not the third. And now that there are a couple of competing refurbished M96 suppliers, the supply of rebuildable M96 cores will become ever more scarce.
Modders/tuners/whatever-ers dump money into their cars, but it's a couple hundred bucks at a time. These are not the people who have $8K to drop on a turbo kit, $15K for a rebuilt long-block, etc.
To truly become a popular platform, the car needs to be plentiful, affordable, and inexpensive to fix. The 996 meets the first two criteria, but not the third. And now that there are a couple of competing refurbished M96 suppliers, the supply of rebuildable M96 cores will become ever more scarce.
12-17-2015, 10:20 AM
#33
Race Director
12-17-2015, 10:51 AM
#34
Unless the motor fails in a spectacular way (yes, I know it is rare in the grand scheme of things). But stories of expensive engine rebuilds are keeping the Subie and Civic kids away. You can spend 1000s on your Civic and have everything the way you want it. The same money will just cover the labor on your M96 rebuild. When they finally do have the financial means to move up in the car world they'll look elsewhere (997.2, M4, Lotus, etc).
12-17-2015, 10:59 AM
#35
12-17-2015, 01:04 PM
#36
The 996 na with GT3 look is one of the best looking in my opinion. The lines just work really well for me and when parked next to a 997, the 996 appears bigger to me in a good way. The 997 is just too New Beetle for my taste. The new 991.2 is just about perfect in the looks department for me.
That being said the only 996 that will go up in value and are truly collectible will be the GT3s with close to zero miles. That car will be in every good Porsche 911 collection.
That being said the only 996 that will go up in value and are truly collectible will be the GT3s with close to zero miles. That car will be in every good Porsche 911 collection.
12-17-2015, 04:30 PM
#37
12-18-2015, 06:40 PM
#39
Race Director
Yep, you're right and I'm wrong...yet I still see no 996's with Lambo doors, 3 nitrous kits, and clamshell hoods at meets... How could this be?
12-19-2015, 12:06 PM
#45
Rat Balls
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There was a post recently from a user that was looking to wrap his console in leather. He got a quote of $250 for the leather from a vendor, but later, wasn't sure if the cost included installation. In addition, he was not happy with having to spend $250 on the project and was looking for a cheaper alternative.
That was an eye opener for me. It seemed only a short time ago, I was reading posts about complete interior mods that cost $1000's. I spent $2k just for my double din + installation on my 996.
Now that the prices of the 996 are so incredibly low, they are affordable for almost anyone, regardless if they have the money to properly maintain or mod their new purchase.
It's cyclical. 997.1 prices are where the 996.2 prices were when I bought my 996. If I were in the market for my first Porsche today with the same budget I had in 2011, I would absolutely have bought a 997.1.
For the same reason, I don't see the average younger Pcar enthusiast choosing a 993. Too expensive to buy AND maintain...
That was an eye opener for me. It seemed only a short time ago, I was reading posts about complete interior mods that cost $1000's. I spent $2k just for my double din + installation on my 996.
Now that the prices of the 996 are so incredibly low, they are affordable for almost anyone, regardless if they have the money to properly maintain or mod their new purchase.
It's cyclical. 997.1 prices are where the 996.2 prices were when I bought my 996. If I were in the market for my first Porsche today with the same budget I had in 2011, I would absolutely have bought a 997.1.
For the same reason, I don't see the average younger Pcar enthusiast choosing a 993. Too expensive to buy AND maintain...