Ben Z

It's not an audacious color combo, I assume it has had no accidents, and it does have a new motor with the 3-row IMSB. You bought the car recently, it's still in the same model year, so unless you grossly overpaid for the car I don't see why you wouldn't recoup the majority of your cost.

yemenmocha

Actually I think the "plain" qualities mentioned above (colors especially) count in its favor because you have a wider audience of potential buyers. If you're really worried about the plain color when making private sale then just cough up $200 for a photographer to take some inspiring pictures of your car with an interesting background that highlights your car's color. At minimum use a good camera yourself, or have a photography hobbyist do it for you. Silver can look very elegant and appealing in a 911.

Also to be contrarian, I don't see an enormous swing in price when comparing a moderately driven to slightly highly driven example. The bigger swings in price for miles are when comparing the low end to the high end. Buyers will be able to find 2005's with less than 40k miles, so yes you'll take a hit at 80k, but I don't think the 80k mile cars are going to suffer tremendously over a 65k mile car, for example.

One last thing - even if the minimally optioned car sells for a little less, there's big consolation in that fact because the higher optioned people usually have a much higher depreciation % on the car as a whole from new to used sale price. Also the low options tend to count against you significantly only if there are some "must have" options that most drivers will really, really want. Fewer people will pass on your car because it lacks a wood steering wheel than if it lacks Sport Chrono or Adaptive Sport Seats.

Perk10

I personally wouldn't look at the car because I am one of those buyers that likes things to be unique and specific. I searched well over a year to find my X51 PCCB full cocoa SA Seat car for example...I had to pay $2,300 to have it shipped all the way across the Nation.

Is the rest of the market going to do that? Absolutely not!!! Your car has a great color combo for the masses and is a 6mt. Most people looking at an '05 probably don't even know about sport seats much less about IMS issues. Obviously this forum is composed of "Porsche guys" so you'll get mixed responses but if you ask me, the car should bring decent money.

The only thing I see going against you are the miles because even with an engine rebuild, the rest of the car and its components have been used well. Find the "right" buyer and you may get 35-37k for it.

perfectlap

2005 with a serviceable IMS bearing would ABSOLUTELY be my first choice for 997.1
I can own a 2005 long-term without worry.

While the bigger 2006-2008 IMS bearing is a better design, that bearing can only be replaced, like all bearings should be, unless you go through the incredibly expensive process of splitting the engine. That's money I would sooner use to buy a 997.2 with a significanlty improved DFI engine over the now old school m96/m97.

In other words, smart money buys a 2005 with a bearing already serviced - same new looks, with a cost-effective IMSB servicing procedure. Or you can spend a little more when you replace the clutch with the LNE Solution and be rid of a sealed bearing in an engine altogether just like the 997.2 without the big jump in car price. Win Win.
After buying the addressed 2005, smart money waits for the 997.2's mass production to inevitably depreciate its value. Porsche sales are already up 17% up from the first half of 2012. Unless the Porsche has a limited production engine, there are not anywhere near enough second-hand Porsche buyers to absorb this much inventory of common Porsche street engines in the used market. 997.2 prices will be falling soon. Right now the lowest Autotrader 997.2 can be had for $52K so maybe mid-high 40K's by next summer. Which means everything below it will be sinking as well.

With the 2005 997, this is one of those rare times where a smart buyer can take advantage of a bargain. With a 3.6 Raby engine this car is as good it gets for 997.1 in my book. Don't let anyone talk you down or disillusion you on the car's worth. However, What the largely under-informed public wants to pay is another matter. more importantly you can't argue with a huge inventory of 996 and 997's with low interest rates (to buy 991's with cheap money). I would push these points mentioned above re IMS serviceability in your ads to get a leg up on the 997.1 with the big bearing. Most of what is contained in a Porsche classified is all that a first time Porsche buyer really knows.