robgts

There is a wide debate here. Should you sell your car with or without any modifications? I know that you will never recover the cost of the parts, not to mention the labor, but the cost of going back to stock can be high as well. If the modifications are tasteful and from well known OEM manufacturers would you keep them on?

RaidersR1

Depends on the mods and most importantly the buyer. There are some mods I would not buy a car with. With that said it all depends. What are your list of mods? Are the personal exterior and interior mods or power driven mods?

rbennett

Depends on what your target market is.

Trading it in the dealer will want it stock but there is nothing wrong leaving it modified and selling it here on RL where the users/buyers are a bit more enthusiastic and better informed.

Own Goal

Trade in pretty much demands a mostly stock car. My 997.2 has a lot of mods. The owner originally priced them in since he did top line stuff and did it very professionally. It didn't sell. He was about to the point of going back stock with a lot of work and a lot of parts to sell when we got together. Turns out his mods were the ones I would like to do plus a few I never thought of but still liked. We arrived a deal where I paid a bit more, he got a little less and we both considered it a win win.
So, the answer is give it a try, you might find the right buyer but you won't recoup all your expense.

MemeMagno

Depend in which parts, and the cost of going back to stock. IMHO the parts that have to be removed are:

*Forged Wheels (Good ones like HRE, Volk, BBS, ADV, Rotiform, etc.)
*Top-Tier suspension
*Carbon Ceramic or any racing brakes
*Aerokit
*State-of-the-Art Audio Upgrade
*LW Bucket Seats
*High-End Exhaust System

No: Leather interior, Steering wheel, Techart/ Ruf/ Gemballa body parts, etc.

Bruce In Philly

IMO, cosmetic stuff .... well think about when you went house buying... what did you think of the color of the paint or the seller's furniture.... you are probably still talking about how awful it was.

Performance stuff? You are limiting your market in two ways 1) Some feel performance modders drove the car harder than others, therefore less life in the car, 2) Some are just scared of a car that has been tampered with.

Are these true? I just believe you are limiting your market. Why would you do that when you are trying to sell anything?

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Petza914

I would advertise it with the mods and see how it goes. Expect about 25% on the cost of the mods, providing you can find the right buyer. If that doesn't go well, then convert it back to stock to widen the marketability and sell the mods separate, where you'll get about 50% of the cost of them. From a price perspective, it's probably a wash as you'll likely be able to sell the mods at a higher price than with them installed on the car, but you have to spend the time or do the labor to remove them and reinstall the stock parts, that's if you still have the stock parts, and if you don't you'll have to re-source used versions of those.

Some mods will add a good deal of value from companies such as RUF and maybe a couple more, but otherwise, it's going to be the timing of finding the right buyer who has the same taste as you and would do the same or very similar mods to what you've done. If listing it modded, I'd also advertise it on 6speed that seems to be a more mod-embracing forum than Rennlist, although we have our group of modders here as well.

Good luck.

Racetwin2

+1 The only time you can charge extra is if its a high quality mod that:
A: Is in the taste of the buyer
B: Is a desired mod to have.

In the case of B I'm not talking about window tint or wheel spacers or even wheels but rather if the car has been retrofitted with OEM X51 kit etc.

Dennis C

I think that modifying a car with OE parts and options that are "period correct" will generally add to the appeal of a car and will not make it difficult to sell. As mentioned above, you won't get what you paid for the mods when you sell the car. To me, mods in this category include: OE cosmetic mods, aero kits, OE wheels, etc.

Some buyers (me included) prefer to buy a car that's as close to stock as possible. I wouldn't buy a car with any kind of a tune, especially a turbo. I know that there are reputable tuners out there and many people like cars with a tune, but that's something that I'd rather do myself. The same is true for an aftermarket sound system or a modified suspension.

As a seller, I would return the car to stock and then sell the aftermarket parts individually. I realize this isn't always possible or practical, but that would be my approach. A few examples: I'm thinking of installing a Europipe exhaust system on my 997 TT. I'll keep my stock exhaust and reinstall it when I sell the car. Another example is aftermarket LED tail lights on the 997.1. I consider this mod to be a downgrade rather than an upgrade. As a buyer, I'd rather see stock tail lights. As a seller, I'd reinstall the stock tail lights and sell the LEDs separately.

robgts

I think the consensus is to remove most of the mods. The mods I have made are aero and suspension. I have not touched the engine (still under warranty) or exhaust. I will be selling my car in December so I think I will try to sell it here and on 6speed. If it doesn't sell I will remove all mods and go stock. I think the key here is price. I will sell the car below "stock" retail with the mods included. A good deal is when both parties are pissed off but the transaction is accomplished. I'm willing to give someone a good deal.

Dennis C

Good luck with the sale. Perhaps you'll find a buyer who likes the mods you have made and wants the car as it is.

JuanK20

As a buyer, I would prefer to buy a car with an engine that is untouched. Completely Stock. (To me) buying a car that has been tampered with for "better" performance is already telling me that the car has been put through abuse, raced and beat on. I know that is not always the case, and stock cars get abused as well, but it's just my own personal preference.

I don't see a problem with (tasteful) cosmetic mods. A bunch of guys (including myself) bought 997's with the intentions of upgrading to Aerokit/GT3 style bumpers anyway, so i see cosmetic mods as a pro rather than a con. Just don't expect to recuperate all of the money you spent.

vern1

I think the opposite. Someone who has gone to the trouble of adding performance mods is telling me that they pay attention to their car and likely obsess over it re maintenance. Many of these guys never see the track but I have no issues with a car that's been to the track a few times (not every weekend though). Most guys I know who have stock cars (and have no interest in RL etc) barely pay attention to when their last oil change was and wouldn't have a clue what maintenance is required and when. Those guys scare me way more than someone who wants better handling or adds an exhaust system.

I would pay a little extra if someone had already done mods I would do anyways. Esp since I know what some of them cost

Dennis C

This is a good discussion and there are good points made on both sides of the argument. There was a similar discussion sometime last year on the 997 turbo board, and it got ugly. Looking at very1's comments above, it does make me think about priorities. When I say that I would prefer a stock, unmodified vehicle, I mean one that has full service records and passes a PPI. If I had to choose between an unmodified car with no records and a tastefully modified car with full records, then I would probably prefer the modified car. It depends on the mods....

Ultimately, there's a butt for every seat. As a seller of a modified car, you will eventually find somebody who appreciates the mods and wants the car. You may find that buyer very quickly. In my opinion, the number of potential buyers for an unmodified vehicle is bigger than it is for a modified vehicle.