If you’ve been reading my columns on Hagerty’s website, you know that I’m a technical guy. If you have a car problem and want to fix it yourself, it’s my job to (hopefully) teach you how to do it.
2003, financial meltdown #1 in my life, self employed. Sold my 1988 Factory Slantnose 930 Turbo for $48,000.00, which wasn’t bad at the time. Now over $200,000.00… Could have been my only retirement plan. At least I still have the 1987 M6 that replaced it…
I’ve always thought, keep the car you like, regardless of it’s price. If you enjoy it, it doesn’t matter if it’s worth $300 dollars or 3 hundred thousand dollars. You can’t take them with you so enjoy them while you got em.
My grandfather always lamented selling his Stutz Bearcat and I remember his comment to this day. I am glad I kept my 914-6 even though there were times I wondered if it was too much trouble. Now it is too much fun… I agree - enjoy them while you have them.
Well this settles it, I’m not selling my 1981 911sc Targa! 
1978 - Purchased a titled 1966 Porsche 911 import from an Officer at the Navy school. Black on Black, sunroof - excellent condition, 38K miles showing. Drove the car off and on for 20 years, then put it up. 2010 - Offered car to my granddaughter - (Keep it in the family) but she wanted a midsize truck. So, I decided to sell the Porsche to purchase her a truck. Put it on ebay - prices were decent, it was showing 65K on the speedo. It Sold on ebay for 30K, but the sale fell through. Sent out second offers and had a nearby buyer with $27K cash. Sold it! Felt pretty good - buyer contacted me 2 months later. He had gotten the pedigree from Germany. Turns out the car was actually one of the last 1965 911’s made! Then prices zoomed. A year later he sold the car in Las Vegas for $128,500! My sad sorry…
Question re BMW. I have a 2009 V8 M3 I love this car. Its sound and has acceleration is like nothing I have experienced. I bought it used with 100,000 klms on it and now have 150,000 k on it. It is thirsty sucker but worth the shit eating grin it provides. I am a little worried that this (they dont make them like that anymore) baby is going to start getting expensive.
I was thinking of selling it probably get 30k for it and leasing a new M2, fun but no 400+ hp monster. Any real BMW fans out there that can weigh in on this? Thanks so much
John
The front wheels have a lot of “caster” not “castor” which is a bean and the oil derived therefrom.
@bra356 Correct. Or rather, if the front wheels have too much castor, the car probably won’t corner very well. Correction applied.
I have a 1980 Porsche 911SC Targa purchased in 2005. I sold it to a friend in 2013. I regretted having sold it yet was happy for my friend’s purchase. In 2016 I bought it back from my friend, who needed money for building a new house. I love this car… Selling it was fraught with ambiguity but turned out well. However, selling my 1958 Porsche Speedster in 1970 while a financially struggling college student was my deepest regret and was indeed my deepest tragedy. Today I couldn’t begin to afford even the worst shaped Speedster. But, the SC doesn’t require near the maintenance of the Speedster and drives as nimbly as the Speedster with the great 911 purr… My friend has recently shown a renewed interest in buying it back again.
I have owner a 1978 911SC got about 6 years. It was my Dad’s car and after he passed away, I bought it from my Mom. All tolled, I have close to $30k into this car, which is about what it is worth now. Twice I considered selling this vehicle, and both times I resisted, because of the sheer joy I get when driving it, and of course, it’s sentimentsl value is priceless. I think I’ll keep it, and pass it down to one of my two sons…
I bought my ‘79 911SC in ‘86 when I was single. Fast forward 15 years - married with a young child and a garage full of crap with nowhere to put the SC, I was at a gas station when approached by a stranger who asked if I had interest to sell it. I said I’d let it go for $13K. Called him a week later to ask if he had interest, he (thankfully) said ‘no’. Last summmer I treated it (and myself) to an engine re-build, down-to-metal repaint, and fresh leather seating. Oh - and cleaned out the garage! I did have a major one get away from me though - in the late ‘70’s living in NYC I kept walking past a Ferrari Dino parked on the street with a ‘For Sale’ sign. I toyed with the idea of buying it but thought of the impracticality of owning it in the city, and just kept walking by it over a period of time until it disappeared. Asking price? I think it was $18k, if I remember correctly. Ouch.
Wine Red Metallic '81 SC Sunroof Coupe. Probably have total of $25K invested over fifteen years - and not a single regret. Certificate of Occupancy. All the upgrades and then some. It’ll never compete price-wise with the long-nosed versions…or the last of the air-cooled years. But if you want a ‘classic’ driver, there are none better! I’m 67 this month…as long as I can get in and out over the sport seat bolsters, can muscle a parallel parking challenge, and can depress the clutch…she’s mine! And one little leak, IMHO, is a badge of honor… PS…we are heading to the Hagerty event on the 24th at the Atlanta Experience Center. See y’all there!!
Well this applies to anyone here regretting selling their 911 SC…
You have the opportunity to erase all your regrets.
I will not join the regret party because I have 2 of these. Selling my 1982 911 SC all original, 98k miles chiffon white over chocolate.
Hello, I just bought my Targa 911 SC 1980 I bought the Whailetail too the all rubber, I have a question, the whailetail comes in one pc, do I need another part to install?
Thank you
Bought my 82 911SC 12 years ago. Almost sold it for 3 times what I paid for 4 years ago to buy a Cayman S with like 20k miles. I drove one hour to look and test drive the Cayman S. Repainted from bumper spooked me. I drove home my SC glad that I was keeping it. The driving experience and satisfaction could not equal a modern Porsche. Glad I kept it. Still get tempting offers and always someone asks me if I would sell it. I can go buy a nice 997 C2S, no problem but I just can’t let go of the SC. Also own a 87 924S, 88 924S-SE, and 77 924. You can’t replicate these type of cars, driving satisfaction and their reliability. Love them all !
My grandfather sold his DB5 and etype together to a British pop star for 60K… what a mistake that was.