Do I keep it or sell it?

As some of you may have seen on here, I'm trying to sell my 996 Cab. Following a bad skiing accident in January when I found out I wasn't quite the hardcore skier I thought I was, I'm still laid up and recently told I have several more months in a walking cast. So the car is languishing undriven, sulking in the garage. Hence my decision to try and sell. However there has been a deafening silence in response to my adverts for what I think is a well priced car and a desireable one too. I'm considering dropping the price a bit more now but don't want to give it away simply for the sake of it. However the insurance , tax etc is all going to waste and I am a firm believer that cars need to be driven to stay healthy. So what do people think? Drop the price more and sell, then get something else next year? Or cash in the tax, SORN it and reduce the insurance and lie it up for a year? Having taken a bit hit on the value as we all have over the last couple of years I can't decide if the prices will stabilse or drop more severly over the next 12 months. http://www.911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=1735

If it was me and you intend to get another next year... unless there is another reason your selling, ie wanting to upgrade to a Turbo, etc, and your happy with the reliability/condition of your car... then I'd keep it and just find a way of reducing the cost, laying it up and itch to get back into it just as soon as you can... I'd bet as soon as your right you'd be out in it... I would...

I think the prices are going to keep falling I'm afraid. It might be a good idea to sell and buy in a year. Early 997's could well be into the low 20K's by then. It's never easy to let go of any 911. We all bond with them. But there are lots more out there. However, on the other hand, while the price you're asking is pretty reasonable in my eyes, you're not getting any takers and there has to be a point where it becomes unconcienable to let go of what I'm sure is a fabulous car for silly money. I don't know what that point is but for what these cars offer, there is a line in the sand I believe where it makes more sense to hold on to for the long term, (forever if necessary!) and keep in good shape than to give it away. If I found that my car just wasn't shifting in the price range I believe it should, then at least I know I have a fantastic car that with regular maintaince and maybe a little addition here and there will always be wonderful. And you know, if it ends up as a family heirloom, fine. I just wouldn't want to see it drive off into the sunset in the hands of somebody who's picked it up for Mondeo money. There was a good article by James May recently in Top Gear when he spoke about the fact that we probably don't hold onto cars long enough and pay the relatively small amount required to keep them immaculate than to pay extra for something that might be a step forward not be so significantly. Your car will probably bring more, if not as much pleasure in ten years as it does now.

I am in a similar scenario regarding use v depreciation. I would say £18,995 is top end for a W plate with just under 60k clocked. You could try to bin the original advert from the snowy cold winter months and emphasise the summer Cab appeal? Not wanting to p*** on your parade, but I have a Speed Yellow C2Cab on a 2001 plate with 37k clocked and would probably accept £18k for it. Edit - Yours is obviously fully loaded, so £ for £ is probably worth the extra, but will potential buyers see it that way?

I know exactly what you mean. I don't think potential buyers actually know enough about the extras they want, the costs involved etc. I'm going to give it one more shot redoing the adverts and dropping the price to around 18.5. If it doesnt go then, I'll probably SORN her, reduce the insurance (then get PSE, upgraded suspension, Sports steering wheel, fit the HID kit I have.....) and enjoy it next year. I do think the prices will continue to drop as it is the first really affordable mass produced 911 but think if I then keep her for several more years, it will be better. I have a 13 year old Golf that cost me nothing apart from depreciation for the first 10 years, so has paid for itself easily. Keeping the 911 for a few more years should see the recent price drop due to the recession average out and not be quite as severe.

If you have enjoyed the car up until now, know it's history, and don't want to upgrade to a 997 or something faster - why sell? Especially if you have a garage to park it in. SORN it and park it up, then freshen it next year with a whole load of goodies Or... rent it to a good friend over the summer and get some money back? :wink:

http://www.luxury-carservices.co.uk/luxury_car_hire/Porsche-996-Carrera-4S-Cabriolet.htm

Just been offered 16k by a trader for it! :sad: Think I might have to drop the price even further as things are so quiet. Anyone else having this problem?

That sounds like quite a good shout to me in the trade... It's a pre-facelift tiptronic and for about another £4,000 you could buy a facelift model. It is also a 'marmite' colour (I love it, but not everyone does). If it was me I'd check that it is a genuine offer and not one of the couple of dodgy dealers (do a search ) that tell you they have a customer for it, but really only want some stock in their showroom for a couple of days! Then try and get another £500 and let it go. But then, I hate the whole business of selling cars privately and would rather lose a grand to a trader and have the money in the bank (and sleep with a clear conscience) than have all sorts of low life and tyre-kickers casing the joint and haggling and messing about with cash and dodgy bank drafts!

Thanks Wattie. He's a reliable guy so I know the offers good. Might be able to squeeze another 500 at a pinch. I think I'll drop it down to 17.5 and readvertise it for a few weeks first and see.

Totally agree with Wattie I would and have been prepared to lose a little and sell to a dealer for all the reasons stated, if I were you I would sell it now, its strange but the second no buyers come along instinct says all the more that we should sell, after all in our minds it becomes less desirable because no one else wants whatever it is were selling. Bite the bullet you can always make good the loss on your next deal with some shrewd dealing. Mike

Dont give up Tim ,prospective customers are out there ,I just sold mine 2000 on a W 44k miles Tip with FSH Hard top £18500 Its just the market is very slow at the moment In the Honda dealership I work for our order take for new and used cars has dropped off by 50% since the election :frustrated: but this last few days has started to climb back in the right direction