Early 99 sell or not to sell advise

I have had my 99 996 C2 for about 12 years now. It has been so good to me I just haven't been able to bring myself to sell it even though I rarely drive it and I don't have space for it. I have gone back and forth about selling it for many years now and just have a hard time justifying selling it for what it seems to be worth. I finally felt like I made the decision to sell it this week but then started researching its options and how rare and potentially desirable the early 99 cars are. It was build in 03/98 with build codes 220 222 224 234408 424 437 438 490 537 688 936 983. From what I can tell it has the desirable options of LSD and the Technology wheels. It also has a Turnwald taco wing that was put on at some point that was never even painted to match. The wing is actually violet chromaflair I believe which is black that shifts to violet and green. The car currently shows about 61K miles so quite low and it spent much of it's life in SoCal. The negative is that the car has a salvage title (due to theft I was told). So with it being what seems pretty rare based on options and build date but with the salvage title I'm just torn what to do with it. I don't feel like anyone who appreciates the options and early build will want it because of the tile. The title doesn't bother me any especially since I've had it so long with no issues but I do really like the rarity and options. I have planned to sell the wing separately and am not wondering if I should do the same with the wheels. What are these worth and is it worth removing them? Or do you think I can get more for the car with them? I know it's not a 1 of 1 collector car so try not to beet up on me too badly. I'm not a corvette owner. ; ) Any advise or opinions are appreciated.

Well if you don't drive it and don't have room for it, then sell it. It is a nice looking car with good options, so do you really want to let it rot at your house accumulating an insurance premium or let someone else enjoy it? The sad part is that it will probably have to be sold cheap due to the salvage title.

You need to find an open-minded buyer who understands the intricacies of a salvage title. I have a car that also has a salvage title due to theft.

Great looking driver use this as a selling point the negatives are salvage and mis matched paint so expecting collectors to pay won’t happen I say $28-30k

I guess I believe our cars hold their best values when sold as originally factory configured so I would remove any items that were added after build not only does that make car closer to stock but you can gain some money from the sale of those parts like the Taco. The salvage title will obviously affect the price how much is in the eye of the buyer one of the concepts I always keep in mind is that you can only sell the car once so you just need one buyer not the entire buying public 😀 Rich

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yeah, I agree that I really don't want it just sitting around deteriorating and not being enjoyed. I enjoy driving it when I do and it's been such a good car to me so it is hard to think about selling. So I'm really torn. I never considered it a rare car but after doing some research it seems like it could be somewhat rare which does make it more desirable even for me. Which is kinda funny because it's the same car that i've know for 10 years. I guess my question is is the hype about these early 996s with desirable options legitimate? I definitely agree that the wing should be removed and replaced with oem. What is the value of a similar early build with these options without a salvage title? It is by no means a perfect car but it has always been a great car mechanically. I definitely wasn't thinking it would be worth the 28-30k that Evommm suggested but maybe I'm wrong.

Quotes source post: 19930668

Thats an interesting car. I have a few questions. 1. You were "told" the salvage title is due to theft? What does the Carfax say? I think you need to confirm exactly why it has a salvage title. Assuming a car is in good condition, apples to apples, I would say a car with a salvage title due to theft would be worth more than a car with a salvage title due to accident or flooding. 2. Have you put a paint meter on it? Have you confirmed which panels have original paint? Is the engine lid that the wing is mounted to Violet Chromaflair as well? The fact that it has an aftermarket rear wing combined with the rear "911" badge, instead of Carrera, makes me wonder if it had some sort of rear end accident. But the 911 rear badge came on the 2000 Millenium Editions (which also happened to be Violet Chromaflair) but I didnt think they came on any other 996 models except maybe the 40th Anniversary. So if the engine lid is Violet Chromaflair, maybe somebody added that wing to a Millenium Edition, which had the 911 badge, and then whoever owned this 911 found that lid/wing combo and swapped it onto this 911. 3. Is that color the jet black? If the car is black, it shouldnt be too hard to find a black engine deck lid, with the Carrera logo on it, and put it on this car. I would definitely do that and sell the engine lid/wing combo separately. Assuming its original paint and salvage due to theft, Id try to list it on BAT or Cars and Bids with a full disclosure and description of why it has a salvage title, let the market decide because its hard to put a price on a salvage title car. I would definitely take the wing off, and sell separately, but offer it in the sale at an additional cost, because this car is likely to attract someone who just plans to make a race car out of it, and they may want it. Ive bought and sold 100s of old cars, and my objective is always to try to return them to their original configuration. Refurbishing original parts as much as possible in order to retain originality while also limiting costs of purchasing new parts. As soon as I see new parts on an old car, especially aftermarket parts or modifications, it immediately gives me pause as to what it was really like before. (Im talking about body panels, interior parts, maybe suspension, wheels, not mechanical parts that require replacement)

Based on your option codes the 220, 222 and 224 seem to be the only special options I don’t see the technology hollow spoke wheels option, mileage is nice, History of IMS and RMS service is important to any sale of a 996, with the rebuilt title I would put market at $18 to 20K depending on your local buyers, if you add in transport costs from other areas might be prohibitive. Best of luck whatever you decide. Rich

Quotes source posts: 19930668, 19930668, 19930668, 19930668

I'll try to be straight to the point and not sugar coat my comments. The current dealer MMR wholesale value on this car withOUT the salvage title is about $22,900 with a retail value of $25,100. An accident on the CarFax can devalue the car about 20%. A SALVAGE title is the worst and can devalue a car to almost half of the market value and many dealerships won't even consider them unless we're talking about a very high-end car like the GT3. Your car is not. Therefore, without proof it was stolen, the buyer (or dealer) must assume it was deemed a total loss by the insurance for reasons like flood, accident, etc. Many unscrupulous people will have the salvage cars privately rebuilt in hopes the next buyer or dealer won't catch it. Hence the expression, "Max Attack" that applies to people dumping problematic cars on Carmax. As it applies to the state of Georgia, you can NOT just register a salvage titled car. It must be inspected and bonded before it receives a certified "rebuilt" title by the state. That being said, the average buyer does NOT want to fool with the hassle on the average car, even a run-of-the-mill 996 Carrera. Yes, unfortunately the modern buyer will not look past the Salvage Title on the car regardless of options. Again, if it was a very high-end Porsche like the GT2 or GT3, then you'd have a lot of people willing to deal with the hassle of getting a bonded title, but since we're talking a 996 Carrera, not gonna happen. If you have the original motorized Carrera rear wing/grille, then I'd say sell the Taco wing separately. You'll make more of a profit on parts than the whole. Same goes for the wheels. Given the stain on the title, this car is NOT worth more than $15,000 as it sits, IMHO. If it were my car, I'd probably just keep it around to enjoy, but if you must sell it, understand the challenge. Price it right or you'll deal with a lot of tire kickers over the title. How did I get to the figure of $15K? The current retail is about $25,100 for an unblemished 1999 Carrera 996 Coupe and so take 40% off for the Salvage Title - that's $10,040 off which means $15,000 for the car.

So after 10 years of believing the previous owner I just ran the Carfax and it shows it was in an accident a year or so before I bought it. It was serviced at Porsche Woodland Hills immediately after. I wonder if they would give me any info on it. It does show signs of bottoming out so maybe someone went off the road with it....? It didn't appear to have new paint anywhere when I bought it and haven't seen any evidence of bodywork other than the fender I resprayed when a ladder fell on it. Yes, the car is jet black. Studawg, I also assume that the taco must have been on a Millenium Edition. Not sure why it wasn't painted to match. Maybe it just didn't bother them enough just like with me. I agree that the salvage title does knock down the value significant'y but 40% is high. Especially for a car that has proven itself for the last 11 years. It's not like it was just repaired and flipped.

First question - what's the red monster in the garage? Some thoughts. There is a buyer for the car. I would think if you had solid maintenance history with receipts (oil change frequency etc.), that would mitigate the salvage title somewhat. The IMSB is a dual row and a current, clean oil analysis would be helpful Other more qualified than me folks have opined on the value.

Quotes source post: 19931800

It has option 408 which is the technology wheels and they are still on the car. That's about what I was thinking on value.

Quotes source post: 19931868

Haha, the "red monster" is my 91 Diablo that was amidst a full rebuild at that time. I have always done the maintenance myself so I really don't have receipts/records of that.

Also, what is the value of the complete Turnwald wing and Technology wheels if sold separately?

Quotes source post: 19931352

I need a my aunt Linda gif. Say whatttt? With a salvage title and a chromoflair spoiler? Nu uh.

My vote: Keep it, drive it, enjoy it.

I think $18-$20k is probably realistic with an absolute max of $25k for �the perfect buyer�� GLWS

Quotes source post: 19930787

You can make a very good deal if you do your homework....I had a perfect 993 with a salvage title....it was an undamaged theft recovery......ran like a Rolex.....when I did sell it....it was to a person who understood the circumstance and paid retail......I wish I would have kept every Porshe I have ever owned going back to a 356 but I have limited storage and limited funds....

PM sent

If you don�t have the space and don�t drive it, I�d sell it. How much value does this car represent versus your net worth? I�m guessing it�s not a big ticket item for you. If it didn�t have the salvage title, maybe you could argue the value in 10 years might be a lot higher than it is now. But even then, I had an 88 Targa I sold for $20k about 20 years ago, and that car doubled in value, but it�s still only $1k gain per year, which is nothing compared to what life with a house, wife, kids, cost. You might not always be able to find another 996 just like this one, but you will always be able to buy another 911 if you regret selling it.

Quotes source post: 19931829

2 things to consider: 1. Book values can not be considered accurate on a "1999 911" because there are effectively 2 different types of 1999 911's. Early, and late. I.E. a late 99 coupe automatic is going to be worth considerably less than an early 99 coupe manual. No book that I know of differentiates values according to production month. 2. The effects of a salvage title on a car vary depending on the type of car it is. For example, on vehicles that are meant to be registered, driven on the street and used for one general purpose, whether it be commuting (economy car), work (truck), or hauling kids (minivan), a salvage title can affect the monetary value you spoke of. But on a vehicle that can also be used as a race car, it increases the market for it, and thus waters down the effect of a salvage title. I think this car will be attractive to many people looking for a car to race, and thus, the salvage title wont have as much of a negative effect on value as your average vehicle. One might argue that any car that's been raced or tracked will have a similar stigma of one with a salvage title; so a buyer looking to buy a race car might decide "I might as well buy one with a salvage title already, and save a little bit now, because once I race or track it for a while, it will be worth considerably less."

Quotes source post: 19939985

These are not book values. The MMR or "Manheim Market Report" is probably the most respected source for obtaining the true wholesale value for most vehicles on the road today. This is because they represent actual transactions.

Quotes source post: 19940009

Yeah I know what MMR is. I was a licensed retail dealer for over 10 years and bought cars in-lane and via Simulcast at Manheim auctions all over the country, from Ft Lauderdale, FL to Riverside, CA to Manheim, PA, including old Porsches. MMR is a "book" and it doesnt differentiate between early or late 99s either.

Quotes source post: 19931868

Agree with bmchan. For a 26 year old car performance car, maintenance history carries just as much weight as title status IMO. A car could have a "clean title" but essentially "totaled" due to it needing neglected maintenance done to it that exceeds the value of the vehicle. 61K miles is low, but still may need several things soon at that mileage and age, (Spark plugs, Coil packs, AOS, fuel filter, clutch/IMSB/RMS, trans service, shocks/struts, water pump...etc) For what it's worth, I bought both of my 1999 Manual Coupe 996's with clean titles for sub-$20K (First one was in 2017, second was 2021). Both of my cars had roughly double the miles what your car has and were way overdue for suspension refresh. I did the work myself costing me $4-5k in parts alone. So not sure how much life is left in a 26 year old suspension, it might still have life in it but from my experience it will need a complete overhaul at 100k miles. So from where I'm sitting, and assuming your maintenance records don't show complete neglect I'd say asking $20k is a good start, expect a lot of offers for $15k and you'll likely need to settle for somewhere in between.

Quotes source post: 19940049

Hey look, I think we agree on more than we disagree and so let's not get caught up in semantics, ok? Here's where I'm coming from... My family owns a dealership and network with many dealers. Not trying to say I'm special or patting myself on the back. Most of the dealers in our area don't consider MMR as a guidebook or a source of "book value" for customers, at least not in a traditional sense. When a customer asks for "book value" we show them true market value in KBB or NADA - something they can also access and relate to. We also don't necessarily bring MMR to the table unless needed. Most customers don't have access to Manheim and prolly don't care. They just want the most for their trade-in and many times their heads are up in the clouds. MMR is a key reference tool because we want to know what the cars are selling for at auction. I'm not going to pay $30,000 for a customer's 1999 Porsche Carrera Coupe, when I can buy it at auction for around $16,000 with the same miles. Some dealers prefer to use MMR openly. More power to them. It really does help avoid making costly mistakes. And, I understand your sentiment about the early '98 build Porsche Carreras vs. newer Porsche 996 cars. Market value is market value... and you won't necessarily get the special '98 build sentiment at auction or even direct sales either. Alot has to do with specific auction sites. As you know, the fine heeled auctions that sell highly exclusive rare cars, spend a lot of time and money hyping a car for auction. Maybe that needs to be done more often with the early 98 build Porsches 996?

I think MMR, KKB, NADA are less and less the go to source for our 996 models, I have found Bring a Trailer, PCAR Market, Cars and Bids, etc. are better current market value guides. These sites provide commentary feedback from some knowledgeable people, multiple pictures of each car’s condition, start up videos, driving videos and other useful information. I have felt that as our cars age they become more and more individual examples and guides have a hard time accounting for that individual car’s strengths and weaknesses. As a current owner of five 1999 996 cars I truly know each of mine have unique value points and features so value varies a bunch. just my thoughts Rich

Thank you everyone for the input. I'm currently leaning towards keeping it and selling the Turnwald wing and the Technology wheels. I wouldn't mind having it as a backup track car since my track car is a Prototype 2 car so I'm not a big fan of driving it in the rain and there is frequently something that needs to be fixed.

Quotes source posts: 19940312, 19940859

I agree! My only point is there is a portion of the buying market for 996s that puts a higher value on early 99s over late 99s, and yet there is no source of any kind that I know of that has tracked sales results based on production month. Certainly not MMR, KBB or NADA/JDPower. Agree 100%

[QUOTE early 99s over late 99s[/QUOTE] What is considered early and what is late, what's the cut off? Or how does it break down? What is the difference?

You clearly really like and appreciate the car and it�s very unlikely you will find the perfect buyer that appreciates it as much as you do. Go drive the snot out of it. Use it as a daily. If you won�t do that give someone a great deal and they will value it more that way. Probably an unpopular opinion but a car is a car and it needs to be used as a car. Just did a Costco run in mine and it wasn�t the Nurembergring but it was still a drive and that�s something

Quotes source post: 19942383

Porsche made a few MY98 versions of the 996 in the last quarter of 1997. But It's my understanding the "early '98" builds happened in the first two quarters of 1998. Tell tale sign of an early 98 is the amber lights that give them away.

Yea the early/late 1999 996 details have its place in our discussions my early, amber light cars are not that much different from my late 1999/996s I personally like the look of the ambers but I am sure there are an equal amount of folks who like the clear lens examples. You never know what the market will put value on I call it the 23 window VW van effect. 😀 Rich

Quotes source post: 19942383

From what Ive gathered, the 99s built through 8/98 were built on the same assembly line as the 993, more hand assembly involved and built to a higher quality. They also had a cable throttle, which I believe switched to "E-gas", throttle-by-wire for the late 99s, although Im not 100% sure that all 99s didnt have cable throttle. Cable throttle supposed to have better feel than TBW. I'd say shoot for a little more money than your average salvaged 99, plan on holding out for that for a while, and in the meantime, drive the hell out of it, with a FOR SALE sign in the back window.

Instead of starting a new thread on why the '99MY was special, read through this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-anyway-4.html

The cut off is up to and including July 1998 Read the other thread on what makes the 99 so special for the details.

Quotes source post: 19941327

How much do you want for the Technology wheels? Send me a PM if you like.

1999 996 info Rich https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ispreloading=1

Quotes source post: 19941327

I think you made the best financial choice on the table. I just looked at the values today and decent '99 Carrera Coupes are selling a little better at wholesale. Around $20,000 for the average to higher mileage examples. IMHO, because of the time of year. The market for these cars increases after the first of the year and into Spring. I agree with Rich and that if you want to maximize the sale of a 996, then listing it on auction sites like BaT is the wise choice. However, you have to go through an approval stage and more than likely, they might not approve a salvage titled car. jmo. If you don't want to deal with it, then just trade it in and suffer the loss... or just put it on Marketplace and see what happens.

Quotes source post: 19947720

Also think about listing on PCA. Same issues with the salvage title.

I'm a little late to the game; however, I have a little different perspective on your car. I have bought and sold several salvage titled cars. The first salvage titled car that I rebuilt was a vesuvio grey metallic 1999 996 with a tiptronic. I bought it from a salvage yard after it had an engine fire. The only reason that I sold it was because a fellow Rennlister had a dashboard fire in his iris blue metallic 1999 996 C2 with a manual transmission, limited slip differential, PSS9s, and a GIAC flash. I couldn't resist another project, so I bought it. The only problem that I ever had selling my salvage titled cars was I couldn't bear to part with them. Three of my five cars that I currently own were salvage projects. The vesuvio 996 I sold on Ebay. It sold for between 23 to 25k...old age...I can't remember the exact number. I always disclosed the salvage title and exactly what repairs were done. I think that I saw a CA plate on one of your cars. In CA, registering a salvage titled car is no different than a clean titled car. I retired to Idaho and registering a salvage titled car here is no different (just a whole lot cheaper and no smog). Insuring a salvage titled car is no different either. The only issue with a salvage title is you can not finance them. I have too many cars, but I doubt I will ever sell my iris blue 996. I have over 20k in mods to my 996. I added the factory aero kit to mine. You have the most expensive part of the factory aerokit, with the OEM taco tail. I would add the mk1 aero side skirts and bumper to yours and keep it forever. If you do sell, I would start at 25k, as is. If you remove the taco tail, it is worth about 3k...new they were over 7k. You should be able to get at least 20k, without the tail. Good luck.

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OP, by chance do you still have the violet chromaflair rear taco spoiler? If so, and would sell it, please let me know. I have a millennium edition 911 that I would like to put it on - thanks - LTF911 - chill