Question on selling modified cars

I've had my 996 for the past 8 years and loved every minute of it. Over the years I've spent more and more time at the track at DE events and have slowly started modifying it to make it more track oriented. Before I get too far down the slope, I've decided to move on to another platform (Cayman). So my question is whether I should return the car to stock prior to selling it, or leave it as is. I'm not worried about recouping the cost of mods, but I also don't want to limit my potential customer base with a track oriented car which is frankly less pleasant for daily driving (at least in a city). On the other hand, returning it to stock will take time/money. Things I would consider changing: Suspension-KW coilovers, GT3 sways, adjustable droplinks (all this adds up to a stiff , noisier ride in the city). Safety-Fire extinguisher mount, GMG rollbar Power?-EVOMS intake Things I'd leave: X-51 oil pan, 3rd radiator Thoughts?

I think you should return it to stock and sell me your EVOMS intake. More seriously, the 996 is one of those cars where some people will actually value the mods that you have, especially since it is only performance/track oriented stuff

A suggestion, if I may. Advertise the car as it sits now and without the track-oriented parts. That way, you can "offer" the car to a wider market. Aside from the rad and the coilovers, the other parts aren't too difficult to remove and return to stock. Besides, I don't think anyone would want the third rad removed anyway, track rat or not. That just leaves the coilovers...

I wouldn't have purchased my 996 if I hadn't found one that had been capably modified. Full suspension, exhaust, third radiator, MK II wing - it would have been a crime to put it back to stock before selling it.

Quotes source post: 10670624

You can take the track parts off the car but you can't take the track time out of the car. Thus the removal of the goodies still leaves you with a heavily tracked car and the task of selling the car with that legacy. My advice would be to leave the car as is, and sell it on the quality of the mods you have done, its superior setup, and its good condition. That it hasn't suffered some horrific engine event suggests the engine is in good condition and the oil pan and 3rd radiator mod's did their part. Oh, if you have the stock parts be sure to include these in the sale as well.

You may be able to get a tad more than stock if you find a track junky to buy your car. As far as appealing to the segment of the general population looking for an older 996, I think there are more that would prefer and pay more for a stock one. Funny how things work. Of those that would rather have stock, several after having the car a while, will want to mod it and track it. They just want to do it their way and usually little by little.

Macster, you make an interesting point about the track time. Honesty, and I know most of the population may disagree with me, I'd rather have a car that has been on the track. Obviously it's harder on the car, but it's also a testament to a car that performs well. How many cars go through multi-point inspections every month if they aren't doing track events? I don't ever go on track without full confidence in the car. That only comes with a lot of preventative maintenance and frequent inspections.

The counterpoint to this is that any machine's lifespan is greatly reduced when run at 100%. If the buyer knows a car was tracked, they get to make the decision about how they feel about tracked vs. non-tracked cars. Putting a car iback to stock for purposes of obscuring the track history is very much different than putting it back to stock because the new owner prefers a softer suspension setup. I may be the only one who thinks this way, but returning a car to stock before selling it - if you don't plan to mention that the car was tracked - is disingenuous. However, I've been charging this windmill for many years...it seems like integrity (and I'm not saying this about this specific thread - just in general) takes a back seat to resale value too often.

Generally speaking any mods you make to a car are for your own pleasure but generally detract from resale value. So, two options are take the hit or keep the OEM parts and sell the aftermarket ones before you sell the car to recoup some of the $$ you spent.

I'm sure we could buy those parts off you in a hurry but why not try and sell it the way it sits. Nobody wants old shocks returned to the car nor would they care if gt3 sways were on when you can just adjust both shocks and sways to least stiff settings. That being said what GMG bar do u have? color? price? location?

If you decide to take off the track bits, you'll no doubt find many on the forum interested in buying some or all of those pieces for the track. The Cayman should be lots of fun as a new ride.

I certainly have no intention of hiding the fact that the car was tracked. My only intent was to make the car more drivable/attractive to a larger segment of the population. I agree with you, Schnell, that reversing modifications to try to obscure the facts is just flat out lying. Hardback, it's the GMG WC bar in black and I'm in Boston. I don't want to turn this into a thread parting out my car but I'll be in touch if I decide to go that direction.

Put it on the market as a modified car. If it doesn't get the response you are looking for then remove the track components and sell it as a stock car. Of course disclose that it's been on the track if asked. I know most people gush at the fact that their car has never been tracked (I shake my head when I see those GT3 ads) but I'm with Ubermensch that in no other case is a car going to go through a full inspection each month so although run hard you'd know this car has been religiously maintained.

I suspect that you will have more success in selling your vehicle if you return it to the original setup. Not everyone wants or has your taste in vehicle or upgrades. My personal experience is I like upgrading my cars so that they suit my taste. However, trying to find someone that has the same taste as me has been very difficult I usually save the parts that I have changed so in the event that I decide to sell, I have most of the parts to return it to stock. Just my opinion Good luck with the sale of your car Later, you can always sell the upgrades here, CL or ebay

Only one way to find out: Put a price on it that you want with all the crap and see what happens.

FWIW.... I followed a similar path in modifying my 996 as I progressed up the run groups over the years.. Fabspeed exhaust, gt3 seats, roll bar and harnesses, stiffer suspension etc.. It certainly adds up in making the car the way you want it for your own pleasure. When I decided to change direction and buy a 2010 GT3, how was I going to sell my beloved 996 which I had owned for 7 years. First off I thought about who was most likely to buy the car and decided to increase my odds of selling to a greater portion on the population by removing the less attractive mods. So the seats, harnesses, roll bar and fire extinguisher, oh and changed the brake pads from PFC to stock as well.. Now for the killjoy, I ended trading in the car at the Porsche dealer.. So I didn't really know what the market reaction was.. Hope this helps