To sell or not to sell and if sell when? Arghh!

[Supermatt]

I finally bought my first Porsche almost 5 years ago, a 996 Tiptronic(sorry) S I paid around 17k for it and its been awesome, and other than a couple of back-boxes (dodgy airflow mod rotted away) and coil packs, Its caused me zero pain. Its got a really good history and knocking on door of 90k miles. First job was get it to the lovely chaps at Hartech in Bolton for full service and endoscope'ing bit nervy till it came back as all in tip top fettle.

Due to short work distance and nursery pickups, I ended up buying a cheap passat estate, to handle the tip runs and the centre parcs trips!

With having 3 cars (including wife's Civic) The 996 is barely doing 1k per year, it only goes out when I can do a decent few miles, which is a shame(Baby no. 2 is on way so that 1k is only going to dwindle more)

I'm just trying to work out what the hell to do!

A. Sell it: Is the consensus we've reached peak price? It seems that the going rate is £15k upwards which would show a depreciation of about £200 per year! (I cant see any hope of finding something in that price bracket that only shows that) And how would you avoid all the pitfall of private selling with that kind of money?

B. PX that and Passat for something mundane (maybe even Cayenne, but that doesn't help my short distance/breaking cars prob)

C. Do nothing, Keep it, pay the road tax and insurance and tryt to use it more, Wedge car seats in with crowbars

First post.. please go easy sorry if infringed any ToC.. apparently not allowed to post "thinking of selling" threads but then that kind of spoils the idea of getting advice?

I wax/wane between all of them, opinions ideas are all welcome !

[2010spy]

Keep it. You will have a 911 shaped hole in your life if you sell it. Having a car you don’t use is better than not having a car you can’t use.

[Supermatt]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I guess I have to include a "use it more" clause in the keep it option, its MOT is due in March, so that might impact, i don't know how the 996 hole in life as above is one of my thoughts... Maybe I should join an owners club or something, something taht would encourage me to egt it out..

if it was garaged I'd be keeping it but it lives outside all year round

[Paynewright]

Chap on the lotus seven club forum selling a 40k mile mint RS4 - I think that would cover all bases!

Ian

[2010spy]

Ha, I didn’t realise it was kept outside. That’s tantamount to negligence, and hence it should find a better home

[LordHaveMurci]

I'd dare to suggest that you get shot now as it's almost certainly going to start throwing some bills sooner than later, aircon condensors, rads, coffin arms etc.

Had mine 8.5yrs & it's cost me a lot more than yours each year unless you haven't told us everything?

[MrC986]

Paynewright said:

Chap on the lotus seven club forum selling a 40k mile mint RS4 - I think that would cover all bases!

Ian

I'm not an advocate on the selling option, given I've had 2 996s previously and missed the enjoyment of owning one, which led me to buy another late last year. I'd recommend holding on to it if you can, though the suggestion of an RS4 is a good option if you do sell. A friends former red RS4 V8 saloon was at Phantom in Wigan until very recently (90k miles and FSH with £3k spent on suspension etc. just before he sold it) & that was on at about £15k - it would've covered the occasional family wagon duties, plus being fun to drive on your own without "losing your shirt" value wise. It's a tough decision but once you've sold the 911, unless you fill that gap quickly with another decent toy, the £s will disappear like grains of sand in your hands with another baby on the way

[Supermatt]

LordHaveMurci said:

I'd dare to suggest that you get shot now as it's almost certainly going to start throwing some bills sooner than later, aircon condensors, rads, coffin arms etc.

Had mine 8.5yrs & it's cost me a lot more than yours each year unless you haven't told us everything?

Nope, Just a good car in first place, within 48 hours of buying I had it up to Hartech to do full gold major on it. Insurance, tax and normal stuff aside:

6 coil packs, two new back boxes, new battery (damn forgot alternator exchange) and it'll prob need some need front discs and pads to avoid an advisory on MOT, (fingers crossed that's all it needs!) That's in it 5 years! Its been bloody brilliant. Outdoor living has took its toll on the headlights though so they need cleaning up and re-coating. that all told makes me think I'm due a decent bill soon

[Supermatt]

2010spy said:

Ha, I didn’t realise it was kept outside. That’s tantamount to negligence, and hence it should find a better home

Negligence?

[Supermatt]

MrC986 said:

Paynewright said:

Chap on the lotus seven club forum selling a 40k mile mint RS4 - I think that would cover all bases!

Ian

I'm not an advocate on the selling option, given I've had 2 996s previously and missed the enjoyment of owning one, which led me to buy another late last year. I'd recommend holding on to it if you can, though the suggestion of an RS4 is a good option if you do sell. A friends former red RS4 V8 saloon was at Phantom in Wigan until very recently (90k miles and FSH with £3k spent on suspension etc. just before he sold it) & that was on at about £15k - it would've covered the occasional family wagon duties, plus being fun to drive on your own without "losing your shirt" value wise. It's a tough decision but once you've sold the 911, unless you fill that gap quickly with another decent toy, the £s will disappear like grains of sand in your hands with another baby on the way

That's what I worry about: how much will I miss it and how fast will the cash or PX drain the money, Cayenne will lose it like it's drunk in vegas
I'm in the fortunate position not the HAVE to sell it but it feels wasteful paying 2x tax, servicing etc.. If it wasn't having to pick 5 year old up from School and soon baby from nursery, I could survive without a car at all(2 mile walk/cycle to work) in which case I'd lose the passat, invest in Mrs's Car more and then the 996 would become weekend/evening/long lunch toy

Sod it I'm off to see if can fit both Maxi Cosi Tobi and Rodi fix in back while still being able to drive

[Supermatt]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

Awesome advice Cheers Tinrobot, never thought of working like that, as an office drone the days salary to cover the cost are slightly higher, but the formulas remain!

[Adam B]

wow - don't often see sport techno wheels on a turbo let alone a C2 - are they real / original fit?

[Scho]

In same boat, Selling.

Absolutely no point having something you don't use.

[Supermatt]

Adam B,

Yes they are real, not original fit tho'

[Supermatt]

Scho said:

In same boat, Selling.

Absolutely no point having something you don't use.

I just worry that I'll have sellers remorse. Unless I can sell at top market, I've always envisioned a 997 in my life at some point, SO if somehow I could engineer selling mine at a really good price, stash the income somewhere and then look at a 997 in 5/6 years time

I Liked TinRobots view that it can make you feel just a bit better when things are crap tho'

and it is so very very cool to look at just some pics... I'm getting the feeling i need to keep it I'm obsessed

[EGTE]

If it's not costing you much, I'd keep it.

Good ones are hard to replace and it sounds like yours is a good (as in reliable) one.

[LordHaveMurci]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

I don’t think you can keep a 997 / 996 for less than a grand: a year road tax, insurance, and an odd service never mind consumables.

Mines closer to £2k

[Digga]

Scho said:

Absolutely no point having something you don't use.

Except that it's MINE! All mine!

My 911 was away last week being serviced and, just it not being there in the garage was disappointing. No, there was no way, in all the ice, road salt and st weather, that I was going to actually drive it last week, but it not being there when I went in to faff about with my mountain bikes was a disappointment - the absence of the potential to drive it was felt.

I've had fun cars, on and off now for twenty odd years, long enough to realise I am beyond fixing and will always need something daft and with four wheels in my life. And come the spring and summer, I will use the car - trackdays and Eurohoons already booked - and that's really something to look forward to in my book, not the everyday, but the high days and holidays.

[ooid]

Forgive my assumption, but if you really love this car, you would have used it all the time imho ? It has 4 seats and most practicality there. So I guess you are checking if the values would go up, which is fine, but I do not think so. They are at this very dangerous age now (996,986 and early 997), one does not know what kind of expensive bill come up soon? And the reality, most parts are extremely expensive on these cars + servicing, and they are not the most reliable cars out here, that's for sure.

If you don't love it, no point to keep it I guess.

[Supermatt]

ooid said:

Forgive my assumption, but if you really love this car, you would have used it all the time imho ? It has 4 seats and most practicality there. So I guess you are checking if the values would go up, which is fine, but I do not think so. They are at this very dangerous age now (996,986 and early 997), one does not know what kind of expensive bill come up soon? And the reality, most parts are extremely expensive on these cars + servicing, and they are not the most reliable cars out here, that's for sure.

If you don't love it, no point to keep it I guess.

To the point I made at the start, I work 2 miles from Home, little ones nursery-School is 1 mile from work, I can't get him to and form school on Foot, so have to use car, start 2 miles stop, start 1 mile stop start 2 miles stop every day will destroy the best of cars (hence the cheap passat). So that leaves me the weekend, generally that's full of washing, ironing etc, Its rare I have the disposable time to "go for a blast" its not for lack of wanting to!