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Thread: Values - Restored vs. Original

  1. #1

    Values - Restored vs. Original

    A question for you illustrious Porsche aficionados:

    Looking at two cars, both early 911S cars one restored and one original, how can you compare their values? Will the original car be worth more, or will the restored car be worth more? Let's assume for the sake of argument that the restoration was well done and historically correct but not an over the top concours restoration.

    Maybe the better question , what are the right questions to ask when assessing the values?
    Cheers,

    Vince

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  2. #2
    Senior Member Milou's Avatar
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    Wink Original

    On more or less equal overall condition, an original car is often regarded as better and more "collectable" than a restored one.

    The patina, overall panel fit and originality remains unbeatable.

    Nevertheless, one must remain cautious as some owners genuinely claim their car as being unrestored although it was resprayed once or twice and lots of bits and pieces were changed overtime and/or modified which after all is normal for a 35plus year old vehicle.

    So although in theory there is a very simple answer, ie: original is more valuable than restored, in practice it's a much more complicated reality as both restored and original remain very much subjective concepts, and can mean different things.

    To answer your question: "what are the right questions to ask when assessing the values?", here are some, most probably in the wrong order:

    1. Is the engine, gearbox, original to the chassis? (matching number or not) if not is it period?
    2. Is the paint color original to the car? if not is it period?
    3. Is the history of the car known all the way back to its first owner? Bills and documents to prove it are available?
    4. Is the car cohesive? are all the parts original (hood badge, seats, steering wheel, door panels, tool kits, manual, etc...) to the car or from the correct period?
    5. What were the factory options when new and are they still on the car?
    6. Is the engine and gearbox running smoothly? what maintenance was done to them and when?
    7. Where is the rust? (probably question one)
    8. how much does the owner/vendor know about the car and classic 911s in general?
    9. Would you love owning it?

    The hardest part is often to keep yourself from buying the car based only on answering that last question....

    Milou / Registry #884
    www.ecurielyford.com

  3. #3
    Moderator Chuck Miller's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    Vince,

    Hope you don't mind but your thread works better over here.......



    An original, unrestored, low mileage, good condition car is still the standard...

    However, at least 36 or more years on, most of these cars when you REALLY look, tend not to be as 'original' as we wish......

    One of the keys to an 'original' car is a consistent, accrete, and extensive history. COA, service records, receipts, logs, all of it.....from then to now.

    Every once and awhile a real mystery 'barn find' does show up... but that's VERY RARE

    If you have this information, and can confirm it, THEN you can start to compare the 'restored' car to the 'original' one....

    Cheers, and hopes this helps
    Chuck Miller
    Creative Advisor/Message Board Moderator - Early 911S Registry #109
    R Gruppe #88

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    '73S cpe #1099 - Matched # 2.7/9.5 RS spec rebuild
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  4. #4
    a very important question is: which one are you more likely to drive?
    i'd take a nicely restored driver over a museum piece but that's me.
    bob moglia
    '72 E sunroof coupe

  5. #5
    The real question is how long it takes to discover a car is not really original & unrestored.

    If it takes 2 or 3 subsequent owners and 20 years to figure that out, then someone did their restoration well...

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