914/6 - changing the colour from original, Effect on value? Options

[cal914]

We have recently bought a matching numbers 914/6 and it needs some restoration work including a bare metal re-spray. It is (original) Alaska [edit: should have said Adriatic blue] Blue and we are not keen on that colour. Our favourite colour is Signal Orange.

We will be keeping the car once restored and driving it and showing it, for the foreseeable.

We would be interested to hear views on the effect on value in changing the colour.

Thanks Kate/Brian

[Tom_T]

Kate & Brian,

I've struggled with the same dillemma - in reverse - myself in my 73 914-2.0 "914S" (914SC in UK) resto - it being the L80E Light Ivory (white) from the factory, & going to the 73 colors I really like: Marathon Blue & Alaska Blue Metallics. .... Marathon Blue being my top choice in factory blues for 73 MY.

Changing colors on 914s back in the day was pretty common - even by the dealers to get them sold, as with mine having had several intervening repaints to Sahara Biege & Gold before I got it in Dec. 75 (in just 36 months!), + the 75-76 MY 914 Copper & the 930 Anthracite Grey Metallic at my hand in 8/76 & 6/80 respectively.

What I found in my informal survey of original vs. color change to period correct factory colors was that the cars were running 20-60% below those in their correct original colors when restored, & going to a non-factory/non-Porsche color was even worse. I was looking solely at similar 73 & 74 MY 914-2.0s on resale a couple of years back while researching & planning for my resto.

A 20-40% deduct on value for a $20-30,000 `73 2.0 /4 isn't too earth shattering, but on an $80,000-100,000 914-6 could put quite a hole in one's pocket!

I did not look at 914-6s at all, but suggest that you do so in your own survey of actual sales, & by contacting the 914-6 registry website, Hagarty Classic Car Insurance here in the US, George Hussey at Auto Atlanta, etc. for their expert opinions (as I also did). Except for a few others far more expert than I on here - what you'll get is more hearsay & anecdotal evidence (as is mine), & merely personal opinions.

Ultimately - she's your car & your check to repaint, & living with the consequences of your choice on same.

Also - Alaska Blue was not a 1970 nor 1971 color - I think you mean either L98P/1010 Blue Metallic (70 MY), or L96E/8610 Gemini Blue Metallic (71 MY) [FYI - the Porsche codes used on 914-6s for those same colors are listed on the colors page at the 914 Info link at the top of this webpage) - that is, unless was the non-metallic L50E/1610 Adriatic Blue. Note that I've added the "10" convention for Porsche factory colors to the color's leading 2-digit number for the paint color, which was used to signify the black targa top on 914-6's & other 911/912 models (as compared to the numbers in the 914world color chart).

Look on your Karmann Plate in the front doorjamb of the driver's door & the color code is stamped oin the bottom box thereon, &/or it should be on your COA - but those have been widely known to have been incorrectly done by Porsche here in the USA, & possibly in Germany too, due to folks doing them not looking up the right code interpretation for a particular MY. I had to fight with PCNA over their incorrect color name off of what they had as the correct color code.

So if your COA says the Alaska Blue - then it's incorrect, unless you have a 98/L98/99 custom paint code on that Karman plate - & even then you'll need to confirm what the customer requested color actually was directly from the original Kardex build card &/or original dealer order sheet!

See these links & look at the pix of the actual 914s in those colors:

1970 MY - http://p914.com/p914_paint_70.htm

1971 MY - http://p914.com/p914_paint_71.htm

All MY's Colors - http://p914.com/p914_paint.htm

Please substitute mentally your UK "colours" - for my "colors" above! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

What I did to desensitize myself to actually liking the L80E Light Ivory was to start collecting pix of nice 914s in that color - especially with the dealer option "PORSCHE" side-script decal, to get the Auto Art 1:18 model in that color, & to learn that "white" is one of the easiest colors to present at concours! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Maybe after you recheck on the original color, then you can do a similar desensitizing to it - if you decide to keep it in the original color! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Cheers & Good Luck on your Research & Project! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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