Affect of mods on resale value Options

[bbrock]

I have a couple decisions to make soon on my restoration that could affect resale value of the car. So I'd be interested to hear opinions.

The car is a numbers matching (I'm pretty sure - need COA) '73 2.0L so on paper, very desirable. But it is currently a rust basket case, but becoming less so every day. I'm trying to restore it to a very high standard but it seems silly to think such a Frankencar would ever be a concours contender. I certainly have no interest showing it. But I am kind of a fanatic about originality with a few exceptions. I'm keeping the car very near original with a few "bolt-on" mods that are easily reversible like euro signal lights, reproduction parts for budget (no thousand dollar OEM interior light going in here), etc. The biggest mod is that the engine has been converted to carbs, including cam. But I still have the original FI and may start working on restoring that down the road. I'm contemplating a couple of mods that won't be so easy to roll back but I don't want to sacrifice potential resale value of the car. Below are the mods and my twisted rationale for doing them:

Delete Fender Warts - this is the biggie. I hate them and the warts I have are in bad shape. I hate to think of spending money to replace something I think is ugly and Porsche didn't really intended to be on the car. My rationale is that no warts and euro lenses ARE original in European markets. But if I sold the car, would that kill the originality premium?

Late style fuel pump location A PO relocated the fuel pump to inside the steering rack and did a crap job of it. I recently picked up a 75-76 fuel pump blister with the intention of cutting the firewall to relocate the pump the way the factory did. Makes sense to me. It's a factory improvement, right? But what would a buyer looking for an original car think?

Black anodized trim My car is performance group, but not appearance group so it has black bumpers which I like. Decades ago, I lightly sanded the scratched up window and targa trim and painted it satin black. I really like the look and am thinking of having them black anodized as part of the restoration. Or would it be smarter to go back to bright anodized to preserve resale value? Seems like this would be an easy one to reverse if someone wanted to.

I have no plans to sell this car but never rule it out. Just curious how far a person can deviate from dealer delivered original before the car loses that "all original premium"... And realizing that such things are impossible to predict.

[oakdalecurtis]

Here's a list of the mods I have done on my car in the last 20 years. Most of them are not that noticeable. If it makes it easier or more fun for me to drive though, it's a done deal.
Engine, Original 2.0 Liter, Fuel Injected
- Monza exhaust system
- Crane electronic ignition system

Chassis and Suspension
- Empi rims

Exterior
- Dual Hella horns
- Cloth lined front trunk
- Engine lid restraint cable
- Porsche stripes on doors
- Black Widow security alarm
- External main battery charger port
- LED front signal and running lights
- Front fender parking lights removed
- High mounted LED 3rd brake strobe light
- Porsche rear reflector lens with LED illumination
- Porsche front bumper plate with LED illumination
- BlazeCut automatic engine fire suppression system

Interior
- Short shift kit
- HD Mirror Camera
- Porsche dash light
- Passenger cupholder
- LED dash gauge lighting
- Heater On dash indicator light
- Solenoid activated rear trunk release
- Momo steering wheel with eccentric lift spacer
- Fog lights wired for use as Daytime Running Lights
- Tartan cloth seats with driver’s side cushion thigh lift
- Raised center console armrest with driver cupholder
- Repositioned brake pedal to increase gas pedal foot room
- Blaupunkt six speaker stereo system with electric antenna

[bbrock]

Here's a list of the mods I have done on my car in the last 20 years. Most of them are not that noticeable. If it makes it easier or more fun for me to drive though, it's a done deal.

That's a nice list of mods and the sort of things I like too. In my original post, I said there were a few bolt-on mods I have planned (some already done). I just wanted some information on the more permanent ones to decide if they were worth it to me. But here is a list of mods cone or planned for this car.

Already done:

- Dual Weber 40 IDF carbs with Bosch 050 dizzy
- mild street grind carb cam
- Mahle 94mm 8.0:1 (euro spec) P/C
- Porsche crest shift knob
- European lenses front and rear
- Black window and roll bar trim
- Bursch exhaust
- SS heat exchangers

Planned:
- SVA dizzy with Pertronix ignition and high output coil
- Custom hand throttle to operate cold start circuit on carbs
- Subwoofer in passenger foot well
- Ash tray modified as cupholder
- Modern (Blaupunkt) stereo head unit
- Side marker delete
- Upgraded headlamps (not sure what yet)
- Rear window defrost (OEM switch with non-OEM element)
- LED lamps where ever I can plug and play
- Tinted windshield
- Intermittent wiper relay
- Starter relay
- Main battery circuit breaker
- Dual Hella horns

In the maybe pile:
- Evan0's relay and fuse panel update
- Fog or driving lights
- Fuel pump relocate to trunk
- Replacement center cushion with cup holders
- Replace clock with oil pressure gauge (probably will since I already have the gauge and dual sending unit)
- Modified combo gauge with CHT and Oil pressure (so I can put my clock back in the center console)
- Quieter exhaust

I drove this car a number of years and know how fast (or slow) it is. It is just dandy for me. I especially enjoyed getting up to 37 mpg highway. The carb conversion is just because the EFI kept leaving me stranded and, back in 1988 or '89 when I pulled the engine, carbs were just what you did when you got sick of the EFI crapping on you. I want to run these carbs for awhile. But I might spend a winter refurbing the EFI and go back to that. One thing I won't be changing is the tire pressurized washer bottle. I love that quirky bastard and found it provided the perfect excuse if I peed myself after going into a curve a bit too fast. "Oh that? My damn windshield washer tube sprung a leak again."

These are all mods to make the car more reliable, comfortable, or safe without significantly altering the stock appearance or ride. All but the two I originally asked about will be done without altering the original part, which will be stored. And all but those two are easily reversible.

I have nothing against mods - obviously. But I find it curious that so many people have told me it is MY car and I should do what I want. Yet, make fun of the idea of wanting to keep a car original. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)