Question on Valuations, Value difference: high end 914/6 conversion vs same on original 914/6 chassis? Options

[Rufus]

Hi Guys - I'm at a major crossroads with my project and need to brainstorm with others in the 914 community.

As a baseline, this very nice conversion sold recently for $72.5k. Here's a link:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=343405

If *everything* else was the same, except the chassis was an original 1970 914/6 chassis (not originally a 914/4), and also that the original drivetrain is long gone, how would the market value differ? Please consider in both cases what fair market value is, and ignore the possibility this recent sale was a smokin' deal.

Looking forward to your opinions ...

Thanks,
Bob

[Johny Blackstain]

I often wonder the value of my six since she's without her original engine, but it's still a real 1970 six with a 77 911S 2.7 in her. No idea what happened to the original motor, she's not Irish Green and is flared now with real OEM flares. I've got her original bumpers & engine lid in the attic (other top is from my 74... damned headliner keeps falling off). I dread the thought of finding 6405211 because I'd have to face the economic question of de-flaring & restoring the Irish Green & I like my hot rod as is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

I often wonder the value of my six since she's without her original engine, but it's still a real 1970 six with a 77 911S 2.7 in her. No idea what happened to the original motor, she's not Irish Green and is flared now with real OEM flares. I've got her original bumpers & engine lid in the attic (other top is from my 74... damned headliner keeps falling off). I dread the thought of finding 6405211 because I'd have to face the economic question of de-flaring & restoring the Irish Green & I like my hot rod as is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

^ Nice car, and that paint is gorgeous. Your post is indicative of a decision faced by many 914-6 hot rod owners—and I hope relatively few will be cowed into "undoing" their cars. OEM steel flares on a real 914-6 may actually add to the car's desirability, and most "GTs" were built up from kits anyway—whether in period or afterwards. The flares are cool and desirable. And, since your original NB steel is gone, going back to NB is no more original than these—and those flares are now part of the car's history. Ditto for the rest. If you want to maximize your car's price for sale, that path is easy and will be boring to some: orange stripe/wheel delete, correct brightwork + bumpers, and period details throughout. You could do all that stuff in a weekend...and go back to how you have it just as quickly. A return to Irish Green would be the next step up, at which point the car would probably be highly desirable to a wider audience. But none of that speaks to value when it comes to who really matters—and your car looks great just the way it is. If you find 6405211, you could always just remove the studs and put it on a shelf—or build it up as a display engine for fun. Someone else can "restore" it later if that suits them. So long as you own that 914-6, you're the only nut that matters—and the rest of us can be thankful you've preserved a bit of 914 history the right way—by driving it.

My six conversion rarely raises as many eyebrows as wilder builds do (if any eyebrows are raised at all), which is just fine with me. There are a lot of little tweaks that I enjoy when I see them and/or think about what went into them, who influenced something along the car's path, etc. I love GT flares, but my car has remained narrow and part of the challenge became making it look "right" without flares. Way back when, that was driven by budget. As time went on, I suppose I could have flared it but I started to really like the original design once a bunch of little changes were made and I figured out how to fill the fenders. The car will continue to evolve, but one thing is clear: My 914 will never go back to "original" or "correct" in my time with it. As much as I respect original cars, this isn't that. It's a 250,000+ mile used car, and hopefully I can keep using it. So "period right" is good enough for me, and a fun bucket to play in. We've all got our ticks...