How do you value your car?

skendrick · Jul 1, 2010

Hi All,

Last week I placed my 964 on the 'members for sale', how do you price your car?
I have been looking on the usual 'Pistonheads' and 'Autotrader' to get an idea of prices but is there some sort of calculation or is it what you think someone will buy it for?
There are older cars with low mileage and there are younger cars with high mileage.
Which holds it value more coupe, targa or convertible, manual or auto, etc...
Does the colour have an effect on the value?
Is there a simple solution or is it just what people are prepared to pay for it, supply & demand!

I don't want to open up a can of worm with someone saying that their car is worth more than someone elses as all our car are are precious to us!

Steve Brookes · Jul 1, 2010

As you've seen they're anything from £10K to £20K and there's no real formula to compute this. FWIW I think you're asking a fair price for yours and you just need to wait for the right buyer to come along. The 964 has become more of a luxury purchase rather than a daily driver so there are less buyers about in the current economic climate.

johncolt · Jul 2, 2010

Steve,

I am not quite sure why you describe the 964 as 'a luxury purchase' rather than a 'daily driver'. I bought my 1992 911 964 C2 Tiptronic a couple of years ago. Not knowing much about the various years and models, I did a lot of research and took as much advice as I could. The choice narrowed down to this particular model because it was at the time under-rated, and thus more liable to appreciate. Relatively un-complicated and relatively cheap to srvice, easy to drive, reliable and useable on a daily basis if necessary.
I spent a lot of time looking for a good one, which this one has turned out to be. I paid £18,000 for it and hope that it would still be worth the same if I sold it - which I am not intending to.
I don't use it every day because I don't need to (I suppose this might therefore qualify it as a 'luxury purchase'. But I could if I needed to.
What determines what is a 'daily driver'? If it is easy to drive in traffic, particurlarly the Tiptronic version, and enjoyable on the open road, I would so described it. Is a later model, costing 50% or 100% more, better deserving of being described as a 'daily driver' I wouldn't say so. In fact I would rather risk my cheaper car in Tesco's car park than a more expensive one!

Regards, John.

Also a 1965 Toyota Sports 800 (What?)

Spy · Jul 2, 2010

ORIGINAL: skendrick

Hi All,

Last week I placed my 964 on the 'members for sale', how do you price your car?
I have been looking on the usual 'Pistonheads' and 'Autotrader' to get an idea of prices but is there some sort of calculation or is it what you think someone will buy it for?
There are older cars with low mileage and there are younger cars with high mileage.
Which holds it value more coupe, targa or convertible, manual or auto, etc...
Does the colour have an effect on the value?
Is there a simple solution or is it just what people are prepared to pay for it, supply & demand!

I don't want to open up a can of worm with someone saying that their car is worth more than someone elses as all our car are are precious to us!

In terms of desireability to a wider audience, the usual rules seem to apply:

C2 is more desireable than the C4 as many people looking at these cars are looking for a more purist drive
Manual is more desireable than Auto for the same reason.

Saying that, there is always a buyer for every car and therefore there are people that would want a C4 Tip just not as many as those looking for a C2 Manual.

Steve Brookes · Jul 2, 2010

ORIGINAL: johncolt

Steve,

I am not quite sure why you describe the 964 as 'a luxury purchase' rather than a 'daily driver'.

Hi John, that's why a qualified it as more of a luxury purchase. We all use them to different degrees. I'll use mine for the daily drive when I need to but that's normally reserved for the boxster - which like your 964 is a great daily driver beinng a tip [

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Crystal Cranks · Jul 3, 2010

"How do you value your car?"
I tell my wife it's worth F#ck all and there is no point selling it. [

]

Spy · Jul 3, 2010

ORIGINAL: Crystal Cranks

"How do you value your car?"
I tell my wife it's worth F#ck all and there is no point selling it. []

...or, its worth what I originally paid for it so therefore I should sell it (given I haven't lost anything) and get a different one for about the same price

skendrick · Jul 3, 2010

The wife thinks I will regret selling the 964 and replacing her with a 996 (facelift) but, our circumstances are that I don't need two cars. Therefore we sell both and buy one.

I think she is worth a little bit less than I paid for her 3 years ago, but not a lot.

I have done around 20k over thae last three years and enjoyed every minute , I am also hoping I will enjoy the 996 just as much!

If I sell both cars and put up 5k I can pick up a 2002+ coupe, manual with approx 60k on the clock, lot of car for little extra money.

fastlane · Jul 4, 2010

ORIGINAL: skendrick

The wife thinks I will regret selling the 964 and replacing her with a 996 (facelift).

Your wife thinks you'll regret replacing her with a 996 - I'd take her advice very seriously if I were you! Mrs Bobbett comes to mind...

skendrick · Jul 4, 2010

But I don't need two cars and if I buy one then there is only one tax, insurance, serice, MOT, etc.. and putting 8k/year on my 964 would be too much.
She is just about to clock 115,600 and over the next 3 - 5 years, I think would be too much mileage. I know they go on forever but at this point she is low mileage and still holding her value. Three more years and that would be 140,000 on the clock.
We all say mileage is not important but in the backs of our minds we all look for the lower mileage car, or is that just me?