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Any low quality mod should be suspect. quality mods can add value to a vehicle but it gets highly subjective and can be more valuable to the right buyer. I think we can draw comparisons to the earlier conversation about slick top vs sun roof, in that some people will value one over the other.
I think the mods that will devalue a car the most are body and interior mods. unless there is a heritage to the build, something like it being featured in a movie or some other high profile build, those mods almost certainly limit the pool of potential buyers.
I think the mods that will devalue a car the most are body and interior mods. unless there is a heritage to the build, something like it being featured in a movie or some other high profile build, those mods almost certainly limit the pool of potential buyers.
You give me some hope that my car's mods might have some value.
Most valuable; low mileage, super clean, bone stock, always garaged FDs (under 30k miles). If you mess with this type car you won't add value and could lose value. The lower the mileage the more you will lose value by modding it. Priced 30k and higher these days and selling
Good high quality FD; really well maintained clean car (always garaged) with quality bolt ons, basically this is a car owned by a serious enthusiast. Best recent example would be Adams car. Mileage isn't huge but at around 100k and over it starts to hurt value no matter the maintenance history or parts added. Priced 25k and higher.
Middle of the road; lots of owners, some garage time, various bolt ons, some good and thought out and others not so much but runs and drives well. 17k and higher.
Near the bottom; like the above only worse LOL. Bone stock high mileage cars would fit here as well. 12k and higher
Bottom; like the one I just bought or a parts car. Repainted, wrecked, all kinds of jacked up interior and exterior, some great parts but most in avg or lower condition. 10k and higher if it runs LOL.
Last edited by Fritz Flynn; May 6, 2019 at 10:54 AM.
I think a well done 99-Spec front bumper conversion can be added to that list towards the top since it's really the lighting design most people think of when envisioning the "perfect" FD exterior... If done right I can't imagine it would hurt value on anything other than a low mileage collector FD with original paint.
To me the mods only really matter on 30K mile cars and below. If your car has more than 30k miles as long as the mods are quality I see no negative impact or very minimal. Body kits hurt value the most in my opinion.
I'll be curious to see what the 97 Supra on BAT closes for. Its already at $60k with 3 days left and it has 62k miles. If it breaks $75k I think it is clear the FD is not closing the gap but the FD is still doing great in its own regard. Hard to find even a "rough" FD that runs correctly under $20k now.
What about stock body with GReddy V-mount and exhaust?
To resonate what many others have said: If your car is a driver's car (a.k.a not a collector's) then quality mods should not hurt the value and IMO actually increases it. But you gotta be careful as anything above basic bolt-ons and your buyer's pool gets very shallow.
Yeah, I think the mods are pretty basic. Mods are nearly identical to the CW in the for sale section, with the exception of titanium exhaust, body is BB/tan just broke 70k.
I paid a pretty penny for a 94 CW FD bone stock with 23K miles only because it was unmolested. I do plan on enjoying/personalizing the car by putting on some rims and suspension, but only things that are easily reversible, and I'm keeping all the OEM parts/docs in case I sell (which I won't, because I've already told my wife I'm going to be buried with the RX-7 and NSX).
Mods are puzzling. I suspect that over the arc of time, more people will start valuing mods better.... Given that, over time I still believe that some modded cars will do very well.
I agree with this and I have said from day one that I believe that modded cars will also be valuable. I base that theory on the muscle car market where quality mods are a not a deterrent and are actually desirable. However, noting that desirable on the right car. Meaning the car isn't a low mileage unicorn nor is it a special edition type.
Funny I was just looking at this auction: I know it is not a muscle car but it fits the modded theory:
This 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe is a backdated RSR tribute that has been extensively modified since it was acquired by the current owner out of Sacramento, California in 2012. Exterior work included a longhood conversion and a repaint in Viper Green, along with the installation of steel fender flares and fiberglass RSR-style bumpers. The 3.2-liter flat-six was reportedly resealed and features MSD ignition, a Steve Wong chip, SSI heat exchangers, and an M&K stainless steel exhaust. Shifting is through a 915 transaxle, and additional modifications include staggered Braid wheels, Bilstein shocks, Elephant Racing bushings, ST seats with tartan inserts, and more as outlined below. Approximately 4k miles have been added since completion of the build, and this backdated 911 is now being offered for sale in California on behalf of the current owner with partial service records, build photos, and a clean Maryland title.
The body was stripped to bare metal and received a single-stage repaint in Porsche’s Viper Green following a longhood conversion and the installation of steel fender flares. A TRE Motorsports fiberglass front hood and RSR-style bumpers were also fitted, along with a ducktail spoiler, H4 headlights, and hood straps. “Carrera” and “Porsche” graphics have been applied to the sides and rear of the body.
Braid 16″ Fuchs-style wheels measure 8″ in width up front and 9” out back and wear a set of BFGoodrich tires. TRE Motorpsort Boxster S brake calipers and rotors have been installed.
GTS Classics ST seats are trimmed in black and feature green tartan inserts. Lightweight door panels were also fitted, and RS-branded floor mats cover the lightweight Perlon carpeting. The rear seats and stereo have been removed.
A 3-spoke Momo Prototipo steering wheel fronts backdated gauges that were rebuilt by North Hollywood Speedometer, including a 10k-rpm tachometer. Under 97k miles are shown on the 6-digit odometer, approximately 4k of which were added during current ownership.
The 3.2L flat-six was reportedly resealed during the build and fitted with MSD electronic ignition, a Steve Wong chip, SSI heat exchangers, and a stainless steel M&K muffler with baffles. The seller states that the car will not currently pass a California emissions test.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a 915 5-speed manual transaxle. Suspension modifications include Bilstein HD shocks, 21mm/28mm torsion bars, 19mm raised front spindles, and Elephant Racing polyurethane bushings. A number of build photos reportedly accompany the sale, and start-up and rev videos are viewable below.
This car netted 145K and that's without even being able to pass CA emission tests which just blows my mind. Hopefully one day the FD market will be that empathetic.
I agree with this and I have said from day one that I believe that modded cars will also be valuable. I base that theory on the muscle car market where quality mods are a not a deterrent and are actually desirable. However, noting that desirable on the right car. Meaning the car isn't a low mileage unicorn nor is it a special edition type. Funny I was just looking at this auction: I know it is not a muscle car but it fits the modded theory. This car netted 145K and that's without even being able to pass CA emission tests which just blows my mind. Hopefully one day the FD market will be that empathetic.
I think you are right, although that could be influenced by my own car. As I've said, many single turbo conversions not done to the best standards and many modded cars with, say, body kits, are not going to appreciate. However, I think very nice or special builds are going to eventually do very well. The 911 you showed is really a "Singer-like" effort for 25% of the cost of a Singer.
97 Jade Green Supra with 63k miles closed at $75K which is essentially $79k on BAT. Great news for all of us but we arent closing the gap.
So, you are saying that the rate of increase in the price of FD's is less than the current rate of increase in Supra prices? Hmmm. Could be. You are close to the Supra market, but I had actually thought FD prices were increasing faster. I should check Hagerty at least, I suppose.
