You know Porsche prices are out of control when someone pulls a damaged 911 Targa out of a barn and asks $18,500 for it! What’s even more incredible is the number of people looking at the listing, which you can find here on eBay. I will admit the photos are really eye catching, it is a bright orange 911 with a massive whale tail after all! But as you start to look at it closer, you really start to wonder why the seller is asking so much. This car was in a fender bender that damaged the right fender, the inner structure and the hood. While I have no doubt the damage could be fixed, I would have a hard time investing that kind of time and money into a Targa. I still remember the days when you could buy a nice Targa driver for under $10k, but I guess all 911 prices are going crazy these days. It is an Arizona car, so hopefully that means rust isn’t an issue, but this car is going to need everything anyways. If this car ran and was half the price, I might be tempted to fire up my welder and fix it, but I’m struggling with that price. So do you guys agree with me on the price or do you think this one is spot on given current P car inflation? Special thanks to Jim S for this tip!
It doesn’t really matter if the P car inflation rates are realistic or not. A buyer has to look at the bottom line: are they getting good value for their dollar? This little gem needs far too much help to even be in double digits. A better idea might be start at a dollar, no reserve and then find out what the market is really doing. I was at a collectible show years ago and got talking to this guy who was over the top excited that he and his wife just got a Beanie Baby they had been looking for at lots of shows for “only” $1300. As he talked to me, realization hit him; he got this confused look on his face and said “we spent $1300 for this??”
I’m afraid a lot of P-car buyers are going to be in the same sinking boat as that guy, wondering why they spent $20K for a junk yard car.
That Camaro in front of it looks pretty nice; I see he went with the sofa look instead of coughing up the bucks for a T-Top
he got this confused look on his face and said “we spent $1300 for this??”
LOL, sounds like a case of the Emperor’s new clothes.
People have officially lost their minds………it’s just now spread to P cars. Then again it might be the internet. There is a place in LA that specializes in P car parts…its a salvage yard..what THOSE guys would pay for it might be the market maker. Otherwise its just a rusted piece of junk
Here in Holland 911 Targa’s were used by the Dutch Highway Police, from 1968 until the end of 1995, coloured white/oranje. The first thing I thought when I saw the picture was that famous finger instructing me what to do. Still though I miss them.
Price-wise I must agree with Cassidy.
Tried to upload a picture, here is a link to pictures (Bing.com images):
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=911+targa+klpd&view=detailv2&&&id=F4567B19D6A6AE58B1FEF66EFDE3E6EB8245C286&selectedIndex=96&ccid=OJUm3NX1&simid=608039568704606150&thid=JN.SQz3vo4mYwrFlpFI69JzkQ&ajaxhist=0
I’m not real big on identifying Porsches, but that rear bumper SCREAMS that it is several years later than a 1972; more like ’78?
Though it does look like it has Weber 3bbls, so who knows how bastardized it is?!?!
I have to agree though; people are nuts! Leave an otherwise desirable car parked for a decade and a half, open to the elements__even Arizona has “elements”__and then all of a sudden, it has unprecedented value .
If it was worth so much, WHY wasn’t it protected during the interim (or did that big AmEx bill just come in…)?
It’s probably worth about $5K – $7.5K (but not to me).
Picture shows the back end of a 1972 911T Targa:
Randy, from https://www.stuttcars.com/technical/vin-decoder/ VIN 9111113352 decodes as an early-’70s 911T Tagra. I can’t get enough information from the seller’s bad photo to narrow it down any more. What might have happened is that someone wanted to update the look of the car by grafting on a whale tail (which didn’t exist in 1972 and was developed for the 1975 Porsche 930) plus a later bumper. Lots of these cars got that treatment when they got to be worth a few thousand bucks and fell into the hands of boy racers.
the car for sale appears to be a ’73. definitely not a ’72 or ’74.
I think the seller has decided that it is far too much work for his liking ( as in it needs professional help) and he is tossing a figure out there to see if it will fly. you would really have to love this car to want to put the work it will need.. I too am more interested in the Camaro , and what is it with that couch sitting on the roof? also makes me wonder what was sitting on the Porsche before he snapped the pic
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/613159-porsche-police-car.html
I’l like everyone else. What about the Camaro?
I’m a huge targa fan I wouldnt buy it for that price. I’m more interested in the yellow camaro. I paid 23 for my targa a while back it valued at 40 today. Targas are going up in price cause its a classic Porsche style. But 18 for that never.
Rather have the camaro.
Me too!
“Clear Arizona title NOT salvage….It was in an accident and has damage to right front inner structure, fender and hood.”
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So the owner at the time didn’t make a claim on his insurance for an accident that put the car in a barn for 15 years? What a wonderful guy to do that so the buyer in 2015 wouldn’t have a salvage title.
“It will have 4 steel wheel and tires that hold air.”
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I see at least 1 expensive Fuchs alloy wheel on the car now. So the seller is keeping the expensive wheels and throwing steel wheels on.
And all for only $18.5K plus the work / parts / $$$ required to get it looking half decent and moving under its own power.
Got to go…..I’m due back on planet Earth now.
My interest in Porsches has totally faded. I also really like the steel bumper 2nd gen Camaros. Corvairs are where the enthusiasts should be going if they want air cooled.
I sold my ’79 SC Targa two years ago for seven grand. It ran and drove great. It still looked great unless you were real nitpicky. It had the distress of a loved and often worn leather jacket. I priced the car somewhat “gentlemanly”, whatever that now means, and some sleazy scalper ended up scooping it up and selling it off to Europe. So much for advertising in the local PCA newsletter…or being a nice guy romanticizing about giving someone else an opportunity to own a great car at a very fair price. It sickens me seeing these POSs for double or triple what I got, knowing I will more than likely never be in the position to own one again.
So true.
Jasper, You make me feel a little better… I had picked up a 79 SC a few years back, too…it was nicely optioned, but trashed and parts removed. I couldn’t easily get it running, so resold it thinking I should save more money and buy a good one. Struggled to get 5k for it… I, too, will probably never own one now that these projects are approaching 20k -and still need restoration!…. I have an old 914 in about the same condition. I think I will hang on to it!
I asked the seller if the car came with the Fuchs wheels. He said no. It does not come with any wheels. The buyer will have to bring their own wheels.
People are crazy.
VIN says ’71
Camaro. I like my engines water cooled and in the correct position.
These early seventies Porsches are in ‘speculators’ eyesites.
Most people who say it’s not worth this or worth that would love to buy it cheaper so they could resale for more….
As bad as I feel for Jasper, I have long parted with the illusion to give somebody a ‘good deal’ so they could rebuild a car.
I price my cars near the accumulated parts value, to ensure the next guy doesn’t part it out (as I could do the same, duh).
I have a 72 Targa and all kinds of people twisting their heads trying to buy it…..
cheap, of course, and I have to disappoint them.
This one obviously is NOT A 72, as those are known for their infamous oil-flaps.
I like the ’71 Couchmaro in the garage!
This guy must be commuting to Colorado and smokin those funky cigarettes!
Push that POS out of the way, and let’s see that Camaro.
Bring your own wheels.. Give me a break.
This thing is a mess, and not worth 1800.00