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Automotive Exceptionalism

abrod520
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vbrad26 vbrad26
If you'd like, you can bid on this one that just needs a "bit" of work...

https://www.motor1.com/news/263024/porsche-959-damaged-for-sale/

1987-porsche-959-for-sale.jpg

Considering the damage is only to the front end, shouldn't be too difficult. I bet you could get it back from Canepa in under a year (once work started, of course). 100% worth it IMO
 
X350 XJR
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abrod520 abrod520
Considering the damage is only to the front end, shouldn't be too difficult. I bet you could get it back from Canepa in under a year (once work started, of course). 100% worth it IMO

But if you take it there you'll want to do one of their 750+ HP engine upgrades while you're at it. 😁
 
vbrad26
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It is supposedly $750k for the Canepa "restoration". But that is for a car that is in fine shape I'm sure.
So I'm not sure how much extra it would cost to get it fixed first, but that is something they could provide.
Even if the car goes for $500K in its current condition (we're talking all USD here) and then you add the $750k (let's call it $1m in case you need to pay extra to have it fixed) you'd be at maybe no more than $1.5m for a basically brand new and upgraded 959.
Considering good examples at auction are going for $1m, and will probably be going higher in the near future, then maybe it would;t be a bad investment.
However the Porsche that bring in the most money are typically the most original...
I'm not convinced that a Canepa car would necessarily bring any more value to the car...
But if that is something you don't care about then buying this wrecked one and paying for the fix and restoration would probably end up being a "good deal"/
 
abrod520
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
But if you take it there you'll want to do one of their 750+ HP engine upgrades while you're at it. 😁
vbrad26 vbrad26
It is supposedly $750k for the Canepa "restoration". But that is for a car that is in fine shape I'm sure.
So I'm not sure how much extra it would cost to get it fixed first, but that is something they could provide.
Even if the car goes for $500K in its current condition (we're talking all USD here) and then you add the $750k (let's call it $1m in case you need to pay extra to have it fixed) you'd be at maybe no more than $1.5m for a basically brand new and upgraded 959.
Considering good examples at auction are going for $1m, and will probably be going higher in the near future, then maybe it would;t be a bad investment.
However the Porsche that bring in the most money are typically the most original...
I'm not convinced that a Canepa car would necessarily bring any more value to the car...
But if that is something you don't care about then buying this wrecked one and paying for the fix and restoration would probably end up being a "good deal"/

Considering all the work they do on other, almost priceless Porsche race cars, I'm sure they'd be happy to restore it to all-original. And if not, I think Porsche themselves are into that game nowadays too. Maybe not such a great investment but it's an important piece of automotive history and deserves to be fixed and loved. Would make a GREAT daily-drivable example once restored
 
jetkins
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Back in 2012, as Austin was ramping up for the inaugural US F1 Grand Prix at COTA, Mazda North America brought a couple of toys to Harris Hill Road race track in nearby San Marcos - a 787B and a 792P. Both turned a few demonstration laps, though the 787B suffered a mechanical issue fairly early on, leaving the IMSA car to finish out the day.
 
vbrad26
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jetkins jetkins
How about some GT3 RS want? (Actually IMHO it's a damned shame to see a track beast like this sitting in mothballs; hope the new owner will actually drive the thing like it's meant to.)
https://rennlist.com/articles/porsche-997-911-gt3-rs-with-650-miles-is-basically-new/

THAT is actually exactly what I would buy if I was in the market for a GT3RS.
I have always loved that color. Except mine would not have the graphics, and it would have clear tails, red cage, and the ceramic brakes.
That would be my dream GT3RS. And I would daily it hah.
If I were to be buying a brand new GT3 variant it would actually just be the GT3 (no RS) with the touring package and a M/T.
And of course the buckets and ceramics and cage lol.

But if I only had $100k to spend on a "new" Porsche.
I would be buying a GT4 I think.

My father-in-law has a 997 S, my brother-in-law has a 987 Cayman S.
The 911 has exhaust and tune only. The Cayman has exhaust and coilovers only.
Having driven them both, if I had to choose one over the other, it would be the Cayman all day.
Not sure how a coilover set-up on the 911 would affect my decision...
Edited:
 
X350 XJR
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A bit below low estimate, which will certainly help with the repair costs. 😒
 
airansun
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Maybe not most people’s taste, but this 1953 Buick Special does it for me.

Last year Buick built their famous straight eight. Only Specials had them; Supers and Roadmasters had the new Nailhead V-8. In their day, these straight eights powered police cars, the engines were considered so powerful. But, with the advent of the V-8s, these overhead valve straight eights were doomed, even though they were notoriously very reliable and would run forever.

I also love the look of the ‘53 Buicks. Those and the 54 Buicks are personal Fifties favorites for me.
D773BFF3-8BE6-43E9-B10A-0FE59259A734.jpeg 3FE72935-4B24-4A36-97DA-66405464375B.jpeg 8863AD75-0104-4779-9627-CD48C27E8507.jpeg E10328FA-4C88-4691-AE36-221C936A178C.jpeg


In fairness, these cars were prone to be rust buckets. The hardtops were no more than convertibles with fixed, unreinforced roofs, so watch out in an accident. I could go on.

I am spoiled by modern reliability.
Edited:
 
noelekal
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Yes sir! Love cars of the '50s and Buicks were glorious in that era. Oh, face it! All '50s cars are great!

My grandmother got a new Buick every three or four years. They were great cars. First one I remember was her '56 Buick Century. Looked exactly like this one, four-door hardtop and same pink and white. The engine required ethyl gasoline. Can still recall the fragrance of the high octane fuel of the era which was completely different from the stinky unleadeds we suffer with now. Had air conditioning at a time when most cars didn't. Once when I was with her a service station attendant was entirely too concerned about "that water running out from under your car ma'am." He'd not experienced air conditioning condensation one supposes.
1956_Buick_Century_fvl2.jpg

Traded it in on a new white '59 Buick Electra which was a comparative abomination of styling wretchedness. I'd love to have one of them now though.

1959-1960-buick-electra-and-invicta-2-doors-1.jpg

1940s are good too. My dad had a black '47 Buick convertible like this one. Traded it for a'49 Oldsmobile 88 with the "hot" overhead valve V8 and Hydramatic transmission. Parents still had the Olds when I was born.

0.jpg


We got in on the family Buick act and drove a big '96 Roadmaster for lots of years and trouble-free miles. Not the same as Buick's glory years though.
DSCF4772.jpg
Edited:
 
DSCF4772.jpg
Foo2rama
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X350 XJR X350 XJR
A bit below low estimate, which will certainly help with the repair costs. 😒
I heard it’s already at Canapa...
 
X350 XJR
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
I heard it’s already at Canapa...

I hope it's made into a really nice driver and not another garage queen.
 
davy26
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Another example of the huge helping of delicious Pork on view at Brands yesterday:
DSC_0050_00049.jpg
 
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