WWGrmD? 1987 Porsche 911 project

OK...need the hive thoughts.  I have a 1987 911 Carrera I've owned for 20 years.  Rust free , never wrecked.  Not a garage queen but nice driver.  140k miles. Six years ago I retired it from DD use and started process of making it a weekend toy occasional HPDE car.  

Shortly thereafter I had a major stroke that makes egress tough for me.  Since I don't trust my reaction time/neurological impairments I decided to build it to a rally style toy with lifted suspension that would allow me to get in and out of it easier.  Plan was to build something along lines of a Leh Keen Safari 911..

I've completely rebuilt engine/transmission and suspension, half shafts etc.  Project has stalled due to my health issues.  But I'm ready to get it back together.  Would you proceed with rally toy or return it to stockist platform?  I could take it to Leh keen,  give him $30k and have him build it right.  It would probably be worth 45k finished.  Or soldier on myself and spend $8-10k and finish myself and it might fetch $30k?  Or return to original.

Likely either way I'd want to keep it a few years and play with it before my health completely renders me unable to use. (I'm being realistic).

Or just sell it as is for $15k to someone and not look back.

I bought it before air cooled 911s skyrocketed.  Not really concerned about ROI whatever direction I go.

Thoughts from hive?

Build what you want. I say life is too short to worry about the value of a car. Worry more about the joy you'd get out of it. 

How often will you drive it offroad? How often will you street drive it if it is stockish?

Do it yourself and enjoy it! Building it is half the fun!!

In reply to Stampie :

What I really want is a Safari rally style 911.  Realistically I could probably get $9k for engine, 5k for G50 transmission and 6k for chassis if I were to look at just ROI.

I think you price on the engine is low and trans is high.

Do you want to build it yourself?  How interested are you in a, say, six to 12 month long project on this thing?

In reply to Robbie :

Around here (Mississippi) I would love to play with it on country gravel road or levees...just to see look on 4wd trucks.  Likely would drive more this way.

markwemple said:

I think you price on the engine is low and trans is high.

G50 LSD ? I've seen going for 6ish fresh.  A 3.6 might be 12k but it's only a 3.2.

Selling or asking? I thought 4.5 - 5k. You're probably right on the engine, depending on what's been done to it. Just build it and damn the values!!

jim, youre a hell of a guy. so please, dont mininterpret what im about to say....

youre health is going downhill, and your age uphill. youve worked your entire life to build a good retirement, and have succeeded at that. you have been frugal, and thought about every financial decision of major importance in terms of return. wether that be an investment, a DD, or a doctors bill. 

dont be like my grandfather, who pinched every penny he could until three days after he died. (he bought the cheapest prepaid burial plan he could the day before he retired from the air force so he wouldnt have to spend extra money). he died with a fair amount of money in the bank that he never got to enjoy. he didnt travel like he planned to due to the concern of "might need the money for something someday". drove a ford tempo that he refused to get the power windows or AC fixed for the same reason. its not that he couldnt, he wouldnt. he was concerned about what may happen in the future financially to the point that he never enjoyed what he worked overtime his entire life to do. my family sure would have rather seen him enjoy the money than us inheriting it. 

what im trying to say is this: as an adult child of a man in similar circumstances, i keep telling my dad to go blow all the money he can while he can. ill tell you the same: if the joy is in the build, then do it. if the joy is in the drive and use, DO IT! let the kids figure it out afterwards. 

enjoy youre retirement with a rally prepped 911. the memories and legacy you leave because of that car with others is worth whatever you decide to spend, and is all the return on investment that should be factored. 

hopefully that wasnt offensive, as i dont intend it to be. i just want to give you the son/grandson perspective as i see it. id tell my dad the same things, and in fact do. 

Ovid_and_Flem said:

In reply to Stampie :

What I really want is a Safari rally style 911.  

There's your answer. 

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

Lol....didn't realize I was that close to the grave.

  Yeah I've socked away a pile of cash.  I've got enough stashed to last me the rest of my life....so long as I croak by next Thursday!  To quote JB....I made enough Money to buy Miami but I pissed it away so fast. Never meant to last.

I dont have kids and gf is fine financially (better than me) so i really dont have to worry about that. I would enjoy finishing the build myself.  But I know it will be a time  consuming project.  I have sent an email to Leh Keen to see what kind of time frame on him completing it.  We shall see.

I was going to share a link to Team Illuminata's 911 build thread, but I see there you already found it.

In my opinion, you should build it as Stampie pointed out.  You already have the car and the vision, that's a huge head start.

If you run into a spot where you need another set of hands, post up a message here.  You might just find someone that would be willing to lend a hand

Life is too short, enjoy it.

First off, don't return it to original. The world has enough people fretting about the values of these cars and not enough enjoying  them. Second, if you have the driveteain together, what else do you need aside from suspension? And I know you want to do it 'right' but what do you really NEED at this point to slap some mud tires on it and drive through a pasture whooping and hollering? 

Jim, build it the way you want it. If the clutch gives your left leg trouble, sell/swap it for a Cayman/S PDK and enjoy the ride.

If what you want is a rally style 911 I’d take it to your guy and have him finish it up.  Hopefully he’ll do it quickly so you’ll be in the drivers seat having fun in no time.  If you want to sell it I’d either sell it as is or return it to stock.  What color color combo is it?  Coupe, cab, or targa?

In reply to Cotton :

Coupe...guards red camel interior.

That color combo on a g50 coupe makes for a very nice ac 911.

Maybe Leh Keen can give you  a list of tasks to complete while it's in que for conversion.  Start shopping for mud flaps!

Leh Keen it if he can get it done soon enough. You've spent years doing hard work. Make things easy and enjoy life to the fullest. If you can get Leh Keen to finish it faster than you can then that means more time to enjoy it!

If anything else, I'll buy the shell for $6k 

First, sorry about your stroke. Just some quick medical advice to maximize your health through physical therapy or a good Pilates instructor (my wife has done wonderful things with those that are physically challenged). 

The idea about having it built seems fun as well. The design process with the builder and anticipation sounds like fun as well!  

Heres another builder....  just an idea. Orange rally 911 built by one of the past owners of BBI

Whichever the route, keep us informed with a “build thread.”

Want us to turn your name in to "Garage Squad"?  

Just another thought on letting someone else build it.  I have a lot of cars,  I work in my shop every night and on weekends doing maintenance, repairs, upgrades, etc on a few dozen cars and motorcycles.  About 12 years ago....maybe more I had started a frame off restoration on a 1975 Chevy k10 4x4 short bed my Grandfather bought new.  I had quite a few setbacks,  lost interest multiple times, bought good used parts only to have them sandblasted and turned into bad used parts,etc,  but I always promised myself I’d finish the truck,  so my Dad would be able to see it restored and nice again.  Well my Dad turns 70 this year and the truck was FAR from being done,  so I finally caved and took it to a well known restoration shop three months ago.  Long story short the truck is very close to being in paint now,  and probably on the road by March.  It is not cheap,  and I hate to think of type of cars I could buy with the money this restoration will ultimately cost,  but it’s an emotional thing and I really want the truck done.   Taking it to the restoration shop is just the best option to make that happen right now for me and sounds like the shop could be the best answer for your 911 too.

FWIW, I would be very interested in purchasing it as a project.  I've always wanted to build a 911 and yours sound like a great starting point.