Just as AMG is synonymous with early tuned Mercedes-Benz models, Ruf seems to be inseparable from the Porsche 930. It’s almost cliche to upgrade the 911 Turbo to Ruf specs; but they’re the go-to tuner for all things air-cooled. But for every Yellowbird that an enthusiast wishes they had created, there are many more pretenders that bolt on some Ruf parts and claim they’re Ruf-converted cars. Does that make them more valuable? Probably not, in general – faster, yes, but as we saw with last week’s 1979 930, although well executed more people are looking for either real Ruf cars or all-original examples. Today I have another two “Ruf” cars to face off – which wears the mods better and which is a better deal?
Tag: 911
Like the M3 from earlier, the Carrera RS has been a model that is the dream of many Porsche enthusiasts and the subject of many replicas. Some are merely cosmetic, others go for wild and exacting recreations. But the value of 911s has progressed to the point where something interesting is happening; track cars now make a viable option to convert back to street cars. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see the same thing occur with the E30 M3 market where tracked out original M3s get converted back to street cars. But this later 911S has been given the RS treatment by notable builder Musante Motorsports. I had the pleasure to work with Chris Musante before his business was fully off the ground; his attention to detail and knowledge of building Porsche air-cooled motors is certainly top of the field, and an early 911 that Chris just rebuilt recently won the Lime Rock Vintage Festival show. It’s no surprise then that this 1977 model that Musante Motorsports built looks awesome:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 911 RS Tribute on eBay
2 CommentsOne of my favorite aspects about the Porsche brand is they have never been timid with color. Even to this day, you are able to tailor your Porsche specifically to your preferences via the Porsche Exclusive program, giving you the option of having one special Porsche. This orange 911GT3 RS is not the result of a Porsche Exclusive order, but is fetching nonetheless. This example for sale has over $60,000 in upgrades and while it appears to be a dedicated race machine, it is still street legal. It comes with a lot of extras, including a custom trailer, representing quite a deal for the next owner, especially if you consider what the entry cost is to a new 911 these days.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2007 Porsche 911GT3 RS on Rennlist
5 CommentsAmericans are somewhat used to performance cars not being available on our own shores even though they might be available elsewhere. In many cases there are no alternatives and we must simply live with this fact. Sometimes, however, the manufacturers make available a car that strives to fill this void. Such is the case with the car we see here, a 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in Florida, equipped with the M491 package. Referred to as the Turbo-look or Widebody Carrera these combined the standard 3.2 Carrera engine with the body, suspension, and braking of the 911 Turbo and offered buyers a 911 with some performance and appearance upgrades during a time when the Porsche 930 was unavailable within our market. Like most any other widebody Carrera, these were some of the best looking of the standard cars produced and have become quite sought after by enthusiasts and collectors alike.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet – M491 on eBay
1 CommentI think I have said this before, though perhaps not, but one of the best aspects of the surge in air-cooled 911 values has been the sheer number of unique, interesting, or just downright beautiful examples we have begun to come across through auctions. We all have our personal favorites amongst the very rare and, sometimes, very fast 911s that have been produced during the marque’s existence, but it is the variety of standard Carreras that is most compelling and keeps many of us coming back day after day to see what we will chance upon next. This all brings us to the car we see here: a Marine Blue Metallic over Linen interior 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, located in New York, with 53,000 miles on it. As I mentioned previously, the Targa tends to be the least valuable of the 3.2 Carrera models and for those who enjoy the design it offers a great chance of appreciating and owning one of these fantastic machines for a little less of an outlay than a comparable Coupe or Cabriolet.