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Does modifying hurt the Boss' resale value?

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Does modifying a 2012-2013 boss hurt its resale value? I know it shouldnt matter and most of you guys are going to think when you read this...who cares about the resale value...just drive it and enjoy it. Well i agree with that completely but i am just curious...Like im thinking about upgrading the stock speakers, adding an axleback, adding the laguna seca spoiler etc...
 
That's pretty hard to say. Generally speaking you don't get your money back for mods on resale. Sometimes you're better off returning to stock before selling and selling your after-market parts separately. If your mods are "extreme" you end up limiting the market of buyers. That doesn't mean you'll necessarily hurt resale, but it might take longer to find a buyer and a dealer may be reluctant to take it in trade. The list of mods you described generally won't hurt and should help resale.

In my case putting in a roll bar, cutting up the interior, cutting up the bumper and rear diffuser for tow hooks, gutting the suspension, putting anchors in the floor for sub-belts are somewhat irreversible (especially since I sold my stock suspension). It all depends on how far you take it. Bottom line is if the mods generally make the car better without hurting streetability you'll be fine.
 
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tdth3boss said:
Does modifying a 2012-2013 boss hurt its resale value? I know it shouldnt matter and most of you guys are going to think when you read this...who cares about the resale value...just drive it and enjoy it. Well i agree with that completely but i am just curious...Like im thinking about upgrading the stock speakers, adding an axleback, adding the laguna seca spoiler etc...

I think a different way to look at it would be do mods add to the value? I would say no, but it all depends on the buyer.

In the long run, mods do hurt the collector resale, if the mods are not able to be undone. For example, putting a totally new exhaust on the car with headers will hurt the collector resale unless you retain the entire original exhaust to sell with the car. A true collector would reduce what they would give you for the car by the amount it would take to restore the mod to original. If you do something that cannot be undone, many collectors will reject the car out of hand. Replacing the door speakers would be no big deal if you kept the originals. Cutting the doors or deck to install bigger speakers would be a downer.

I own a 1969 AMX that is 98% original, and its resale is greatly enhanced by the fact that it still has the smog air pump, because 99% of people ripped it off the car immediately. Likewise little items like the original AM radio, no holes in the dash or deck for speakers, the original steering wheel, and a lot of other items easy to remove, but very difficult to replace.

On the other hand, considering that the average age of a Boss owner has to be close to 50, there won't be many who end up needing to care! They will be dead before the car is collectible...

I think there are a few key unique Boss parts that will be worth a fortune some day to people trying to restore a car:

1) The steering wheel, which is likely to look like crap in a few years. (the original '69-70 Boss used a wheel shared with other Mustangs)
2) The gloss black Boss wheels (the original '69-70 Boss used easy to find Magnum 500's)
3) An original NON-Recaro interior (there are very few of these being made)
4) Complete four-outlet exhaust (many people are doing axle backs or cat backs, and a few are doing even more)
5) Red TracKey, properly programmed and operating .I firmly believe at some point Ford will be unable to program the Red key because the equipment to do so will be obsolete. Also, there can be only one operating TracKey at a time, and things have a way of getting lost.


Other things might be difficult, but the GT can now be ordered with quite a few Boss parts, so the availability of some things like the radiator, Recaros, and the Torsen diff will be easier.

If you project 40 years out, you can look back 40 years and get an idea how expensive some unique parts from the past have become. Go price an original shaker hood and scoop assembly for a '69-70 Boss, for example. They are thousands, even though repros are available. There is a scoop assembly on ebay right now for a 428 Mustang (which was more common) and just the scoop is $2700! Imagine how someone(me) feels who sold an entire 428 SCJ car with shaker for $1100! I should have put that thing in a barn! Even for my AMX, a '68-69 hood goes for over $2000 without trim or hinges.
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
coboss said:
tdth3boss said:
Does modifying a 2012-2013 boss hurt its resale value? I know it shouldnt matter and most of you guys are going to think when you read this...who cares about the resale value...just drive it and enjoy it. Well i agree with that completely but i am just curious...Like im thinking about upgrading the stock speakers, adding an axleback, adding the laguna seca spoiler etc...

I think a different way to look at it would be do mods add to the value? I would say no, but it all depends on the buyer.

In the long run, mods do hurt the collector resale, if the mods are not able to be undone. For example, putting a totally new exhaust on the car with headers will hurt the collector resale unless you retain the entire original exhaust to sell with the car. A true collector would reduce what they would give you for the car by the amount it would take to restore the mod to original. If you do something that cannot be undone, many collectors will reject the car out of hand. Replacing the door speakers would be no big deal if you kept the originals. Cutting the doors or deck to install bigger speakers would be a downer.

I own a 1969 AMX that is 98% original, and its resale is greatly enhanced by the fact that it still has the smog air pump, because 99% of people ripped it off the car immediately. Likewise little items like the original AM radio, no holes in the dash or deck for speakers, the original steering wheel, and a lot of other items easy to remove, but very difficult to replace.

On the other hand, considering that the average age of a Boss owner has to be close to 50, there won't be many who end up needing to care! They will be dead before the car is collectible...

I think there are a few key unique Boss parts that will be worth a fortune some day to people trying to restore a car:

1) The steering wheel, which is likely to look like crap in a few years. (the original '69-70 Boss used a wheel shared with other Mustangs)
2) The gloss black Boss wheels (the original '69-70 Boss used easy to find Magnum 500's)
3) An original NON-Recaro interior (there are very few of these being made)
4) Complete four-outlet exhaust (many people are doing axle backs or cat backs, and a few are doing even more)
5) Red TracKey, properly programmed and operating .I firmly believe at some point Ford will be unable to program the Red key because the equipment to do so will be obsolete. Also, there can be only one operating TracKey at a time, and things have a way of getting lost.


Other things might be difficult, but the GT can now be ordered with quite a few Boss parts, so the availability of some things like the radiator, Recaros, and the Torsen diff will be easier.

If you project 40 years out, you can look back 40 years and get an idea how expensive some unique parts from the past have become. Go price an original shaker hood and scoop assembly for a '69-70 Boss, for example. They are thousands, even though repros are available. There is a scoop assembly on ebay right now for a 428 Mustang (which was more common) and just the scoop is $2700! Imagine how someone(me) feels who sold an entire 428 SCJ car with shaker for $1100! I should have put that thing in a barn! Even for my AMX, a '68-69 hood goes for over $2000 without trim or hinges.
very well put. and I agree.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
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Blair, Nebraska
As a Dealer , depending on the mods and who did them we often figure they might be 10% on the dollar for increased value. Before many of you jump up and state how ridiculous this is, we can safely state that the majority of Dealers will deduct for mods, as it personalizes the car , hence the buying pool is much lower. The other item is that it causes some potential buyers to assume the car is raced, beat on, etc. Once tracked alot , the mods can occasionally bring value back to a standard level , as the consumer is willing to pay a price based on the extras, overlooking a bit harder use than normal.

Surprisingly some cars are not seeing as much of a reaction to certain mods, as the buyer of these machines understands the basis of the models purpose, and in fact will relish , to a certain degree, well thought out mods. Two good examples are the Mustang Boss 302 and the Viper ACR. Both are seen by many buyers as potential track machines, and a greater proportion of them do see track time compared to many other vehicles. My personal opinion is that buyers drawn to these types of vehicles understand the car's design and potential and though they want the car to be in good shape , track time and some mods are not as much of a detractor. Suprisingly , many track cars can be better maintained than those that run on the street, but in the past a track car was a huge deduct. Heavily tracked cars still may still be somewhat affected , but lightly tracked machines seem to fair pretty well.

Keep the car in good shape, maintain fluid levels, and it may not see as much of a drop as other cars not as well suited to the road course environment.
 

ace72ace

Zaino, I put that $hit on everything
1,242
71
I am keenly aware of all the mod's I do to my Boss should be 99% reversible. For this very reason I spent an extra $475 on regular 'GT Premium' door panels for my audio upgrade as was unwilling to cut up the stock panels. I'm also keeping the basic stock head unit, and not replacing the *cough* Premium *cough* AM/FM CD Radio, but everything else. This should be just fine for what I want. All original parts that come off my Boss (exhaust, shifter, brake lines, clutch parts, drive shaft, stock speakers, door panels, etc) will be carefully stored and preserved for whatever date in the future they might have value.

I certainly wouldn't put down anyone who bought a Boss for the sole purpose of tracking the HELL OUT IT either. You bought it, you enjoy it how you want. Period.
 
Bill Pemberton said:
As a Dealer , depending on the mods and who did them we often figure they might be 10% on the dollar for increased value. Before many of you jump up and state how ridiculous this is, we can safely state that the majority of Dealers will deduct for mods, as it personalizes the car , hence the buying pool is much lower. The other item is that it causes some potential buyers to assume the car is raced, beat on, etc.

In my experience, I have found you to be dead on. I think most dealers deduct for mods.
 
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Just my opinion, but I think the concerns over resale value need to be put into context.

The Boss, depending on year, is a $43k-$45k car. People spend more money on F-150 Supercrew pickups. It's not much more than a fully loaded Mustang GT Premium (and probably less than a fully loaded GT 'Vert). As for the limited edition nature, Ford is making ~3500 of them each year (by way of comparison, GM makes about 800 ZR1s and 900 Z06s per year, and yes I know the Boss is only 2 years).

As for the people who spend too much time watching Mecum or Barrett Jackson, understand that after taking into account inflation and storage/maintenance costs, you would have been much better off putting that money in an S&P500 index fund and forgetting about it. Cars are a crappy investment.

Bottom line, cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed. Don't worry about how much it's going to be worth 40 years from now if you do xyz.
 

OLOABoss

AKA OLOABoss
^ Well said.

Want to sell it fast take it back to stock and sell the mods. I have found over the years a very $$$$$ lesson much cheaper to buy a modded car from a known entity than do it yourself. It is human nature to not trust a modded car for worry about damage, missed shifts, excessive wear etc. I agree with Bill's 10% premium for mods if??? you find an enthusiast buyer, otherwise the mods deduct from the value.

I purchased a stock E46M3 for $30k put over $50k in it with track mods, rebuilt engine, etc. Sold it 4 years later for $30k. Should have kept it but my car ADD kicked in and it was time for a change.

Peter
 
Rich_S said:
Just my opinion, but I think the concerns over resale value need to be put into context.

The Boss, depending on year, is a $43k-$45k car. People spend more money on F-150 Supercrew pickups. It's not much more than a fully loaded Mustang GT Premium (and probably less than a fully loaded GT 'Vert). As for the limited edition nature, Ford is making ~3500 of them each year (by way of comparison, GM makes about 800 ZR1s and 900 Z06s per year, and yes I know the Boss is only 2 years).

As for the people who spend too much time watching Mecum or Barrett Jackson, understand that after taking into account inflation and storage/maintenance costs, you would have been much better off putting that money in an S&P500 index fund and forgetting about it. Cars are a crappy investment.

Bottom line, cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed. Don't worry about how much it's going to be worth 40 years from now if you do xyz.

Agreed. To put it simply: A car is a "depreciating asset" in accounting terminology.
 
Rich_S said:
Cars are a crappy investment.

Bottom line, cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed. Don't worry about how much it's going to be worth 40 years from now if you do xyz.
Yep, that's why I'm building my Boss the way I want it. I'm not worried about resale, only having fun with it. I agree with Bill, just maintain it well for your own safety as well as retaining as much value as you can and you'll be better off in the long run.
 
Fat Boss said:
cloud9 said:
(especially since I sold my stock suspension).

You sold your stock suspension? What kind of sucker buys used OEM stuff? :D
I don't know but I'm looking for one. ::)
 

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