I am seriously considering adding headers and a supercharger to my LS2. This is going to set me back approxmately $11,000. Generally speaking, will these mods make the car more or less desireable for resale? Would I expect to get any portion of that $11,000 back at resale time? Or would it actually make the car worth less?

 

It won't make it worth less but it might narrow the field of potential buyers if you sell privately.
Some and I say some potential buyers may think you beat on the car since you have headers and a supercharger and to some it might actually appeal to a them. However, no one will pay you more for because of the mods.

 

mods are funny in the aspect that they are worth more only to those who were planning to do the same.but on the other hand makes one wonder how the car has been driven and really deters people who don't want mods. definately will not get most of your money back. imho...only do high dollar performance mods if : 1) you have expendable money to burn 2) if you are planning on keeping the car..........just my $0.02

 

except possibly for the supercharger....maybe?

 

It all depends on the buyer. It seems that the older people look at my car as if I just put the word "pimp" in diamonds on the Holy Grail but the younger crowd stare with mouths open and give me the . So obviously if I go to sell, I'll advertise on the net and not in Readers Digest.

 

Exactly. This is my first and probably last vet.

BJK

 

For the most part the mods are a losing proposition, you do them because you want them knowing you are going to lose around 50%-100% of what they cost you. Of course, if you do a widebody, it will be worth more than a stock Vette to the right person, but you will still lose a ton of money compared to what you put into it.

 

Q) Generally speaking, will these mods make the car more or less desireable for resale?

A) Much less desireable.

Q) Would I expect to get any portion of that $11,000 back at resale time?

A) No, that will be gone, and then some.

Q) Would it actually make the car worth less?

A) Yes, for sure.

 

The majority of people(myself included) prefer buying an unmodded car, so consider the money your talking about spending a personal enjoyment thing. A superchager and long tube's are mod's lot's would like, but don't expect to get any extra for it come resale time, and will limit your audience. Also the the long tube's even with cat's, will make it fail a visual emission inspection in many state's.

 

Please understand that this is my opinion only and am not trying to influence any decisions you may make. But this is my honest opinion of how I interpret the for sale adds mith modded cars.

(I just bought a 2006 c6 yesterday after 6 months of looking)

Mods that are meant to improve the looks of the car (spoilers, rims, mesh) do not come across to me as a risk, but if I do not like the sellers choice in rims, and they do not have the originals, I may not pursue that car.

Minor performance mods like intakes and exhaust are very good in my opinion, but if I test drive and do not like the sound of their choice of exhaust I may not get the car.

Anything more invasive like headers, supercharger, trans work or tunes will automatically make me avoid the car.

I like a car to be a blank slate to build on myself. When I looked at are car that was built to anothers liking, chances were that it was not built the way I would want it. So immediately I start adding up what it would cost to go back to stock, or replace with the parts I need and it suddenly makes the car not worth it.

This is just my thought process.

If a person had a loud $1,500 exhaust system that I did not like. I would offer them less for their car because I would now have to buy the exhaust I do like. Certain mods to me actually make the car less valuable because of my out of pocket associated with de-modding them.

And with all honesty, when I see the word supercharger, I immediately envision a person beating the heck out of the car and driving it hard and fast. In truth the person may be the exact opposite and just built a car they loved and cared for, but it is the stigma and doubt that make me shy away from taking the chance.

 

Since I am an owner that does not mod my car, I will offer that perspective to you with my bias fully disclosed. Generally, cosmetic mods are a matter of personal taste and can be a plus or minus. However, I always consider performance mods as a negative when I look at car. Rightly or wrongly, my view is that the engineers that designed the car have far more knowledge than I will ever have and more than most of the people who will mod their cars. Clearly, there are experts who can maximize one aspect or another of the car, but that the stock car represents an overall well thought out compromise.

For the above reason, myself and many buyer like me will not consider buying modded cars, thus the higher dollars spent do not enhance the value. I offer this view point not to deter you from pursuing what you want, but to allow to do so with your eyes wide open.

 

25 cents on the dollar at resale (on a good day) for what you're looking to do,unless you find that one buyer in a million looking for your exact setup.Ask me how I know!!!You don't mod for resale,you mod for the love of modding and the fun it will bring!

 

Speaking only about engine / drivetrain mods, to me a modded car is an abused car, i.e., how much more horsepower can I get, how faster can I get off the line, how much can I reduce my 1/4-mile time, etc. As a result, I would never consider the purchase of a modded car, period. The risk is too great that the mods were done incorrectly, there may be reliability problems, excessive wear on components, etc.

Granted, these are high-performance cars designed for high-performance driving. But I imagine these cars are already built to such high tolerances and precision that modifying the engine / drivetrain is just inviting problems, problems that I do not want.

If you want to modify your car, then more power to you and I wish you the best of luck. But you will also eliminate a significant portion of the buying population if and when you decide to sell your high-horsepower monster.

 

The question to ask yourself is:
Why do I need or want these mods?
Am I going to drag race this car, if not, why am I adding extra hp that will more than likely cause it's own set of issues, like tickets, broken parts, or worse!
Also, is this an ego thing so you have the meanest car in the local club!
Are you going to like the sound your car will make with headers, and remember, headers also mean adding a better exhaust all the way back. Are you ready for that?
And finally, is this what people in your age bracket do? As someone else has posted, modding appears to be an age defined practice! Will you grow out of this and wish a few years down the road that your car was more sedate and refined and not attract all kinds of street racers and rice rockets! $11,000 is a lot of money to waste
with virtually little chance of getting any decent percentage of that back without a lot of effort....I have been there and done that, from the time I was 20 years old....now I wish I had some of that wasted money back! Your choice pal, your money also.

 

I can tell you I'm looking to buy right now, 2008 or 2009 and engine or suspension mods detract. I immediately think that the car could have been abused more than I want.

Stock is better, other than wheels and possibly exhaust. Minor cosmetic mods, not bad.

I just prefer pampered stock!

 

if you go with callaway you wont lose out on buyers from what I have seen

other performance mods I see many people put it back to stock before selling.

now cosmetic mods I cant see that devaluing the car but I dont see it adding any value either

 

True but I would consider Callaway more of a factory option than a mod.

 

All cars are a depreciating asset, The parts on them depreciate as well. If replacing parts to maintain a car, the cost of those parts does not gain the car any value, as it is just that, maintaing a "level" that the car is worth at that point in time. Adding a bunch of after market parts does not add value to a vehicle. As stated in the posts above you limit your resale options, and take yourself out of any pre-detemined depreciation tables (KBB, Edmunds etc.) You also now have the stigma of how the car was driven and cared for. You would be better served taking that $ and re investing in a newer, faster, stock model of what you have than by adding all of the aftermarket stuff to yours. But again if you plan to keep the car, do what you want, what makes YOU happy and forget what anyone else thinks. But don't expect to add value to your car with the money you add to it with the Mods.

 

When I bought my car I would not consider any with engine mods / tunes/ headers etc.

I looked at one car that had everything I wanted but it had a BB exhaust that made the car drone so bad at 70 mph that I couldn't stand it. The car later sold, so someone must have liked it.

Soooo, to answer the OP's question, IMO mods do devalue the car. Do them at your own risk.

 

I suspect that the used Corvette market has far more people who would like to buy a car that has no mods. From a financial perspective, your best bet would be to keep it stock and take meticulous care of it. You shouldn't make mods with an eye towards recouping the money in the future.

That said, you should do what makes you happy. If you can afford to make the changes to the car and it increases your enjoyment of it, you should do it. Life is too short to worry about what other people think.