Past and present Porsche 911SC owners!!! Advise needed

Hi guys!

I've been thinking about getting my first sports car, and was considering one of these beautiful and classic Porsches. From what I've heard and read, they are awesome cars overall, pretty light and almost bulletproof. So, by pure coincidence I found a '78 911SC today at a local classic and exotic car dealer, and it was almost love at first sight. I had to check it out, and it is in GREAT shape, and with only 66k miles on the clock, all for $18k!! Is there anything I should look out for? Should I just pull the trigger??? I would have a PPI done prior to signing on the dotted line, of course, but I don't expect any problems to show up on that.

Man... it's an amazing feeling!!!! Please, I need all the advise I can get!

Thanks a million,

Fabio

 

$18k is fairly heavy money for an SC, probably more so for a first year car. You can get a darn nice 3.2 Carrera for that money.

If you're totally set on it - at least make sure it has the Carrera chain tensioners.

 

it likely already has carrera tensioners...most do. what is the color? 18k is a bit heavy for an average to clean car. if it is immaculate w/ a true 66k miles, it would be a decent buy. my friend just bought an 82 sc in an odd color for 15k. nice car but not mint...seems a great buy. i always think a good sc or carrera will be worth decent money and even at 18k...there is little risk in big downside. sc's are also 200+k mile cars.

buy it and love it!!!!

it's not a targa is it??

 

Thanks for the quick replies Pete and David! Great stuff, and thanks for the heads up on the tensioners and asking price.

I'm not sure about the Carrera tensioners, I'll make sure I ask that if we go ahead with the PPI. It's not a Targa, and the color is yellow. It's got the Fuchs wheels and the whaletail as exterior items, and the interior (according to the dealer) is all original. I guess a Carfax would clear all doubts on the accuracy of the mileage, but the dealer has a good reputation, so I don't think that'll be an issue.

Thanks again, keep the tips coming!

 

Here's a pic of the 911SC in question
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

There will be no CarFax info on a pre 1980 vehicle.

$18K is a lot of money for a 1978 SC, but they are indeed great cars. As a point of reference I know of a 911 SC that was bought on-line recently for $8500 then driven 3000 miles or so home. It was a nice strong good looking Cali car. The new owner will have a lot of quality seat time for years to come.

I owned two 911SC's, one of them I owned for 9 years. Great cars.

 

Wow, thanks for the info, I really didn't think the price was over what it should be. I know that buying from a reputable dealer has it's added price, but I'm not sure if that price is $3,000.

I'll still try to schedule a test drive, and possibly a PPI, but I'll re-think this deal, or try to negotiate the price with the dealer.

Thanks guys!

Fabio

 

this is a euro car pictured. likely brought here during the years on the 1 time exemption.

a euro sc will run w/ a u.s. spec 3.2 carrera. be careful of the body and paint. have it looked at by a very good body person as w/ any euro car imported...be careful of what lies beneath!

strong money for a euro spec car but if it really a good one...it is what it is!

 

As said - strong money; shop around and get what you want.
The 3 liter engine is bulletproof (with the tensioners AND pop-off valve in the plenum) and the car is built like a tank for strong. I loved mine - so reliable. The SC was the last car before they really started getting complicated.

 

Like the others have said, $18k is a lot of money for an SC, but they are wonderful cars. I had a 79 for a while, and now have had my 85 Targa for almost 17 years!

I really should think about selling it, but I've been driving it around lately, and I just enjoy it too much.

 

I sold my 86 targa of 20 years last September for $17.5K. It had 90K (more or less, I forget) miles and was in very good condition (just dings and paint chips), all original interior and exterior, but "off" color (garnet).

$18K for an SC is definitely high, even for the low miles. But if you get one at a better price, then they are great cars. I still miss mine.

 

Wow, I'm convinced. I'll try to negotiate the price with the dealer then.

What do you guys think would be a fair price for this car, assuming it is in excellent condition? $16k?

Thanks!

Fabio

 

I happen to have owned a 1982 911SC (special order car, bought brand new from the dealer).

There were one or two stories on this car.

First, the original delivery car had damage in shipment and had to be scrapped. The container had broken open during the voyage and the car had considerable corrosion through the engine compartment. Sadly, when the dealer pointed out the issue to Porsche, they immediately wrote it off and sent it to the crusher. Damn.

This car was done in a kind of titanium grey-silver with a full leather interior in dark brown leather. After seeing it in person, we decided to re-order it in plain Porsche silver with black full leather. And so it was (they found a silver/black in the pipeline without having to do another custom order).

I drove it for about 2 months, and decided that I just did not like it. This was the first wide-tire 911 that I had ever owned, and it simply did not handle or drive like the older models. The engine seemed to have a dead spot right where you would have expected it to come on the cams, and the front tires were very easy to flat spot with the brakes and then vibrate the hell out of you from the out-of-round. It also had this weird speedometer that only went to 85 mph because of the double-nickel gas crises of the day.

I sold it to a local doctor who badly wanted a new Porsche and went back to the dealer and bought back my trade-in, a silver 1975 911S.

My honest advice is simply this: IMHO, the late 70s and early 80s 911SC was kind of a low tide in the great history of the Porsche 911. In addition to not being great drivers, they do have several well-known mechanical issues.

I would probably go for an earlier (truly collectable) model - say the 1972 with the oil filler hatch, or maybe a 1969 Weber carb car that is not rusty. Failing that, you cannot go wrong with a decent 993...(the last of the aircooled cars!)

I hate to say these words, but I guess it is just my day to tell the truth.

 

The SC was the first 911 expected to last over 100k miles without a rebuild, early cars had some issues with needing top ends at 60k miles etc., other than oil leaks which are common on 911s they are very reliable.

Most important I would look for any history of severe body damage or rust, SC motors can last 200k if maintained well, expects trans issues at around 140k. Make sure everything works A/C, 2nd gear is smooth no grinding.

Looks like a nice car, I would offer $15-16K for the car if it all checks out, they are a great value for the $$ and you'll have a blast in one

 

Everyone else here has pretty much given you the advice I would have given...

I never personally owned an SC, but I owned a '76 911s and then jumped right to a '88 930.

For the $$$ they are asking, I would want a binder full of receipts and history (I paid a premium for my 930 because the previous owner handed over all the Porsche factory manuals, and a BIG black binder with every receipt and piece of paper on the car). I think the car you are looking at, with the low mileage and unique color is probably a good car @ around 14 or 15k. Early SC's in good working order can be had all day for 10 - 12k with a little patience. Keep this in mind when you negotiate. Finally, determine just what this car is worth TO YOU, and if you can't get the numbers to fall in line, walk away. Love at first site happens to all car guys, just remember that they made more than one, and buying on emotions can hurt alot more in the long run than buying with your head. Ask me how I know!

Keep in mind that the dealer probably has only 11 or 12k in the car, assuming it came to them in good condition.

Keep us posted! Good Luck!

 

PPI...PPI...PPI...!!!

All figures in CAD $$.....

Engine rebuild $10K+
Transaxle rebuild $5K+
Case reseal $5K
Valve job $5K
Clutch $2K
Pads and rotors $2K
Tires $1K

It is a nice color and it has the right options (Fuchs and FR spoilers) consider that at an asking price of $18K, if it needs nothing, it is a steal once you add up the potential costs from the above numbers.....proceed accordingly.

Maka sure it is an accident free car first and that it was originally yellow.....as in no color change was ever done.

 

Ok guys, I have a test drive scheduled for tomorrow morning. I'll keep an eye out for any abnormal stuff, including any second gear grinding.

I'll let you know what happens!

 

15K would be well bought if the car checks out ok. the color is probably correct as it is a euro spec car and the color was offered.

to address the comment of collectability...these cars are getting more and more collectable and if this is a savy dealer, they likely know that. kds made some comments on price for repairs...he was giving you a bit of a scared straight sermon (like me , he also knows these cars) but do know that a well maintained 3.0 is a holl terror that can be thrashed to the max ...and it will come back for more!

what fun these cars are. as kds suggested, get a ppi and if she checks out well, buy the car w/ little fear of loosing any money.

good 911's are getting harder and harder to find.

pcb

 

Well, I test drove the SC. It was an extremely difficult car to drive, the shifting was not intuitive at all, it felt like I was having to fight the car the whole time. I understand that a 30 year old sports car will be tougher to drive than a current sports car, but not by THAT much! And I hate to think that all SCs are like that, so I convinced myself that this was just not the best example of the model out there. I found several small details that were wrong with the car, and to top it all off, the dealer dropped the price to $15,900, but said that for that price they would NOT allow a PPI. That did it for me, I walked away and didn't look back.

Maybe in the future I cross paths with a classic Porsche again, but for now I think I'll take a closer look at the S2000s, Z4s or Boxsters out there.

Thanks for the advise guys, if it weren't for that I might have just gotten myself into a very sticky situation.

 

Don't let one car represent the entire marque......there are plenty of ratted out 30 year old Porsches out there......and plenty of really nice ones. Problem is.....the really nice ones are not $15K. Go drive some nice ones before you write the car off.

 

Exactly. I'm sure this car I drove was just a bad example of the model. I'll keep an eye out for any older SCs or Carreras out there.

BTW, where I Canada are you? My wife and I are going to Quebec for 3 days this Wednesday. Any suggestions on fun stuff while we're there for work? Our anniversary just happens to fall into those days. Thanks!

 

I found my 87 carrera in the washington post, but check panorama too. You might try driving a G50 car if the gearbox was the biggest negative.
There are great porsche shops in the area too-
My 911 has been bullet-proof reliable everyday transportation for the last 12 months. They are great cars.

 

911s are strange to drive, until you get used to them. The vague gearbox and floor mounted pedals, plus generally odd ergonomics, are common to all of them, up until the very late cars (I think-- the newest 911 I've spent any time in was a 993, and it had only slightly better ergonomics).

Of course, once you get used to it, they're great. You really need to spend some time driving one, however.