So why is the 911sc cabriolet so cheap still?

911's, in general, are not as aesthetically pleasing as coupes or targas. (no matter the year)...and...

….one more thing to maintain

then you've got the crowd that says they're not as rigid. (I honestly don't know about that. They may or may not be)

Personally....there's just something about the way a 911 is supposed/designed? to be driven that doesn't lend itself to top down driving. No real reason to say that other than it just seems so to me.

Rag tops are for a different purpose. A purpose all it's own.

(those are just my takes. I wish I knew what made markets tick )

 

911SCs are a bargain, in general. How much did you spend on the cab?

I prefer the targa, but that's just personal preference.

 

Sportomatic???

 

Congrats! Guards Resale red too.

 

If my memory's correct, 83 was the first (and only) year for the 911SC 3.0 cabriolet ... the car was replaced in 84 with the 3.2 Carrera (coupe, cab and Targa), and that was considered to be a fairly significant upgrade from the SC, with the Bosch Motronics instead of the Jetronic CIS system, which was a lot more fiddly to deal with to get a smooth idle. Also a good idea to upgrade the SC to the oil-fed chain tensioners, which was probably done decades ago, and add a pop-off valve to the airbox so it doesn't explode if you get a backfire. But cabriolets became pretty common from 84-89, and for whatever reason, they always lagged behind the coupes in value.

The 87-89 3.2 Carrera was really the pinnacle for that variation of the 911, with larger AC vents (still inadequate) and the upgraded G-50 gearbox, which makes a big difference, those cars have become more valuable. There are certain ranges in the 911 lineage that lag behind others, the 2.7 Carreras are a good example, as is the 996. SCs are somewhere in the middle, and are a pretty good value if you find a nice one. The one weak spot on the SC is the head studs, which have a tendency to snap. The car may still run fine with one broken but it's a good idea to check them when you are having the valves adjusted.

That being said, my first two 911s were SC Targas, and they are nice analog examples of the air cooled cars. I loved the Targa but it's hard to get the roof to seal correctly, the cabriolet is better in that regard.

 

Vic I think you mean the US 2.7 911S and not Carrera?

 

Correct, my mistake ... the 2.7 911S. There was also a wide body 77 3.0 Carrera which had a larger engine based on the Turbo motor (minus the turbos), aluminum case instead magnesium, but it had still had some of the same issues the 2.7 cars had ... thermal reactors, EGR, etc. I think in the US those were grey market cars. It was a tough period for emissions at the time.

 

That's right, there wasn't a US version of the 76-77 3.0 Carrera(aside from the 930). Dark days indeed!

 

Actually, good clean 2.7 911Ss are going for more or less the same money as 911SCs and even 911 Carreras (the 3.2 version). They are hard to find and some people (myself) prefer the lighter car and narrow body. And the 2.7, with appropriate fixes, is actually a great motor and lots of fun.

Old school Porsche guys will always diss the mid-year (74-77) cars, because they remember how lousy they were when new. But those guys are slowly disappearing...

In regard to the OP's question, the 3.2 Carrera is simply a better car, and there are really no reasons why someone would want a 911SC Cab over a 3.2-- it's the same car, except the 3.2 is better. That said, I think all of those cars are valued more on condition and miles than specific year. So I think a good 911SC Cab represents a solid value-- but I wouldn't expect it to appreciate massively, in regard to other years.

 

Dan congrats on your new Porsche.

 

I used to have an ‘87 coupe. They’re fun cars. Very analog. You will need to upgrade the AC if you bring it to Miami though

Continue enjoying it!

 

911s are just so much fun. I love them. Congrats.

 

I’ve been fortunate to own every air-cooled generation 911. The SC cab was the one I owned the longest - 9.5 years. Drove it everywhere - skiing, mountain biking, long coast trips, Monterey Historics. Even time trialed it in POC when I sold my 69 911 race/track car. Great memories of the car; sometimes for nostalgic sake, I do a VIN Google search to see if it’s for sale somewhere. I liked the SC engine more than any of the 80s Carreras.

 

Ditto... love the SC engine... had a '78 with the large euro runners... 3.2 SS.
What a great car.

 

Your SC will have the more powerful engine vs earlier SCs, while retaining the shorter gearing of the SC vs the 3.2, which is a good combination.

But there were many 3.2, 964 and 993 cabrios, all upgraded/modernised versions of your car, so I’m not sure about values going up. Fun car though enjoy!