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I have been thinking of picking one up as a daily driver and selling the GTI. I found a 1983 locally with 50k miles for about $16k. I plan on having a mechanic check it out prior to purchase.
I have the wife 90% convinced that I need this car.
This is not the car, but exactly the same minus the driver.
Too Heavy for me, but a great, great car. The motor (3.0L) is one of the most robust ever built by Porsche (see Bruce Anserson's book for more on this). I used to have a '77 911S with the same motor (originally equipped with a 2.7 - which was a bad motor). Like all enthusiasts who know a model well, I have my peculiar preferences (I like the earlier style, '70-'73, without the prominent bumper, I like coupes the best, and not a huge fan of the tail). All that said, these are solid sports cars capable on country road, track, or highway. It's one of the greatest cars ever made (911 in general). You should go for it. One key mod to have your mechanic look for - the Carrera chain tensioners. It's $$$ to put them on, and it's $$$$$$$$$$ if you have an engine failure b/c you don't have them on...
Thanks. Do you think the price is in line with the mileage? The weight is listed as 2560. To me, that is pretty light. How much did your '77 weigh in at?
My dad owned an '86 911 Targa for about 13 years, so I was able to spend some time driving/autocrossing it. It's a wonderful car to drive (if you don't mind the rowboat gearshift.) Great looks, great sound, and a lot of fun. Yes, it's a light car. Relatively inexpensive mods exist to give it extra horsepower, too. That era can be extremely reliable, if the proper maint has been done.
I haven't looked at the used 911 market anytime recently, but look for copies of the magazine Excellence. Each edition they feature used prices on various models of Porsches.
I think '83 was the first year they used the new timing chain tensioners - there's really no specific gotcha to look for.
My dad had a '79, and I have wonderful memories of how much fun we had riding in it. It only had around 180 hp back then, but it felt pretty darn fast nonetheless. It was also very agile, and the brakes would rip the eyeballs out of my sockets. Of course, I was an impressionable kid back then, so I may have been more easily impressed.
Nin009 check out the rennlist website they have one devoted to all the diffrent years of 911's. I seem to remember from reading on the rennlist site there were a few years around the 80's that the 911 had expensive engine problems. That price sounds good by the way.
If maintenance records are thorough, then a 911sc is one of the best bargains in the collector sports car world. I would check the chain tensioners(as previously mentioned), and naturally have a 911 mechanic check it out. The price is good for a 50k car with clean title.
I stopped by and looked at the car on Friday and it wasn't as represented. It was very rough around the edges and doubtful the shown mileage was true.
It was at a small dealership that specialized in European cars. The two owners are basically the sales staff. The guy I talked with told me that it was not the car I was looking for. He said he would sell it to me for $11k if I wanted to use it as a track car, but he wouldn't be comfortable selling it to me as a driver. Who says there are no honest dealers.
Anyway, I gave him my name and what I was looking for. I am in no hurry, so I will wait for him to call me with the "right car."
Thanks. Do you think the price is in line with the mileage? The weight is listed as 2560. To me, that is pretty light. How much did your '77 weigh in at?
My 1977 was as heavy. My '70 weighs 2200, after a moderate diet. Some 911s weigh up to around 2800.
I seem to remember from reading on the rennlist site there were a few years around the 80's that the 911 had expensive engine problems. That price sounds good by the way.
These were the notorious 2.7L motors, installed in the 1974-1977 MY cars. They had a multitude of problems. The later 3.0L (SC) and 3.2L (Carrera) motors were super reliable.
Rennlist is a great resource, as someone has suggested. If you're very serious, contact the local PCA, and you can get their newsletter and Pano, both of which have great classifieds as well. Porsche Market Letter is useful as well. There is a huge amount of resources available for these cars. Also reccommend Bruce Anderson's book and another, called 101 projects for your 911.
08-30-2002, 12:06 PM
