I'm looking at buying a 1977 911s with 157,000 miles, but it has many mods. so that scares me a little. This car actually has a 1983 911sc engine in it, it has a fairly new 911 turbo body, it has a new transmission with a light flywheel, it has fairly new "california cooler" A/C, very new Lamborgini Countach rear tires, beautiful chrome rims (17" rims I believe?), power seats, tinted windows, and the mechanic selling it is offering a free 1yr. warranty. The asking price is $11,500. I'm wondering if I could get some advice on what questions to ask this mechanic, and what I should make sure to have checked out at the local official Porsche dealership. I'm also wondering if this Porsche is old enough that I should be worried about the cost and availability of replacement parts.
Thanks for anything you can tell me.

 

Ironman165:
Keep in mind that conversions like this tend to lower the value of these cars. At that price, you could find a decent, correct 911SC, maybe with less miles, which personally is what I would do.

 

Yes... conversions do tend to lower the value of 911's. But the SC engine swap (if done properly, and it's pretty straight forward) should likely increase the value of a 77, rather than decrease it. The only thing that lowers the value today of the mid-year 74-77 cars is the (somewhat dreaded) 2.7 liter engine. Also, the mid-year cars, although not super-lightweights, are lighter than the later SCs. This car could well be faster than an 83 SC.

-MAS





-MAS

 

This car could be a fun car to own. There is nothing inherently wrong with an SC motor in a 77. The biggest potential value inhibitor IMHO, is the cosmetic changes.... It's a very subjective thing and you will likely find that the market for this car is quite limited if you owned it and wanted to sell it. You may like it a lot, and it may be worth 11.5k to you, but you may have a hard time finding a buyer if you want to sell it.

If the motor checks out, and there is no rust or any mechanical fatal flaw, and you LIKE the car, there is no reason not to consider it.

My suggestion would be to look at a lot of other 911's too, if you have not already. You may find that you actually prefer a stock car over a modified car. But if this is the first car you have seriously considered you "don't know what you don't know" and you may find your preferences really lie elsewhere.

If you have already looked at a lot of cars and really like this one, have it checked out and decide. Just realize it's going to be a tricky re-sale candidate in the future..

To answer some of your specific questions, any mechanic doing a PPI will know what to look for. Engine compression and leakdown, condition of the gearbox, rust, and any "hacked" work. How the AC was installed, for example, would be of interest to me. Since this car is far from stock, were there any "creative" departures from best practices in swapping in that 3.0 motor? Is there an external oil cooler and how was it installed, etc. etc. Any good Porsche wrench will have an opinion on the "correctness" of the work that was done.

Parts won't be hard to find, but you WILL have a hard time finding someone who will want to work on it. I would be surprised if a dealer wants any part of that car. And many independents will be wary of you too, when there is anything unconventiional about your car. The reason is that they may have a hard time estimating time to fix things. And they may end up spending a lot of time troubleshooting or dealing with things that may be hard to actually charge you for. Whatever the reasons, a lot of people just won't want to take the risk. Others will, but don't expect to be welcomed with open arms everywhere you go.

Good luck and let us know what you do!

Vol

 

If you like the cosmetic changes and they appear to be well done, I'd say go for it. Its not a concour car. Drive it and enjoy it. For all practical purposes its an SC now. It seems to be fairly priced if its in good shape.

 

Yeah, I've looked at what else is out there, and I can't find any 911sc's that come close to the price I'm getting for this Porsche. I just put down a deposit on it, and I'm taking it in to the Porsche dealership to get a PPI. I really appreciate the advice I've been given, it's been invaluable. If all turns out well with the inspection, I'm definitely going to buy it. I want to hold on to it for awhile, and I actually like the turbo body better, it fits my preferences. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this Porsche turns out to be a cherry. The thing I love the most is that I've found that buying a Porsche is not just an ordinary purchase; it's an investment in your lifestyle.

 

I like the look of the turbo as well, but one day someone at the gas station is going to ask you to pop the engine lid so they can check out that turbo engine and you're going to feel like a guy who just realized his hot new girlfriend has an Adam's apple and suspiciously large hands. That's not a place I ever want to go, man.

Emanuel