Looking at 83 911 SC
04-26-2005, 01:18 PM
#1
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Looking at 83 911 SC
Hello, I'm looking at trading my Audi A4 (which he is quite interested in) for this 911 SC...
Here's a description he gave me of it.
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1308856
I'd obviously have it inspected before I thought about buying it, but I'd like some opinions of it first.
Thanks,
Here's a description he gave me of it.
Clutch : Unknown. Previous owner claims the clutch was done, but no documentation. I have only put on about 4000 miles since my purchase. Feels great though. No concerns here.
Transmission : No rebuilds as far as I know. No issues (Other than the standard 915 trans quirks)
(Have you ever driven a 911??? They are definately a different experience)
Brakes - Great shape when I did my PPI (Again, about 4000 miles ago) Lots of life left in the pads and rotors. All true and straight. No brake fatigue, great pedal feel and grab, no shuddering or pulling. The only thing was the mechanic looks like the brake fluid is a bit "dark". Just a sign of old fluid he says. No problems, but think about getting it changed in the next few years.
Engine : 3.0l . Many folks will tell you, the 3.0 is the "strongest" engine in the porsche lineup. Most anything I read seems to back that up..... Of course other than the chain tensioners. This car has the Carrera Chain tensioner upgrade done. K/N filter. No airbox pop-off valve. From what I understand, these 3.0l's can backfire and blow up your airbox. But if you put this on, it will pop instead. Anyhow, they are about $40 US, and is recommended. It was one of the items on my list, but the more I drive the car, the farther it falls down the list (I have yet to hear the car even try to backfire.)
Axles (CV joints) One of the joints is clicking right now. I have the new ones (All new) just waiting to be put in. This is another $1000 bill.
Shifter - Put in Weltmeister Short Shift. Excellent Upgrade. Dont drive a 911 without it!
Tires - Getting kinda bald....... Lol
Wheels - Great Fuchs. Excellent shape. Someone recently must have restored them.
Misc- Electric Defrost doesnt seem to work well. Heat works very well. New fresh-air fan motor.($100) Heater controls are a bit sticky. (Needs new cables. Cheap, but a pain to install) Headlight washers work, windshield wipers (Front and rear) work.
Power antennae does not work. Horn, lighter, all lights work.
All gauges work and appear accurate, othe than the oil level gauge does not. (Circuit tests open. Could be just a disconnected wire, or a bad sender. Havent dug too far into this)
Pass power mirror doesnt work. I havent checked into it, but I have to spare mirrors for parts. Drivers side works A+.
Power windows work great.
Ebrake light not working. Ebrake itself is excellent.
Passenger Seatbelt shows some wear. Seats are fantastic. (Redone by PO)dash has 1 tiny crack. Vinyl Repair guys say $80 to fix. Carpet shows sign of wear.
Door panels are great, door pockets a bit soft, but better than many I have seen.
Visors are in good shape, but a bit "puffy". Headliner pretty good. Small tear in headliner on the drivers side rear. Glass is great. Minor windshield pitting. Carpet in trunk great. Spare and compressor great. Fusebox lid broken (Just taped on). New Engine sound Deadner (Not yet installed)
Body is good. No rust. Standard chips on bumper and hood. Small scratch on fender by gass filler. Seals good. This car has been repainted. And will be painted again before I sell it. (Just a couple of days ago, a guy rear ended me. Soo, the car will be getting NEW spoiler, decklid, and bumper... it goes in on the 1st to get fixed) New rear shocks. Fronts are ok. New heater booster fan.
Off the top of my head, thats a quick rundown. This car is reliable. I use it as a daily driver. I mean hey, if you are gonna have a car like this, you gotta drive it! I would not be afraid to drives this car across the country the way it sits.
Transmission : No rebuilds as far as I know. No issues (Other than the standard 915 trans quirks)
(Have you ever driven a 911??? They are definately a different experience)
Brakes - Great shape when I did my PPI (Again, about 4000 miles ago) Lots of life left in the pads and rotors. All true and straight. No brake fatigue, great pedal feel and grab, no shuddering or pulling. The only thing was the mechanic looks like the brake fluid is a bit "dark". Just a sign of old fluid he says. No problems, but think about getting it changed in the next few years.
Engine : 3.0l . Many folks will tell you, the 3.0 is the "strongest" engine in the porsche lineup. Most anything I read seems to back that up..... Of course other than the chain tensioners. This car has the Carrera Chain tensioner upgrade done. K/N filter. No airbox pop-off valve. From what I understand, these 3.0l's can backfire and blow up your airbox. But if you put this on, it will pop instead. Anyhow, they are about $40 US, and is recommended. It was one of the items on my list, but the more I drive the car, the farther it falls down the list (I have yet to hear the car even try to backfire.)
Axles (CV joints) One of the joints is clicking right now. I have the new ones (All new) just waiting to be put in. This is another $1000 bill.
Shifter - Put in Weltmeister Short Shift. Excellent Upgrade. Dont drive a 911 without it!
Tires - Getting kinda bald....... Lol
Wheels - Great Fuchs. Excellent shape. Someone recently must have restored them.
Misc- Electric Defrost doesnt seem to work well. Heat works very well. New fresh-air fan motor.($100) Heater controls are a bit sticky. (Needs new cables. Cheap, but a pain to install) Headlight washers work, windshield wipers (Front and rear) work.
Power antennae does not work. Horn, lighter, all lights work.
All gauges work and appear accurate, othe than the oil level gauge does not. (Circuit tests open. Could be just a disconnected wire, or a bad sender. Havent dug too far into this)
Pass power mirror doesnt work. I havent checked into it, but I have to spare mirrors for parts. Drivers side works A+.
Power windows work great.
Ebrake light not working. Ebrake itself is excellent.
Passenger Seatbelt shows some wear. Seats are fantastic. (Redone by PO)dash has 1 tiny crack. Vinyl Repair guys say $80 to fix. Carpet shows sign of wear.
Door panels are great, door pockets a bit soft, but better than many I have seen.
Visors are in good shape, but a bit "puffy". Headliner pretty good. Small tear in headliner on the drivers side rear. Glass is great. Minor windshield pitting. Carpet in trunk great. Spare and compressor great. Fusebox lid broken (Just taped on). New Engine sound Deadner (Not yet installed)
Body is good. No rust. Standard chips on bumper and hood. Small scratch on fender by gass filler. Seals good. This car has been repainted. And will be painted again before I sell it. (Just a couple of days ago, a guy rear ended me. Soo, the car will be getting NEW spoiler, decklid, and bumper... it goes in on the 1st to get fixed) New rear shocks. Fronts are ok. New heater booster fan.
Off the top of my head, thats a quick rundown. This car is reliable. I use it as a daily driver. I mean hey, if you are gonna have a car like this, you gotta drive it! I would not be afraid to drives this car across the country the way it sits.
I'd obviously have it inspected before I thought about buying it, but I'd like some opinions of it first.
Thanks,
04-26-2005, 01:36 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Kash: This SC certainly does not sound like a "no-stories" car. The present owner has only had it for 4K miles? I wonder what he learned about it? Also, the car was just "rear-ended". You need to find out where the car is being repaired, the total of damages, etc., then communicate directly with the body shop. No records? That's really scary. I humbly suggest that you purchase a copy of my book (pictured as my avatar) from either Amazon.com or the publisher direct at (888) 237-4359. Also, please read my "PPI" article at the top of this 911 forum. Educate yourself, you can get burned badly by buying the wrong car!
Pete
Pete
04-26-2005, 04:40 PM
#3
I agree 100% with Pete. There is a lot of little stuff he mentions that will add up and I bet there is a lot of little stuff and some major stuff that isn't mentioned that will really add up. How many miles on the car? What do they want for it?
Even if the car is dirt cheap, I'd still walk...(unless you just want a 911 to run for awhile as is and then sell it for cheap...or you want a project to keep you and your check book busy). The repaint, accident damage, 'standard 915 quirks' (915's are great transmissions when in good working order), bad CV's, old brake fluid, bald tires and all the little things he mentions shows that the car was not well loved or 'rode hard, put away wet'. All that added up (plus all the unknown) would make me walk...
After adding all those repairs up (especially if you can't DIY for a lot of stuff), you'd be in it for more than what the car would be worth if it was a nice, no stories car and you'd still be left with a no records, accident damage, repainted 911... There are others out there and maybe spending a bit more on a nicer car will pay off in the long run.
Good Luck,
Jay
90 964
Even if the car is dirt cheap, I'd still walk...(unless you just want a 911 to run for awhile as is and then sell it for cheap...or you want a project to keep you and your check book busy). The repaint, accident damage, 'standard 915 quirks' (915's are great transmissions when in good working order), bad CV's, old brake fluid, bald tires and all the little things he mentions shows that the car was not well loved or 'rode hard, put away wet'. All that added up (plus all the unknown) would make me walk...
After adding all those repairs up (especially if you can't DIY for a lot of stuff), you'd be in it for more than what the car would be worth if it was a nice, no stories car and you'd still be left with a no records, accident damage, repainted 911... There are others out there and maybe spending a bit more on a nicer car will pay off in the long run.
Good Luck,
Jay
90 964
04-26-2005, 07:29 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
This seller's mechanic's opinions are suspect at best. "Brake fluid looks dark...replace in a couple of years?" What kind of garbage is that? Brake fluid is cheap, and replacing it is easy. Why would you take such a risk when driving a 23 year old car? It definitely makes you wonder what else han't been gone over.
Would you be using this as a daily driver? If this is a track or autox car, then maybe I'd consider if it were priced right, and you received a good PPI. You have to take the PPI tuff with a grain of salt, though, on a 23 year old car...stuff will be wrong. You just want to know what that stuff is and build it into your budget. These cars can be frightfully expensive, even when they are in excellent shape.
Would you be using this as a daily driver? If this is a track or autox car, then maybe I'd consider if it were priced right, and you received a good PPI. You have to take the PPI tuff with a grain of salt, though, on a 23 year old car...stuff will be wrong. You just want to know what that stuff is and build it into your budget. These cars can be frightfully expensive, even when they are in excellent shape.
04-26-2005, 07:58 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Run away!! (And do what Pete Z. says...)
04-28-2005, 05:22 PM
#6
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mhm... thanks for the responses. I have decided against it (the fact that he hasn't done the $40 pop-off valve mod is kinda worrysome as well... I mean, why not. What else has been neglected, if that has?).
I will buy that book as well... I can see that with a greater initial investment of a 911 in very good condition, I will save so much in the end. And I'm not prepared for having to fix the car on my own...
I will buy that book as well... I can see that with a greater initial investment of a 911 in very good condition, I will save so much in the end. And I'm not prepared for having to fix the car on my own...
