P-on

I am looking at a very nice condition 83SC with 130K miles, rebuilt tranny 20K miles ago, good compression, intact head studs, updated tensioners, pop off valve, rotary air, sunroof coupe, KN filter, TriFlo exhaust and SSI heat exchangers. The car has a clean title, no corrosion at all, small dent in the door, dent in the rocker panel. Aside from that the paint is 9/10 (repainted) and interior 8/10. Black on black leather with turbo tail.

The issues are as follows:

*two oil leaks between cam housing and heads
*oil between two cylinders which MAY be from use of synthetic oil or through bolts
*oil from around area of crankshaft pulley
*oil from cam o rings on both left and right
*cracked muffler support bracket
*some play in rear axles at CV joints
*heater blower motor going

Asking price $15K. She appears to be a leaker, as many are, but any advice on potential price or issues is appreciated. I plan to track her in one to two years. Has stock suspension and brakes/rotors in good condition. She has been a garage queen over the last five or six years.

Thanks everyone.

Dan Stratton

Seems a little steep in price to me as I have seen the 87's and 88's with similar mileage go for only 3-5k more. However I am only reading what you have written if the colour and trim combination is exactly what you are looking for then it maybe right for you.

In my local Buy and sell their is a 1980 for about 17K with 52K miles on it.

see <a href="http://www.buysell.com/showad.asp?id=22353727" target="_blank">http://www.buysell.com/showad.asp?id=22353727</a>

Dan...

zzopit

Those oil leaks should drop the price to at least $12000, considering the repaint, dents and CV play. If it didn't have these problems, THEN it would go for the $15K asking price.

I have seen late SCs go anywhere from $10K - 20K, with the 100K+ mile cars at the botom of the range. Black/Black is a premium in my book (I'm partial..)

A perfect car is hard to find and they usually sell for a premium. I say get a formal PPI on the car along with a hard$ estimate on what it would take to address the critical problems and deduct that from the asking price.

jet911

Hey Dan,
Appears to be a nice car in your link, 1980 w/52K miles, however it is listed for $25.9K, not $15K.

Regards,
Jim'
'86 911

dmorsa

definitely seems high to me-sounds like the owner believes the values printed in excellence :-)

like zzopit says-get that car a real deal PPI and see what it would cost-thats your leverage

but keep in mind-there are ones out there without any of those problems for the same price

you dont want to be chasing oil leaks the rest of your life and no matter what anybody says
"it doesnt have to leak to be a porsche"

good luck and be patient-you'll feel the right one when it hits you

dm

sschmerg

Sounds like an average, or maybe slightly above average car, though really impossible to tell without seeing it myself.

I don't think $15k is an outrageous asking price for an '83 SC. There can be a big difference between asking price and the price one actually pays; it all depends how much the repairs will cost. Work him down from there, or if he won't come down, move on. For $15k you should be able to get a pretty nice SC.

In response to dmorsa, the prices in the Excellence guide seem about right for the market I am in (Washington, DC). You can't get a very good '83 for less than $15k. You're right about the PPI and the oil leaks though!

-Sean

RC

I would say get the PPI and go from there. 15K is not a lot for an 83SC, in fact I have seen 82SCs for around $16500, not saying I would pay that, but a buyer is out there. It's about how you feel after making the purchase. If the PPI checks out, and the seller comes down a bit based on the PPI, and you are sure you won't feel like a sucker later if you see a car for less, go ahead with the purchase. Like dm said, you'll know when you find it.
Also, it may be easier to negotiate with a motivated seller, usually if the seller is not to motivated they will be willing to wait for a buyer at their asking price. Find out how motivated your seller is and you will have some feel for how tough negotiating price will be.

Dan Stratton

Hi Jet11 - the 29500 is Canadian Dollars. Just to note it is not my car I just did a search locally before posting a reply just to make sure my opinion had some foundation!!

Dan...

Speedraser

130K plus oil leaks plus dents -- that price sounds high for a buy, if not for an initial asking figure. Are the dents small enough that a paintless dent removal guy could fix them? If not, and the leaks are bad enough to require fixing, you could probably do better. The real question is what the car can be bought for, rather than the asking price.

jlkline

Check some area papers and even the Autotrader to compare going rates for similar 911's in your area.

I wouldn't go more than $12K for an '83 coupe with the conditions you have described.(BTW, does it have working AC?) My rule of thumb with nearly any used car is factor in at least an additional $1K in repairs, and $1.5K minimum for a 911, unless if you are can properly do the repairs yourself.(IMHO)

jet911

Hey Dan,
Sorry about the Canadian dollars. I made the assumption it was US dollars. After looking again, I see it is a BC ad.

Actually the car looks very nice. It appears there is no sunroof - these are even harder to find. Wish I was looking (I mean buying - I'm always looking!). That car from the ads and pics would be worth checking out!

Regards,
Jim
'86 911

P-on

Thanks for your replies, everyone. Several notes: the dents can probably be fixed with paintless repair, they're rather small. There is a rotary air compressor that works.