I have quite of few questions, thanks in advanceed to anyone who replies.
My uncle has a porsche that i may get / work on, etc (not sure what is going on with it, but would like to learn this stuff anyways) but the only problem is that it has been sitting in his garage for about 10 years, needless to say its going to need alot of work. #1, how do you find the exact year on the car, because as far as i know it is a early 80's 911 convertable. #2, how much to PPIs cost. I figure an official oppinion would be better than my judgement. These are the only ones i could come up with at the moment but there will probally be more to come (and probally more specific). Also if any of you have any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated.

 

To find out the year get the VIN of the car and post it here and someone will be able to tell you not only the year, but a lot of other info about the car. A PPI is a great idea and is usually charged as an hourly rate by shops or the dealer. I would say $250 at a minimum.

 

if it hasn't run in 10 yrs, but was in good operating condition when stored (if not, get the history from your uncle), I'd suggest having it flat bedded to the (highly reputable) shop that is doing the PPI. have them also estimate the cost of getting it running. this will allow a more thorough exam & if it runs out well, you can quickly settle on a price & start having fun.

 

Well, if it's a Cabriolet, it's at least an 83, from memory. Usually there's a build date on the door sticker on most cars sold in the US. '83 would make it an SC, '84 would be a Carrera.

My recent mini-PPI ran $225, but was going to be much higher for compression / leakdown info.

 

does it say SC or Carrera on the deck lid ofr starters, the MY 83 was the first cab in decades for Porsche and that was the last year for the SC... that would narrow it down somewhat...

 

I believe Cab's started being produced in 82..

 

could be an 82 SC or an 84 TurboLook?

 

Go the the Porsche Club of America (PCA) website and look for your local region. They usually have mechanics listed. If not, contact your local club and ask for some suggestions for a PPI.

 

Can't you send the VIN number?

 

ok, i went to my uncle's today and looked at the car. The interrior is a total mess. About $5 worth of change laying around, cob webs, a bra and panties (wonder what those where from), shoe box, golf club, torn seats, stained rugs, wires hanging everywhere with a haOk, I went to my uncle's today and looked at the car. The interior is a total mess. About $5 worth of change laying around, cob webs, a bra and panties (wonder what those where from), shoe box, golf club, torn seats, stained rugs, wires hanging everywhere with a half installed crappy radio, good alpine radio laying near by, and a broken glove box (always open, but will stay up). The bonnet will not shut completely (can fit your fingers under it at all times, then have to unlatch the other part), some of the foam in the boot is coming off, and the aluminum is doing that thing comparable to rust (that you can get off).
Now onto the good, I have not taken apart the motor, but it isn't rusted, nor dented and has about 104k miles. It looks good, but again I have not taken it apart. The convertible top is not torn witch is very good. Also, I have the year number and VIN if anyone can give me more info about it. It is a 1985 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a VIN of WP0EB0913FS170684. I had to get going quickly so I was not able to look at anything else, but I am fairly pleased with the motor, and extremely angry with my cousin (who primarily drove it) and how he treated it.
lf installed crappy radio, good alpine radio laying near by, and a broken glove box (always open, but will stay up). The bonnet will not shut compleatly (can fit your fingers under it at all times, then have to unlach the other part), some of the foam in the boot is comming off, and the aluminum is doing that thing comparible to rust 9that you can get off).
Now onto the good. I have not taken apart the motor, but it isn't rusted, nor dented and has about 104k miles. It looks good, but again I have not taken it apart. The convertable top is not torn witch is very good.Also, I have the year number and VIN if anyone can give me more info about it. It is a 1985 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a VIN of WP0EB0913FS170684. I had to get going quickly so i was not able to look at anything else, but i am fairly pleased with the motor, and extremely angry with my cousin (who primarily drove it) and how he treated it.

 

Reading that last post was like deja vu all over again!

Wow, sounds expensive to get this car perfect. Of course, if you're not concerned about perfect, sounds like you could get a smokin' deal.

Like the others said, flatbed it to a shop and get an idea of what it'll take to get it roadworthy. DON'T start it or drive it! After 10 years of storage there's prolly some nasty stuff in the crankcase and gas tank.

Did your uncle/cousin take any precautions when putting it in storage (like drain the gas tank or overfill the crankcase with oil?

 

Don't sweat the interior. Lots of folks change, upgrade, or remove theirs so used interior pieces are not too hard to find, as are aftermarket pieces.

The piece of greatest concern to you is the engine. It won't be" rusted" in any event as it is an alum engine, and prob has leaked a bit of oil in its life, further keeping any alum corrosion from taking place. But as SRL said, do NOT start this car. Get it to a trusted and savvy 911 shop, tell them the story, and let them bring her back to life, at least to the point where they can evaluate the engine's health. You may have a diamond in the rough. Or not. A good engine rebuild can cost you north of $10K, so pay very close attention to what the shop finds. Best of luck, and keep us posted through the process.

Edward

 

SLR- Unfortuatly my uncle/cousin did not take any precautions. This I am almost 100% of because they are A) not the type of persons to do anything like that and B) my cousin is not the best at respecting peoples' property. And don't worry about me starting it, we can't even find the keys, let alone would want to.

QUESTIONS! #1 How would I find a reputable porsche shop? I doubt that a dealer would do that, and the only other shops around here that I know of are like firestone. Should I just search every possible shop around my area and then find out if they have a porsche mech?
#2 Lets talk alarms. I would never want this thing stolen. If I do get it it will be kept in downtown cleveland. Now it will be in a lot with a security gaurd (that patrolls two lots) but i would still not want to risk anything. What kinds of alarms do you guys have in your cars?

I'll keep ya guys posted and probally take a few pictures. Thanks and keep up the posting, its making me alot less anxious!

 

here's the website for the Cleveland PCA chapter - their technical contact should be able to help you. http://www.norpca.org/

 

It is a 1985 allright. One of 1050 Carrera cabrio "US" made in 1985 " F Series" .