Andy_E.

I have been looking for a 911 within my limited budget, and only come across basket cases so far. I just found a black 1978 911SC Targa. It has less than 1000 mi. on the rebuild by a very reputable and well know Porsche Mechanic in our region. The body/paint is in great shape. The interior(seats and carpet), and targa top are faded, and could be replaced, but the top doesn't leak. A/C doesn't work(and I am in Florida). The owner will take $10,500 for the car which is more than I've got to spend, so if I get it, I've got to make sure that any outstanding issue's are things that I can live with for a while. My first question is what do you think? What should I check for? (I, of course, will have a PPI.) My second question is about the VIN#. It is only 10 digits, and Carfax wants 17. Does this mean it's a euro model, or is this just because it is an older vehicle?

Thanks for the input,
Andy E.
eubanksae@yahoo.com

crashmy911

Be careful, make sure you have the car checked out completely. Body shops are great at hiding accident damage and rust. Have a leak down performed on engine and take a look at the bottom when up on the lift.

RC

I am in the same boat pretty much. I want a 911, but my budget is constraining me a bit.
Your best bet is first to take a look at the 911SC FAQ, available at <a href="http://tech.rennlist.com." target="_blank">http://tech.rennlist.com.</a> Next, I would continue looking while deciding on what my exact budget will be. There are (supposedly)plenty of good 911SCs around. However, if you really believe you have found a winner, I would go ahead and take it. As you said, the engine seems sound. This is, from what I have read on this BB many times, the main consideration for a SC. All of this is of course counting on a favorable PPI. Regarding the AC, its probably a good idea to factor in some extra $ for upgrades even if you find a SC with working AC. So a SC w/ AC problems probably isn't all that bad.

J-McDonald

I think that the saying that, if you can barely afford a Porsche 911, you can't afford a Porsche 911, is really dead on. Any 911SC that you buy for ~$10,000 will need a couple thousand dollars of work over the first 1-2 years of ownership (and that's without anything really major going wrong). You're setting yourself up for a fall buying a $10,000 SC and not having a couple thousand ready for the inevitable repairs that will be necessary to keep it in operating condition. (Keep in mind that a decent SC generally goes for $13-15k and a really nice one generally goes for $15-17k). I'd advise either holding off until your financial situation improves or buying a 944, of which you can get a really nice example within your budget.

Jay H

J-McDonald is right on the money. You need have some extra funds around for the repairs that will (not might) need to be done. Keep in mind that this 911 you are looking at is at least 24 years old. Even low mileage, concours condition cars still can have issues and need repairs due to age.

I believe that the international standard VIN numbers with 17 digits started in 1981, but Porsche used 10 digit chassis serial numbers for 1978 (according the the Porsche 911 Red Book). 10 digits were used for all models, ROW and US.

Good Luck,
Jay
90 964

Bob Kontak

Depending on your long term desires the car may be affordable. If it's your main driver, I would shy away from it as the inevitable will happen; the certain repairs mentioned above. Also, repairs will be more expensive if it's your main driver as you need a quick turnaround.

The long term second car approach may be do-able if you can pace yourself as to fixing it up an/or have the ability to withstand imperfection. That's tough to do as I've paced myself out of $5K in parts alone over the last four years and had a nice '81 to begin with. As the saying goes, "You never really own a Porsche, you just feed it for awhile."

I like the 944 idea.

HarryD

Why an SC?

Another alternative is to buy an older 911 that has been cared for. The cost of entry is less and you will have the money for the repairs you will need to make as time goes on.

In my case, I wanted a pre-75 Porsche and was able to find mine after 9 months of looking. To date,I am quite happy with how it turned out viz a vie fun driving and the repairs I need to make to keep my car going.

The 944 option also sounds like a good solution. I would be wary of spending my last $$ on the car only to find I can't afford to keep it on the road. That would be all of the pain and none of the fun.

Good luck.

Bill Gregory

You can find SC's for under $10K, particularly in today's economy. If you look carefully, you can find good, solid examples that will be enjoyable to own. They won't be concours winners, and may have some defects - you'll have to judge what's important. For example, the paint might be fading, or there may be a ding or two in the doors, or the rear rubber bumper may be in bad shape. If it passes a good mechanical and body inspection, the remaining valuation of condition is, of course, yours.

If you decide a 911 isn't within your means, and you hunger for a Porsche, look for a non-turbo 944. You can get some better condition 944's for a lower price than 911's. This month's Excellence magazine has a market update on 924/944/968's which details some of the strengths of the line.

jlkline

Guys,

I'm having a little trouble with the 911 to 944 transition here.

Wouldn't a nice 2.0 914 be more the spirit of the 911 (air cooled, spartan interior, sharp throttle response, targa, .....etc)?

There are still a lot of these out there, many of them rust free in some parts of the country.

Low get in cost, relatively cheap and plentiful parts, and opportunity for mods, a lot of which can be done with 911 parts.

A thorough PPI is required, of course, especially to ensure the care isn't a "fold up" due to the infamous battery rust problem.

If it was me (and it was at one time) that's the way I'd pursue. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with the 944's (I owned a 924T at one time, and it was a great car)but it's a completely different animal than a 911, don't ya think?

pookee

Get a 911.

993chaz

I agree, wait until your financial position allows you to purchase the correct 911. You will enjoy the car much more!! (personal opinion)

Andy_E.

Well I had a PPI on the 78 SC and got a nice long laudry list of issues. Most are things that I can live with for a while, like worn carpet, inop A/C blower.

The major issues are: first gear syncro bad, trans front cover & shist linkage gasket leaking, front crossmember rusted under battery.

Good points are: 1000 miles on rebuilt engine, new brakes, new tires, good shocks, paint appears to be original and in good condition.

He has lowered his price to $8200. I would have to have the transmission and the rust taken care of immediately.

So what do you think ?

My second choice (I know it's a very different car) is a 951. I found one that has 78,000 original miles, brand new timing belt, tensioner, rollers, water pump. Upgraded exhaust, stage 2 chips, oversized brakes, strut brace,... asking $10,800.

I really love 911's, but I still like 951's alot. The thing about this particular 951 is it needs nothing.

I know that some of you really like the 914's, but I am not very intersted in them, or the n/a 944. 928's are nice as well, but one is good condition that is 5 speed, and 85 or newer is tough to find under 10k. So that's where I am. Trying to find my car, and keep my budget. BTW, for those of you concerned, if I stay on my budget I will have money each month to spend on maintenance, and It will be a second/pleasure vehicle.

Thanks for all the input,
Andy E.
eubanksae@yahoo.com

m-keith

In my decidedly non-expert opinion, at $8200, after you pay for the tranny & the rust, you'll already have more in the car than what it's worth. If I were in your situation (& I am), I'd keep looking & saving $$$. If you don't want to wait, you'd probably be better off borrowing the additional funds necessary to buy a nicer car. The additional funds you'd borrow plus the interest you'd pay on it would still probably end up being less that what you'd pay to make this car nice.

Personally, I've decided to do what HarryD suggested; get an older car. I'm looking for a '74 to '77 car with the appropriate modifications & updates. Because of the bad reputation of the 2.7 motor, I'm finding that they are very reasonably priced even when have all the necessary improvements. In fact, I'm going to look at a '74 Targa on Tuesday that, according to the owner, is in excellent shape except for a non-working A/C. He is asking $8500. Of course, a PPI will put things in better perspective.

Being that you said this car will not be a daily driver, perhaps this is something you may want to consider. If the car were to be a daily driver, I'd probably hold out for an SC or maybe even a Carrera, but for a pleasure car, I think an older model would do just fine.

I started out looking for a 944 (I don't think I've updated my signature), but a 911 is what I really want.

HarryD

Andy,

I would pass on the 911 needing work. You can find ones at the same price with no rust.

For my 911, the PPI showed it needed some mechanical repairs and I am slowing chipping away at them, but what closed the deal for me was the lack of rust. Rust is a real killer that you can never quite make go away.

In the case of the 911, you can live without synchros by double clutching. You can manage the leaks but rust NEVER sleeps.

It took me many months to find the 911 I wanted. Be patient.