So you guys know that I have been talking a lot lately about working on my car. The thing is, my car doesn't need much work. Today I wasn't even thinking about looking at cars but I was driving and saw a beat up little 77 sitting on the side of the road with a "FOR SALE" sign. So I called the guy and talked to him, he seemed like he didnt know much about Porsches or the car he owned. Car has 190K miles on it. I asked him when the engine was rebuilt and he said "5 years ago" but didn't know the milage. He has little to no documentation on the car and said the transmission recently had a lot of work done on it, whatever that means. The paint was a dull nasty yellow, needs a respray. Interior was no good too. He said "the car is strong, the engine is good, it just needs a respray and interior." He wants 7800 but I am pretty sure I could get it down to 6K because the car is pretty much junk with no info. Would it be worth it to buy it, respray, do the interior, and drop the engine for a rebuild done by myself? What is a pristine 77 911S worth? Respray costs 4K for a good quality spray? Interior about 1-2K I think. Rebuild at 5K.....probably looking at 17K finished I suppose. I dunno any 70s porsche experts or more informed people out there? Iceman!?! lol thanks for any advice.

 

Oshin, remeber, every 911 is a $20,000 car. you can pay $6k for it now, then again in six months when it gets paint and carpet, again when it wants a new top end, clutch, rotors, and all the trim that is soo easy to spend on.

just step back, take a deep breath, and look at that hot 911 you already have and understand that you are amoung a very fiew guys that has a real jem of a porsche.

hope we are still friends

 

"Respray costs 4K for a good quality spray? Interior about 1-2K I think. Rebuild at 5K.....probably looking at 17K finished I suppose."

- You could then sell it for about $9,000 -- so, $17,000 - 9,000 = $8,000. Why not just send the money to me instead?

 

Doug of COURSE we're still friends Opinions are opinions, just because people don't agree on topics like gun control and religion that doesn't mean they cant be friends. My best friend disagrees with me on almost everything!

Randy: Wow I wasn't aware that a 77 911S in pristine condition was only worth 9K that puts things into perspective. Wonder why this guy thinks his car is worth 7800. He probably tells people to get a Maaco paint job x_X. I guess this 911 is only worth 3-4K then?

 

Oh and today I am working on a ramp system for my 911 so that it does not have to sit on jack stands all the time. I'll take pictures and post them the first chance I get.

 

Oshin without records for that engine I would stay away from it. The 2.7 can be a very problematic engine with pulling head studs due to magnesium/ aluminum differential. The cars that have been sorted will be fine but without this documented proof i would be very leary. I would definitely not go lower than a 3.0 litre if looking for a project car, there are probably some pwners on here with pre 78 cars that can tell you more of what to watch for. i know the SC had the fully galvanzed body, but i am not sure what year it started.

I think you can have a lot of fun putting on your turbo tie rods, your brakes and rotors, try that first before getting in too deep.

 

Some projects just don't have an up-side beyond the satisfaction of the job - this is one of those. Resale values for 2.7L 911s are all over the place, and who knows, five years from now that '77 might be a twenty-five thousand dollar car, but, in reality it'll be closer to Randy's number. It took years for the 356B to come out of the long shadows cast by the As and Cs, look at them now! Anyway, I just passed on a '79 SC, here in Bakersfield, for $8800. Fifteen foot paint, marginal interior, very noisy trans, 176K miles, blk/blk coupe. Maybe I'll look back five years from now and say, "Damn, why didn't I offer him $5K and tow it home?" No records? Well, that's bad. The car's galvanized so hopefully rust won't be a problem. If you really, really, really want a toy/project (1) Establish that the car has clear title, and (2) Tell the owner that when he's ready to take $2500.00 for the car to call you.

 

One really good runner is a good place to be.

 

I agree with the statements above. For not a lot more than, or maybe for this guy's asking price, you could find a project SC or Carrera, and have a stronger platform to build on, if you're looking for a project.

 

Hi Oshin,
I figured your didn't need any work when you bought the jack the jack stands and all you could think was to clean the underside with simple green.

Steve Weiner has a 77 so you know this one COULD be good, but I think it would take alot of money. Plus, Steve is an expert and he boat-tailed, etc'd it. I doubt you would be doing that to the 77 engine. I share your antsiness to get a project car. I had a lot of fun with my 81SC restore. What worries me about the 77 you found is that the PO doesn't know its history very well. No receipts on a rebuild only 5000 miles ago?

I would look for a car that is in decent shape with specific projects just staring at you. For instance I am looking at an 83SC that grinds a little in 1st/2nd, has an oil leak, nice paint and interior. Bullet proof SC engine. That is something more suitable to cut your teeth into, I think. I think Randy Webb is right on with the biggest concern for the 77. You could easily spend more than it is worth. Maybe you can go to your local independent P-mechanic and ask him if he knows of any good project cars. Then you could get a PPI with him.

You got the bug bad! Enjoy it. It is a fun sickness.

 

Interiors are near and dear to my heart...

New leather covers for the front seats: $1000. German Carpet set: $800. New black dash: $1000, door panels: $250 each. Knee guards: $250 each. Add in a new steering wheel or recover kit, headliner, rear deck, rear side panels, top of door sills, and all the various pieces of trim that would have to be redone and you can drop well over $5000 in just the interior in materials and labor.

Some trim items are no longer available from Porsche as a new part. So, you'd have to go to the aftermarket or the swap meet route. Some stuff is REALLY hard to find. Then, if you find a used part that is not the right color, you have to dye it, recover it, etc. More expense and time.

As all the others have said, this one is for the people that have emotional value attached to the car, very deep pockets, and the need to stuff gobs of money into a car that they will never get the resale value back out of in the short term.

Just my $.02

Jay
90 964
84 3.2

 

The interior was not INCREDIBLY bad, that is why I said 1-2K. The rebuild was not 5000 miles ago, he doesn't know when it was, in mileage terms. He said 5 years ago, whatever that means. Either this guy is just really not very mentally sharp or he is shady.

 

Walk away. But a Porsche with a well known history. Like some guy that has owned it for a long time but doesn't want to fix it completely before selling it. Go with your first instinct--he probably is a shady guy.

 

or he just doesn't know the 911 market - you never know.

 

Any rust anywhere on the car? Pass the phone number along to me if you're not interested in it.

Fully galvanized bodies began in mid-76 and shipped to US as 77 models.

2.7 engine would not have lasted for 190k without being sorted with timeserts, etc.M but docs would certainly reduce risk factor.

Any chance it was the pale yellow-beige called 'Desert Sand?'

Was it a sunroof coupe? Were the heat exchangers already replaced with stainless SSI headers? Was original CIS injection in there or was it upgraded to PMO carbs, etc?

If it is rust-free I might consider taking a close look at it. These light, narrow-bodies with galvanized sheetmetal are great fun and will survive another 30 years of appreciation. (pun intended)