por012773

Here's the situation. I'm looking at two different 911's, the first one is an '88 3.2 Carrera, and the second is an '80 RoW SC. Here are the links to the two cars:

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

Mechanically, the '88 3.2 is perfect. It has high miles, but the engine was rebuilt two years ago. It's also had turbo tie rods installed, and the suspension was lowered to Euro ride height. It has new cross drilled and vented rotors, with new brake pads and stainless brake lines at all four corners. It has all the records since new, and the G50 shifts super smooth. This car drives like a 911 should, fast as hell and the handling is tight and very solid. Cosmetically, this car needs a little work though. The paint is just ok, one of the tail light lenses is cracked, but there is no rust. On the interior, the dash is cracked in several places, the seats have lots of cracks, but no rips or tears, but all the gauges work, even the sunroof.

The '80 SC is really nice mechanically as well. It only has 92000 miles, the engine starts right up and it drives really smooth and fast, not as fast as the 3.2 though. The suspension has been lowered a lot, below Euro spec. This is the first 915 transmission I've driven and I had no trouble shifting at all. No synchro issiues and the clutch was creamy smooth. The only thing I could find wrong was the parking brake didn't work, so it might need some brake work soon. Cosmetically, the SC is in very, very nice condition. The entire car has just been repainted, and there are no blemishes or chips, or dents, or anything in the paint. It looks stunning. The dash is perfect, no cracks or warping, and the sport seats have no rips or tears, just a little scuffing on the driver side seat bolster.

I really like both of these cars, and I'm not sure which one to take the next step on (PPI). I enjoyed driving the 3.2 more, but the SC looks and drives great. Any feedback good or bad would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Guys!

Regards,

Scott

flatsixnut

Both look nice from the pics. I like the fact that both cars are Grand Prix White.

Hard to say just from your comments and these pics, which car would be best for you and at what price. I absolutely love my SC, but a '88 3.2 at that price and that color is hard to beat. Things I personally do not like on the 1980 SC your looking at is it has the black stone guards on the side, and it has the turbo tail. But thats just my personal preference and they could be changed if you did not like them.

I would hate to be in a situation where I was choosing between two cars, but if I really could not decide....I would get a PPI done on both.

Question I would ask myself.....why is the '88 marked so cheap. I honestly think that the SC is priced about right if it's PPI checks out.....but if the '88 had a clean PPI I would have to go for it.

I sure as heck would not sell mine for $16,000. Any body read the market updates in the latest Excellance?

WitchDoctor

Yeah, what Flax-Nut said!

There's a thread about regrets about the one that got away. That is, the one members regret losing. Letting go. There sure were a lot of regrets about selling SC's. It kinda surprised me, and made me think twice about my "regret" that I got an SC instead of a 3.2 Carrera.

Depends what you like, but there seems to be something in the more rough and raw car (if that's a fair way to characterize it) that is endearing.

If the cars are equally desirable to you, in principle, then I'd PPI the SC first, given that it appears to be in the better condition.

fwiw

Good luck. Both nice cars. I look forward to reading the out come.

Brent

ajmarton

I looked at SCs and ended up with a 1989 3.2 Cab. No regrets as I like the short shift and G50. SC had a lot of spunk and was fun to drive but I preferred the "lighter" clutch of the 3.2 and the short shift. If speed is an issue go with the one that you enjoy driving. The 88 can be chipped with a SW chip I think. I put one in my 89 and really notice the performance difference.

Daniel Dudley

I'd go for mechanical greatness over cosmetics, and I'd go for a real driver's car, if one is more compelling in that aspect. Lot's of humidity where I live, so my next 911 will probably be a late model with air that works.

You know you need a PPI, and that is good. Remember that there are lots of 911s out there, so don't feel pressured. When you find one that passes the PPI and makes your palms sweat when you think about buying it, pull the trigger. FWIW, my 81 ROW was just a super 911, but quite a bit faster than most. However, I had a friend with an 89 Carrera that was just a super driver. It was a more refined car, and that did not take away from it one bit.

Consider buying a copy of ''The Used 911 Story'', if you haven't already. Enjoy the search, and marry wisely. My first Porsche, like my first wife , was a nightmare.

Antony.

Yeah here ya go, yours first ;-)

2008 Values

1983 SC
so-so 17345
good 19721
excellent 26400

1980 SC
so-so 17049
good 19385
excellent 25950

1988 Carrera
so-so 18552
good 21093
excellent 28328

ajmarton

Hey, do you mind posting the market prices for a 89 911 Cab? I am curious. Thx, Andrew

por012773

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have to say, that I'm leaning towards the '88 3.2, just because it drives so nice. The reason the 3.2 is priced so low is like I said, it's not perfect. It would cost thousands of dollars to restore it to excellent condition (paint, dash, seats, A/C removed). But my intentions are to buy a nice running 911 and just enjoy it. And maybe down the road I can restore a little bit at a time.

Thanks again,

Scott

Antony.

sure
1989 Cab
20096
22849
30558

flatsixnut

Thanks bullit....I have the issue , I was just curious if anyone else had read them. They seem to be really optomistic...I wonder where they come up with their info. Dont get me wrong...I like seeing the value of my car go up, but with the people's scare of what is happening to the economy, I am not so sure the prices are completely realistic at this time.

TroyN

I'd vote for the Carrera for a couple/few reasons: faster out of the box, has Motronic vs. CIS and it's always nice to have a fresh rebuild on the motor. A motor rebuild will cost more than fixing cosmetic stuff, in general. Good luck! I see these are both CO cars, are you in CO? I'd seen that SC on Craigslist and it was tempting and at a decent price.

MIK911

I'd go for the 8 yr newer car WITH rebuild.
I may not be correct, but one must consider the RoW having resale issues--personally, I'd rather have a USA car than RoW. Maybe issues such as smog/certification, etc. Just a few unkowns that I'd rather not mess with, if I were in the market.

por012773

TroyN,
Yes I do live in Colorado. I gave up on doing nationwide searches, too much of a PITA, lol.

MIK911,
The funny thing was, the owner didn't even know it was a RoW SC, and he said he didn't have any problems getting it insured or emissions. It has a cat and the factory air pump .

TroyN

Cool, well, let me know if I can help a local out at all! What are you going to do w/ the car? i.e. daily driver, DE, etc.

By the way, how do you tell it's a ROW car? I didn't know they used air pumps.

Agree on the convenience of local cars, being able to drive over to see them, etc. The 930 I just bought, though, is in TX now, and I'm going down next week to pick it up. Bought from a Rennlister incidentally. It'll be fun to drive it home! (knock on wood!)

Anyway, good luck and let us know what you do.

PS. I did go see that '77 911 S that's in Conifer. Not sure if you looked at that one. It seemed a pretty solid car; even though it has the 2.7, it'd been rebuilt and was pretty dry. Price is a little high. Also, slow compared to the SC or 3.2 but depending on what you plan to do w/ the car maybe that's ok for now.

JackOlsen

In your shoes, I'd get a PPI on the Carrera first. If the seller won't allow an independent shop to do the PPI, then I would walk away from the deal right there. (And for the record, the seller's shop is not the one you want doing the PPI.) If you do a PPI on the SC, there's a good chance you'll find a couple of snapped headstuds. On the Carrera, drilled rotors are a minus more than a plus. You'll eventually want to replace them with solid or slotted rotors; there's no real benefit to the holes with modern pads, and the cracks will bug you. Stainless steel lines are of no benefit, and can hide problems. (All brake lines are braided for strength, the stainless ones just have a colorful jacket.)

But it sounds like both are decent cars, although the price on the SC is a little high. The G50 is a plus and motronic is nice. But they're both old cars. Pre-purchase inspections will be the most useful tool you'll have for making a decision.