Wolf34

Have been looking and trying to research these cars but may have run across one that could be too good to pass up. I have been going back in forth between 996 and 80's models but think I may lower my initial investment for my first Porsche. I know they are totally different animals. I don't feel "educated" enough yet so I wanted to post before I look tomorrow. I'll get a PPI at a reputable shop here if that goes well. 64k miles and Price is $16k. Always garaged, seats always covered (he said showroom). Everything stock. Radio works but not cassette player and he has not charged the A/C. Installed new altenator. He and his brother in law have owned it for the last 18 years. Always as a second vehicle. He said it has barely seen rain. A couple of parking lot nicks and hood slightly fading. Said he has never had a problem, always done maint, has all records, new tires, just tuned up.
So....

1. Said he has driven it 10k miles in last 10 years. Good or Bad?

2. Said he replaced the oil system with a chain driven system as opposed to the wire system. Is this normal or a positive for these vehicles?

3. What is the ballpark for an R/12 A/C recharge these days?

4. Anything else I should really look for with this year model as a potential problem? I know that they changed a lot thru the eighties with going to the 3.2 and the G50 transmission etc. so I wanted to get specific with the 83's.

cal7380

Do you KNOW that you want a targa? They offer some benefits, but come with some problems also. I have owned two (non-Porsche) convertibles in my life, and I've come to the conclusion that the idea of a convertible can often be better than the reality of a convertible. I think the same can be said for a targa. Everybody is different. Just make sure you know what you want.

theiceman

wolf get a hold of John , he is here on the forums and lives in NC and has an SC ,. he would be tonnes of help as he is very knowledble and is local to you . he goes by gothingnc i think.

The SC is a solid car in general, you just want to make sure on the ppi they check for broken head studs, this can be a problem on low milers and garage queens, some leakage at the vale covers could be considered normal. I have NO idea what he has done to the oiling system but i have a stock SC and it is pretty solid. get Pete Zimmermans book if you can , but if not check out the PPI section on this forum , it is asticky post i think .

just get a good mechanic to do your ppi. a couple of things do come to mind but are minor

1. pul up on the heater levers between the seats with the ignition on and make sure you can hear the heater motor start in the back ( if it is still there )
2. use a dental mirror and check inside the doors where thelimit strap atatches, make sure the door is not damaged there in the sheet metal.
3, AC has been an issue with these cars for years , I doubt a recharge will fix it . Most are none functional and could take hundreds to thousands to fix.
i could go ion ffor hours but read the ppi or gat a hold of john

GothingNC

Sounds like he's asking 5k too much, take a look on pelican to see iof there are any other similar Targa's for sale in your area.

Do you know if the head studs have been replaced?

In-frequent driving without proper warm up can accelerate corrosion on the diclar studs causing them to snap along with built up carbon deposits.

Have you taken the car for a test drive?

John

Wolf34

I looked around and have not found anything cheaper unless it had nearly twice the miles. You think a 64k mile car is worth $11k? I have not seen any prices like that. I hope to drive it tomorrow and explore a little further. Is there a fairly distinct difference in power between the 83's and the 84's with the 3.2?

abe

I think if the car is in very good to great condition that 16k is not an unreasonable price...and if you can get it for 15k great. The A/C...you will have to replace the hoses so that they don't leak....while your at it might as well get a new complete Rennaire 134a A/C for 1300. It is not a hard DIY. The 83SC is a GREAT car with a great engine...The 84s+ I remember reading that they had engine oil leak problems. If you going to buy an 84, might as well get an 88 or 89. You will have more creature conforts in an 89 than an 83. I too think that you should be patient and get Zimmermans book so you can really decide what you want. That said, can't go wrong with either an 83 or 89.
abe

GothingNC

Here is an 80 Coupe with 64,000 miles for $9,800

http://richmond.craigslist.org/car/743859836.html

John

jakeflyer

-Carfax---------------

YOu can get on carfax for $25 for 30 days. This will run the 17 digit vin #/serial #. It usually will give you a heads up if the miles are not correct (changed speedo) , or has had a wreck, or slavage title. I looked at a car in Ca. that had been "clocked" with either a run back or speedo change. 80,000 miles were gone from what should have been there.

A pre-buy and maybe a price of 13,000 may be good.

flatsixnut

Read this if you are serious about buying one of these older 911's.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ter+Zimmermann