VTCMart

Hey Guys,

Looking into buying an '82 SC. Has receipts for engine/trans rebuilt in last 30k miles (currently at 130k). Driver condition, but straight body. AC does not work and compressor has been removed. Heater blower is also out. Needs some front brake works also (sticky front right caliper). Next step will be a PPI but wanted to pitch it out to you guys if there are any other major areas/components to look for or questions to ask. Seller is PCA member, he has been very upfront so far, like with above mentioned issues. Thanks.

Also I have narrowed my selection down to 78-83 SC models so please no "get a 993 dude!" posts.

jakeflyer

IMO the '82/'83 may be the all time best 911s (for the money). Zimmerman has an/82. coupe I hope.

theiceman

All kinds of stuff to check, that car is ove 25 years old. Pete's description in his book is great . I thought he posted the PPi on this board somewhere even.
I would definitely recomend a PPI by a knowledable P car man to protect both you and the seller

Jay H

What do you want out of this car? Just a runner? Or, do you want a car that is in very nice mechanical condition that drives close to new? What you want out of the car will determine how much you wish to inspect...

Who did the engine and trans rebuild? Was the work done by a knowledgeable technician/repair shop?

Has the car ever been hit? If so, how hard was it hit? How was the repair work? Does it track well on the road? Does it pull to the left or right?

Believe it or not, you do have to check for rust on these cars. These cars are old enough to be subjected to enough bad weather and bad storage situations that they will rust. Most likely from the inside out. Some suggested points to look at are the lower B pillar area, front and rear lower edges of the windshield/back window, area of the front fender to front valence, etc. I've seen large amounts of rust behind the lower side rocker panels just behind the front wheels. You don't know it's there until that rocker panel comes off...

Check all the suspension items. Shocks, sway bar bushings, rear spring plates, A-arm bushings, etc. At this age and mileage, all of those rubber parts are probably shot. Figure $2000 to $5000 to redo all of that, depending on how in depth you get and how much you can DIY. Tires must all be of the same brand and model.

A/C restoration is $2500 at a minimum if stuff is missing and you need a shop to do the work. R-12 is pricey if you wish to not convert it to R-134. All the hoses are shot by now and there are 5 hoses, 2 of which run the length of the car and are expensive.

Any electrical accessories not working? Rear defrost? Lighting? Gauges? Power windows? Sunroof?

Is the car running at the correct temperature? Is the external oil thermostat opening at the right time? How are the oil lines that are running on the right side of the car? Any heavy crimps or crushing? Those lines are ~$350 a shot the last time I had to replace one...

How's the glass? Any seal leaks? How pitted is the windshield?

How's the interior? Some of the trim parts on these cars are no longer available from Porsche and the aftermarket is spotty on availability too. Torn seats with saggy foam, worn carpet, etc. all takes cash to make right.

Again, it all depends on what you want out of this car. If you just want a runner to drive, a test drive will tell you what you need to do and you may not have to spend much money on it to just make it go down the road. If you want a car that runs well and drives close to new, there is plenty of stuff to dump cash on at this age and mileage. These are very robust cars, but at this age, they do cost quite a bit of cash to make them fully functional and driving as they did when new.

Good luck!

Jay
02 986
90 964
84 3.2

Batman 357

Condition is everything. They are very solid cars but also very expensive to repair. Look at everything and watch how the owner shifts. It's an art with these cars.

Ed Hughes

There are numerous books (Pete's is great) and threads covering this exact topic and will define issues for specific years, as these cars were always being improved. Do yourself a favor and read the info that is out there.

Also, I can't resist: "Get yourself a Carrera dude"! (you only said no 993 suggestions)

Seriously, I'm curious as to why you limit your search to SC's? IMO a Carrera certainly warrants attention. Based on my limited field of knowledge on these, I'll take a couple of more pounds (and the extra HP) to not have to fool around with CIS.

Edward

Hi Cory,

I personally prefer the 82/83 over the previous SCs, but that's just me. Sounds like a decent car, and I assume you will have a PPI performed by a trustworthy 911 wrench with stellar street cred.

The biggest point that raises my attention is the rebuilt engine (mostly) and then the rebuilt trans. The term "rebuilt" is far too often mis-applied if not blatantly mis-used. Exactly what parts were replaced, refreshed, or reused; who did the work; who did the machining (biggie, IMHO!), and are there receipts to corroborate everything claimed. If there is no proof, I'd assume it wasn't done properly. Maybe that's just me. But with a proper engine rebuild hovering at $10K mark and tranny at $4K, I can't afford to trust blindly. IMHO, of course.

If all that works out, don't sweat the brakes ...rebuilding calipers is easy/cheap. I'd dispense with the a/c altogether, though. They just aren't worth the trouble and considerable expense on these cars ...ditch all the a/c parts and enjoy a ~60lb weight savings.

Edward

f4 plt

I have an '83 SC euro. spec and love it. Mine has been significantly "appointed" Fun street car and great track car. Saw you are in Texas ,means the Sc qualifies for antique plates. (single plate on the rear, no window stickers and $55 for 5 years). I agree with all the comments the SC is a great car and the last two years "82 and 83" are basically bullet proof. 915 tranny takes a little getting use to. Among the many things I have done to mine is a WEVO shifter which I strongly recommend Good luck

Houpty GT

http://www.adelgigs.com/911schistory.shtml

What is so much better about the '82-'83 cars? I have an 1981. The alternator was replaced with the 82 type, the speedos been changed to 150mph, the engine went 174,000 miles before it needed work to replace the broken head studs. At that time it was upgraded to the Carrera tensioners. So what am I missing out on here?

theiceman

Yeah I was wondering the same thing ut wasn't gonna bring it up till you did. I have a 78 , no 02 sensors to worry about or lambda computer. the fuel lines are flexible to the injectors making it WAY easier to work on the CIS. Takes regular gas due to the lower cmpresion. I don't see anything that makes the 82 or 83 more reliable .. the 78 even came from the factory with spring centred not rubber clutches .. not sure about the later ones.
Maybe I am missing something too ......

VTCMart

Thanks for all the posts guys. PPI checked out and we agreed on a price. Funny coincidence - the tech that did the inspection had worked on the car before when he was at a different shop a few cities over. Will be picking up tomorrow if everything goes to plan.

She will mainly be a weekend fun car/track car. Would like to get into DE events in the area and looking forward to wrenching projects (front brakes will be first project ASAP)

Edward

Not a big deal to get an 81-83 over the previous. The early has the bigger ports which is nice, but also the smog pump; the later has higher compression p/c, a couple more ponies, and no pump to remove and plug. Clearly the "winner" is not a specific model year SC as much as it is the one is in better shape

Edward

Edgy01

1982 is a good year, all things being equal.

Batman 357

Fill us in with some pics and the details....

GothingNC

Agree

John