plumbum

First off just want to say hi...I have been looking for a porsche 911 for many years and have found one that may be in my price range (yes another what should I look for thread haha) a 1983 911 SC

I drove the car last summer and it drove nice...needs some TLC for the interior that I have no issues with.

The history of the car is a bit sketchy but it appears the trans was rebuilt a couple years ago. The motor seems to run strong only issue seems that the car has a high idle causing the gears to grind when starting off from a stop in neutral if things are not timed properly.

Other than that the car needs fresh paint.

Any sugestions opinions? The seller has agreed to having the PPI done at a local porsche dealer.

Sorry if I am repeating other posts...been reading and reading and there are lots of good posts on this site.

My history:

I have 13 years in the automotive field (working for GM)

Ride motorcycles (currently own a Ducati 1098) and have 5+years of track experiance on a bike.

I am looking for my first porsche as a summer toy for daily driving during the summer.

My current car is a B6 Audi A4 3.0 which I have done several upgrades


Thanks for looking and I look forward to reading more posts here and hopfully one day becoming a porsche owner

gtihop

how much are they asking for it? mileage?

Brett San Diego

Unless you are familiar with the dealership and its mechanics, I would not go to a dealership for a PPI on a 27 year old car. They deal with newer cars. Better to find a good independent who really knows the CIS cars.

A high idle does not cause gears to grind. A bad synchro does, however. The fast idle will spin the input shaft faster which then means when you depress the clutch pedal, you will have to wait longer for the shaft to spin down before putting the transmission in 1st gear without grinding. You can avoid the grinding by just waiting several seconds after depressing the clutch pedal. I just noticed you said the transmission was rebuilt a couple of years ago. Either that is suspect, or it was a poor job. Got receipts?

There are plenty of people who would immediately walk away from a 911 whose history was "sketchy." There isn't really much to say without more info about the car... maybe after you have PPI results.

The best suggestion I have is keep reading, and maybe buy a book like "The Used 911 Story," and then keep reading.

Brett

Ed Hughes

New paint and interior, done decently-not show condition, can be pretty expensive. So, the asking price for this car should be sub-$10,000 if it is good mechanically. If issues there too, then you better be talking in the $5k range as it is officially a project then. Doing work yourself is a plus, but few parts come cheap in Porscheland.

plumbum

They are asking 10k canadian...not sure how more there is to negotiate...It is a USA car imported with around 40k miles although I would suspect it is quite a bit more.

Good point with the dealer...I am not sure of any independent shops that work on Porsche's here in Ottawa but definatly something to look into! Great advice...I do know the local dealer has a mechanic who has been working for them for over 20 years.

The transmission was rebuild two years ago and apparently the engine was tuned recently...new wheels/brakes and tires.

I agree I think the grinding I experianced was when the light would turn green and I would want to get into first quick not waiting for the input shaft to slow. The transmission shifted properly except for this but figuring out the intermittant (more than not) high idle would correct that.

interior is almost complete..just needs the doors to be done but the seats and dash are in great shape. It does need paint.

I dont want to get my hopes up because as good as it seems there may be no floor when I have the PPI done hahahaha

And keep reading I am! Think my fiance is starting to wonder why I am spending so much time by the computer haha

Thanks for the input!

WPOZZZ

I had my Weissach painted and I paid $4200. I did the disassembly and am doing the re-assembly.

plumbum

Going to look at the car on Monday...Rather than open a ton of threads I have a couple questions..

I know the motor runs..seems to run well except for a high idle..I want to buy the car to be able to work on it also as much as I can. Are the engines and trans very difficult to work on?

What makes them so expensive to fix if there was a problem? They are a simple design engine are they not as there is no coolant getting in the way? If the head studs are broken what are the symptoms? Oil leaks?

I will have a good look at different areas of the car for damage or rust. If I do purchase it I am not sure if I will re paint this year or wait until next year.

To be honest I am very excited about this car. And I have found the names of a couple Porsche mechanics around town that can do the PPI. If I get to that stage I may have the valves adjusted at the same time to see if there are any problems inside the top end.

Will try and snap a few pictures and see what the experts say here or slap me in the face if I am making a mistake.

Brett San Diego

They're expensive first because they're Porsches, but beyond that it's simple economics I would say. Low production, high demand. And, now you're dealing with limited parts supply for 20+ year old cars.

Symptom of a broken head stud is the nut, washer, and broken bit of stud fall out from under the exhaust side valve cover and onto the ground when you remove the cover. Often, it's only the exhaust side studs that break. The cylinder head can become loose enough to separate from the cylinder and allow combustion gasses to escape with what is described as a, "Chuff, chuff, chuff," sound. If this is the case, stop driving immediately as the cylinder and head will become irrepairibly damaged from the superheated gasses.

I don't think you want to pay for a valve adjustment unless you have bought the car. A thorough PPI will remove the valve covers to inspect head studs, something that you will probably have to specifically request of the mechanic and also may want to clear with the owner. Some people don't take kindly to others wrenching on their car without their permission.

There are a billion fast idle threads here and on pelicanparts. If it has cruise control, I would first check the cruise control cable and make sure it's not too tight holding the throttle open. That was my problem that I found after months of trying to figure it out.

Brett

Ed Hughes

I might suggest that you DO open a "lot of threads" as well as buy some of the books that are recommended here regularly. You'll make a lot more friends when it is obvious that you are trying to learn, and you'll find owning a 911 more rewarding as you become a knowledgeable owner.

plumbum

Thanks guys!

I agree..and am trying to find out as much as I can before dropping the hammer. There are so many posts it can be hard to keep up. Will check back after I see the car.

And Brett, your right I would not be paying for a valve adjustment if I had not bought the car first. I will clear it with the owner that the valve covers must come off first.

Ed reading your post's on your rebuild you would know..Are they hard to work on with the proper tools and books?

I thought this car had sold last year and was supprised to find it still available hense my packing questions in one post.

Got some books on order also!

Thanks again guys!

Ed Hughes

They are fairly straight forward-much of it due to design. A decent set of tools will get you through most tasks. There always seems to be a new tool to add, but that is always going to be true as long as they sell bigger tool boxes and more tools!

There is plenty of info between the various publications and the internet, so I can't imagine not being able to work through something.

plumbum

So I finally got to go out and see the car again today...Definatly needs paint bad but otherwise looks good! Seller has had the trans rebuilt but sais first forth and fifth gears are stiff to get into, muffler replaced, oil lines replaced, and new brakes all around.

a bit of rust on the battery box area...small puddle of oil after sitting all winter in the same spot.

Seller will let me take the car anywhere for a ppi...Just going to juggle some financing to make sure it works and then get the ppi done! If that checks out I will have the valves done and head studs looked at.

It has AC but on the old R12 system so there will be a bit of work there.

Fingers crossed! Getting excited!

It is not original...has a whale tail which was added later...but appears factory..later model rims..and needs a bit of finishing inside but overall seems like a decent price for the car

AGW911

A running 911 in Canada for 10K, now that's a find!!! Good luck with this one for sure. Hope the PPI checks out for you.

KILRWAIL

For that price here in Ottawa I would expct some serious issues, unless it's only because of the paint. Take it to Chris Kirby for the PPI - no one local knows these CIS cars better.

ked

"What makes them so expensive to fix?"
high quality / low production / 27 yr old car.

"I will have a good look at different areas of the car for damage or rust. If I do purchase it I am not sure if I will re paint this year or wait until next year."
Have an expert in old 911 chassis repair take the look - it is critical to know where to look & exactly what to look for. Wait to paint for a yr (paint doesn't look so bad in photos) - you may need that $.

"first forth and fifth gears are stiff to get into"
it MAY simply be the shifter bushings &/or the shift rod alignment from when the tranny was r&rd. a good 911 mechanic can fix both relatively cheaply.

"a bit of rust on the battery box area...small puddle of oil after sitting all winter in the same spot."
common issues... batt acid spills & seals shrinking from being very cold & old. however, could be signs of greater issues - thus the expert PPI.

"just going to juggle some financing to make sure it works..."
save $$$ for surprises & defered services.