258,000 miles too many for a 911?
 

Hi Guys. As my search for a well sorted affordable 911 continues, I have found one that raises this question. Despite the work below having been done to the car, is this kind of mileage just too much? I'm thinking I might offer in the $11K range for the car. Please tell me your thoughts and as always thanks for your input and patience with a guy who's dying to finally own a 911 but hasn't found it yet.

"The engine and transmission were completely rebuilt 2,500 miles ago. When the engine was rebuilt extra care was taken to improve performance and increase its life expectancy. Included were 964 camshafts and 14 pages of engine parts. I wish I could better explain all the care that went into the engine rebuild. The original exhaust was replaced with a Dansk performance stainless steel exhaust system. The ignition was replaced with an MSD electronic ignition. There is also a Wevo shifter. This eliminates the risk of shifting into reverse from 5th gear. The front end and brakes have all new and improved parts and the steering column has all new bushings and bearings. Everything is done. It has a sunroof that works and doesn't leak, power windows, and an incredible stereo system with ipad hook-up. She has H4 headlamps and all the lights work. She comes with a tool set and air compressor. "

what year?

wow theres no question that there is a lot of miles on that buggy ,, not saying stay away at all coz if any car can do it the 911 would be at the top of my list .. but that would need an extra special PPI to be sure. not sure about the Carrera but the 964 cams and MSD is soemthing i have heard done often on the SC .. so I am gona go with that as my guess .. anyone else before he tells us :)

Who did the rebuild work? If it's Motormeister, keep looking. The ad copy does seem to indicate the owner is trending toward an enthusiast and should know better than to use Motomeister, but get eyes on the receipts and see who did the work. No mention of suspension work. At that mileage, it's going to need it.

The chassis/body (as long as it has no rust) should be sound. There's not really a mileage issue there. The rest of the value determination is cosmetic condition and condition of electrical systems.

Brett

Cant believe I forgot to metion. 1980 SC. Great cosmetics, recent paint and upholstry. No metion of who may have done the rebuild but I did e-mail the seller for info on who and what else was done. I'll be back with more info when I get it. As always, thanks!

My 1981 SC has over 300,000 miles and drives better than many sub 100,000 milers out there. It is all about the maintenance and upkeep. Drive a few before you commit, but honestly that mileage would not concern me one bit if well taken care of...

Rebuild can mean many, many things. A proper, full rebuild would be of great value. Once you know who did the rebuild, and what the scope of work was, it will become more clear.

At that mileage, the rebuild should include splitting the case and I would think it likely that new pistons and cylinders would be needed. Expect a full rebuild to be well over $10K if done by a shop.

I would also try and find out about the paint: Who did it? What products were used? How much disassembly was done (hopefully the glass was removed, all the bumpers etc)?

You may want to get the name of the rebuilder and post it here to get reaction to this person’s work. What kind of pistons and cylinders did they use. If it was real deal Mahle, and all new bearings, then I would be interested as a buyer. IF the rebuild was done right, then you may want to consider getting a “known in the owners group” mechanic to look at it.

Bear in mind that you may intend to keep the car forever. However, if that changes and you need or want to sell it, the miles might be a problem in selling it and you could indeed end up owning it forever.

Do you do your own work?

I saw a 650,000km (406,250mls) SC or 3.2 at my indy Porsche mechanic last year. It looked and sounded great (engine was rebuit at one point). But still, these 911s are bullet proof.

I had a 71 with 265K miles on it, looked and drove like a 80K mile car.
Phil

At that mileage, there better have been a lot more than engine work done. Could be a gem, but there's a stigma there at more than a Quarter of a Million miles. For $11k, or a bit more, I'd think you could find a newer and lower mile SC.

Those wheels would look a lot better with blacked out centers.

I agree with what was said here already... get all the information on the rebuild and have the rest of the car gone over. After a rebuild and freshening up, there is no reason why the mileage should be a problem as far as use is concerned...now down the line when/if you decide to resell, then the mileage might make it a little difficult to sell...

Keep us posted!

OK, so looking at a different 1980 SC with 135K and a rebuilt engine by a guy named Bob Farmer in Indiana. This was in 03' but the new owner has only put 2500K on the car in that time. Paint has some issues but mechanically it sounds as though a lot of work has been done.New AC, steering bushings, window switches, heat exchangers, chain tensioners, struts, new brakes, alternator, CV joints, new distributor, fuel injection repair and new pop-off valve. All this work was done at or around the same time as the engine, so within about the last 2500K or so. Also has original fuchs which have just been recoated and re painted. This one will also be in the $11,000 to $12,000 range. Any thoughts?

Where do you find these? cars.com, autotrader, classicautotrader, craigslist, kijiji, excellence, rennlist are the ones I check and I havent found what your finding.