flatblack

I've been lurking around the forums for a few months now gathering knowledge here, drooling over classic 911s there. Now comes the real challenge, finding the right car for the right price and location. Just to give everyone an idea of what I'm looking for. It has to be a coupe non turbo 78-97. Seems broad right? Well I'm not looking to spend over 20k. I'm located in the San Diego area. Now you would think between San Diego, Orange County and the LA area I would be able to find something well this has proven a bit difficult so I widened my search range to Arizona and found this 911SC. What does everyone think? Does this look like a good deal?

179k miles, 2 Owners Black on Black

$16,995

http://www.arizonamuscle.com/1980_PORSCHE_911_SC.html

veleno

From the picture it looks clean. I think I remember seeing some other P-cars from this seller and those too looked to be in pretty good condition. I'd try to get it cheaper though.

UberXY

Unless you are currently taking the bus to work because you need a car, I would look for the many 911s available with 100k less miles than this car.

theiceman

Okay this is my 100,000 foot view on this car and keep in mind it is only based on what i see..

very very shiny .. this always throws a red flag with me .. you can even see evidence of the polish on the coil and engine strap .. did they polish up a turd ? maybe ? maybe not .

at first glance the engine is filthy which tells me routine maintanance is a bit dubious. Those tires I think may be dunlops , not sure how god they are others may know but they sure dont look like performance tires, maybe the cheapest ones they could find ?

in addition to that it apears this car has had no upgrades .. I mean zero

still has the old sugar scoop lights.. not upgraded to H-4s. From what i see it doesn't even have the tensioner upgrade done. Those records I see are mostly smog test so I would look over those carefully.

I think t is quite expensive .. for that money this would have to be a pristine car and looking at that engine bay i would say proceed very very carefully.


Of course i may be way off ... thats why its an opinion ...

kyle242gt

With that large a search, that price cap, and SoCal population density, I think you can do better.

"rebuilt as needed" is a little lame, they should be able to provide an invoice for any significant work. Agreed that it's strange to not have oil-fed tensioners.

Have you gotten any seat time in any 911's yet? World of difference between 78 and 97. Though a 20K 993 probably isn't in the cards...

Shannon123

Might try ownster.com for searching....it compiles alot of sites all into one summary. You can sort by year or years, state etc....or even global (usa) search. At least it keeps you honest with yourself by having a look at alot of classic P-Car inventory out there....I mean ALOT !!

mercury26

I purchased my 1982 911SC from this seller. Feel free to contact me by PM or email. I will give you details in private and some advice on purchasing from said seller.

Thanks,

Chuck

flatblack

Some great considerations here. Some of the flags I'm seeing is the mileage the "rebuilt as needed line" and Iceman's point of it being immaculately polished on the outside with a filthy engine bay.

The fact that the car is bone stock with zero upgrades you would think is a good thing right?

I'm going to need a lot more information from this dealer in order for me to feel confident about the purchase. Right now I'm very hesitant.

911 Crazy

$12-13k tops! You can find the same out there at that price!

wildcat077

In my opinion it's a lot of money for a car of that mileage ... but then again they went through a lot to get the car looking clean !
Not every clean looking car is a good buy because it misleads you regarding the real issues !

Heck,i wash my car once a year and i clean and dust it it with a microfiber cloth and a bottle of Maguiars quick detailing which makes my more "purist" not to say ****, friends cringe,but that's my car and i can guarantee you that under the paint scratches and the swirls on the hood is a VERY mechanically sound and upgraded mechanical package which is worth a whole lot more than a $300.00 detailing job !

What i'm trying to say is don't get fooled by the looks and get a PPI done,even better, bring a buddy who knows 911's along with you.
If you can find a car that has a few performance upgrades,even better because the bill adds up fast when you get in there ... believe me

Just sayin ...

Cheers !
Phil

dave morris

I agree with most of what's been said earlier. The body/paint/interior look terrific but the engine area looks like it's been totally neglected. That's a very unusual combination. I'd definitely ask for an explanation.

Before I'd travel too far to inspect the car I'd ask for pictures of the underside of the car up on a lift. If it looks like the engine compartment, pass.

If the engine or transmission have been rebuilt, find out who did the work. Not all mechanics are equally skilled obviously.

Patience is a virtue .... especially when looking for a Porsche.

Good luck.