VWpete

I've found a 79 sc that is located pretty far away and have been talking with the seller... it's priced at $13,999
It's got 111k miles and he says the upgrades that are needed to be done on the sc's (carerra tensioners etc.) have not been done...
How much would it cost to have these upgrades done at a reputable porsche shop?
Is this sc even worth it?
It's guards red, polished fuchs, factory whale tail, new seat covers (leather), new stereo, it was repainted at one point?

I'm getting frustrated as many cars have been garbage in comparison to the first '78 targa I was after
I wish I could find a car locally!
Will I be able to find one at the Tweeks show in a few weeks?
I'll be there!
Any... Thanks alot,
Pete

J-RAD

I feel your pain! However, just be patient. You will find the right car. The fact that you even ask those questions should tell you something. 111K with no major updates...and he still wants $14K??? Was this car on e-bay or something (j/k). Don't settle. You'll find another one!

Good luck!!!

VWpete

thanks...
I'll be patient. The right one will come and I'll know it when it does!!!
Best,
Pete

Bill Gregory

Pete,

August Excellence shows '79 SC market price at excellent/good/poor $17,625/$13,166/$11,580.

There are several updates that should be considered. First, oil fed tensioners. Parts $350-$450 and with labor maybe? $900-$1000 total. Also on 1980 and earlier, you need to add two spacer bushings, #930.105.513.00 to complete the oil fed tensioner upgrade.

Next, pop off valve. Valve itself is around $45, and with a 2" hole saw, maybe a variable drill joint, you can do it yourself.

There were several upgrades made to the oil circuits to prevent oil cavitation and the sump filling up with oil, which caused a sudden loss of engine power under hot driving conditions. The first fix, a new pressure relief valve, was incorporated after engine number 628 2539 (non-CA) and 658 1060 (CA) in 1979. In 1980, there was a new sump screen design which helped the pump in picking up crankcase oil. It's recommended that both these be fitted to pre-1980 SC's, however, they are not needed on earlier 2.7 engines.
From the engine number, you'll know if the first update was incorporated into the production engine. If not, you should check the owner's records to determine if the one or two upgrades were done along the way. While not critical to idleing and going to the corner store, these two upgrades should be made if you intend to drive it with vigor.

The original clutches were rubber centered which tended to break apart after abit. With the mileage you were quoted, I'd assume the clutch has been replaced already, but you might ask.

Aesthetically, you may want to distinguish between the factory whale tail and the Carrera tail. They are different, and some feel the whale tail just isn't as good looking as the Carrera tail. You probably know already that either tail on the rear means the front needs the rubber valance extension, to keep aerodynamic balance at speed.

Good luck with your search. Any other questions, ask away!

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: Bill Gregory ]

Walt

I paid around 750-800 for a recent tensioner upgrade. 14K is high but may be justified if the car is in VG condition and the repaint was a quality job. Ask to see the receipt for the work, it should indicate if their was any body damage. It may have been the guards red just faded over the years. Good Luck.

Jdub

Bill has done a great job of detailing the upgrades you want to expect on an earlier SC at top dollar.

You can quickly determine if the "bowler" oil pickup screen has been installed by noting if the drain bolt under the engine is pointing to the driver's side. If so, this indicates that the new style of pickup has been put in, but DOES NOT guarantee it; it is just a quick way to determine if what the owner says is true. If not oriented towards the driver's side, than it is either installed incorrectly or is not the updated item.

Jw

bds1

Before you make the trip find a shop to do a pre inspection. Should cost 120-150 and they will give you a good unbiased view...should.
When I first started looking I was interested in a car from Omaha. Had a PPI done and the mechanic basically alerted me to the fact that the internet pictures were not the car he was inspecting!

ALso In my local paper www.nj.com > classifieds there are always 1980-83s for about 13.5 K. I prefer the 80+ with the cat vs the non cat.

I really think when you are trying to find a less expensive car you should look local (2hrs travel).

nostatic

What is interesting about the price numbers from Excellence is that the SC's had a substantial *increase* in price from last year...and in general they were stable before then. I've been looking for a few months now, and $13K is not out of line for what people are *asking*...but I haven't yet seen a $13K car I wanted to buy. I drove one yesterday that was $16K that I would serioulsy consider if it were a grand or two less.

I've kinda resigned myself to the fact that for what I want (very clean 1st or 2nd owner car with all records), I will probably have to pay $15-$16K. But who knows...I might get luckier. At least here in SoCal there are lots of cars....but many of them are beat and not well maintained.