t3HW41ru5

Hey Rennlist!

First time posting here. I've been looking at a 1981 911 SC for sale with 95,000 miles on it. It seems to be in good shape overall based on my research; it has a cast aluminum airbox with a pop-off valve and Carrera chain tensions, which I hear are two things that were common problems with the SC.

Here is the brass tacks of it. I live in Colorado. Financially, I'm in a place where I can't really afford two cars, so this would mean the 911 would have to be my daily driver, rain, shine, snow, or whatever. On top of this, I've never owned a performance car before of any kind, though my father raised me on Porsche's and so I'm somewhat familiar with the costs associated with them. I am mechanically inclined, but I am lacking in tools and space.

So Rennlist...on a scale of 1 to 10, how stupid am I for even considering buying this car?

Also, if anyone could let me know what sort of yearly maintenance costs I can expect for the car, as well as how hard these cars are to handle in snow/cold weather I would be very very thankful.

I will be taking the car out for the weekend and I will update with what I think of it when I can .

Thanks Rennlist!

theiceman

go down a couple posts .. there is a discusion on wether this is a 3 or 4 season car .. IF it is a well sorted car yearly mainatanace isnt much. if it isnt .. well ....

lacking tools and space .. owning a 30 year old car as a daily driver where cold, snow and ice is concerned .. just doesnt add up .. just my 2c though ..

t3HW41ru5

Yeah, I saw that post and read it at length, but didn't want to steal his thunder. Was hoping to maybe get feedback about my particular situation.

I hear a lot of Colorado Porsche owners say that it is a 4 season car, but many only drive it as a 3 season car. As such, I'm not sure what to believe.

The car appears to be well sorted. It has maintenance records going back all the way to 1983. It was originally a Florida car that was brought to Colorado. The place I am purchasing it from is a local dealership that specializes in Porsche and has been around for 40+ years, and they have done the maintenance on the car since 03. It has been the same owner since 03.

I had heard that the 911 SC can have trouble starting on cold mornings, especially if there is high humidity. Has anyone had a similar experience?

Also, I've been told that the motor in the SC is "400,000 mile motor", which seems unbelievable (which in my experience means its probably not true). However, I do hear the motor is very reliable mechanically as long as you service it properly. However, I also hear you do need to rebuild the motor if you want to hit that "400,000 mile" mark. As such, and I know it will vary from shop to shop, how much On Average is a engine rebuild on an SC?

Thanks everyone!

theiceman

well you can drive it four seasons i guess like you can any car ,,, but do you really want to .. i would get a beater for the 3 months if i had to. I live in Canada and it gets pretty darn cold i hear .. always fires right up .. well shifting gears at - 15C , thats another story .. and part of the NOT FUN piece .. but its okay once it warms up . Depends on how "sorted" it is ..

The bottom ends on the sc/ 3.2 are pretty darn solid , but a valve job and real seal could be big money depending on how deep you want to go . I imagine 5K minimum to about 12K maximum. Large range there so all depends.

My personal recomendation for ANYONE would be wait until you have the financial resources to drive the car 3 seasons and have a car for the fourth and anytime you want to tinker with the 911 you have another vehicle so there is no reason to drive a labouring car ..

Reiver

I use mine as a daily but our weather does not include winter...if it did I'd do as Ice suggested and have an old Saturn wagon or something for the snow/ice. Serious snow/ice as you know beats a car up pretty badly.

Rob Heath

+1 good advice and I live in CO. Sold my '88 DD as after 4 years didn't want to do another winter driving it and I do have tools, space and some mechanical experience.

Reiver

Good advice.....wait until you can afford a used BMW with the 911...all Bimmers are beaters anyway.

NYNick

It's 32 years old.
Replace the brand with any other brand and ask your self the same question.
Should anyone be solely dependent upon a 32 year old car as a daily driver?
I think not; Porsche or otherwise.

Nick

PushingMyLuck

Financially, I'm in a place where I can't really afford two cars,

Then are you sure you can afford a 25 year old Porsche?

tulliotk

My father drove his '83 Cab and then '88 Cab as daily drivers through 4 seasons in the Chicago area. No real problems. However, those cars were inherently more reliable then than they would be now.

chuck911

My 79 911SC (virtually identical to your 81) was my daily driver for a dozen years. Seattle area, its been in snow but not like what you'd get in CO. You will definitely want two sets of wheels and tires. A set of max-performance summer tires on Fuchs alloys will put a smile on your face, while the set of one size narrower Blizzaks will make winter driving safe, and maybe even fun! (Hope that answers your snow handling question.) Besides handling, there are clearance issues. Even if your car is not lowered at all you will notice the snow piled up by other cars looks a lot higher in the 911. My winter fears are first, other drivers, second, all the crap from gravel to shrapnel from busted chains, and clearance. Handling - with winter tires- no more a concern than other cars.

Heat in your car depends on everything working perfectly AND engine output. Short slow trips, you might never get much heat. Some winters I would set a popcorn popper in the passenger footwell with a timer turning it on 10 min before drive time. On long drives the car slowly gets hotter- something that seems to happen regardless of the weather. It gets warm in CO so check your AC. Hot days for these cars AC seems to be about 85. Anything over 90 even perfectly working AC will be max'd out and you still won't be cool, just not sweating as much as depending on windows.

I hope this info helps your decision. I would seriously consider budgeting for a cheap (really cheap, $2-3k) older Honda or whatever, as much or more to save your 911 from the worst as to have as backup.

911Dave

I hate to sound harsh, but you'd be foolish to consider a Porsche in your situation. Normal maintenance isn't expensive, but repairs are. A classic 911 should be the second car, not the first. What are you going to do if something serious happens and the repair costs $7k and your car is in the shop for weeks? That is exactly what happened to me when my 86 Carrera was my only car.

Don't be fooled by the low price to buy one. That's just because it's depreciated. It was extremely expensive when new, and it remains so for its entire life. You're taking a big roll of the dice if you proceed.

porsche930dude

you will find it cheaper to have a second winter car for sure! If you use your 911 as a second car you can insure it as such. Which will cost pennies compared to an only car. the beating you will save it in the winter on corosion and resale value will certainly make up for any additional costs you will have from the other car.

PushingMyLuck

Well said. For another perspective, I'm considering a '84-'89 3.2 Carerra. However, I am budgeting about $18k-$25k for the car, and setting aside another $20k for unexpected repairs. I have no interest in any performance mods, so that should help manage costs. I think $20k is reasonable to allow a $6k top end rebuild, as well as $14k of other routine maint. But, $20k isn't high enough to absorb a full $15k rebuild, which would possibly mean being $50k into a $25k car. I'm hoping that's a low probability event.

Earmarking a meaty reserve fund means I am never worried about repairs. In fact, I'd rather not own a sports car if I only had a shoestring reserve. I'd rather save up more, and come back and buy it when it made more sense.

After doing some research, I bought my 120k mile BMW anticipating the possibility of investing another 100% of the purchase price in parts and repairs. Almost 2 years later, and I'm pretty close to the 100%, and I've DIY'ed most of it myself. More importantly, I've never worried about a penny I've sunk into it, b/c I was mentally prepared before I pulled the trigger. The financial hit is the initial purchase, which mentally includes the reserve fund. So, all subsequent repairs and projects are viewed with a positive light. I've already "spent" the reserve money, so now, when something breaks, I actually get something back, and the car is improved.

If I didn't DIY the small things, and know the best places to buy parts, maintenance would have been double the cost of the car! But, I don't know 911 repair costs, and have no idea how much is DIY friendly (engine drop? Out of my league. I can only do basic R&R) So, $20k might barely be enough. Who knows. But, I wouldn't get into ANY car older than 10 years without a significant reserve fund.

t3HW41ru5

Hey Everyone,

Wow, this has been some really great advice. I do sincerely appreciate it all .

@Porsche930dude - Insurance is cheaper on the second car? You mean maybe classifying it as a classic or collectors car and getting insurance like that? Any more information on that? If that were the case, I may be able to actually own two cars.

Thanks!