New to the forum and recently getting interested in the 911 world. I found a local 911 for sale and was wondering if the price is fair. It is a 1975 911s coupe, engine has been replaced with a rebuilt 1980 911sc 3.0 motor. Only had 100 miles on the rebuild but has been sitting and could use a tune up. Rust free car but can use some paint on hood and bumper. Interior needs some work. Asking price is $12K. I thought it seemed reasonable but not sure since not matching number on engine and car. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Sounds reasonable in today's market but any non-running car will reveal countless issues for you to sort out. It's impossible to help you assign a fair value for this car without some detailed pictures.

 

ask yourself what type of circumstances would cause someone to spend thousands on a rebuild then only drive 100 miles and let the car sit.

 

Good point. I wondered that myself. I think the car is running but waiting on seller response to know for sure. Being in drivable condition would make a big difference

 

Hard to assess a value on an unseen car. Typically, an engine swap can hurt collector car values, but as a driver, the 3.0SC engine is generally considered to be superior to the original 2.7 in both performance and reliability.

But... just because the seller claims the engine was rebuilt does not guarantee it was done properly. A full rebuild on a 3.0L engine by a reputable shop is at least a $12K job, so if the job was done right, $12K for this car sounds like a good deal.... if not, you could be buying into a lot of future problems, and big time repair bills.

The comment above about the car only doing 100mi, does suggest caution.

If you decide to proceed, I'd really want to see that the car runs and drives, and get a reputable Porsche shop to do a thorough PPI on the car.

 

Seller responded and the car does run and drive, said it just idles rough because it sat for a while and needs tune up. Not sure why it sat though? Said it was a $10,000 for rebuild on motor. Car body has 153K miles

 

A PPI is a must in this scenario. The above cautions are spot on. Have the seller take you for a ride and see exactly how he/she drives the car. This is a good way to watch if the seller avoids speed or hard braking. Just listen to the car and to the seller who will either be very open about the condition or make excuses for problems. Just my two cents. Good luck on your future purchase. RRC

 

Great ideas. That could definitely help to disclose any unseen problems. Thanks

 

That's "cheap" for a 911, but I'd not say it was a good deal. '75's aren't the best years, they weren't rust-proofed, and you need some paint. So, you decide to do a decent job, with some new seals, and you're out between $5 and 8k. If the running issue requires going through the CIS, that can add up quickly. Just doing a "tune-up" with new wires, plugs, cap and rotor, and you're in for $500. Sitting for some time is bound to require other attention. If you can score this for $8k, and the motor really is sound, you may be in "good deal" territory.

Much better extending your budget to $20-30K and going for a SC or Carrera, IMO.

 

I'd pass on it.

 

It largely depends on what your mechanical skill level and interest in working on the car is. Speaking from experience, it will need much more than engine work at this age. All the suspension rubber will need to be done, brakes, lines, pretty much any rubber part that touches fluid will be at the end of it's life too. A million little bits like the ball socket joints in the accelerator linkage, accelerator rod bushings, pedal cluster bushings, fast idle thing, door seals, engine mounts, upholstery, and on and on. They are either a labor of love or a monstrous money sink. Also worth noting is what the smog laws in your state or region are. Is the later engine legal in your jurisdiction?
-C

 

I vote money sink. The 1974- 1977 short hood Fed bumper will never do well.

The 1978-1983 911SC is a better place.

 

I do enjoy fixing and tinkering to a certain extent. Just don't want to sink an excessive amount of money. I did find a 77 with slant nose and wide body turbo look conversion that appears to b done right and it is steel not fiberglass. Practically restored. Good paint and interior. 7k on rebuilt 2.7. Less money than that the original car I was looking at, seems to b a better buy for me since I don't mind the slant nose look

 

Get a ppi. I would drive the car first. If you like the car get it inspected. Price is very good if there's no major issues.

 

One of these cars is well beyond the tinkering envelope. Here's what went into the front suspension on mine
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...-re-build.html
I'm doing the rear now - bearings, CV's bushings and so on. It is a fairly major undertaking.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ml#post8173026
I've worked as a professional mechanic at different times in my life, so these sorts of projects are within my grasp. They are a huge undertaking for the shade tree mechanic.
All that said, it also depends on how you plan to drive the car. I take mine to the track and take it to it's limits. Under those circumstances, everything has to be sound. Normal street driving does not put anywhere near as much stress on the car.
-C