Agreed

BTW, I could go out to Autosport (Lenny's) this weekend if you want an objective opinion and pics on that T/E.

How about this -

'78 SC backdated to longhood status in a great P-car color. Owner is a good guy and a Pelican.

Backdated SC

Katie,

I'm not going to comment on the whether or not you should buy a car now, but I will suggest that if you are considering this car to take Matteo and go look at it initially for as close of an inspection as you guys can. And if you still think you want it after that call Jim at Eurowerks and take it to him for another look.

http://www.eurowerks.us/

I've taken my car there when I lived in the Charlotte area and they were always very good to me.

There is also the 911 Shop up on Orr Road 704-596-1302. I never had work done by 911 Shop, but I spoke to the guy a bunch of times when I was doing the 3.0 swap on my car and he was really helpful.

Good luck.

Good luck to you Katie, but RUN away from that car...it's simply NOT the one you want :)! I like the advice you've been given in regards to an SC as likely being the 'most' cost effective way to go. Use the local Charlotte guys/gals to assist you (as you already have), and then let Eurowerks check it out before you make a committment. I love your enthusiasm towards our beloved 911s, and don't want a 'money pit' to ruin it for ya.

edited: ps: ...if you do make a mistake...it's not a big deal, you're young, we've all made them, and that will qualify you to offer sage advice (based upon experience) in the future here on this board

Katie...

If your seriously desiring a 911 and will forego that one you have been considering look into the Atlanta Porsche market. Your only a few hours away. The Porsche market here is the second largest next to California, which surprises most P-heads. P-cars here are driven year round and many non-rusted, mechanically strong examples for the $$$$ your talking about are available. Take a look at Craigs List (Atlanta - cars-Porsche). Check autotrader and the Sunday Atlanta Journal newspaper as well as here on Pelican.

The concensus on that car is correct. It will be an expensive pain in the butt to get it all right and keep it right. Experienced P-owners are giving you sound advice here. P-car compulsion is a medical malidy only cured with P-car ownership. Once you realize you have the disease, therapy and restraint must take hold before its strikes deeper!

Take the advise of a guy who has kids in their twenties who were raised in the rear seats of 911's and adore Porsches as much as you. This car is not for you. Simply, if you have to have a 911 do not buy this one!!!

Good luck in your search. If you find one in Atlanta, chime in and the gang here will be pleased to help you with a good shop for a PPI or take a look for you. Good luck in school.

Bob
73.5T

Katie . your first prioity should be school,graduating with good grades.that will make EVERYONE happy.
Then.
Katie.
if that car was such a good deal it would have sold long ago when the owner first had it for sale two years ago.
Don,t be dissapointed and don't let this get you down.
the positive side of this thread is that you have a lot of people here who are looking out for your best interest and giving you sound advise,you are very lucky.they recognize your enthusiasm but they also recognize other things.
these are people that own homes,businesses,airplanes and multiple cars and they did't aquire all that by being stupid and foolish.
i think if you put out a request to find you a better car you will have lots to choose from and lots of people willing to help you out.
let,s be honest here.you like the way these cars look but you really don't know much or anything about them YET. learning is half the fun.
if matteo is willing, go there with him or someone that really knows 911s and can point out all the good ,bad and problem areas to look for . that way the next one you find you will know what to look for and what questions to ask.
the other thing is that if you find a car here that has the approval of a lot of members on the board here that could weigh heavy in your favour when you approach your parents. I think in the end they will be prouder of you and you will be prouder of yourself that you took your time, did the right thing, and found the right car.

So c'mon guys lets find Katie a better car.

So c'mon guys lets find Katie a better car. [/B][/QUOTE]

She already has a better car

Katie - after reading all this, my best 'life' advice to you is to take a Sociology course that requires a final project or report, and use all these replies - some quite amazing - as the data.

You mean psychology course...we are talking Porches

There is a purple 1984 Carrera for sale now in Atlanta on Craig's list for $11,500 that the guy is desperate to sell (he started at $15k). Looks like it is in better condition than the one in your photos.

+1. From those pictures that car looks a mess. Keep shopping.

Dare I toss 2 pfennigs in?

From what I can tell (keeping in mind that we're all at a distance), you're a person who *should* have a Porsche because you understand that Porsche's are not just for transportation or for status.

That said, we're left with the question of whether this is a good purchase. 210bhp gave you a good list of very obvious problems, and I would take those seriously. Keep in mind that this is not the only Porsche in the world. No matter how pretty the paint there has to be something to love underneath.

I like what Early_S_Man had to say (but then, I usually do): "You have the opportunity to let this car become a wedge between you and your parents, or it could become a long-term, unifying member of the family, including your grandmother!" Your dad is clearly a Porsche guy - why not make him a partner in this instead of an adversary. I'll bet he'd love to share this with you rather than feeling like he has to save you from it. I have no doubt that together you can find the right Porsche for you.

Dating can be lots of fun - you don't have to marry the first Porsche that catches your eye and there are plenty of matchmakers on this board that will help you find candidates.

Eight pages of blather over this???

Unbelieveable!

I think this one is easy. The downside risk is way higher than the upside potential. IMHO life is all about getting the right point on the risk/return curve. You only should take the risk where your chance of success is reasonably high, and this isn't one of those cases.

Hell you already have a Porsche. Life is good. Enjoy it.

Hang around here and you'll find plenty of ways to spend money on your current car.

BTW, Wayne starting a business is one of those cases where the risk/return can make a lot of sense. There often is a lot more upside potential in a business venture than any car (cobbled up or not).

...

OK I went over there today and got some more (and better) pictures and asked several questions.

He wrote a list of the things he's done to the car since he's had it.

-new calipers, front and rear
-new steel braided brake lines
-new brake fluid
-flush gas tank
-rebuild alternator/new belt
-replace/add new shifter bushings
-replace shifter coupling
-install short shift kit
-convert saddle battery system to 1 battery

He told me the engine was replaced back in the mid-80s by the PO (a sentator apparently) when he was having the Divatar(sp?) heads put on.

He told me and showed me that all the floor pans are rust-free, the front and interior has the original paint. It has been repainted once in the original color, but it was poorly done and as a result could use a new paint job.

Here's what you all have been waiting for: the VIN #. First of all I'll tell you that the numbers match. And here it is:

VIN # 9113201346

It has factory original carrera flares. Also the 3.0 engine is a stock engine from an 83 car (assuming it's an SC) with a turbo bolt-on kit. The engine came from a car that was 6 months old but had been totalled, but the engine was fully usable and the car has 54,000 original miles on it.

He told me it has sat most of its life, when he got it, he had to completely flush the gas lines as it wasn't driveable from sitting. He says one reason he's selling it is that he doesn't want to get in a wreck in it, especially as it's a classic car and soon-to-be antique.

He also told me that it stays in his bay at the gas station and he rarely drives it, usually once a month or so. He says it could be a daily driver, but he would prefer it not to be, as it's so old.

Trying to think what else he told me...he said that he was going to have it painted properly, ie, everything stripped out, all glass removed and the rear window seals replaced.

As for the dent in the deck lid, he said it was like that when he got it, somebody must've bumped it in the driveway (I'm thinking more like someone got rear-ended and did a cheap and crappy job of repairing it).

The biggest issue he said was the passenger top corner of the front windshield is coming apart from the car, and it would need to be replaced and resealed (the metal is separating from the body).

I also noticed that the non-original Recaro drivers seat was torn pretty badly in a couple of places on the side, so I'm guessing it would need to be recovered.

Now for the bad news. He told me that I (or anyone else) couldn't take it anywhere to have a PPI done. He said that he wouldn't let me drive it until I had paid for it, and that it wouldn't be leaving the station (or his sight) until it had been sold.

Having said that, he told me that he'd be glad to show it to anyone who was interested and he'd stick it on a lift for pictures and a closer look. He assured me that the underbody/carriage was rust-free, and that the rust that was visible was repairable. He said the only way to tell how much rust it has is to strip it down to the bare metal to see.

Anyway, after all that, here are the pics I took. Due to time constraints, I didn't get him to put it on a lift for me but I did try to get a few pics of the underbody, well, as best I could.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018290.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018327.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018362.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018469.jpg

under the front mat...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018627.jpg
that bothersome rust spot again
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018674.jpg
edge of the decklid
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018719.jpg
under the carpet in the front
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018766.jpg
rear lenses have seen better days... http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018808.jpg
as has the front quarter panel...but that might be fixed with stripping and new paint http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172018885.jpg

Well, at least it's a 73 E, one of the last ones built with production going to 1366.

was the front bumper glass or steel?

anyway, any 911 with a Napa oil filter...with an owner who won't let it go for a PPI...



run, Forrest, run.

a good $6,000 car for someone with a lot of time and money to put into it.

attempts at an underbody pic from the rear...not much to see but thought I'd throw it up here anyway...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172019013.jpg

He also said that the car has never given him any trouble, mechanical, or otherwise, since he's owned it. The engine has run fine.

Those neat Recaro seats
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172019083.jpg

few more engine pics http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172019143.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172019184.jpg

I'll try to get more/better pics tomorrow. Any suggestions of where else I should shoot? Other than the underbody on a lift, of course...

Also, I felt under the rocker panels and sides of the car and it felt dirty but not rusty. But then I didn't have a flashlight and wasn't able to stick my head under there to tell for sure.