panorama article re. 74-77 911s

[nynor]

did anyone else see this article? especially the part where they state that it is entirely possible to buy a good 1974 - 1977 911 for under $10k? i blew coffee out my nose when i read it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I bought mine for less than that.

I dunno if I'd call it "good" when I bought it (it does have some issues I'm sorting out) but it certainly wasn't a "bad" one either. It came with an "S" engine, early turbo tail, steel SC flares & torsion bars, yada yada. Certainly could've done worse I guess...

Mid-year 911s go for anywhere betwen $8.5k-$15k depending. Mine just happened to be a cheap one and a good deal. Sometimes you get lucky I guess. Seeing them for around or even under $10k is not uncommon.

[porsche4life]

There has been a slick 75 targa s on the local CL for about 12,500 for close to two months now. Fresh rebuild motor and all. I dont have the change but I have been trying to talk my dad into it. Its soooo nice.

[nynor]

i have yet to see one that i would buy that was less than $10k. all of them i have seen that were less than that were "projects".

[therotman]

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1022431165.html

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by nynor

i have yet to see one that i would buy that was less than $10k. all of them i have seen that were less than that were "projects".

Open mouth insert foot.

[nynor]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Open mouth insert foot.

not really. what does the interior look like? how is the body? is it a "good" example? the description leaves almost everything unsaid. this one sounds like a project.

open your mouth and insert foot.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Define "good"

Some work needed? How much is "some"? Hell, ANY car can be considered "good" to the right person, and could be considered a "project" by the right person. It's kinda' subjective. Did the article get into what specific criteria they were using to determine what made it "good"?

[onewhippedpuppy]

It's hard to find a 20+ year old car that doesn't need any work. Those that do are called show cars. I've seen plenty of the 74-77 911s for under $10k that would make good drivers. To me, good driver = rebuilt or properly updated healthy engine, good transmission, clean and complete interior, decent paint and solid body, and everything in good working condition.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by nynor

i have yet to see one that i would buy that was less than $10k. all of them i have seen that were less than that were "projects".

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When my '83 SC got wrecked, the insurance company valued it at around $9K. This car had a rebuilt engine (new valves, guides, rings, bearings, blah blah) freshened transmission (by John Walker) new shocks new suspension bushings, alignment and corner balance, good brakes. The majority here seemed to think I got a good deal. I still disagree.

[nynor]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Define "good"

Some work needed? How much is "some"? Hell, ANY car can be considered "good" to the right person, and could be considered a "project" by the right person. It's kinda' subjective. Did the article get into what specific criteria they were using to determine what made it "good"?

you should read the article.

[nynor]

ok, i am going to supply some quick quotes. i'll prolly get sued by the porsche folks....

"For the most part, they aren't collectible." so we aren't talking about show cars, here.

"They are, in sum, a dirt cheap way to enjoy one of the greatest cars ever made." a dirt cheap porsche? yeah right.

"We'll set our budget at no more than $10,000, yet with some luck and hard work, it's possible to find one at thousands less. Pick a good one, and you'll be shocked at how good it is." i think they meant to write $20,000. thousands less? pshaw.

"Stay away from any example with serious rust or in need of an engine overhaul..." sound advice.

It is quite possible with some careful shopping to own one of these great cars for under $10,000." i agree, but how much time/money will it take to make it reliable and presentable? i would budget at least $14K, considering the examples i see listed for sale here, locally, and on craigslist.org.

"Choose your Porsche with care and these 911s bring the chance for maximum enjoyment at minimum expense." i am questioning their definition of 'minimum expense'.

don't get me wrong, i'd love to have one of these and it wouldn't need to be concours. however, a rat's nest wiring harness, rust, ripped seats, crappy paint, mechanical issues of any kind that would make the car unreliable/unsafe, are a deal breaker for me.

[azasadny]

Nice article. It's about time us "middies" got some respect!

[red-beard]

I bought one for $2300. The engine needed rebuilding, but it ended up getting donated to a 914-6 project. I ended up selling the roller for more than that, as it was in 1/2 decent condition.

[exc911ence]

I bought a 75 911S for $12500 back in 2003 that came with $14K of receipts for a recent engine rebuild and suspension upgrades. The car was rust free but the paint was getting dull and was checking on the hood and engine cover. The interior needing detailing and it had a set of Recaro buckets in place of the factory high backs but was otherwise complete.



This was a great car, especially for the money!

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by therotman

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1022431165.html

The red fan screams "motor meister Rebuild", so you would still need a rebuild on that one!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Anything that says "motor meister" means, "add $15,000 to the price".

[herr_oberst]

I had some extra time this morning so I did a search on craigslist for >10000 Porsche 911 at a 400 mile radius, found this one:

Heck, I'd go take a peek if I was looking.

(no affilitation, just poking around on the web)

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/1047720944.html

[speeder]

Originally Posted by nynor

"We'll set our budget at no more than $10,000, yet with some luck and hard work, it's possible to find one at thousands less. Pick a good one, and you'll be shocked at how good it is." i think they meant to write $20,000. thousands less? pshaw.

What'r you smoking there Pal? No there's no such thing as a $20k mid-year car. Great SCs are $5-6k less than that. I sold my SC for $14k when the economy was one hell of a lot better than it is now, ('04), and it had $10k worth of fresh work and parts on it. And no, I could not have gotten more for it. It was marketed properly and only (1) real buyer with American money in hand came forward. It was an outstanding car, maybe the best SC on this board if not for stone chips. Perfect rebuilt 915 ltd. slip, perfect 7/8s, Bilstein sports, Carrera sways and axles, fresh documented rebuild w/ no expense spared, (and no red fan), , gorgeous color, etc., etc... I paid $10k for it with broken studs.

I sold a nice '74 no-sunroof coupe in a nice color w/ clean interior for a friend in about '05 for $7k. he had been trying to sell it forever and did not know what he was doing. I sold it right away, the price was right but not a give-away. It had a decent rebuild but no documentation, so $7k it was.

If anything, old sports cars are getting cheaper by the day right now, along with everything else. I doubt I could sell my high-miles 996 for more than $12k right now.

Here is the ad for my SC:

'82 911SC coupe:

Can't find a clean shot of the '74, but it's in the BG of this pic and it was a clean/dry/straight SoCal car:

[porsche4life]

I would like to point out 2 things.
1. Not everyone that lists something on CL is an incompetent a** that treats the car like crap.
2. Just because someone isnt a member of a forum doesnt mean they cant maintain a car.

Yeesh kinda an elitest attitude from some of you.