Should I buy a 911SC?

[ksluna]

Originally Posted by tirwin

I’ve owned my SC for 8 years. When I bought it I knew less than nothing. It is a totally different car since I bought it. Get in. Turn the key. Fires right up every time. So, yes, once CIS is working properly, it is a great car.

If I were in the market today, the only thing that would keep me from buying an SC is if I wanted to hot rod the motor, the SC is not a great choice. 3.2 or 3.6 is a much better starting point in that regard.

Reviving this thread because in my search for SCs I referenced this thread and wanted to ask why the 3.0 is not a great choice for hot rodding?

I've been looking at multiple threads where people have 3.0s with upgrading cams, SSIs, PMOs.

[DonNewton]

CIS doesn't lend itself to a tremendous number of modifications. Select cam lift/duration, 3.2 P/Cs, different exhaust and that's just about it. A stock 3.2 with Motronic ignition/injection system allows a different chip and myriad internal (read: expensive) modifications. The SC engine is pretty bullet-proof and you get what you see. I'm biased, I've owned my SC since new in '83, so I'm probably not the guy to talk to about this.

[tirwin]

Originally Posted by ksluna

Reviving this thread because in my search for SCs I referenced this thread and wanted to ask why the 3.0 is not a great choice for hot rodding?

I've been looking at multiple threads where people have 3.0s with upgrading cams, SSIs, PMOs.

I’ll do my best to answer a complicated question without over-simplifying the answer.

Take a bone stock 3.2 Carrera with Motronic EFI. You can drop in a Steve Wong chip and maybe a different muffler and you’re off to the races (sorry, bad pun).

There is no comparatively inexpensive option for the CIS 3.0. I’m not saying a 3.0 isn’t a great motor — it absolutely is — it’s just that from a cost perspective there isn’t much low hanging fruit. Just switching to SSIs alone isn’t cheap (in comparison).

I think a lot depends on your situation too. If you were facing an engine rebuild, that’s the time to make a call if you want to switch to carbs, EFI, or whatever... because you can select all the components like pistons, cams, etc. that work together as a system.

Several years ago I started talking to local builder Franz Blam about EFI conversions. His first comment was the pistons used in CIS motors is not a good choice for EFI. I have since talked to many others and they all more or less say the same thing.

Sure, you could do “just” an EFI conversion and ignore the piston issue, but then you’d probably want to change the cams too. And then the exhaust. And gosh ITBs look cool. It’s a slippery slope that isn’t easily avoided. If you really start adding up costs, you’re probably within spitting distance of a 3.6 swap. (But then clean 3.6 motors aren’t as easy to find as they once were.)

On the other hand, if you developed an end state plan, stuck to it and could live with doing things in stages, you could step in to some mods over time. Step 1: change exhaust, Step 2: change to ITB/EFI, Step 3: different pistons/cams when rebuild is justified, etc...

There aren’t any right or wrong answers, just more expensive and less expensive ones.

[Flojo]

There are so many cars on the road nowadays running much faster and with way more ease and comfort, that even if your vintage 911 runs 250kmh or faster, it hardly makes sense to spend aprox EUR 18.000,- for e.g. a 3.4 tuning based on a 3.2 Carrera to achieve that.

I like my 79 SC.
I refurbished the entire K-Jet including testet fuel injectors.
polished the air intakes
gave it new SSI with a DANSK sport

it runs spirited.

maybe one day I'll give it the Max&Moritz tuning to 200/210 hp...

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by ksluna

Reviving this thread because in my search for SCs I referenced this thread and wanted to ask why the 3.0 is not a great choice for hot rodding?

I've been looking at multiple threads where people have 3.0s with upgrading cams, SSIs, PMOs.

It is a great choice. The biggest problem, besides money, is meeting smog requirements in most locations.

[MichaelSJackson]

ksluna,

The 3.2 with Motronic is a much better package, than the 3.0 with CIS. The 3.0 is great for hot-rodding, because the crippled exhaust, the crippled cams and the limitations of the CIS almost demand it be hot rodded. My CIS was dependable and could get the SC to drive very nicely, but the CIS leaves too much on the table.

On the other hand, SCs are lighter and more nimble than the Carreras. So an SC with a 3.2 transplant, is a very attractive combo, in my mind. Depends upon your goals. Everyone who advocates their setup is right.

And around and around we go.

Michael S. Jackson
'78 SC w/EFI & SSIs