1983 911SC 3.0 Cabrio - About to pull the trigger, need some guidance

[kenzinger]

Hey all,

First post here and hopefully joining the ownership community soon. I'm considering purchasing a 1983 911SC Cabrio 3.0 in Kiln Metallic Red and would love some guidance on the purchase. apologies for the long post and let me know if this isn't the right forum for this type of discussion.

Some details about the car:

Current owner purchased it as a "favor" to a neighbor. The neighbor's father died leaving behind the 911 and it was just sitting in the garage. Current owner didn't find it an enjoyable daily and needs to let it go. Originally listed at $58.5k, now listed at $38.5k and is willing to let it go for $33k.

~57k actual miles, speedo shows less because it was upgraded from 85 mph to the 150 mph, documentation is available to track actual miles

Engine started right up from cold after having sat for ~6 weeks, sounded good with no knocking or any other concerning sounds. There is a minor oil leak but I understand that is to be expected.

Car is on consignment so I couldn't test drive my self but went along for the ride. Engine sounded great, suspension and steering felt tight, shifting was smooth.

No evidence of any major recent repairs, meaning cylinder head studs are original, no recent valve adjustments, or timing chain work. Most service records are from early to mid 2000s

Paint is in good condition, a few paint chips and some rash on the fenders behind the rear tires. It's believed to have had one respray in factory color and looks to have been a quality job.

Interior is all original with a rip in driver seat but generally good shape, soft top may have been replaced but is in good shape as well and is fully functional. AC works but isn't super cold, to be expected.

And here are my questions:

Is $33k a reasonable price? Any idea why the owner would list it for so much and then drop by more than $20k? Is it possible they know the head studs are broken?

I expected I will have to budget for head stud replacement and valve adjustment at a minimum. Any other big ticket items to consider? What are the symptoms and what kind of budget should I set for this? How difficult is the work to DIY?

I'm definitely not looking for a show car and I am not afraid of some mechanical work, but I want to be able to drive it and not spend all my time wrenching. I also am hoping it will hold its value so that I can care for it, enjoy it, and then pass it on to another first timer as I upgrade in the distant future.

Any insight would be hugely appreciated!

[Dpmulvan]

Have a Porsche mechanic look at it if your unsure. Hard to give honest advice from a brief description and a couple of pics. If you don’t wanna spend all your time wrenching look at something other than a classic car.

[sugarwood]

Here are some SC cab's with similar mileage
Online auction prices will always be higher than local private party sales.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-porsche-911sc-cabriolet-19/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-porsche-911sc-cabriolet-13/

[PFNog]

My guess on the price drop is that no buyers are believing the stated mileage. They listed it as 34k miles on their website and that interior looks like it has lots more than the 57k now being claimed. Unless it was left sitting in the FL sun w top down for a looong time.
Also, a repaint on a low mile car means either accident history or not such low miles. I’d walk away, but if you really want to buy it - I think the price is high. Be very cautious on this one. Get a very thorough PPI by a meticulous independent shop. Best of luck!

[kenzinger]

Originally Posted by PFNog

My guess on the price drop is that no buyers are believing the stated mileage. They listed it as 34k miles on their website and that interior looks like it has lots more than the 57k now being claimed. Unless it was left sitting in the FL sun w top down for a looong time.
Also, a repaint on a low mile car means either accident history or not such low miles. I’d walk away, but if you really want to buy it - I think the price is high. Be very cautious on this one. Get a very thorough PPI by a meticulous independent shop. Best of luck!

Thanks for the feedback! Out of curiosity, did you do an image search and check out the listing or had you seen this vehicle listed before? How were you able to determine what the interior condition looked like? In seeing it in person, aside from the rip in the drivers seat, it didn't seem to me to be in really bad shape but my daily driver is a 2001 Jeep so I might be skewed. I am not positive if there has been a repaint but the sales person suspected that there might have been. In regards to actual mileage, I don't see where 34k was listed. Did I miss that somewhere?

Here is the listing if you want to confirm. Thanks again!

[kenzinger]

Originally Posted by PFNog

My guess on the price drop is that no buyers are believing the stated mileage. They listed it as 34k miles on their website and that interior looks like it has lots more than the 57k now being claimed. Unless it was left sitting in the FL sun w top down for a looong time.
Also, a repaint on a low mile car means either accident history or not such low miles. I’d walk away, but if you really want to buy it - I think the price is high. Be very cautious on this one. Get a very thorough PPI by a meticulous independent shop. Best of luck!

Thanks for the feedback! Out of curiosity, did you do an image search and check out the listing or had you seen this vehicle listed before? How were you able to determine what the interior condition looked like? In seeing it in person, aside from the rip in the drivers seat, it didn't seem to me to be in really bad shape but my daily driver is a 2001 Jeep so I might be skewed. I am not positive if there has been a repaint but the sales person suspected that there might have been. In regards to actual mileage, I don't see where 34k was listed. Did I miss that somewhere?

Here is the listing if you want to confirm. Thanks again!