Low miles vs engine rust

911sc79 · 08-20-2003, 06:57 AM

I have dreamed of a Porsche for a long time and have just located a very nice 79 SC with only 21,000 miles on it. The car is very clean, does not leak oil and drives and feels like a new car. The seller is the original owner and wants to sell because of poor health.

The car has seen very little usage for the last 10 years or so. My main concern is that oil has not been changed for all those years. A friend has told me that this is potentially a big problem. He says that oil should be changed every year otherwise some rust might form in the engine. The car has been garaged in a low humidity and well ventillated area. It has been driven every 2-3 months for 30-60 minutes.

Before I go for a PPI, I would like to know if you feel that rust can be a problem. Would such a problem be normally discovered by a PPI. Is there any easy way to find out by myself if there is a problem before I go for the PPI.

Essentially I want to educate myself a bit before I ask for one and probably two PPI.

Dantilla · 08-20-2003, 07:03 AM

All of the plastic and rubber parts are about to turn into dust. If you can stomach that, sounds like a great car.

Hetmann · 08-20-2003, 09:24 AM

Assume you will have all the "old car" problems from it sitting so long. Budget for those and you might just have a gem. Be sure the mechanic you choose for your ppi checks carefully for engine problems related to old oil. You can also presume the standard SC updates (pop-off valve, oil fed tensioners) have not been done.

West · 08-20-2003, 09:54 AM

I would think alot of it would depend on the climate in which it has been stored. For example, I've seen cars that have been garaged for years on the coast, and even though they were garaged, there still rust buckets (salt air). I've bought cars from AZ. that sat for years and were in very good condition. Where's the car located?