79 911SC Should I?

OldTee · 12-30-2003, 05:30 PM

My first post. Should I buy this 79SC?
I once owned a bright yellow 1973T which I loved. Did PCA events to Summit Point, Poconos, the Glen etc. Was a lot younger then. Did a lot of maint. Zipped the engine out at the smallest excuse.
Here it is. 134,000 miles. 4,000 miles on a top. Update chain tensioners, lot of new parts. Now the bad stuff. Needs brake work, leaks like house without a roof, battery box rotted out, needs tires, painting, probably all body seals, interior a 3 or 4, air conditioner nfg, one heater fan mtr toast, parking lot damage to door. Wife is going to launch. My intent is to make it drivable, save, PCA drivers school useable. Clean up and paint, but no concours. Price is about $8K from a friend?

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

by leaks, you mean the engine? Why is it leaking after only 4K? Presumably they fixed leaks then it was out?

Also, battery box is rusted? You'll have look hard for more rust...and if you find it I'd look elsewhere.

As described it sounds like a $5K car. Rust bad. Good year though

OldTee · 12-30-2003, 05:41 PM

Engine tight, water in glove box, floor when left out. Under a tarp most of the time.

Evans, Marv · 12-30-2003, 05:51 PM

If you have water in the glove box and floor, you no doubt have water coming in from around the windshield seal - which means rust.

jmohn · jmohn's Garage

Doesn't sound like an $8K car to me, maybe not even $5K. If you want a "project" you've found one.

Jerry M
'78 SC

johnsjmc · 12-30-2003, 05:57 PM

Price seems high I just bought an 80 SC with 110 mi from Texas with top end at 100(studs) .Records back to 85 ,tensioners new tires ,brakes new headliner and dash . It needs paint ,zero rust and first gear syncro is weak but AC works(updated comp) and everything else works well Paid $9200

jrdavid68 · 12-30-2003, 05:58 PM

Sounds like a good buy car/lose friend story... Keep looking.

on-ramp · 12-30-2003, 06:00 PM

"Price is about $8K from a friend?"

He may not be too good of a friend after you pay 8K and then find out how much it's going to cost you to fix everything you mentioned.

just my opinion

onewhippedpuppy · 12-30-2003, 07:01 PM

It already sounds like you have more rust than my 70T. Keep looking, 9-10K should buy you that SC driver it sounds like you want.

12-30-2003, 07:12 PM

walk away

makaio · 12-30-2003, 07:16 PM

What Mark said. There's plenty of SC in better shape than that for pennies more.

SCVWGUY · 12-30-2003, 07:19 PM

Don't walk rrrrruuunnnnnn!

OldTee · 12-31-2003, 04:37 AM

To all that wrote I apreciate your responses. I am going to pick up the car today (not buying it yet) and will do a through inspection paying particular attention to the rust issues. I will take some pictures and repost what I find in a few days. Thanks again.

88 Club Sport · 88 Club Sport's Garage

As everyone has said, you can do better. I just picked up a 78sc with a 3.2 from an 85 in it. Leakdown at 4% and compression in the 160's in all 6. It will eventually need a repaint at which time I can add the new Aero mirrors that came with it. I paid $5750.

stealthn · 12-31-2003, 07:26 AM

Old,

If your "friend" will let you take off the headlights and look in the bucket. I think you will find it's going to cost you alot in the end.....
Don't let your enthusiasm let you make a bad choice, look at 10-12 others before making your choice.

OldTee · 01-02-2004, 06:12 AM

Re: Advice. It caused me to pause, but not to stop. I put the 911SC in my garage and began an inspection from front to back. Except for dings that broke through the paint there is no rust. Headlight buckets clean as a whistle. Water inside I think came from bad seal on doors and sun roof plus one hell-of-a snow storm this winter. Rust under battery is limited and easily repaired. It needs tires, parking breaks done, probably back brakes pads, some other stuff to pass MD inspection. I want the car so the real problem is to establish a price. I am taking it to a local Porsche shop to get a fair market value apprasial. I don't want to take advantage of a friend of 30 years and he does not want to take advantage of me. The 911 is complete, all lights work, engine top done about 2000 miles ago and he does not need the car. He owns a late model VW, two thunderbirds (one a 83 or so), a 67 Shelby (under restoration), a 356B (under restoration), and a 39 4 door Ford convertable (basket case). He is car rich and time poor. If I knew how to post pictures I would include some. I've been driving it and except for some of my first flights in a Beechcraft Travelair and Piper Comanche have I not experienced so much fun. Dumb is as dumb does, maybe I am Forrest Gump, the eternal optimist.

SCVWGUY · 01-02-2004, 06:39 AM

I would also ask the porsche shop to do a PPI on it. I would be very scared of a Porsche that has sat out in a snow strom and had water in the cab, there could be rust lurking where you don't know. I know it is exciting the thought of owning a porsche, but many people have been burned on the impulse buy.

I also would recommend not buying from a friend, not worth the grief later down the road.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

as long as you can live with finding all sorts of "issues" along the way without getting angry at your buddy, and he is happy with the price, what the heck. You only live once, and if you've got the time and money to play with it, have a go.

hard to tell without seeing pics, but if the interior is tired and the paint is rough with dings and what not, it sounds like about $6K plus or minus.

Sunroof · 01-02-2004, 08:59 AM

Keep your friend and dump the car idea...................you will regret it in the long term considering what you have to do!

Bob (another 1979 SC seeker)
73.5T

thabaer · thabaer's Garage

I think the rust that everybody has mentioned will be found when you pull up the carpet, look behind panels, change the windshield...not easy to see on the undercarriage and in the painted body panels.

If that kind of search comes up dry, it's the best year ( what, me biased ?

)