Does this car need a clutch? Need advice quick.
 

I traveled to see a SC I'm thinking of buying today. The test drive was great, but the clutch engages very close to the floor. Does that mean it needs adjustment or is it going out? The car has not had a clutch in 70k miles.

How do you tell if an SC needs a clutch any time soon?

Also, the dash lights are dim. Is that a sign of the alternator going out?

What out looking at the car, you are asking us to provide you with some advice, which is tantamount to forecasting the future.

I would suggest that if you really like the car get a PPI and make sure the mechanic doing the PPI review your concerns.

Pre Purchase Inspection, PPI.
Take the time to have it done.
You will learn more, way more than just a possible clutch adjustment or replacement. $75 bucks to adjust vs $1,500 to replace.
By the way dash lights are dim, especially 25 year old bulbs.
PPI will help you learn about this car before it becomes your problem.
Could be a great car.
Good luck,

Make sure wrench is not owner's wrench. My ppi was done by po's mechanic. This was in Santa Maria Calif. Mechanic was a former Porsche rep. Conveniently missed some stuff that over and over was on each repair order. I'm almost glad he did. I got t.l. for cheap. wouldn't have bought car if I would have known.

I am having a PPI tomorrow morning. Just looking for direction on how a person determines how worn a clutch is (it is not slipping now).

PPI is with the owners mechanic as there is no one else here in Wisconsin. This is a major worry of mine, but there are no other options close to here.

I don't think mileage has much to do with it. I had a new clutch installed on my old VW Scirocco, 6 months later I dumped the cltuch at a stop light "accidently". Took about two days to get the smell out of the car. A year later the clutch was slipping, I went to my mechanic who confirmed that my clutch was bad. I was in shock that the clutch did not last, until I remembered the night I burned my clutch.

Dave

When it is on its way out it will usually engage at the top of the travel. But, the pedal stop and the cable can both be adjusted so it is pretty hard to tell over the internet! :)

Cheers

If I can, I test a clutch by getting on the gas hard right after engaging. Even better if you can engage it from a stop going up hill. If it is bad, it will slip. If you drive the car by yourself, just stop, pull the emergency brake and try to drive off. The car should stall. If the clutch is bad, it would slip instead of stalling the engine.

Engaging early is generally not a sign for it being bad. 70k miles is a good bunch of miles on a clutch, but it can have some life left in it.

A clutch is expesnive if you pay someone to do the job. It is not that hard to do yourself, with the help of this board.

George

I think there was a suggestion by PORSCHE to test the clutch on a Porsche by starting out in second gear reving the engine and dumping the clutch if the clutch was going the engine would rev with no appreciable movement, they also stated not to do this often.

I think that this was in the 1974 owners manual.

right on ruf-porsche. Good luck trying this during a test drive with the owner next to you! ;)

George