1973 911S questions

I've found a 1973 911S Targa for sale with 55,000 miles, and supposed to be in all original condition. Before I go to look at it, I would like to get an idea on what things I would need to do if I bought the car...I know there will be a lot : )

According to the owner, the 73 S has:
Never been restored, engine and trans have never been rebuilt, has original paint, does have rust under windshield and in driver's door jam (on post, but not real bad yet), does not have any structural rust problems, does have AC, Leather int. looks decent although either is dirty or leather is worn, last registered in 87 (divorce issues), has not had any real maintenance in several years but hasn't been driven much at all, it supposedly runs strong and mechanically is in good shape.

If the car was in good running condition, what would I have to do mechanically, if I were to buy this car? (I do intend on having the car checked out before making any decision!)
I have a 1970 911T so I'm aware of the tensioner and rust issues (On my 1970 911T I did the tensioners, carb clean/rebuild, master cylinder, plugs, wires, targa top and seals, and the distributor was upgraded)

Also, what kind of price range would this fall into (roughly)? I would have to say that from the pic's that this car is in good to very good condition considering it has never been restored, but the rust and the fact that it has sat for quite awhile do have me concerned.

Thanks!
Dan

I saw a similar described car on Ebay
in New Jersey. Aside from the engine/trans
I would run away from what I saw. The leather sport seats are probably only
good for a core. It looked like parting
out stuff.
A good MFI S 2.4 engine is worth a pretty
amount (6-8K). HTH.

Dan,

In general over the short term, I would be concerned about carbon from the combustion chamber flaking off in large chunks, and posibly getting trapped under some of the exhaust valves! Ask the owner if the engine has been run recently with Tochron ... if there was ever a need for an extra-strong load of cleaner additive, this would be the time, for several tankfuls!

Some things to think about within 20K miles, are a top-end rebuild for mainly valve-guide wear 'issues' ... there are not many other major concerns for reliability problems, though exhaust system rust may be a concern, depending on how the car was stored. Does the car have an external front-fender oil cooler? Targas did not have them standard, though an optional one could be had for $180! I feel they are necessary for high speed driving on the highway or track. Any '73 or later system, used, can be retrofitted with 100% bolt-on compatibility, and the later, Carrera system with fan is preferable!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

I'd be very worried about the rust issues. If it has rust in the door posts and windshield, odds are good that it has also spread to the floor pans, longitudinals, front pan/trunk, under the targa bar, etc. This can of course (usually) be fixed, but it involves an expensive and time-consuming total disassembly of the car, a lot of welding, repaint, and reassembly. $$$$.

IF the engine and trans really only has that many miles, possible if it was basically stored for 13 years, they are probably OK with basic freshening and TLC such as fuel lines, etc.

The brakes will be shot, you probably would have to clean/seal the gas tank, new tires, etc. again if it's really been sitting 13 years then a LOT of stuff will have rotted.

Could be a nice find though...check it out!

The car sounds interesting to me so if you pass on it would you mind letting me know how to get in contact with the seller.

I checked eBay and could not find a similar car.