'76 911s with replaced roof

[nellis003]

Hi all,

I just joined the forum and this is my first post. I joined because I'm considering buying my first Porsche, and since it's a project I figure I better learn as much as I can about these cars before I dive in.

I'm looking at a 1976 911s that a local guy is advertising for $3000. The engine is out of the car and completely apart, but that doesn't worry me as I'm pretty familiar with engine work.

What concerns me is that while the car looks relatively rust free (some surface rust in areas where the paint is chipped), there are obvious welds on the posts between the front windshield and the side windows. There's also evidence of body work between the rear windshield and the side windows.

I asked the current owner about it, and although he claims to have owned the car since '87, he didn't know exactly what the story was. He says he thinks the roof was replaced at some point.

Any opinions on this? The car looks very solid otherwise, and I think it would be worth $3000 to have a good core to work with, but the issue with the roof throws me. Do the 911s of these years use a unibody structure? Am I asking for trouble getting myself involved with a car that's been worked on like this?

I have a good body man who can handle paint work and any cleanup on the hack body work that's been done, but I don't want to open a can of worms as far as structure goes.

Thanks for any advice and guidance. It's much appreciated.

Nick

[RWebb]

well, it sounds like it is worth at least $300

how much body work does it need? how much is the hourly rate of your body man?

will you get all the pieces for the motor and to put it in wwith? how will you know?

[nellis003]

The current owner seems very organized. He had crates that contained all the engine parts, and all the major components cylinders, pistons, heads, etc) looked to be there. He had the engine cases right there with the car, as well as the trans. I trust that the parts are all there.

As far as my body guy goes, he usually just looks the car over and gives me an estimated price on the work. He does very good work and is very reasonable. The car needs to be painted, so usually to do a full strip of the old paint, smooth out any dings, and repaint, he charges around $3000.

What concerns me is the structural implications of the roof being replaced. Considering that the rest of the body looks to be in good shape, I can't imagine that the roof was replaced due to rust. Wondering if it could have been replaced due to a different problem with the car? Does that sound possible?

Thanks,
Nick

[WoodSport]

Does it have a sunroof? If not, someone probably swapped in a solid roof for weight savings, aesthetics or whatever.

It's pretty common for someone looking to shave a few pounds to swap the top with a non-sunroof donor, especially for a track car. Personally, I prefer a car without the weight, mechanical issues and leaks associated with sunroofs.

[Mo_Gearhead]

Go over the car 'carefully' ...and use a magnet too (checking for bondo).

Chopping the entire top off a car, that has not been in a major accident, just seems very suspicious to this observer.

And yes, the Porsche design is uni-body (no frame).

[kycarguy 935]

Many people have gone the other way around too and added a sunroof to a non-sunroof car.

Check carefully around the area that shows where the welding may have taken place.

[docrodg]

Uni-body, and the roof is a critical part of the car... could have put the thing out of dimension. I would have a good mechanic look over it, and a good body man check it too, preferable with a trammel to ensure proper spec of the key dimensions. Or just run away and find another car.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I would keep looking no matter what the story is on the roof. $3,000 is way too much for this car. Do some research on "mid year" 911's before proceeding. They have their fans and well sorted can be nice cars but they are the ugly step sister of the 911 line to many and that hurts resale.

[RWebb]

3+3 = 6

so, you'd have $6,000 in the body and a motor still in pieces

you are getting close to a decent, intact SC at that point.

[nellis003]

Okay, thanks for all the input. I'm going to pass on the car. I got excited at the prospect of owning a 911 for 3 grand, but with the suspicious roof and the body work needed, I suppose it's not worth it.

If it's going to be a project car, I'll probably hold out to see if I can find a '65-73 body style that I can undertake.

Thanks again,
Nick