buying help

nineball · 02:53 PM

here are the cliff notes versions:

78 sc targa, black/black, 137k, complete engine rebuild 10k ago, trans updated, tons of (expensive) service history, newly covered front seats, interior in average+ shape, new brakes, 2 new tires, misc other updates over the past 5 years. the bad parts... it needs some bubbling rust under paint repairs and one other 3" round area on the rear fender, the rear parcel shelf is cracked at the speaker holes, could do with new carpet, was told it eats about a 1/2 qt every 600 miles during a trip from la to ny (recently completed as the seller moved and drove it home) which surprised me on such a fresh rebuild. motivated seller, advertised at $11k and willing to negotiate.

82 sc targa, red/black, 125k, complete engine rebuild 3k ago, decent amount of history. carpet need replacing, front seats are pretty cracked, hood has a small volcano from closing it on something and the paint is cracked, small rust spot on fender at hoodline, rear valance is cracked (could be an easy fix) at exhaust, tail rubber is starting to split in a few spots, rear area of drivers side rocker is dented up - looks like someone used a jack incorrectly - so they are checking the frame just to be safe. this one has been for sale for over a year and is now at $11.5 firm.

83 sc targa, dark green/tan, 115k, (all new work done within 4yrs/4k miles) New 1st gear syncro, New 2nd gear syncro, New oil return tubes, Carrera chain tensioner upgrade, 15k mi service, Valve adjustment, New clutch disc (the rest of the clutch is good—the disc had oil on it due to a improper installation), New front and rear brakes pads, The leather on the seats, door panels and rear panel was replaced in June 1997, dash is 2 years old, paint is original, has normal chips on the front (bumper/hood areas), ding in driver's side quarter panel, paint on right side is starting to spiderweb but no bubbling or peeling anywhere on the car. advertised at $9.5 and willing to negotiate.

83 sc targa, kinda burnt orange/red with pb interior, 104k, new alternator, ignition switch, plug wires, valve adjustment, gearbox seals, good service history, no noticeable dents, dings or rust but there are the normal chips, Slight seepage from the lover valve covers and sump plate, interior is in good shape and is reported to run pretty good. listed at $10k with some room to negotiate.

so that is my dilemma. trying to decide on one to spend the cash on for a ppi as they are all located hours away (ranging 4.5 to 16). factor in about ~$600 for shipping the car to me and another ~$200-400 for a ppi.

thoughts from the experts?

thanks in advance. usually i am not one to mess around and find a car i like and buy it quickly but this time making a decision is really hard.

scotricker · 07-09-2009, 03:23 PM

I'm not exactly an expert, but.... I'd look at both the 83's. they sound less rusty, and the prices are good. The rust spots on the 78 scare me, and the general body abuse on the 82 is not appealing, so the 83's it is. Then decide which one looks the coolest, and get that one.

gtihop · gtihop's Garage

I'd look at the green 83. Many upgrades already done. Be sure to remove lower valve covers and check the head studs. Costly mistake if you don't!! Good luck and if it's good, drive it home!! Make sure the targa roof fits well and has no wind noise.

nineball · 07-09-2009, 04:09 PM

#3 is about 2 hours away, #4 is 15.5 hours away. thinking about a road trip this weekend to look at #3. hopefully the paint will be better than worse.

Jgordon · 07-09-2009, 04:13 PM

I'd echo what's already been said. The green targa sounds like it's been tended to the best of the bunch.

What's your total budget? There will be likely 1-2k worth of stuff to take care of following purchase.

Also post pics of anything you look at, and definitely get a ppi. Good luck.

nineball · 07-09-2009, 04:43 PM

total budget would be about $15k but i would like to keep a large chunk of that for updates that it may need, like targa seals, trim pieces, carpeting, paint/body fixes, etc. once home i would have my mechanic give it a good exam and replace anything that is in need within the budget. i have been shopping in the $9-13k range for something that was solid mechanically but needed cosmetic and/or paint-body repairs. a ppi is a requirement after the last one i looked at so every car will have one including a compression/leakdown test.

fwiw here are some pics, in original posting order. they all look perfect at this size

Rrrockhound · Rrrockhound's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by nineball

total budget would be about $15k but i would like to keep a large chunk of that for updates that it may need, like targa seals, trim pieces, carpeting, paint/body fixes, etc. once home i would have my mechanic give it a good exam and replace anything that is in need within the budget. i have been shopping in the $9-13k range for something that was solid mechanically but needed cosmetic and/or paint-body repairs. a ppi is a requirement after the last one i looked at so every car will have one including a compression/leakdown test.

I would spend more up front if it meant not having to deal with carpet, seals, paint, etc. I also would probably drive the car a month or two before diving into the cosmetic fixes. Sometimes the love wears off sooner than you think. Or you may decide to upgrade.

onewhippedpuppy · 07-09-2009, 07:56 PM

Having driven #4, I'll chime in. Since #3 is close, it's definitely worth a look with all of the updates. If the paint is bad, I'd skip it and seriously consider #4. You could easily install all of those updates (and then some) for the price of a new paint job. #4 is a good solid driver with very good original cosmetics. Porsche ownership is much easier when you start with a solid foundation.

Kris, as we discussed, I think you should cross #1 and #2 off of your list. They're priced too high, and need way too much work.

deathpunk dan · 07-10-2009, 04:21 AM

Green 83...bring 8 grand with you and see what happens!

scotricker · 07-10-2009, 05:38 AM

the green one's already been lowered. (that's good) see the thread on proper "stance".

nineball · 07-10-2009, 03:54 PM

thanks for the input all.

going to look at the green one tomorrow. talked a little more with the owner and it is a little worse than he first said. the ding on the driver's side has the paint cracking and the spiderweb is at that spot. there is also another spot he said on the passenger side that has some paint bubbling. i will know more tomorrow evening.

onewhippedpuppy · 07-11-2009, 09:09 AM

Quote:

thanks for the input all.

going to look at the green one tomorrow. talked a little more with the owner and it is a little worse than he first said. the ding on the driver's side has the paint cracking and the spiderweb is at that spot. there is also another spot he said on the passenger side that has some paint bubbling. i will know more tomorrow evening.

Be very careful, paint bubbling often indicates rust. Hopefully the mechanicals are excellent.

nineball · 07-11-2009, 03:36 PM

no good. it needed a complete paint job. the entire rear quarter was spidered and the front has so many chips it looked like someone went at with with an automatic bb gun. there was more metal showing on the headlight surrounds than paint, end of the hood was the same way.

the search continues...

onewhippedpuppy · 07-11-2009, 04:56 PM

That car in Wichita is looking better and better, isn't it? Fly out and road-trip it back, there's no better way to learn your new car.