Yet another 'What's this SC worth?' thread
 

I test drove a black/black '83 SC coupe yesterday and I'm thinking about scheduling a PPI and, possibly, making an offer on it.

The car had some cosmetic issues, as most 26 year old cars do. The headliner was torn, but the seller has purchased a new one (he hasn't had it installed yet.) The storage bins on the door could probably use replacing and the lids were warped from people leaning on them all these years. The leather on the sport steering wheel was starting to come un-stitched. The standard leather seats were in excellent condition, however, without any rips/tears. The dash appeared to be in good shape without any cracks or warps.

On the exterior, there was the usual array of stone chips and a few parking dings here and there. There appeared to be some minor paint oxidation on one of the rear quarter panels, but I think some chemical cleaner and a good polish might rectify that. The Fuchs were in ok shape, but could probably use a refinishing at some point. At some point it looked like a battery may have leaked acid into the battery tray and there may be some corrosion there. I couldn't get a good look there without removing the battery, however.

Mechanically, the car seemed good but a PPI would tell the whole story there. The gearbox shifted well and the clutch felt good (it has been replaced fairly recently). Carrera chain tensioners have been installed. I spoke to the mechanic that maintains the car and he recently checked for pulled/broken head studs and found none. Mileage is 140K. Records from the last 10 years, but nothing much before that. The car has lived its life in California so there was no obvious signs of rust that I could see. Carfax is clean, FWIW (although it only had records back to 1992).

What does the group think a fair price for this car might be, assuming there are no big surprises unearthed by a thorough PPI?

I'll go out on a limb and say the owner would like to get 16 and you would like to pay 13 if all is good with the engine.

That is an $8k car. He hasn't replaced the headliner because it is a PIA to do so. There are lots better cars out there you can buy.

WHY DONT YOU BUY MY WIDEBODY ....GREAT SHAPE.SmileWavy:D....PLEASE SEE 79 WIDE BODY

PM sent.

Care to elaborate on why you think it's worth so little? This is the Bay Area as well, so everything is priced a bit higher than other parts of the country.

Because when you start to push 10K or more, you can buy nice 84 or 85 Carreras with less miles.

8K may be realistic for a sale price, but I think he can get a little more than that. I think it would be hard to get more than 10K though.

If you're going to listen to these guys, then you'll conclude that a brief drive south will place you in a region where mint-condition 911's are free. My SC had a rebuilt engine and transmission and rebuilt suspension and when it was totaled, many Pelicanheads thought $9K was fair.

I think one with a documented rebuild is of course worth more.

But from the sounds of this car, I'm guessing no rebuild on the engine or transmission, original shocks and suspension bushings, etc. (He has 10 years of records and makes no mention of any of those things).

It sounds like a car that hasn't been abused, but is simply used 140,000 miles and worn out in many areas.

I bought an 83 SC about a month ago. Assuming the one you're looking at is a coupe, mine was pretty much the same condition. I paid $16500 for it. It did have EVERY record of any work ever done to the car. Rebuilt 1st and 2nd, new oil lines, injectors, to mention a few recent repairs. No rebuild work on the engine though. It got the "thumbs up" from the place doing the PPI with good compression numbers. (that's a whole different story. Remember, a PPI is only as good as the place doing it). The only thing I've done to the car that was needed was to replace the voltage regulator and fixed the sunroof. There are a few things that still should be done but aren't essential. I don't think you're going to find a car that is 28 years old that is in perfect working order. And if you do, you sure as hell aren't gonna get it for $8K.
I found that they're are "better" cars and better prices on the west coast for the most part. I live on the east coast and they're aren't as many clean cars here, or that many cars for sale either. I guess the west coast is a more favorable environment for these cars (weather, etc...). I decided it was easier to pay more for a car that I could see, drive, schedule a PPI for and pick up rather than trying to do things long distance and transporting cross country. I think $14-15K is a reasonable price based on what I've seen, but I don't know anything.
Good luck. :)

Hmm, not in my experience, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

Yes, it is a coupe. I forgot to mention that in my original post.

Your assessment is accurate. No engine/transmission rebuilds, original suspension, etc. Used but apparently not abused.

Again, not knowing anything, it seems coupes do tend to get a little more than the targas and cabs.

As a buyer, I'd love them to be right :D But I'm not seeing anything decent at all for under $10K. Most with the condition/mileage of the '83 SC I saw are in the $13-$15K asking region. Again, that's Bay Area pricing which may be out of whack with the rest of the country, but I seem to be seeing similar pricing in other states as well.

Agreed. I saw an '86 targa, similar mileage to the SC, with a rebuilt top end (but inferior condition of the interior) for $1K more than the asking price of the SC. But I'd really prefer a coupe.

Full documented maintenance records bring extra $. Targas sell for less than coupes. Bodywork is cheaper than motor and trans work. A PPI done by someone who knows air-cooled is a must before guessing what it is worth. August Excellence show the car to be $17k for so-so condition that that sounds high to me. The June issue has a sales report of an `84 in excellent condition with some upgrades and 98K selling for 16.5k (which sounds like a deal). Get a PPI and price out the cost of repairs (some of those "little things" may surprise you).

Says who? Show me a decent Carrera for sale for $10K. I got my Targa (with high miles) for 13.5K and a well-known So.Cal mechanic thought I must've put a gun to the sellers' head. I didn't, of course ;)

I bought a very nice '87 Carrera, with less than 90K miles on it, for $12.5K last year.

I'm not sure I could buy an '87 roller around here for that price :D Your car is definitely an exception, rather than the rule.