Long Overdue Introduction of Me and 911SC

[mercury26]

I have been posting here for a few months during my search for my car and after I acquired the car with technical questions (and WTB requests). I meant to post this sooner, but having too much fun driving and working on my car. About me, I am located in the Denver Colorado area (actually half way between Denver and Boulder). I have always been into German cars specifically VW (owned 8 models), Audi (owned 2 models), BMW (owned 2 models, still have one) and Porsche (but not a Mercedes guy). Except for owning a Jeep very briefly when I was 19y/o, I have always owned a German car nothing better for the driving experience.

Recently, I finished a restoration of a 1985 BMW 535i (E28) that involved rebuilding the engine (did myself), repaint (pro painter) and replacing every hose, screw, gasket, etc with new OEM parts. I sold the car and decided to move on to my long time love a Porsche 911. My search involved looking for a SC or Carrera, though I love the older models (especially wanted a 1972, year I was born but had more concerns with the older model). The car is meant to be my Spring, Summer, Fall daily driver as weather permits.

I drove a number of local cars but did not find anything that met my requirements. Spoke with a few folks from Pelican and Rennlist on cars for sale, but still nothing really met my requirements. I found a car on Ebay being sold out of Arizona. The car was being sold by a dealer there and had a lot of records. Looked good, had a good description and liked the color. Negotiated a price pre-PPI which I should NOT have done. My basic premise was to get a car that needed some TLC but did not require me to drop a bunch of cash into right away.

Car is a 1982 SC Coupe with White exterior Brown interior, pics as bottom of the thread. The car has 175,000 miles on it and fairly clean.

The PPI (pre-purchase) was completed by a reputable Phoenix area Porsched shop and found a number of typical issues:

• Transmission 1st Gear Syncro Gone
• A/C was not working, needed charge
• No Pop-off valve
• Door damage around door stops
• A/C was not working, needed charge
• Tires and belts dry-rotted, need replaced
• Side mirrors not working
• Antenna not working
• Windshield washers not working
• Warping coverlay on dash

Nothing on the list really scared me, as it is a 30 year old car. Overall I was told the car was an above average car and ran very well. Leakdown numbers came back and looked really good. I then decided to move ahead with the purchase of the car, as I already had provide a (non-refundable) deposit. My plan was to fly to Phoenix and drive the car back. The seller really waffled on this and persuaded me to ship the car. So I ended up shipping the car at a reasonable rate, but felt a bit off about the push for shipping. One thought was that he might be concerned that I would back out of the purchase.

The car arrived within a couple days of payment and being shipped. Car starts right up and pull it off the carrier. Go over the car to get a feel for it in person, a few things that I found on initial inspection.

• Wheel locks, but no keys
• Rocker panels and rear lower valence has a lot of paint cracking
• Big chip/hole in the passenger side H4 lens (maybe happened during shipping)
• Fog lights do not work
• Lots of overspray during repaint (cables between body and door, gas overflow boot, etc)
• Color change from Chiffon White to "Porsche Bright White" (according to records), though color looks to be a Grand Prix or Carrera White.
• A ton (serious amount) of black silicone/RTV all over the engine. Oil return tubes, cylinder to case mating area, etc.

Based on the suggestion from the (pre) PPI shop, decided to get a (post) PPI done in the Denver area. Took the car for a PPI, also decided to get tune-up/valve adjustment, pop-off valve installed, transmission fluid leak, remove short-shifter, wheel lock removal and a general assessment of the car.

Here is the what (post) PPI found:

• Found all the (pre) PPI issues
• Broken head stud on Exhaust side (not good and a surprise)
• Door stops installed backwards (which I fixed, including re-enforcement plates)
• Second Gear Syncro on the way out
• Clutch cable in terrible condition (replaced at Denver shop)

After the (post) PPI is complete, they ask me if I want them to do the Engine and Transmission rebuild. I decide to pass, as I will take care of this later. I have a baby on the way (second kid) and decide to drive the car through the summer. I have been working on the car and found more areas of attention on the car.

I decided to install an Odyssey battery since I am not a fan of the classic non-sealed batteries that can leak. So I pull the old battery out, what do I find? The battery tray (front part) is completely rotted away. From my perspective, this issue takes precedence and is being addressed right now. I dropped the car off at the local autobody shop that specializes in German cars, so I know it is in good hands. I am waiting to hear how far the rot goes, hoping not to the suspension pan.

Also found some corrosion around the passenger side fender, where the seal meets the cowl. I will clean this up over the winter and put in new seals. Also, found that some had glued a new hood seal on to the remains of the old hood seal. No real corrosion there, but it need to be addressed at it is a sloppy mess. Also, want to clean out all the old adhesive for the door seals and glue in my new door seals.

My goal is to most of the work myself, no stranger to working on cars. Though with a baby on the way (second kid) this Fall, I might farm out the engine work (replace head studs). So I will have plenty of questions out to this group on various projects as I dig more deeply into the car.

Overall, I love the car but get frustrated with all the things that I am finding. Very happy (and feel privileged) to own a 911, so no shortness of gratitude here. The car is a blast to drive and look forward to getting the car properly sorted. Though it is very interesting, what both the pre- and post- PPIs did not find. I probably would have done some things different, but no sense dwelling on the past. Definitely excited to continue to work on this car and make it a very nice example of a 1980's Porsche.

Once again, welcome to be on the board and member of the community. Hope to meet some folks in person some day soon.






Regards,

Chuck

[GH85Carrera]

Nice looking car!

I love Grand Prix White!

[rgoodrich]

Love the white car!

[will hung]

Welcome. Ownership can be frustrating at times, but when it all gets sorted, it's very much worth it.

[Josh D]

Nice looking coupe! Who was the Phoenix dealer if you don't mind my asking?

[Christien]

Did you ask your first PPI shop to check for broken head studs? I would think that would be #1 on the PPI list for an SC. Even still, if you got it for a good price, then you're still ahead of the game. You've probably heard the saying before, they're all $20,000 cars.

Congrats on the purchase!

[wgerow]

Nice looking car. White looks sharp. Best of luck getting it sorted.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for it? Just curious. I have a similar car with similar miles, recent purchase. Dont answer if you aren't comfortable saying. Thx

[ctcranor]

Chuck,

Nice to meet another new member/owner. I just picked up an 80 with an 86 3.2 engine upgrade....am I an SC or a Carrera???? I'm in Westminster (Lowell and 120th area). There are 3 or 4 of us over here, you should join us for Cars and Coffee first Saturday of each month.

Chris

[mikeferg75]

Nice looking SC, bummer about the missed PPI issues...

Bring it out to Coffee and Cars next month

[mercury26]

Originally Posted by Josh D

Nice looking coupe! Who was the Phoenix dealer if you don't mind my asking?

I will PM you. The dealer seems to sell a lot of used Porsches, as my Ebay search gets new postings from the seller all the time.

Also, I do not want to imply that the seller/dealer purposely misled or deceived me. I guess that want to warn other prospective buyers to very thorough on the process.

[mercury26]

Originally Posted by mikeferg75

Nice looking SC, bummer about the missed PPI issues...

Bring it out to Coffee and Cars next month

I have been planning on going to the Coffee and Cars. My car is in the shop getting the battery tray corrosion resolved. If I have it back in time, then I will be there.

[mercury26]

Originally Posted by ctcranor

Chuck,

Nice to meet another new member/owner. I just picked up an 80 with an 86 3.2 engine upgrade....am I an SC or a Carrera???? I'm in Westminster (Lowell and 120th area). There are 3 or 4 of us over here, you should join us for Cars and Coffee first Saturday of each month.

Chris

My 911 is a SC. It would be great to meet some people in the neighborhood. I am right off 120th myself.

[mercury26]

Originally Posted by Christien

Did you ask your first PPI shop to check for broken head studs? I would think that would be #1 on the PPI list for an SC. Even still, if you got it for a good price, then you're still ahead of the game. You've probably heard the saying before, they're all $20,000 cars.

Congrats on the purchase!

Thanks for the congrats. Very excited to member of the club. On the PPI, I guess that I naively thought they would and had checked for broken head studs. Members on the board recommended the shop for a PPI and they seemed to be thorough. I won't put the complete blame on them, as I should have been more diligent in my request.

If I had negotiated on the price on the head stud issue, then I would be be at the $20,000 car mark. I agree and had budget to meet that price point. A number of the small items which might have been spotted and allowed for price negotiation would have gotten me close to the mark. I am not blaming anyone but myself.

My word of caution to new buyers is be very diligent and explicit on PPIs. It does pay to be thorough in the step of the purchase.

Issues will get resolved and my goal is have a very nice 911. I have no problem investing my money to make things right.

Regards,

Chuck

[HFDesignworks]

Congratulations on the Porsche! I just picked up a 1983 for use as a track day toy and live up the road from you as well. Hopefully I can make it out to cars and coffee next month too.

-Scott

[will hung]

Congratulations on the purchase. I've been so busy trying to get mine sorted that I haven't been able to write up a proper introduction thread. Congratulations again. Love white 911's.

[Marko911/944]

Originally Posted by mercury26

I have been posting here for a few months during my search for my car and after I acquired the car with technical questions (and WTB requests). I meant to post this sooner, but having too much fun driving and working on my car. About me, I am located in the Denver Colorado area (actually half way between Denver and Boulder). I have always been into German cars specifically VW (owned 8 models), Audi (owned 2 models), BMW (owned 2 models, still have one) and Porsche (but not a Mercedes guy). Except for owning a Jeep very briefly when I was 19y/o, I have always owned a German car nothing better for the driving experience.

Recently, I finished a restoration of a 1985 BMW 535i (E28) that involved rebuilding the engine (did myself), repaint (pro painter) and replacing every hose, screw, gasket, etc with new OEM parts. I sold the car and decided to move on to my long time love a Porsche 911. My search involved looking for a SC or Carrera, though I love the older models (especially wanted a 1972, year I was born but had more concerns with the older model). The car is meant to be my Spring, Summer, Fall daily driver as weather permits.

I drove a number of local cars but did not find anything that met my requirements. Spoke with a few folks from Pelican and Rennlist on cars for sale, but still nothing really met my requirements. I found a car on Ebay being sold out of Arizona. The car was being sold by a dealer there and had a lot of records. Looked good, had a good description and liked the color. Negotiated a price pre-PPI which I should NOT have done. My basic premise was to get a car that needed some TLC but did not require me to drop a bunch of cash into right away.

Car is a 1982 SC Coupe with White exterior Brown interior, pics as bottom of the thread. The car has 175,000 miles on it and fairly clean.

The PPI (pre-purchase) was completed by a reputable Phoenix area Porsched shop and found a number of typical issues:

• Transmission 1st Gear Syncro Gone
• A/C was not working, needed charge
• No Pop-off valve
• Door damage around door stops
• A/C was not working, needed charge
• Tires and belts dry-rotted, need replaced
• Side mirrors not working
• Antenna not working
• Windshield washers not working
• Warping coverlay on dash

Nothing on the list really scared me, as it is a 30 year old car. Overall I was told the car was an above average car and ran very well. Leakdown numbers came back and looked really good. I then decided to move ahead with the purchase of the car, as I already had provide a (non-refundable) deposit. My plan was to fly to Phoenix and drive the car back. The seller really waffled on this and persuaded me to ship the car. So I ended up shipping the car at a reasonable rate, but felt a bit off about the push for shipping. One thought was that he might be concerned that I would back out of the purchase.

The car arrived within a couple days of payment and being shipped. Car starts right up and pull it off the carrier. Go over the car to get a feel for it in person, a few things that I found on initial inspection.

• Wheel locks, but no keys
• Rocker panels and rear lower valence has a lot of paint cracking
• Big chip/hole in the passenger side H4 lens (maybe happened during shipping)
• Fog lights do not work
• Lots of overspray during repaint (cables between body and door, gas overflow boot, etc)
• Color change from Chiffon White to "Porsche Bright White" (according to records), though color looks to be a Grand Prix or Carrera White.
• A ton (serious amount) of black silicone/RTV all over the engine. Oil return tubes, cylinder to case mating area, etc.

Based on the suggestion from the (pre) PPI shop, decided to get a (post) PPI done in the Denver area. Took the car for a PPI, also decided to get tune-up/valve adjustment, pop-off valve installed, transmission fluid leak, remove short-shifter, wheel lock removal and a general assessment of the car.

Here is the what (post) PPI found:

• Found all the (pre) PPI issues
• Broken head stud on Exhaust side (not good and a surprise)
• Door stops installed backwards (which I fixed, including re-enforcement plates)
• Second Gear Syncro on the way out
• Clutch cable in terrible condition (replaced at Denver shop)

After the (post) PPI is complete, they ask me if I want them to do the Engine and Transmission rebuild. I decide to pass, as I will take care of this later. I have a baby on the way (second kid) and decide to drive the car through the summer. I have been working on the car and found more areas of attention on the car.

I decided to install an Odyssey battery since I am not a fan of the classic non-sealed batteries that can leak. So I pull the old battery out, what do I find? The battery tray (front part) is completely rotted away. From my perspective, this issue takes precedence and is being addressed right now. I dropped the car off at the local autobody shop that specializes in German cars, so I know it is in good hands. I am waiting to hear how far the rot goes, hoping not to the suspension pan.

Also found some corrosion around the passenger side fender, where the seal meets the cowl. I will clean this up over the winter and put in new seals. Also, found that some had glued a new hood seal on to the remains of the old hood seal. No real corrosion there, but it need to be addressed at it is a sloppy mess. Also, want to clean out all the old adhesive for the door seals and glue in my new door seals.

My goal is to most of the work myself, no stranger to working on cars. Though with a baby on the way (second kid) this Fall, I might farm out the engine work (replace head studs). So I will have plenty of questions out to this group on various projects as I dig more deeply into the car.

Overall, I love the car but get frustrated with all the things that I am finding. Very happy (and feel privileged) to own a 911, so no shortness of gratitude here. The car is a blast to drive and look forward to getting the car properly sorted. Though it is very interesting, what both the pre- and post- PPIs did not find. I probably would have done some things different, but no sense dwelling on the past. Definitely excited to continue to work on this car and make it a very nice example of a 1980's Porsche.

Once again, welcome to be on the board and member of the community. Hope to meet some folks in person some day soon.






Regards,

Chuck

Great looking car. I can see why you bought it from only pictures. I've heard horror stories about car bought online. Your car sounds like a 911 that was driven, like they all should be. My 83' SC Cabriolet and I are in Littleton. again great looking car!

[Josh D]

Originally Posted by mercury26

I will PM you. The dealer seems to sell a lot of used Porsches, as my Ebay search gets new postings from the seller all the time.

Also, I do not want to imply that the seller/dealer purposely misled or deceived me. I guess that want to warn other prospective buyers to very thorough on the process.

I was curious if we bought from the same guy.

[ScottT80]

Nice looking car! Sorry to hear about the issues you had with it and the PPI. I've had a couple of e28's and love them also... just recently bought my SC earlier this year.