Are SC's as fun to drive as the carrera?

[andyt11]

I've been searching for a clean 84-89 coupe for a while now and being in central canada, the opportunity to drive these cars for the purpose of establishing a comparison are few and far between.

However I have managed to travel a bit (hershey this year) and have now driven three and ridden in another two. Its a good way to spend time and I'm learning which ones are good and which ones are not so good.

Until now I had ruled out the SC because quote honestly I wanted the extra few horses, however now I'm starting to think overall condition of the cars that are available is much more important.

I don't necessarily want to go that fast, (our speed limits here are all around 60mph anyway), but I do want to feel like I'm going fast and I do want a good engine note as I wind my way to 6000rpm!

Will a well sorted SC make me happy? From what I read there is not much in it performance wise and some say that low down at slower speeds the SC is even a little bit more nimble.

I don't want to start a SC v's Carrera thread, i've seen many of those already, I'm just looking for peoples thoughts on how much fun these cars are to drive. I havnt driven any SC's and I'm not so sure I will have the opportunity to before making a purchase. This will likely be a purchase made based on photos, conversations with the seller and a thorough PPI.

Any thoughts are appreciated, again though, I don't want to start a SC v's carrera thread. Just want to know if the SC, like the carrera, is also a blast and whether it makes a nice noise!

Providing I get the pop off valve and the later chain tensioners, are there any other important points to consider?

[Peter Zimmermann]

SCs are GREAT FUN!!! And a properly tuned one sure doesn't need a pop-off valve, but my opinion regarding that can be found in other threads! The SC is actually more lively and spirited, in town and the lower gears, than many 3.2 liter cars, but tends to run out of wind quicker than the Carrera above 100-110 mph. This is my dead stock '82 with only 204K miles (the original air box only lasted 192K miles and didn't blow then; I found a crack in it!)...

[Nicks911]

When I bought my SC 10 years or so ago, I looked at both Carrera's and SC's. I bought the SC because at my price point the cars I was looking at it had a better PPI than any of the Carerras. The two final contenders were an 87 Carerra with ~130K and the SC '81 that I bought with 90K. The carerra was loaded with power seats leather everything etc, the SC was more basic. From a back to back seat of the pants feel neither car felt faster than the other, but the steering in the SC was lighter and the car felt more nimble. I though the difference might be tires, but both cars were running the same brand and size. The difference between the two really wasn't that great and if the PPI for the Carerra had been more favorable I would probably still be driving that car.

I think the bigger question is would you be better off with Motronic rather than CIS over the long term with modern fuels. From what I hear the moisture in modern fuels can really do bad things to CIS, so far my CIS has been super reliable.

Nick

[Bill Verburg]

It's not so much the car as the way the car is setup and equipped.

all the bushes have to be up to snuff

the shocks have to be good, Bilstein HD or sport preferred

wheels and tires make a huge difference, 7 & 8 or 7 & 9 preferred(unless you are a track junkie where 8 & 9.5 is preferred, relatively new sporting rubber is preferred old tires get hard and not so much fun, modern high perf tires make one of the biggest differences

a good performance alignment and corner balance is mandatory.

lighter is always better, how light is up to the owner

w/ the above any of the SC/Carrera models will be a great car to own

[KNS]

This will probably turn into another SC vs Carrera thread...

I own both, an '80 SC and an '84 Carrera. The SC is does feel a little more nimble and though I'm sure they don't weigh that much more, the Carrera feels heavier. My 84 is fairly light for a Carrera, manual seats, etc.

I wish I had the 3.2 Motronic engine in the SC, then I think it would be perfect.

[brads911sc]

I have an 83 SC. Add PMO ITB's/EFI, backdate the exhaust, and you will have the best of both worlds. That is what I did...

[johnsjmc]

I've owned both . The Carrera gets better gas mileage and seemed to hold a tune longer. Both cars felt much the same on the road. I sold my 86 red Cab after it had the stereo stolen 3 times. Purchased a midnight blue SC coupe several years later.have kept that car about 12 yrs Still have the car but have transplanted a 3.6 into it . In Canada and for sale on the sale forum now

[andyt11]

Thanks for the great responses, they are exactly what I was looking for.

Once again..... this is not a SC v's Carrera thread, I' just want to know that if i have enjoyed driving carrera's, I'm probably going to enjoy driving an SC.

[glewis80SC]

Have had my 80SC for 4 years now and I love it. I chose it at the time due to budget but don't regret it one bit, more of a go cart feel to it over the Carrera in my opinion, you really can't go wrong with either car though. Get a good PPI first, then enjoy.

[nineball]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

a good performance alignment and corner balance is mandatory.

why a corner balance if it is for street use? i have read many threads about that topic and none have convinced me that my 100% street use SC needs a corner balance. can you share something that will change my mind?

Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann

SCs are GREAT FUN!!! And a properly tuned one sure doesn't need a pop-off valve, but my opinion regarding that can be found in other threads!

i look at it as cheap insurance. i have spent considerably more than $35 on many things for my car already, so for such a cheap price why not?

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by nineball

why a corner balance if it is for street use? i have read many threads about that topic and none have convinced me that my 100% street use SC needs a corner balance. can you share something that will change my mind?

Balance is everything in car handling, why would you overlook this aspect when having a proper alignment done?

[wwest]

If the SC is the Targa model then yes, YES...!!

[LWJ]

I had a similar experience to you. I looked for over two years. The Carreras in my price range seemed to be pretty ratty and neglected. I didn't see too many that I was interested in owning. Remember here: My price range- I am sorta cheap. I had gotten into my head that SC's were lesser cars. After looking and not finding, I started looking at SC's. Well, as I drove my 80 SC to work today and am ecstatic with it. I guess you know what I did.

Good luck. SC's and Carrera's are fantastic cars. Buy one that is solid and well maintained and you will be well served.
Larry

[bart1]

Originally Posted by nineball

why a corner balance if it is for street use? i have read many threads about that topic and none have convinced me that my 100% street use SC needs a corner balance. can you share something that will change my mind?

What if you are on the street in an emergency avoidance manuver? You want to have the best braking possible, right?

I look at it as cheap insurance

[tvanbroekhoven]

The Ruby Red Euro SC is mine. (I come in the picture after about 1:30 mins).

The car filming is a 987 Boxster, the others 3.2 Carrera's. Ok, my driving sucks, but my SC is plenty fast compared to the competition. So no problem there. The only performance upgrade it has are SSI's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDZD4Lxj6lg

[Forza]

Yes, an SC is every bit as fun to drive as a 3.2 Carrera. Some of us even prefer them.

[SpeedracerIndy]

I really think that the biggest determining factor in "fun to drive" is weight and drive train condition. Removing weight has such a huge effect in the way a car handles. And the condition of the suspension, tires, etc. will have just as big of an effect.

My dad has a Carrera and I have an SC. I currently have his car as we trade once in a while. Let's just say that even though his is a garage queen and in MUCH better shape than mine, I want mine back now! My beat up little SC is much more fun to drive (and my dad agrees with me on this!). I think it all comes down to the weight difference. Mine is a euro coupe with manual seats, no a/c, no sunroof. His is a targa with G50 and fully loaded. The weight difference is very noticeable in the way they corner, accelerate, take bumps, steer, etc...

I would look for the best CONDITION SC or Carrera you can afford, regardless of the year. And remember to keep a little stash of money aside for extras, because you will start exploring Pelican Parts and find things that you have to have in very short time.

[whiterabbit]

I would buy on condititon and colour. I also prefer the 915 trans.

Ideal balance is a 1985-1985 Euro as its light and also has the 3.2, then again I am a little biased.

[WPOZZZ]

I had an 85 RoW Carrera cab and I thought it was a great car with lots of power. I used to have lots of free time so I spent the afternoons at a friend's shop. I would do the road tests on the cars after they were repaired (I'm usually clean whereas the mechanics are a little dirty) and got to drive a lot of Carreras and SCs. What I did notice was that the SCs were a little more torquier in the low end. I don't know if it is the rpm range of the engine or the lighter weight of the car, but the SC also felt more nimble and tossable.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I have an 82SC with a stock motor, lowered, proper corner balance, turbo tie rods, SSI's. I love the way it handles, sounds and drives. It's easy to live with almost daily. I also have an 83 euro SC track beast with a built 3.2, all the suspension goodies, etc. I love that car as well but it's not real comfortable for daily use the way it is set up. I need to sell one and I think I'm going to sell the 82 and "soften" up the 83 a bit with shock tuning, 16" vs. 17" wheels, stock seats, etc. Then for track days I can spend an hour swapping in the harnesses, SRD's, track wheels, adjust the shocks and go. I'll give up some track handling for better all around use but that's ok.

I don't think you can go wrong with either but newer is sometimes better in terms of parts availability, etc. I'd look for the best loved example of either one that you can afford.