1979 Sc targa restoration

[Flashpoint]

Porsche restoration
HI! Obviously I am new here! I am seeking a great forum for helping with restoring a 1979 911 SC targa!

Just purchased the car for $7700. Hopefully that will give me a bit of room to work on it. My local Porsche mechanic isn't too impressed but then again not sure what impresses him! I think he thinks of the 1979 911 as an inferior car yet it is almost exactly what I wanted! :-)

This is what I have

all the parts are there, with the very minor exception of two light covers for the seat belt light and whatever is below that. The whale tail is rough but intact and there has been some body work on the trunk, bottom of doors and hood. Car is all one color (arrow blue) at the moment. Center trunk light (bottom one with PORSCHE on it) is cracked. The interior carpet is in excellent shape, seats are intact and in great shape, everything works except the radio and clock on the dash.

Tires are in great shape but built dates of 2002 likely mean we need to get new ones ASAP. Targa top has some cuts on the outside but looks easily restorable as all parts are there and it functions normally.

So far laundry list of parts that are bad
Master Cylinder
brake lines
main oil line
rear axles


The car backfires on coasting to a stop but otherwise seems to drive great (I drove it 300 miles from where I bought it).

So the questions are

#1 is this the best forum for restoration help/advice and guidance ? If not can someone point me in the right direction.

#2 is it completely recommended to use Porsche parts or are other manufacturers ok? and if so which ones are highly regarded.

#3 is there anything I should be looking at with regard to repairing. I would like to do some things myself but I am not that experienced. Does anyone recommend what I should never try to tackle myself?

#4 just wondering what is "too far" to go in terms of costs? Say you drop a new $20K turbo motor in it, add a $20K paint job and your so far above what the car can resale for its useless. Mind you, I am not in the resale mindset, I want to restore and drive the car but as some point you do have to sell them!

Any and all help and suggestions would be appreciated!

[Canuck_Targa]

Flashpoint
First let me welcome you to the forum
Second, how dare you describe a car you just purchased without posting pictures, we are like kids we need pictures.
Third, congrats on the new (new to you) ride.

to answer your questions
1) yes
2) no, just ask, you will get plenty of opinions. But if the host sells the parts we encourage you at least consider them first.
3) Yes, first make it safe, drive it, enjoy it, upgrade parts after evaluation.
4) There is the full gammet here, they will be sure to let you know when you go too far or start talking crazy.

Nice to see another classic pulled from neglect, especially a Targa.

[Amanda]

Get these books:

101 Projects for your Porsche 911

Pelican Parts.com - Porsche 911SC Service Manual, by Bentley Publishing

I also have this one:

Veloce Publishing

Post your car here:

Ultimate Targa Thread!

Why isn't your local Porsche mechanic impressed? Does he work on many air-cooled 911s. If not, I'd look for someone else. Certainly someone more enthusiastic or encouraging about my SC purchase.

[sobamaflyer]

Congratulations on your new toy. Sounds like you may have gotten a nice deal. ROI on these cars is a very slippery slope, depending on your intentions you will probably be much better off just making it a nice driver as an absolutely perfect example of an SC will likely barely break $20k. You will spend FAR more than that "restoring" it if you need others to do any work for you.

Now if you meant, restoring to mean refreshing and don't plan to just summarily start throwing $ at the car you can make it very nice for not a ton of $. There are a lot of us here on a budget that still put together very nice cars. Yes, you came to the right place as this is a wonderful knowledge base you will use more and more as you dig into this purchase of yours.

another vote for the notion that a first post describing a car is not allowed without pictures

[na2ub]

Excellent choice of year and body style. You have great taste! Pelican sells mostly the good stuff, as far as replacement parts, at competitive prices. They don't offer inferior parts from crappy aftermarket suppliers, so if you can buy it here, chances are it is a quality replacement. And no, you don't have to sell it, ever. Drive it till you crash it.

[lindy 911]

I bought a '78 911 Targa in 1990 and drove it for the first time this spring. It had a broken head stud when I got it that led to a complete dis-assembly of the engine, chassis, interior and so on. No one has done anything to this car except me other than things like rebuilding the heads. I don't have the tools to replace the guides or I would have a go at that too.

My car is far from "stock" but that's what I want. I'm not into the show car mode, I like the feel of something I built with my own hands. It has loads of horse power, big tires, lowered, lightened, and every bit that isn't completely necessary removed and stored in a box. No A/C, no heat, no stereo. That's what I wanted in this car.

As you spend time with your new car, it will become apparent what you want out of yours too. You might want a concourse restoration, maybe a light weight flyer. Whatever it is, remember that this is a hobby with returns that cannot be measured in dollars, so if your counting and trying to recoup, don't. Some people spend money playing golf, some on vacations, some on other stuff that doesn't pay you back. Think of your Porsche the same way.

I have found there is no better place than this site to get accurate information on how to do whatever it is you want to do with your 911. I relied on it for every step
of my project which is still on-going. I've spent a lot of money with our host and with the members here through the classified section; tons of great deals on anything you can think of for your car.

The people here that will respond to your posts range from newbies (like me) to world class experts. You will soon be able to recognize and tell who's who. What you decide to do with your car is a personal decision based on your needs and wants. Your choice will be different than some who will chime in when you ask them to. Just remember that it's your car.



Lindy

[Winter]

to answer your questions:

1. there are other forums, but for your car you've found the best place. post photos quickly to feed the rabid beasts who lurk here.

2. Buy new parts from our host here, to support those who support the community. support the community here by avoiding ebay and using the classifieds here. sell what you want to get rid of here, at a fair price to help others in the community with their cars.

3. you can do almost everything yourself. start with the brakes. you'll be able to source the new parts here from Pelican and via the tech info center as well as other advice on the forum, it will be a fairly easy job.

4.don't put a $20k motor into your car. do the minimum you can to get it running well and driving safely. this is not a super rare car and the return on investment will be in the fun you have working on it and driving it. you may break even, you may not, but as another poster noted, this is a hobby with the return in investment not measured in $$$.

5. POST PHOTOS!!

Good luck!

[5String43]

Congrats on your car! We love our Targas.

And welcome to the board. This is the place for all your questions. These guys really know these cars, and are eager to help us all.

+1 on buying what you need from Pelican parts. They quality of what's offered is good, the prices are competitive, the selection is unparallelled and the service is outstanding.

[Flashpoint]

[pete3799]

This is the place for all things Porsche.
Post your location as that helps if you need some local help. Poor quality photo, but that apears to be a good buy if the motor and tranny check out good.
Don't go overboard on stuff till you get her sorted out.

[Flashpoint]

Sorry for the huge photo! Trying to drive and post itsnt so easy! I can't begin to tell you all how excited I am to have found you! I have posted on other porsche boards and no one was interested! How awesome to have found not only people interested but that have one too!

I'm understanding the idea of 'repair it', 'mod it', 'drive it'! I think I mistakenly titled my post 'restoration' when really I don't want to take it back to original! I want to design it, revamp it, personalize it and just enjoy the experience.

so really how hard are the mc and brake line replacement? Really I'm a novice but I do learn fast, follow directions well and have a couple of mechanic friends that if I totally mess it up can bail me out! My goal is to keep the project under $25,000. Car was $7700, $200 for porsche mechanic to check it over and locate major issues and the paint, outside body restore is $6000. Doesn't leave much room for the rest does it! Better break out the wrenches!

porsche mechanic
mastercylinder
brake lines
main oil line
rear axles
repack front bearings
mound and balance new tires
$800 labor
$1190 parts
$627 tires

not bad I don't think but if I'm to stay in budget need to likely do some myself.....suggestions

[79 Euro]

Hey Flashpoint,

I grew up in St. Louis (Kirkwood). My first 911 was a 79 Targa. Now I drive a 79 Coupe. Great year and car. There's a great mechanic in Rock Hill on Manchester Road; Reid Vann Imports 314.968.4100. Search: PPI in St. Louis. Local PCA club is good too

101 Projects is a must read book. I had it before I knew about Pelican or this website.

Unless you are fighting rust, may I suggest you buy a buffer, some MicroFibers towels and a 3 pack of Orange pads from Car Care, Detail Supplies, Garage Organization, Car Accessories - Griot's Garage 800-345-5789. My Coupe was "faded stop sign red". I went through a bottle of Polish #3, #2 and #1. Now its a shiny Concours winning Guards Red! You can not burn the paint with Richard's buffer. Why paint?

In the words of Jay Leno.....You Don't Have To Sell Your Car!

[Brillo]

Welcome and congrats!

[sobamaflyer]

oh man, dive in here and you can save tons of $.

Brakes are a great place to cut your teeth on mechanics. I second the 101 projects book. Hold off on sending out for that body work till you get to know her better, looks to be in fairly nice shape that a good detail might make even better.

Upgrades and mods can run you lots of $ and add quite a bit of fun, and if you do your own tinkering you have more $ for them

....There's another forum?!?! (I know of one other, but they would be welcoming and interested if not quite the tech knowledge base)

[Flashpoint]

the mechanic I took the car too worked for reid vann before going on his own and president of stl porsche club having 356 done by him. But I think I'm going to try the master cylinder and brake lines. Not so sure about axles although a friend who rebuilds US cars said he knows the best axle rebuilder in stl so maybe that will be after the brakes. I'm buying the books and will get the car into the inner garage bay monday. Body work is on hold until spring! But what about having the engine rebuilt? Has 156K on chassis. Last rebuilt 89k

[sobamaflyer]

So you are saying your engine has 67k miles on it? It's barely broken in

If it runs well leave it alone, tackle the basics, oil change, valve adjust, etc. Upgrade as you want to for more power (headers, exhaust, ignition, etc...you will find lots of potential ways around here )

[SCWDP911]

Well first off, welcome! Great car. You are in for a lot of fun (and work). You are also definitely in the right place. Great and suportive community here. None better.
g
Make sure you join the Plot (see my sig below).

Now, finally, not to be the voice of all things reasonable, but please don't post while driving...

[Winter]

Don't even worry about the paint or body work yet (unless key parts have rusted out, then it's a safety issue).

You can do the brakes. I always was scared of working on brakes, until I dived in with my 911.

Check it out: Gimme a BRAKE!

If I can do it, you can.

Plus with the money you save on labor costs, you can buy lots of neat tools. Tools you'll use on the next job.

Good luck!

[Vmarch]

I have a 79 Targa with the original motor and 188,000 miles. The airbox in these models is funky, some people put that little toilet seat bypass valve. The best fix is to install the latest upgrade factory airbox to solve all starting and backfire problems. Get a Bentley shop manual and try to repair the light duty work. Look at replacing all of the fabric covered vacuum and fuel lines. Clean the fuse box terminal contacts and replace the fuses. Learn as much as you can about the car and if you can't fix it find a reasonable mechanic who does not charge you while he uses the toilet.

[Jdub]

There are only a few worry points on the early SCs and hopefully the owner or your mechanic have alerted you to them. The popoff valve is a must.

+1 on the fuses. Purchase fresh fuses, disconnect the negative battery terminal, open the fusebox, and sketch out fuses and current fuse in place at each position. Refer to your fuse chart (owner's manual; Bentley) and clean each fuse terminal, placing new, correct fuse in each position. Note empty slots and put in a fuse as a spare. Any empty slots? Great for H4 relay, oil cooler fan, or other power draw option you install. Any incorrect fuses in place? - make a note of whatever that fuse powers.

Nice thing about using fuses from same blister pack/production run is you won't (presumably) have too much variance between fuses. Old and new fuse mixes can be problematic I am told.

Our early SCs are at the trough of 911 prices, making them a huge bargain, but there are many, esp. the Targas. I think they are brilliant.

Finally, be sure to track all fixes to the car in a single Excel sheet and keep a notebook on fixes. Make sure you gather and keep al receipts - it makes a difference - the information starts to make a lot of sense as you own the car and track issues.

Finally, the Targa Top. Two options: Complete trade service swap with Dan, or lay a strip of black colored duct tape across the front seal to kill the noise and maybe reduce leaks. Ouch!