Newbie with questions RE:1979 SC buy

[GregJr]

Hi, New here and enjoying looking around and learning. Looking at buying a 1979 SC with 64k reported original miles. I have been out of the Porsche 911 game for about 20yrs. My questions are:

1) Any databases to confirm original miles. The owner has limited paperwork and Carfax/ Auto check will not work with a short Euro 10 digit VIN. I had some friends check and there is no history of salvage and/ or insurance payouts. Not that that really means anything with a 30yr old car. RI is a no title state for vehicles over 10 yrs old. That is somewhat unnerving.

2) Where should the VIN be on the engine/transaxle to confirm w/ chassis?

3) I have been reading out the Carrera tensioners, how could I tell by looking if they have been updated?

4) Any other advice you folks may have. Thanks in advance, Greg

[Oh Haha]

Originally Posted by GregJr

Hi, New here and enjoying looking around and learning. Looking at buying a 1979 SC with 64k reported original miles. I have been out of the Porsche 911 game for about 20yrs. My questions are:

12) Where should the VIN be on the engine/transaxle to confirm w/ chassis?Location of VIN - '80SC Bottom of the gearbox. The VIN will also be in the front trunk area.

3) I have been reading out the Carrera tensioners, how could I tell by looking if they have been updated? Look for small oil lines on either side of the engine at the rear, near the cam chain housings.

4) Any other advice you folks may have. Thanks in advance, Greg

I wouldn't worry so much about miles but more so about having a qualified Porsche tech, independant of the seller, look the car over and perform a leakdown test. The car may not have many miles but could have been neglected.

[83-911SC cab]

The vin # on the engine will not match the vin of the car..not like GM matching numbers car..only way to make sure car has original motor and trans is to have cert of authenticity (will show motor and trans numbers) or possibly in the Warranty & Maintenance book when car was delivered.

Tensioner upgrade will have oil supply lines going to housings on the end of the motor nearest rear bumper..I attached a pic I got from a car for sale on here to show where pass side one is located..

[schumicat]

A good Porsche mechanic will be able to tell you whether the condition of the car is roughly consistent with the indicated milage, or whether it is suspicious. I would trust a good mechanic more than any 911 odometer (it takes about 30 seconds to change out the speedometer, and odometers often break and are left broken for years). Like another poster said, current condition is more important than reported or actual milage. Be aware that age alone is enough to require a lot of stuff to be replaced (bushings, rubber seals, etc. - generally not that expensive parts wise, but lots of labor and time). Look for rust under the battery tray. Look for oil leaks (these cars all leak a little). See if it shifts smoothly (at least by 915 standards, which would be horrible by modern standards). See if the windshields seals leak.

[johnsjmc]

Carrera tensioners have a small 1/8 " steel oil line on each side which T off a small rubber line and go down to the tensioners in each chain case. You can usually see the left side behind the distributer.. Looking around the Pelican site you should find info about where the engine serial number is. I would second the recomendation to have a professional pre purchase inspection. SCs have a common exhaust side (lower) head stud breakage issue which is expensive to fix. The best way to check all the studs involves removing the lower valve covers and a PPI should address that concern as well as others.Even with a galvanized tub . I have seen SCs with a rusted out front suspension support.

[jeffery dalcour]

The updated tensioners have a metal oil line that branches off the rubber oil line to the right of the fan housing. the metal oil line goes down into the chain housing.

[AZAirCooled]

There is a great little book called "The Used 911 Story" by Peter Zimmerman.

It is a 911 buyers guide of sorts. It identifies the good and bad of the different years and what to look for. I believe it has a buyers check list in it. I think Amazon has it.

Have a shop do a Pre-Purchase Inspection that includes a leak down test on the cylinders. It is cheap insurance... If you want the AC to work without spending a lot of time and money, also have the AC system pressure checked.

Highly recommened upgrades are: the tensioners, airbox pop-off valve, and 11 blade fan. Other desireable upgrades to look for are: turbo tie rods, short throw shifter, rotary AC compressor.

Price out any shortcomings as parts and repairs/maintenance can add up. You might ask when the last valve adjustment was if you don't plan on doing them yourself.

A 911SC is a great car! Good luck!

[AZAirCooled]

The 915 transmission "likes" a very slight "pause" between gears when shifting.

[tcar]

If it's a Mass car (or anywhere in the NE US), even with low miles and a galvanized body, have it checked for RUST.

Carrera tensioners are not a must with an SC. Their tensioners fail gradually and make a good deal of noise before they cause a problem. I wouldn't ever NOT look at an SC just because it did not have them. (Carrera tensioners fail too, and they are not expensive to add).

The 78 and 79 SCs have bigger (euro) valves and intake runners.

Does it still have the smog pump? Some states require them, don't know about Mass.

AZ said to make sure it has an 11 blade fan... ALL SC's have 11 blade fans.

Have a good Porsche Mechanic check it out. A low miles car can have more issues than a moderat mileage or even a high mileage car.

[GaryR]

One word - Head studs.... well that is actually two words. PPI at a recommended Porsche shop near the owner, period.

[Oh Haha]

Originally Posted by GaryR

PPI at a recommended Porsche shop near the owner, period.

Whatever shop the seller recommends, ignore it and find another. There are Pelicans in Mass. that surely will help you find a shop.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by GaryR

One word - Head studs.... well that is actually two words. PPI at a recommended Porsche shop near the owner, period.

Original head studs mean YOU will be having a top end tear down in your future even if they are ok now.

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by Oh Haha

Whatever shop the seller recommends, ignore it and find another. There are Pelicans in Mass. that surely will help you find a shop.

Well, if the shop name is given a thumbs up here it's ok even if the owner suggested it...

[Oh Haha]

Originally Posted by GaryR

Well, if the shop name is given a thumbs up here it's ok even if the owner suggested it...

Great point!

[Joe Bob]

Carfax doesn't go that far back, BTW.....

Head studs is the big issue as mentioned. Under hard accel it sounds like playing cards in the spokes of a bike.

Don't forget to put it on an exhaust analyzer to check mixture.

[GaryR]

Head studs can quickly turn a $10K great deal into a $20K WTF...

[Jdub]

You haven't talked price. If broken head stud(s), don't run away - figure what it costs to make it right and work from there. The SC is a wonderful Porsche and if you are familar with them (you mention this) you can tackle most all of the minor rebushings, etc. that come with a tired car (mine was - learned lots!).

Overall, if the interior and paint reflect the mileage and the PPI (a must) is a go and if you are comfortable performing basic work don't be afraid of the ROW - plenty of them on this board. Otherwise, this is a GREAT time to purchase an SC - they are at their lowest price point. Use the Classifieds on this site to gauge what's out there.

Does the car have a sunroof?

[GregJr]

Thanks for all the replies. I was out of town for a few days. I decided to pass ont he SC and find a mechanic first then get him to look at any potential cars. Stand by....

[tazzieman]

Originally Posted by AZAirCooled

The 915 transmission "likes" a very slight "pause" between gears when shifting.

I use that pause to contemplate the cost of a rebuild!
Unless you're racing , what's the hurry anyway? There's something nice & vintage about the pause.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by GregJr

Carfax/ Auto check will not work with a short Euro 10 digit VIN.

It has NOTHING to do with 'Euro'.

All VIN's were shorter until 81 when the US required a 17 digit VIN for all cars sold here no matter where they were manufactured.

The CARFAX system is only capable of working with 17 digit VIN numbers so '81 is the oldest you can get a report on.

And... If you see a bad carfax, you should beware, but a good carfax doesn't mean that nothing has happened. I always get a carfax but it isn't the only thing I look at.

Get it checked out.