1975 porsche 911 question

brents42gpw · 08-20-2011, 03:55 PM

kind of a general question. I am looking at a 911 porsche s the book says its a carrera. 91k miles. it has a sun roof. ac. and I don't know the size of the engine. there is writing. but only seen the car one time. here is the d eal. it has sat since 1994 in a garage. has not seen any weather. there is no leaks under it as well. the body in good shape. interio fair. dash perfect. etc. if I were to pick this car up. what are the first things I should do. or rather. if you bought it. what needs to be done. dump all oil? etc etc. I guess I would need a little check list.
the owner wants 8500 for the car. I have asked a few questions on the other forum. but the real nuts and bolts of this is. is it worth it if I need to completely go through it. I would really appreciate your imput on this. don't want to make a big mistake on this car. thanks a mill

brent frank

steely · 08-20-2011, 05:10 PM

Go slow. As far as prep work related to getting her started, I would recommend checking her out for body rust everywhere you could look, replacing any rubber (tires, torsion bar bushings, etc), draining and cleaning the fuel system and brakes, cleaning the injectors, draining/replacing oil, replacing the rotor, cap, plugs, and ignition lines as starters. Some of these systems could work, but you'd want to address them soon. I'd also suggest searching here for what to look out for when starting a car that has been dormant for so long. (pulling plugs and squirting marvel mystery oil in the cylinders, and turning the crank slowly by hand, etc). There a quite a few check lists.

Another thing I would recommend would be to schedule a pre-purchase inspection by a reputable Porsche mechanic (or a trusted owner). Then you would know the up front costs. But since you shouldn't attempt starting the car until it has been gone over, this presents a bit of a problem, so maybe you can get someone to visit it on site. You'll have to pay for this, and since the car can't move, and maybe shouldn't be started without a lot of TLC, you won't be able to determine how the engine is - without investing in before the PPI or purchase. A bit of a catch-22. If you do get a PPI, of course you'd have a better idea of the expected cost outlay, and you could use that as leverage for price negotiation.

Even if the car was working, I still wouldn't know enough to say if that was a fair price or not, but if the body wasn't in stellar shape, I would think it was a bit high. Were/are there any owner records, was the clutch ever replaced, any record of maintenance (although a lot of it would have been sapped by the ~10 year sit)?

I would also recommend getting Pete Zimmerman's book, the "Used Porsche story".
Don't mean to sound too negative, but I do hope this helps.

Oh Haha · 08-20-2011, 05:12 PM

Get the VIN and cross reference in your book or here.
The engine should be a 2.7 litre with CIS with a 915 gearbox. It could be a sportomatic but the 5 speeds were more prevelant.

The first thing I would suggest is to have a person who is knowledgable on Porsche check it out. Maybe post your location and a fellow Pelican would help on this.

IF you buy it, after a PPI if possible, you should flush and bleed the brakes, replace all of the old gas with fresh, replace the spark plugs, rotor, distributor cap and make sure it's safe.

cfries · cfries's Garage

VIN for a Carrera coupe will start with 91154xxxxx and a Carrera targa will start with 911541xxxx. If the 5th is a 2, then its a 911 S model. A few other hints to look for is black window trim instead of chrome, whale tail, front spoiler and wider rims (7" and 8"). There are lots of updates to do on the 2.7 to make them reliable. If they dont have them, its very expensive to take the motor completly apart and fix it. The 74 and 75 Carrera's have been going up in value over the years, due to the low numbers of production. Good luck on your quest.

brents42gpw · 08-21-2011, 09:42 PM

well the 5th digit is certainly a 2. this is off the numbers in the front trunk. they must have picked up a owners manual from a carrera. since it has it with the car. I may just pass on this one. as I don't think I could afford a total engine rebuild if it needed it. the more I read the 87 88 89 models might be a better car to get. would that be true? lots of unknows with a car that sit that long. I appreciate your help here gentlemen
brent

brents42gpw · 08-21-2011, 09:49 PM

here are a couple more pics of the car in question. thanks again for your time

Oh Haha · 08-22-2011, 03:09 AM

From the pics posted, the car looks rather clean but not knowing what shape the engine is in would be a problem.

Unless you are wanting what could be a project 911 versus a ready to drive 911, I would pass.

No offense to the car's owner intended. The car may be a great buy and run for many years with just a tuneup/safety check. But, then again it could be a money pit.

widgeon13 · 08-22-2011, 03:20 AM

Well, it's not a Carrera.

exc911ence · exc911ence's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Well, it's not a Carrera.

But it looks like it is a Silver Anniversary Edition!

1975 Silver anniversary 911

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

I like it - roll up windows - silver anniversary edition.

brents42gpw · 08-22-2011, 05:07 AM

well that is why I posted a pic. the owner said it was a carrera. you guy's know the difference. the owner did say something about a steering wheel being marked with a name? are the silver anniversary porsches any more valuable? I can see how 8500 for this car is just a lot. lots of things could really eat the money away. that is why I posted pics. thanks for your time

brent

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

Probably as it sits - a 5-6,000 car - If they get it running - and it runs well - then maybe an 8500-9500 car.

The 2.7's can be problematic - if they get hot - they are known for pulling head studs.

The Silver Anniversary cars - may command just a little more money (a grand maybe) over a similar car.

All Porsches can plow through ALOT of money in a very short period of time.

Probably for a brand new 911 owner I'd recommend a nice SC or Carrera - as much car as you can get for your money... the 1974-1977 (called mid year or middies) are lighter - not as rust resistant - no rear flares (unless they are carreras) 2.7 can be expensive to rebuild - were as the 3.0 and 3.2 engines are pretty bulletproof...

schumicat · 08-22-2011, 05:18 AM

look under the battery in the trunk, a common area to have bad rust due to battery acid venting. lots of rust there should be a deal breaker (major job to replace the front pan). personally, I wouldn't buy a 911 with a non-running engine unless the price assumed I'd have to buy a new (used) engine.

Walter_Middie · Walter_Middie's Garage

Ah, the perfect mid-year. Look at the picture of the engine compartment - stock and unmolested. The original CDI box, nothing has been taken apart and messed with - it even still has the air pump on it. The perfect candidate for a DIY. That's the beauty of a mid-year. They are not worth that much, and can be purchased for a song. A competent DIY troubleshooter can probably have this car running great for a few hundred dollars. Check book restorations just don't make sense for these. Definitely not for the faint of heart and those willing to buy their mechanic a new boat every year. I love to see well running middies on the road - another owner that loves and cares for his own car.

kiwiokie · 08-22-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brents42gpw

the owner did say something about a steering wheel being marked with a name?

The steering wheel looks to be an aftermarket Nardi wheel which would have "Nardi" engraved into the wheel spoke.

You don't see many original cloth interiors like that. Not sure if anniversary cars command any price premium over a regular S. Usually performance options are what people will pay for rather than appearance options. Could be a nice car once it is tidied up. Just be aware that an engine rebuild could easily run $10,000. Have a Porsche shop perform an inspection BEFORE you buy so you know what you are getting into.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

$3K on the west coast.

Jerome74911S · 10:15 AM

Might be a nice car, unless you have rejected it already.

The seller is not trying to pull a fast one with that owner's manual. The manual is for a 911S, OR a Carrera, not only a Carrera.

If the car has 91K miles on the original engine, and there isn't oil all over the place, then it might be one of those rare examples that did not self-destruct from Porsche's genius of the time.

I might be wrong, but I believe there was a five-bladed fan on that car. It could have been changed to 11 blades to address heat problems. If that is so, look further into the condition of this car, or look elsewhere.

BTW, with a good fan-assisted oil cooler in the front fender these cars run fine with five-bladed engine fans. Five blades are quieter and consume less power. I watched a '77 with a five-bladed fan yesterday running at a Rennsport Region DE. It never went over 190 degrees or so while on track.

Targalid · 08-22-2011, 10:45 AM

From the license plate, that is a Shoshone County car. I am in Bonner if you want to see my 76 and or discuss the merits/problems with the mid year cars. The paint on this car is nicer than mine, it is a coupe with sunroof. Has a nice interior. Someone put on the new 11 blade fan which means it may also have had a complete engine rebuild already. Mine had. The reputation was that these cars needed new valve guides and head studs before 50K miles. It probably already has them. This looks like a nice car to me. Likely a California car moved to Idaho based on the installed smog pump and air conditioning which explains the nice paint and no rust.

manbridge 74 · 08-22-2011, 12:41 PM

My intro is overdue. But I would say this. Do not listen to the checkbook mechanics unless you are one yourself.

DIY is the way to go here. Walt Fricke is correct, if the car strikes a chord with you.... do it. One could do a lot worse with any year vintage. Offer him 5-6K and leave him your number.

Reviving old runners with, albeit some effort, are the stock and trade of some on this forum.

brents42gpw · 08-22-2011, 12:48 PM

he might be stuck on 8500. I don't know yet. I would pop at 6 and take my chances. it would nice just to have a porsche again. I am looking at a few. I found a 1980 carrera for 11k it runs and is in excellent mechanical condition. I am still thinking about this one. but if it turns out bad. I would have wasted a lot of money. by the way is there a way to check to see if the studs were fixed? probably have to be a certified porsche mechanic to see. also were the silver anniversary porsches all sun roof equipped? sorry so many questions. but who else am I gonna ask. I will leave it to you experts... thanks again so much
brent
shoshone county