1977 Porsche 911

[whg1635]

Hi, sorry to be asking questions as my first post, but there is a 1977 911S for sale in my area for $6,995. It looks like it has new paint, and the interior is in ok condition. Here comes the bad news. It has the 2.7 with 137,xxx miles on it. Is that since the last rebuild? Or has it never been rebuilt? How do I know if the engine is about to blow up? It know it will probably need a valve job eventually. How much are repairs going to cost? Will it ever be reliable? Is it a good buy?

[Bob Kontak]

You need to spring the couple of hundred bucks for a pre-purchase inspection.

No one here can tell you if it has been rebuilt from the information given.

If you like the car then have a pro help you out. A pro that also understands the weak points of the 2.7 motor. That way he can focus on those and give you some info that a huge rebuild cost is (or is not) right around the corner.

Welcome to the forum.

[OsoMoore]

I found one book in particular to be helpful when looking for my 911 - Peter Zimmerman's "Used 911 Story". It covers a lot of the pros and cons of different models and things to watch for.
Definitely get a pre-purchase inspection by a good mechanic before buying the car. But before doing that, do some reading on trouble spots you can check on your own, without paying someone else first.

[Targalid]

I would be surprised if it has gone 137K without some engine repairs. These motors are notorious for needing a rebuild before 50K, per Zimmerman's book cited above. Definitely get a professional opinion about the car, especially the engine. With that information you can negotiate a better deal if you still like the car.

[GaryR]

PPI from someone that knows the 2.7 weaknesses, especially the head stud/case issues. The $7K deal could quickly become a $17K nightmare.

[whg1635]

Thank's for the feedback! I Just bought Zimmerman's book on amazon!
Before I get into getting it inspected by a professional (which I will do if I consider a purchase), is $7000 a good price? I have looked online and found that many 911's of this vintage go for around $10,000-12,000. Also, is it better to just find a 3.0 911? I've heard they are very reliable, which is music to my ears...
1977 911S Pictures:

[racer]

The 2.7 is a much maligned motor (and rightly so). If it is original that would be quite suprising. The 3.0 cars are just better overall, but this one, at first glance, looks ok. I'd ditch the spoilers.

Don't be suprised if the underside of the motor has some oil on it. Check panel gaps for close fitment. Look for crash repair. Look for rust. Check under weatherstriping. Bring a magnet. Check rockers, b pillar bases, battery area, etc etc;

In the end, its a nearly 35 year old car.

$7k could be a great price, but if you need to rebuild the engine or trans, your $$ invested just doubled.


There was an adage for a while that all 911SC's were $20K cars. Seems to me, most 911s still are $20K cars.. do you want to spend it "up front" or over time fixing everything>

[OttoB]

Everything on this or any other Porsche will hinge on 2 things - whether you have the mechanical skill set to do your own repairs (I personally don't) or if you have a budget to address the pricey repairs all of these cars will require at some point or another.

So, are you in the market for a Porsche, a 911, or for the best car you can afford for $7K? If its a matter of best P-car for your buck, you should look into a 944 which can be had in ok shape for way less than the asking price for this one. If you are looking for a 911, the adage will always be to purchase the best one you can possibly afford. If, however, your budget for your next car is $7K, then you can get a lot of options from Japan... So,

Not only are 3.0 SC's ('78-'83) considerably better from the various perspectives such as value, engineering, aesthetics, reliability, etc. than these 2.7 engined ('74-'77) models, but they're also within reach for $5K or so more than this one.

I follow the 911 market on every conceivable website, and this is a very low price for a complete car which presumably runs. However, as mentioned above, it depends what your goal is. Have you ever driven one, know someone that has owned one, have a nearby shop that services them regularly? If the answer is no to any of these questions, you may be over your head - although it hasn't dissuaded anyone else in this forum who are fanatical about their cars...

Everyone else's points here are valid - if you buy it for $7K, you will eventually have to sink a few thousand into it and you will never ever get your money back when you decide to sell it. So, what is it that you specifically looking for?

[Rot 911]

Not to mention that is just a butt ugly color combination.

[whg1635]

Otto,
I'm in the market for an air cooled 911, pre 964. $7K is about the max I can spend, so a 3.0 isn't really an option. I already have a running daily driver, so I don't want to spend too much on a car I don't NEED.
I can do some minor work myself, but would never do any major engine stuff. There is a shop in my area called Blueridge Motor Works, they do BMW, Mini, Porsche, and VW. Do I need a shop that is Porsche dedicated?
I have never driven one, but I do know someone that has owned one.
Also, I don't have a garage at home. How important is that? Is it a sin to keep it under a tarp/cover?
Is this something I could buy now, drive until it blows up, and repair/drop in a 3.0 when I have the budget?
I may be in over my head, but I'm afraid this opportunity won't come around again.
Thank's so much for the advice and information! You guys have been very helpful. I think its time to drive the two hours and go look at this car in person.

[drtyler]

If you are only able to spend $7k and are able to do only minor work, this car better be in really nice shape and need nothing except driving and a new home.

Ownership expenses of these cars adds up. Not necessarily fixing broken things, but upgrades and mods that you want once you start driving it. There are some that get away on the cheap, but the saying that they are all $20,000 cars is true. Pay now, or pay later.

[GaryR]

If $7K is your max, put it in CD's and keep saving. That car looks like it had a quicky MAACO paint job slapped on it, most likely to hide something so it would sell. No one should buy a 911 without having a backup supply of cash to fix things, and you are going to keep it outside so my guess if you will quickly see why it has fresh paint when bubbles or red color starts showing up...

[t6dpilot]

What is the paint code on the little tag in the front door jamb? Does it look to have been masked off and painted around it? Is the VIN sticker still in the rear pillar of the door jamb (lock post)? Same thing - does it look like this was masked off and painted around?

[Bob Kontak]

Listen to the engine. The screaming deal 911's I have gone to see made odd noises in the engine. Odd enough for me to ask what it was and the response was something like "I don't know, I am selling it for a friend"

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Not to mention that is just a butt ugly color combination.

Interior could be dyed black with a few hundred dollars and a lot of work.

[Porchcar guy]

This phrase ...I have never driven one, but I do know someone that has owned one.... reminds me of the Holiday Inn express ads. Any advice I could give has already been stated. I do think that if you do not have access to indoor storage then it would be a togh proposition to own and maintain, especially if you live in a cold or rainy climate...... !!

[DGW]

The interior color is beautiful. If you don't like it, buy a different car, don't jack up a nice and somewhat rare interior color.

[Palmer1980]

Buncha 2.7 haters in here.

My 1977 91S 2.7 has 97k on it, and has no issues, and no evidence of being rebuilt.

As an actual owner of a car with the "much maligned" 2.7 engine, I can say mine is great. On my car, the thermal reactors were removed about 15 years ago, and it's been maintained well. It also has the updated tensioners, and turbo valve covers.

I bought it for 9k, pulled the engine, spent $400 on gaskets and **** (fixed the common leaks for all 911 engines), put it back in, and it's been turn-key reliable for the entire summer.


As you can see, I baby it.


1977 911S auto-x and speed run. - YouTube
(one of 9 runs that day--did not even have to add oil)

Also, for all the beard-yanking going on regarding the PPI:
Fess Up: Did you get a PPI before buying?

Yeah.

In a nutshell, this is an old, kinda weird air cooled car...not rocket science. If you want it, get it. If it goes bad, it's going to be expensive.


I sometimes get the impression that sometimes people can parrot things about the "bad" 2.7 engine over the internet, without having actually dealt with it themselves.



Now my rant is over.

[NeedSpace]

I chose to go with a 2.7 as well. I still have some things to sort out, but it has been going fairly well so far. The 2.7 can be a reliable car.

I love the exterior color. I love the interior color. The two together are evoking my gag reflex.

Given the new color, it is apparent that it had a respray. If I were to guess this car was originally brown. I would look for "quick and dirty" body work. Otherwise $7k seems like a pretty good deal.

[tof2.7]

mine 2.7 is 243 k miles and run perfect ands in my 2.7 registry we are lots to have original 2.7 with bigger mileage or kilometrages and be very happy with.

[kach22i]

1. Agree with defending the 2.7, I love mine not so crazy about the CIS though.

2. Storage/work space is recommended. Firstly most collector car insurance mandates garage storage. Secondly you will need access to a paved driveway, spending time on your back on cardboard is just normal with these cars.

3. Gay/tan and Silver/Tan color combinations are very popular right now, but it is a matter of personal taste.

4. Cash reserves are highly recommend before purchase, at least as important as a PPI.

5. The old adage about a 20k Porsche is completely true, that 7k is just the cost of admission to the club.