help in 1983 911sc purchase

[bellvedere]

First off this is my first post here and I have been doing a ton of reading the last couple of days on this forum. Now onto the details. I am in the process of purchasing a 1983 911SC. This will be my first Porsche. I searched this forum for a list of things to look for while inspecting the car and I was not able to find this list, I found a checklist someone had made a while back but all the comment in regard to the list were negative. I am wondering if there are age and model specific areas to check for rust/rot etc. It is my understanding that these cars were galvanized at the factory starting sometime in the 70’s, if this is the case has this solved the rust issues? While searching this forum I found the car I am buying. It was for sale here on the forum back in January of 2011. The original ad posted on this forum states the following: This Porsche 911sc was rebuilt to be driven. It has been professionally repainted with all new exterior rubbers, about $5000.00 after being taken down to the metal and repainted. This car is a looker with an original Porsche whaletail. This car is ready to be a daily driver. I ran out of money before I could finish the interior, but being 27 years old it is quite livable. It has recent valves and heads. It has recent brakes and tires. A new stereo and speakers. The engine is very strong and the car handles like a 911 should. The AC is in my attic and can be repaired. Complete it or just drive it. I am still considering a trade for a good Toyota Tacoma 4x4 pick up. Please email any interest or possible trade. $xxxx.00 or trade of like value. If you look in "My Garage" there are several pictures.

This car starts and runs great. It runs a perfect warm-up routine. The car leaks oil, but it was just serviced and my mechanic said it is not as bad as what he sees. Mechanically the main thing needed is the emergency brake adjusted or new pads.
I get complements each time I take it out for a day. Complete it or just drive it. If you have always wanted a 911, this is a good way to start. It is a blast. $xxxx.00 NW Arkansas
Also reading more on the previous owner in his “garage section” I found that the car was soda blasted down to bare metal.
The gentleman I am purchasing the car from in New York is the guy who bought this in 2011. I know allot of people say you have to buy the seller, well the seller seems like a really great guy. He appears to be a Porsche fanatic and has what sounds like a pretty big collection of Porsche’s. In this regard I have “bought” the seller. We talked about the car and he seems very honest and answered all my questions.
This is from the current seller’s ad:
Details
• Year: 1983
• Make: Porsche
• Model: 911 SC
• VIN: WP0AA0915DS121288
• Mileage: 103000
• Transmission: Manual
• Engine: 6 Cylinder, 3.0 L
• Exterior Color: Charcoal
• Interior Color: Black
• Title: Clear
Description
• Charcoal Exterior with new professional repaint 3 years ago.
• Glass off repaint with new rubber seals
• Black Interior in excellent condition
• No rips or mars in the seating surface
• Newly recovered front seats
• 5 Speed Manual Transmission
• 16” Forged Fuchs Wheels
• Fog Lights
• Cruise Control
• Sunroof
• Upgraded Radio
Condition
• Paint shows well and shines with no blemishes
• Interior shows well, seats have no wear
• Runs strong and tracks straight
• No leaks or drips unlike many aircooled vehicles
• Transmission shifts as it should
• Clutch engages properly
• No major imperfection in interior or exterior
• No rips on any interior seating surface
• Wheels are in excellent condition
• Clean Carfax history
• Clean Title in hand with no liens
• No Accidents
• Recent CIS system serviced
• PPI welcome and encouraged
• Air Conditioner not installed but compressor included in sale

I guess my main intention of writing this is what should I be looking for rust wise during inspection of this car? I have noticed that the coil is not in the typical place(on the fan shroud), any thoughts on this? I have other photos if they would help anyone. Also to note that this car was a Texas and Arkansas its whole life until 2 years ago in which case it has been stored in doors.

Thank you for any help you guys can be. I am heading there to see it on Saturday. I know PPI is highly recommended but I have called and there is nowhere that will be open while I am there.
Let me know if you guys want to see for pictures. Please note that the pictures are not mine but are taken from the Ad.

[SilberUrS6]

1.) The price. Without a price, it is hard to say if you're getting a decent deal, or it's too good to be true, or you're getting hosed. Maybe a link to the ad?

2.) First he says there's an oil leak, and then the ad copy says no leaks or drips. I'm not liking that at all.

3.) I didn't find the other photos you were talking about. Seeing the pictures would be good.

4.) This should be Number One, or really Number Zero. Pelican Parts has a few buyer's guides for aircooled 911 cars. Then there are guys like Randy Leffingwell and Peter Zimmerman. Peter's book was instrumental in the evaluation of my car, and I can't recommend his book highly enough. He is also an SC fan, and spends considerable time discussing SC cars. Before you spend a single dollar on a car, look over the PP site for the buyer's guide, then buy Peter's book, and read it.

The buyer's guide really isn't in this forum, but is a separate article. I suggest you search the site. And when it comes to pre-purchase questions, SC's have had a TON of discussion in this forum. You should be able to find out about all sorts of stuff - including what to expect on rust, etc.

[bellvedere]

i will post more pictures

2.) First he says there's an oil leak, and then the ad copy says no leaks or drips. I'm not liking that at all.

the first section was from the original seller 2-3 years ago. The second posting is from the current seller so that is where the oil leak discrepancy comes from.



The buyer's guide really isn't in this forum, but is a separate article. I suggest you search the site. And when it comes to pre-purchase questions, SC's have had a TON of discussion in this forum. You should be able to find out about all sorts of stuff - including what to expect on rust, etc.

thanks,I will keep searching.

[bellvedere]

more pictures. again, these are not my pictures but are pictures from the ad.





i have a few more pictures if needed.

[bellvedere]

Also a side note, the car has a clean carfax just an FYI.

[petrolblue83911]

If you are going to buy the car without seeing it/driving it, it's always a hard call...the work stated sounds excellent, and if done correctly, it could be a great car.

for me the key would be to have a mechanic I really trust see and drive the car. You can get recommendations on local shops here, and maybe even a pelican to go look at it for you.

for me that car would be worth 12-13k, but that's just me!

Good Luck, great color and year

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by petrolblue83911

If you are going to buy the car without seeing it/driving it, it's always a hard call...the work stated sounds excellent, and if done correctly, it could be a great car.

for me the key would be to have a mechanic I really trust see and drive the car. You can get recommendations on local shops here, and maybe even a pelican to go look at it for you.

for me that car would be worth 12-13k, but that's just me!

Good Luck, great color and year

Carreras and SCs are kinda going nuts in the market now. Clean inside and out, good runner, reasonable miles? $16-21k all day long.

[bellvedere]

Originally Posted by petrolblue83911

If you are going to buy the car without seeing it/driving it, it's always a hard call...the work stated sounds excellent, and if done correctly, it could be a great car.

for me the key would be to have a mechanic I really trust see and drive the car. You can get recommendations on local shops here, and maybe even a pelican to go look at it for you.

for me that car would be worth 12-13k, but that's just me!

Good Luck, great color and year

thanks, I'm shooting out to New York to look it over on Saturday. The seller seems to be a good guy and seems pretty honest. I'm paying a bit more then what the car would be worth to you but I'm not that far off.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by bellvedere

thanks, I'm shooting out to New York to look it over on Saturday. The seller seems to be a good guy and seems pretty honest. I'm paying a bit more then what the car would be worth to you but I'm not that far off.

Then be very cautious. Don't overpay for a car that has issues - especially since you're a 911 virgin. Way easy to get screwed. Especially when he's asking Carrera money for an SC. It's a plus on the interior condition and color, but without a detailed mechanical and body pre-purchase inspection from an independent Porsche-experienced shop, there's no reason to spend that much money.

Don't fall in love. Be ruthless in your examination of the car - there are other cars out there, waiting.

[mreid]

Do you have a list of work done with receipts? The clutch should have been replaced or will be a problem (if equipped). How about brakes and suspension? All gauges work and the interior clean with no rips or stains? Does everything come with the car (spare, tools, fuse box covers, firewall cover, all trunk carpet)? Missing cosmetics can be an indication of poor upkeep. How old are the tires and are they wearing evenly? Where is the oil leak coming from (oil return tubes, oil lines, triangle of death)? How old is the oil and how does it smell? How's the fit/finish on all panels? Any stains on the headliner? Are the cigarette lighter and ashtray in place?When you look underneath can you see any dents or scrapes from wrong jack placement? All of these when correct are confidence builders in the soundness of your new Porsche.

A minor point, but the ebrake uses shoes, not pads.

Good luck on your trip and I hope you found a real winner!

[OsoMoore]

I recommend you get a reputable shop to do a pre-purchase inspection. It will cost you a few hundred dollars ($300 in my case), but it will give you pretty good assurance that nothing is seriously wrong but unknown.

In my case it showed the car was solid but also warned me about issues I would need to be aware of, and possibly address in the future.

Getting your first 911 is an amazing experience, and it sounds like you are doing your homework to be sure it turns out well. Good luck!

[techweenie]

One of the things to look out for with a 3.0 (or 3.2) is snapped head studs. fortunately, they are easy to spot. remove upper & lower valve covers and check torque on all the head stud nuts. Often, a broken one will just be sitting loose under the cover.

[bellvedere]

any know of a good Porsche shop to get a PPI in the Great Neck New York area?

[bellvedere]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

Carreras and SCs are kinda going nuts in the market now. Clean inside and out, good runner, reasonable miles? $16-21k all day long.

I agree, everyone keeps saying 15k is high for a 911sc but to be honest I have been looking for a couple months now and I have not seen these "great condition 911sc's for 10-12k". I do not believe they exist.

[Jim Richards]

Prices have been up lately.

[bellvedere]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

Then be very cautious. Don't overpay for a car that has issues - especially since you're a 911 virgin. Way easy to get screwed. Especially when he's asking Carrera money for an SC. It's a plus on the interior condition and color, but without a detailed mechanical and body pre-purchase inspection from an independent Porsche-experienced shop, there's no reason to spend that much money.

Don't fall in love. Be ruthless in your examination of the car - there are other cars out there, waiting.

@ 15k, the last year of the sc,and what appears to be a solid car I think I am ok.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by bellvedere

I agree, everyone keeps saying 15k is high for a 911sc but to be honest I have been looking for a couple months now and I have not seen these "great condition 911sc's for 10-12k". I do not believe they exist.

No, $15k is a reasonable price if there are no stories. I don't see a pop-off valve or Carrera tensioners - lack of those things is a minus. And that paint doesn't look like charcoal to me. Looks a lot more silver. Also, the lack of a functional AC system, even though the car came with one, is a minus. So, $15 isn't a deal, but if that's all the problems that exist (LMAO), then it's not a bad price.

[Scott R]

Yea, that "AC System" in the attic isn't going to work again without a hefty investment.

[bellvedere]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

No, $15k is a reasonable price if there are no stories. I don't see a pop-off valve or Carrera tensioners - lack of those things is a minus. And that paint doesn't look like charcoal to me. Looks a lot more silver. Also, the lack of a functional AC system, even though the car came with one, is a minus. So, $15 isn't a deal, but if that's all the problems that exist (LMAO), then it's not a bad price.

I agree the paint is not charcoal, I asked him and he said it was not and that the original car was charcoal but had a body off,soda blasted to bear metal paint job using the porsche silver (can't remember the color code). I'll ask about the pop off valve and the tensioners. I have heard from some people that by 1983 the tensioners were a bit better then they were originally in the early 3.0's. The ac is not a huge deal to me, I feel comfortable addressing it at a later dater (if at all). I have it in my head that I would be putting about 3-4k in it right away to get a few things to the way I want them. I still feel that at 15k it is a solid car to start with.

[trader220]

That car has been on the market a long long time with a lot of runs on eBay. My comment is just fact not an indictment of the car. On the other hand the ones worth buying generally get snapped up pretty quickly which would make me want to have a PPI as a must.