Soon to take the plunge........advice?

[gjmascoli]

After 25 years of on-again off-again looking at 911's (with a wife and four kids in the meantime) I am finally going to buy!

Wish I bought that 1973.5 911S Targa back in 1990 for $10,500
Or that 1973.5 911T daily drive coupe in 2007 for $9100

Sadly, the market has exploded in the last few years, and a pre '74 pile of rust with no floors (and often no drive train) now goes for $10k!!! That just seems like stupid money to me, as much as I'd like restore one.

I'm zero'd in on 1982-83 CS in running condition but in need of the constant attention that the vehicle deserves and demands. I am a DIY mechanic, skilled enough to handle the standard engine / suspension / transmission / brake work. My most proud acheivement is defeating the dreaded P0410 Code on my '99 C280 (don't snicker until you've worked through the entire secondary air injection system of pumps, valves, sensors, computers, etc.).

So, I want to feel good about how much $cash I drop to get in. I'm thinking that if I pick up a roadworthy 1982-83 CS for $8k-$12k, I made a pretty good deal depending on the hidden work.

I have my eye on a 1982 CS with recent engine rebuild but rough cold idle for $9k. Has upgraded tensioners and pop valve. Some 2nd gear grind. I'm thinking of taking the plunge, with an expectation that I'll need to spend some $$ to figure out the rough running. I am happy to spend some years working her back to perfection.

I know this is limited info, but I'm interested in your gut reactions.

Go for it?

[Noah930]

Have a PPI done. Not by the shop that currently services the car.

Do you want a project? Or do you feel that that's part of the necessity of buying a car in your price range? You could probably pay not much more and find a car without running issues or that 2nd gear grind.

I think you're looking at "SC", not "CS". SC stands for Super Carrera, which would be the standard level of trim for the 911 during the late-70s/early-80s. CS in Porsche-speak usually stands for Club Sport, a slightly stripped down trim level for the club racer.

[Nostril Cheese]

Respect on the Benz. Those cars are garbage.

SC's are getting old. Even with a fresh rebuild, a lot of the CIS components are becoming hard to find and can be really expensive to have rebuilt. A rough cold idle can be a few different things. All pricey.

A second gear grind probably means synchros. It will only get worse as well.

Are you dead set on an SC? I'd be looking more at 84-89 Carreras.

[Andy911sc]

I got my 82 911sc last year in november. Sat in a garage for 16 years and only had 78,000 on the clock. Just needed 16years worth of maintenance and I splurged a little on some extras and while you are in there bits, but I paid 12.5k for it.

Get a PPI on it and have a local pelican go along with you to look it over. 9k could mean there might be an underlying problem or the person is just trying to part with it quick in a down economy.

Expect to put 1 - 3k in it to sort out some issues. I know my synchros are starting to go in 1st and 2nd. It's $750 from my mechanic to take the tranny apart, clean and asses. That's if I pull it out of the car to cut down on labor cost.

Best of luck to you and I hope you find something that will be what you expect it to be.

EDIT: Check out my garage find to road worthy thread if you want an idea of CIS based cars and maintenance. New to Pelican and new 911 owner

[Plavan]

Coupe>Targa and like other said, PPI

[gjmascoli]

The multiple typos on SC make me look really dumb. I really do know about as much as you can about Porsche without actually owning!!

Yes, I do want a bit of a project, for me that's the joy of owning.

Definitely know about the synchros...known issue throughout all years. $750 with me dropping the tranny and delivering it to a shop is doable for me.

My jump in price range is <$10k giving me room to spend on the repairs and reg maintenance, so the '84-89 Carreras are likely too much for me.

Keep the opinions / advice coming!

[Andy911sc]

Originally Posted by gjmascoli

The multiple typos on SC make me look really dumb. I really do know about as much as you can about Porsche without actually owning!!

Yes, I do want a bit of a project, for me that's the joy of owning.

Definitely know about the synchros...known issue throughout all years. $750 with me dropping the tranny and delivering it to a shop is doable for me.

My jump in price range is <$10k giving me room to spend on the repairs and reg maintenance, so the '84-89 Carreras are likely too much for me.

Keep the opinions / advice coming!

Working on these cars is just as fun as driving them IMHO. If you want a bit of a project and sort things here and there, I would say go with an SC. Their motors are rock solid and everything on them can be rebuilt. I had my WUR and Fuel Distributor rebuild for a very fair price from RarlyL8 and the car drives great. Since you have been looking, doing research and obviously feel comfortable with anything the car may throw at you, I would say go for it. Still take another pelican along that is in the area to get a second opinion though.

[timmy2]

Someone has to say it, so I will.
Every old 911 is a $20k car, either paid up front, or over time.
Get the PPI done and count on $2- 3k for the tranny. That $750 was just to look at it! (Check the prices for parts!) Or it could just be a free coupler adjustment....
CIS can drive you crazy until you figure it out. The proper tools and tests will get you there though. Replacing the CIS with EFI will run $2-5K depending on the system.

You haven't mentioned the mileage of the car or if all the other wear items have been maintained, so assuming it will need lots of "minor" items repaired:
If you have the $9k to buy the car and another $9k in the bank then go for it.

[gjmascoli]

Timmy2
Yepp to everything. The CIS doesn't scare me - tools and tests are my bread & butter! I would rather get the CIS working than upgrade to EFI. I am willing to invest more $$ over time, but hope to be able to do some driving along the way.

Mileage is 139k

Per Andy911SC, I'm looking forward to wrenchin' as much as drivin'.

[wayner]

Who did the motor rebuild ?

Hopefully not "you know who"

[tirwin]

Agree with most everything said here as an '83 owner myself, especially the point that they are $20k cars whether up front or down the road.

A few other thoughts...

The SC engine is generally pretty bullet proof. The cars themselves are not very refined. If you want more comfort, buy as new as you can afford.

If you want to try to get more HP out of the engine, look elsewhere. Your choice is to go the carb route or something newer like Motronic. There really aren't many mods you can do to the SC without dropping a wad of $$$.

[ClickClickBoom]

Do not fixate on any one car, just know you will spend the money, one way or another. Read this forum front to back, there is several millenias worth of knowledge here in digital form. Every one here has a favorite year series, from longhoods, to 993s. Each and every series has its advantages and shortcomings depending on your perspective. CIS is not a mystery, its just that some parts are NLA and as such support might become difficult in the future.
It may be extreme but look for some early mechanical fuel injection parts, this will be the future of CIS. I had a '75 with CIS and it ran like a top fuel dragster until I was rear ended. The CIS learning curve is steep and somewhat mysterious, but doable.
Good luck with your endeavor!
eric

[gjmascoli]

Tirwin
Comfort? This is a sports car, right! :-)
I'm in it for the wrenchin', look at my knuckles!!!

Regarding more HP, even at stock the SC performs pretty well, no? I thought I've read about 6.5-7.0 sec 0-60? I'm not looking for a track car, but a fun 5 month out of the year DD.

[Andy911sc]

I am very happy with my SC performance and speed. 6.6sec 0-60 is what's rated for those.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by gjmascoli

Definitely know about the synchros...known issue throughout all years. $750 with me dropping the tranny and delivering it to a shop is doable for me.

And somewhat optimistic, I think. I've had two transmissions rebuilt now. My *parts" bill for a synchro refresh on my 915 was nearly $2,000. All the bearings had already been done in that box and aren't included in that figure; yeah they hadn't been up to snuff either.

I'm just saying that a lot of transmissions seem mostly OK; that doesn't mean stuff isn't wearing inside. But if you can tell that stuff is worn - well, there's almost certainly other stuff you should probably address...

[gjmascoli]

OK, regarding transmission stuff, yeah, this is well documented.

But my wife's '99 Honda Odessey also had a $2k tranny rebuild, as did a friends '99 Benz, and, and, and.......

Point being, if I buy a car with scratchy synchros, I know I'll have to pay up sometime to get them unscratchy! And seems to me, don't many (most) 911s eventually have scratchy 1st to 2nd shifts?

[fasterlaster]

At the end of the day you have to be comfortable with your decision. Your situation is quite similar to mine. After years of VWs and wife and 4 kids as well I decided to start looking seriously again at getting a 911. I ended up with a 74 Targa with a documented 3.2 transplant and low mileage on the engine. The vehicle is nothing special on paper, but I have to admit, I love it. Any year is going to have it's nuances and good/bad things. You just have to decide if it's good for you or not. One piece of advice that did help my comfort level with mine was a qualified PPI by a trusted mechanic. If nothing else I managed to get the price below the 'bottom price' based on PPI information, and I have a comfort level with the vehicle.

All in all, I'd say go for it, but.....only if you can potentially say afterwards that it may not have been the best 911 for you, and you'd be ok with that.

[KNS]

I had a 1980 911SC for about nine years, great car! Many here say that parts are becoming hard to find or are NLA. I replaced very few CIS parts but also found that many parts are being rebuilt now, ie: WURs, Fuel distributors, etc.

Condition really is the most important thing to look for.

[tirwin]

Tirwin

Comfort? This is a sports car, right! :-)

I'm in it for the wrenchin', look at my knuckles!!!



Regarding more HP, even at stock the SC performs pretty well, no? I thought I've read about 6.5-7.0 sec 0-60? I'm not looking for a track car, but a fun 5 month out of the year DD.

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a someone say the SC is more raw/unrefined (pick yer adjertive of choice) I could probably buy a Starbucks coffee.

Some people are into tunin' and tweakin'. Just lettin' you know upfront.

I drive an SC. 'Nuff said on how I feel about the matter.

[Brown747]

Advice...Do not buy an SC without having the lower valve covers pulled to check for broken headstuds.

Good luck with your search.