911 Newbie.... Intro w/ A Few Questions.

[PushingMyLuck]

What is making you guys run away more, the chop top or the motor transplant?

[Car-Crazed]

The Owner Had Made A Deal To Trade It To Another Friend For A Pickup.
I Had Been Emailing Him Back & Forth For A Week, Then Outta The Blue I Read He's Trading For The Truck. I Begged Him To Give Me 1st Shot At The 911 Before He Trades It To A Guy Who I Know Is Just Gonna Flip It After Painting The Hood. So Tomorrow I Get My 1 And Only Shot At The Car.

I Gotta At Least Take A Good LONG Look.....

[Car-Crazed]

My Guess Is The Targa To Cabrio Is Everyone's Fear, Because It Kills The Cars Value.

I Don't See How An Upgrade From A 2.7 To A 3.0 Carrera Motor Would Hurt It.

But I Am A Newbie So I Could Be Wrong....

[nickyclyde]

You'll end up parting it out with a sledgehammer.

[Car-Crazed]

nickyclyde......
Why Are You So Down On This Car?
What Really Turns You Off About It?
Engine Or The Cabrio Conversion?

[jwasbury]

If you can buy the car for <10k (you indicated its available to you at less than half of the '86 in the Craigslist Ad from another poster), I'd go for it. If it runs and drives ok, I don't think you have much to lose at that price. 3 liter twin plug motor with webers sounds like a hot rod engine...belongs in a coupe (IMO).

Yes its a mongrel, but the parts are worth what you say you can buy it for.

[Car-Crazed]

I will Post Back Tomorrow What I Find After a VERY Close Inspection.
I Want To Get The Engine #'s Tomorrow To See If It Really Is A Carrera 3.0.
Also Want To See If Top Frame Is Aftermarket Or An '83+ Porsche Frame.

Thanks Again To All For There Advice Positive & Negative.

[nickyclyde]

Dude ,this is a nightmare . Your gonna consider a car with the targa bar chopped off-insane. Targa bar makes the car hold together! Race motor ,you wanna be tuning your car all the time ,some people do because they know how. And lastly and most importantly. ,no PPI. And some guy giving you one day to decide. Read these forums for a while ,buy a nice car after a PPI. Porsches are not the cars to buy for cheap fun. Almost no value ,resale value . Good luck whatever you do. I would love to be wrong .

[nickyclyde]

Of course I will concede that parting it out will get you some money back ,is that what you want?

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by nickyclyde

Dude ,this is a nightmare . Your gonna consider a car with the targa bar chopped off-insane. Targa bar makes the car hold together! Race motor ,you wanna be tuning your car all the time ,some people do because they know how. And lastly and most importantly. ,no PPI. And some guy giving you one day to decide. Read these forums for a while ,buy a nice car after a PPI. Porsches are not the cars to buy for cheap fun. Almost no value ,resale value . Good luck whatever you do. I would love to be wrong .

Here is my take on this deal: First I do prefer Targas or convertibles over coupes. The feeling of driving through sun drenched landscape with the roof off is superior. I am not interested in racing performance, just want top ahve a great sporty roadster experience. That is what the stock Porsches were designed for. Also, to me resale value is not as important as having a great time with the car for a reasonably long time. And as far as the stability of the Targa bar for the chassis versus a convertible: I don't think there is much of a difference. The main part of the body that guarantees body stiffness for both cars is the bottom of the body. The Targa bar contributes little to that. Of course, if a PPI is practical, that would be reassuring.

[kach22i]

Between the motor and the wheels this car has value.

I'd be concerned about rushing to buy without a PPI.

What condition is that top (and mechanism) in?

[nickyclyde]

Porwolf , the targa bar is used to give the cars structure it's strength. A real cab has many strengthening parts added to a coupe structure to try and offset the strength lost when taking off the roof off to build a cab. So if you cut off a targa bar and don't rebuild your now extremly flexible tub ,you create problems . This is my concern .

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by nickyclyde

Porwolf , the targa bar is used to give the cars structure it's strength. A real cab has many strengthening parts added to a coupe structure to try and offset the strength lost when taking off the roof off to build a cab. So if you cut off a targa bar and don't rebuild your now extremly flexible tub ,you create problems . This is my concern .

I don't see any of that in the thread posted................please provide a post/thread which shows these differences.

Originally Posted by porwolf

Here is a link to a Targa-Cabrio conversion, maybe it helps:

New here - '78 SC Cab Staying in the family

You can also do "search" operation on the Pelican Technical forum with "targa conversion"

The rear seat belt shoulder harness brackets and engine mounts (+ brace) seem to be it, what an I missing?

New here - '78 SC Cab Staying in the family

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Most of the conversion are missing the Cab version of the Engine Mount with the vibration damper and rubber center.

They come for sale from time to time (saw one last week for around $300)

A twin plug race motor seem like it would be da-bomb everyone in the forum seems to get excited when someone does it.. How is this car going to be different?

Originally Posted by PushingMyLuck

What is making you guys run away more, the chop top or the motor transplant?

I'm trying to figure that out myself, however given the resistance be prepared for a lot of walk-aways when re-selling or selling to another newbie on flea-bay one day.

[javadog]

Lots of opinions here and no real facts or data on the car in question.

Sort of hard to make any definite statements without knowing the first thing about the car...

JR

[86 ssinit]

Looks like a good looking car. If the wheels are from Ruf they are worth some good money. At 10k and the engine runs strong what the heck pick it up use it for the summer and then sell it off. You should get your money back or close. I think you should get close to your money back in parts. Gets you into a 911 for the summer at a great price.

[GaryR]

Really, if it's $10K and the motor pulls strong with no weird noises, the transmission shifts well (does it have an LSD?), and it drives well you really can't go wrong. Have a roll bar welded in, the aftermarket Targa reinforcements also, to put some rigidity back and go... Parts are worth $10K.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by GaryR

Have a roll bar welded in...........

That's one of the best ideas in this thread.

Why don't more cab owners install ROLLBARS? ...not eye-pleasing? ...not OEM? - Page 2 - Rennlist Discussion Forums





Sort of limits rear seat use, but I know a guy which has done this and his kids fit.

[GaryR]

I would add one more connection and I think it would help the rigidity a bit. Add a short bar to connect the upright to the area behind the door frame with a plate added to the body area 1st.. Just my $.02

[tdw28210]

How about an update CC? You pull the trigger?

[Car-Crazed]

Drove About 3 Hours Today To See The '77.

Went For A Test Ride With The Owner & Car Pulls VERY Strong.....
I Wasn't Expecting To Be Thrown Back Into Seat.
I Drove A '79 930 Years Ago, And It Didn't Pull Like This One.

Owner Seemed To Have a Tough Time Downshifting Into 1st,
Grinding In If Over 15 Mph.

When I Drove It Back To His Place I Had No Problem Downshifting Into
1st Under 15 Mph.

I Did Notice That You Can't Force A Shift, You Have To Feel It Into Gear.

A Buddy Who Had A '83 SC Said His Was The Same Way, That You Can't
Force Them Like A Muscle Cars 4spd.

Bad Point Of Car..... PAINT.

Hood Paint Is Literally Peeling Off.

Clear Coat Has A Orange Peel Texture In Odd Places, With No Rhyme.

Owner Thinks His Old Car Cover Might Be The Culprit, Thin Cover On Hot
Summer Days.

Car Had A Bare Metal Repaint In The Late '90's Which Looks Great In The Jams,
And Everywhere That Doesn't Have The Clear Coat Issue.

I Was Hoping To Just Paint The Hood, But I Don't Know If I Can Stomach The
Clear Coat As Is.

Interior Could Use A Good Cleanup, No Tears , Just Drivers Seat Average Wear.
Visors Are Both Warped & Cracked (Too Much Summer Sun).

No Rust Anywhere, Underside Nice & Clean.

Owner Has Folder w/ All His Maintenance Paperwork From His Porsche Mechanic, & The Previous Owners Maintenance Receipts & Drivetrain Build.

I Have A lot Of Thinking & Reading To Do Over The Next Few Days.

What To Do.... What To Do....