My '83 911SC

[flon3y]

Originally Posted by Craig_D

Congratulations man!! Great looking car. I hope you have as much fun with yours, as I do with mine!

Welcome!

Originally Posted by Craig_D

I might add, the first thing I did with mine, was to add a Wevo classic short shifter (has a spring to keep the shifter in the 3 - 4 plane and locks out reverse), plus the performance coupler and new shifter bushings.

The shifter was the one area of the car that was a real let down when I first bought my '78, and the Wevo stuff transformed the shifting experience.

Cheers.

Thank you Craig_D I intend to enjoy it to the fullest. A short shifter/bushings were on my short list for sure, coming from a 6-years in a more modern Subaru this transmission is like shooting blind. I'll probably try to do the coupler to at the same time, does it make a big difference as well?

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

Congrats!

A word of caution:

Having bought my first 911SC without removing the lower valve covers and counting the cylinder head nuts still intact, laying in the valve covers or hitting the floor, I wouldn't do it again. I'd have the shop check that out as priority #1. You might find yourself spending *several* thousands of $$$$ right off the bat if it's got the dreaded broken Dilivar head studs. Good Luck!

Although I have already committed to buying the car, one of the first things I intend to do is pull the valve covers, check the clearances, and install new gaskets to seal up any leaks. While I'm in there I'll obviously check for head studs too, but I'm hopeful there won't be any issues.

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Congratulation, good choice.

My only regret is that I got a scissor lift a year later... I should have get it right away.

Never been in a shop since.

Get the Bentley book and read all the 911 post on PP and subscribe to the one that my be useful in your future.

I would love a scissor lift but it isn't in the budget for a while yet. I still have a floor jack and jack stands though so I'll get it done! I've never taken any of my cars to a shop and don't intend to start now.

Originally Posted by lyonsfin

Congratulations!!!! Great cars! I've had mine 5 years and routinely take it on trips, including 1000 mile treks up and down the East Coast!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by vesnyder

The '83 SC's are bullet proof! But you should have got a cabriolet I hope you have many hours of enjoyment out of that car before the motor needs work. Congratulations!

Coupes > Cabrios! But thank you, I do as well.

Originally Posted by Das Schnell Ei

I love that color.... Congratulations!

Thanks, it is pretty unique and subtle and has definitely been growing on me.

Originally Posted by CCM911

Nice car, good history. You are going to have so much fun with that car. Keep it clean. Keep it maintained. And drive it like you stole it.

My plans exactly.

Originally Posted by Discseven

FLON... nice buy. Love that bronze color. My money's on you being very excited about now. ...Welcome to Porschehood.

Originally Posted by 83_Silberpfeil

Congrats --- very fun car to drive and work on!

Thank you guys.

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

+1

I would change the rubber brake lines first just for common sense reasons.

You do have a laundry list but it's fun DIY stuff.

Every hour that you read old posts saves you $100.

I joined Pelican a few weeks ago and have been spending entirely too much time on here doing research ever since. I also bought and have been reading '101 Projects for Your Porsche 911', 'How to Rebuild and Modify Porsche 911 Engines', and 'Porsche 911 Performance Handbook 1963-1998' to get familiar with the cars. I wanted to make sure I could afford/be able to keep this car alive and turn it into what I wanted before making the commitment. From my past car experience I have learned how incredibly invaluable online communities can be. Brake lines and new fluid are very high on the list for sure.

Originally Posted by Reiver

Enjoy that SC, I love mine and I don't use that adjective loosely.
Give it a good check over but drive it and get a real feel for it before you start changing anything.
Driving means driving it like a Porsche and not like any other sports car...you'll figure that out.

I was lucky enough to borrow the car from the PO for a weekend prior to purchase. During that weekend I put about 200 miles on it so I am already learning what needs to be addressed first. The feeling of these cars is truly unique, it is all about the experience of it.

Originally Posted by universeman

Congrats! I have an 82 targa in that color. It's a head-turner. I plasti-dipped the "911 SC" logo badge so it matched the black of the rest of the car...just seemed right to me and easily reversible if I get tired of it.

I agree with the others, drive it a while to see what it needs. I had no idea how the thing was supposed to shift, but found it difficult (and the guy who sold it to me said, "That's just how Porsches this old were designed to shift.) No way. Changed the bushings (but not the coupler...yet) and the gear oil (Swepco 201 or the Kendall stuff) and it's transformed the drivability.

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you! I haven't seen any others this color but I knew it was original. The PO told me the name of it but I have already forgotten. The mechanic told me that the 1st and 2nd gear synchros are a little weak and I've read that choosing the right gear oil can make a world of a difference so that is where I was going to start then refresh the bushings/linkages.

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

The 83 coupe is nice, but a Targa would be faster!

Maybe, but it wouldn't look nearly as good!

Originally Posted by boss11

Congrats!

+1 on shifer bushings

I've owned my SC for year and a half and just changed the bushings - what a difference, should've done it straight away

Enjoy

Thanks!

Originally Posted by sugarwood

"The PO was great about doing necessary maintenance"
Not to be a downer, but the car seems a bit neglected, if anything.
It sounds like the owner drove it and changed the oil.
That's an interesting and large list.
You should type it out so posters can comment and help you prioritize.

Just to pick a few:
No horn.
Jumpy idle.
Inop blinker
Many oil leaks
Scraping noise in steering column.
Loose belts
Dings
etc etc etc

On the plus side, almost all of it is little stuff you can do yourself.
2015 will be the year you learn to work on a 911.

I fully agree with you. The car has seen better times but I hope I can bring it back to better than new with some effort. I have a list of everything typed out that I'll post shortly, but I agree with what you listed as some of the more important.

My first priority is to seal up any oil leaks I can and update to the Carrera tensioners ASAP so that I can keep the motor running strong for as long as possible.

Originally Posted by Nick Triesch

Terrific car!!!!!! Have fun! If I can do a valve adjustment, so can you! Take care of it and it can go 300,000 miles easy.

Thanks and I hope so!

Originally Posted by LM3929

and even better, you have John Walker in your area if you do have a problem.

Lorne M.

Originally Posted by Jdub

I have always loved that paint color - beautiful car. Denny's shop did the PPI on my '78 - good folks.

I spy Mr. Walker's plate surround on your '83 - he is a great resource here in town.

By any chance, were you the gentleman who was advertising in Seattle for a decent SC or thereabouts via Craigslist?

John Walker was actually the one who has done all the maintenance on the car during the previous ownership. I gave him a call to talk about the car before purchasing it and he seemed to think it was in pretty solid just needed some tidying up.

I've been monitoring CL pretty closely but haven't posted anything regarding an SC, that must have been someone else.



Thank you all for the warm welcome, I look forward to becoming a part of the community.

[Bill Douglas]

Congrat's on the purchase

I's been 20 years since I bought my metalic bronze SC. I was so excited I couldn't sleep properly and used to wake up in the middle of the night and drive it around the block a few times

If I can offer any advice, adding to the above excellent advice, is don't rush into anything. Enjoy the car for a while and let it grow on you and you will figure out what you want from the car.

[flon3y]

Here is the list of things I got back from the PPI combined with a few things I've noticed myself. I roughly grouped these in order I intend to address them, if you have any input on this please chime in. Once it is back in good shape then I'll start thinking about digging in and changing things.

1.
Horn inoperable
Steering column makes scraping noise
Right rear turn signal inoperable
Left license plate light out

2.
No pop off valve
No pressure tensioners
Left cam hose leak
Right hose seepage
Cam towers leak oil
Oil line thermostat to tank seepage
Fan Belt Replacement/Adjustment

3.
Brake hoses old
Idle High / Tach jumpy
Wheel bearings need adjustment / possible repack
E-brake needs adjusting

4.
Front seats are shot
Some dash lights inoperable
A/C Inoperable
Engine fresh air fain inoperable
No engine sound pad
Front hood struts bad
Window/headlight washers leak
Windshield filler tube worn through
Power antenna inoperable
Door sill trim loose
Front fender cowl trim popped up
Driver seat belt twisted
Steering wheel stitching loose
Both fog light lenses broken
Passenger side lever loose
No heat passenger side
Upper heater cable on dash inoperable feels like the cable binds

[Reiver]

Looks pretty good.
Did they remove the cam covers and check the head studs?
Most PPI's include a leak down rather than a comp. test...tells you more about your top end.
FWIW, if I needed to upgrade my tensioners today I'd probably go with the collars that keep them from collapsing fully rather than the oil fed tensioners.
Keep us posted on your progress and congrats on the car.

[Tincanguy]

Originally Posted by LM3929

and even better, you have John Walker in your area if you do have a problem.

Lorne M.

We are most fortunate to have John Walker, Aker's shop and Chris Powell's German Auto Service in Bellevue here in the Puget Sound area. Three of the best P shops you will find anywhere in the country.

[Craig_D]

The coupler can help make a big difference, especially if your stock coupler is worn and sloppy.

One thing to note, a short shifter alone isn't of much value, it's having the Wevo spring system that is. There is no spring in the stock system to push the shifter from the 1 - 2 plane, to the normal 3 - 4 plane. So, shifting from 5th to what you think is 4th, could go directly into 2nd without any resistance that you're used to on your Subaru shifter.

I very much recommend the Wevo classic short shifter because it not only has that extra spring to keep you from making a big mistake, but also has a lock-out to keep you from shifting into reverse...an even bigger mistake.

It's not cheap at all, but is one of the very best upgrades I made to my car. It could very well save you from grenading your motor, which is even less cheap.

Here's the link: Wevo Shifter

[sugarwood]

I am a total n00b but I wil add my 2 cents..

Originally Posted by flon3y

Here is the list of things I got back from the PPI combined with a few things I've noticed myself. I roughly grouped these in order I intend to address them, if you have any input on this please chime in. Once it is back in good shape then I'll start thinking about digging in and changing things.

1.
Horn inoperable - Horn relay? Or remove wheel and check contact and spade connector?
Steering column makes scraping noise - Does the steering wheel rattle over bumps? Can you move it up and down? If so, read this
Right rear turn signal inoperable - Relay? Bulb?
Left license plate light out - Bulb? Fuse?

I'd find a fuse diagram for your car, and start there.

For the passenger heater, you can read this

[Porschephanatic]

Congrats, and Welcome Aboard! I've received invaluable information on this site, and have enjoyed 14+ years of ownership of, and upgrades to, my '81 SC, and 18+ years of our 944, and the driving experience and camaraderie never get old.

[Deschodt]

I had the exact same car, and year... Eventually it got tired and I turned it into this:



It was fun but if I'm honest, I regret it... Shoulda left it stock. Enjoy yours !!! Love platinum....

[sugarwood]

Deschodt, how is that not stock besides the wheels?
Wouldn't be impossible to find a set of Fuchs.

[Typ616]

@Sugarwood... not sure I understand your comment (sorry, it's probably me, I started work real early). That is not stock because it's an 83SC backdated into something older with bumpers, fenders and a long hood.

I had fuchs, they looked terrible in 6+7, stuck way inside the fenders. Needed spacers... Those are repro minilites, they filled the fenders more but in the end I didn't like them that much (heavy). In any case I sold the car to a good friend a couple years ago. It's still going at 200K miles.

I was just saying I regret converting it, SCs are now classic too... When I did it, it was a tired old 911...

[Reiver]

Originally Posted by Typ616

@Sugarwood... not sure I understand your comment (sorry, it's probably me, I started work real early). That is not stock because it's an 83SC backdated into something older with bumpers, fenders and a long hood.

I had fuchs, they looked terrible in 6+7, stuck way inside the fenders. Needed spacers... Those are repro minilites, they filled the fenders more but in the end I didn't like them that much (heavy). In any case I sold the car to a good friend a couple years ago. It's still going at 200K miles.

I was just saying I regret converting it, SCs are now classic too... When I did it, it was a tired old 911...

I'm in agreement on the backdating thing...yeah many look really cool but it is still a 'poser' and the first thing out of the owners mouth is "Well it's really a '78" or something similar.
I love the first gen cars..and I love the 2nd gen cars, especially for their HP and engine improvements.
Backdate internals...heat, SSI"s and lose some weight but keep the spirit/essence of the car where it belongs...where/when it was built.
The actual worst thing in the world is an 'update' to a later version.
My SC is an SC....I'm SC and I'm proud! Lol.

[RSBob]

Come out tomorrow and have breakfast with the local enthusiasts who tend do drive their cars. Porsche Saturday Breakfasts -2nd saturday monthly

[flon3y]

Thanks for all the input guys! I have no intentions to backdate the car, I'm a believer in bringing the potential out of an object, not completely changing it. I also don't think I'll make it out to breakfast tomorrow as I already have plans, however I did pick the car up today!



Celebrated by taking my fiancé out for a date in it.

[APachon71RN]

I pick up my 83 911SC in t-minus 10 days.

~Andy

[Craig_D]

SWEET!! Way to start out on the right foot. My wife loves to be in my car, loves to "show up" in a classic, and says that she loves to watch me drive it. I hope the same for you, buddy.

[Craig_D]

BTW, what did you think of your new classic?

[universeman]

Beautiful pics! I like your backdate Deschodt...but all of you may have convinced me not to backdate my tired old SC...ever!

[Arne2]

When I bought my '84 a bit over 3 years ago, I fully intended to backdate it. After putting 10k on it since then, nope. It is what it is, no need to make it look like something different. Drive it and enjoy it!

[WyattEarp]

I'm kinda partial to the color. My '83 SC targa is the same Quartz Gray.