[tirwin]

83 was the last year of the SC. 81-83 are pretty similar - minor differences. I own an '83 myself. The 3.0 motors from the SCs are generally considered pretty bulletproof but there are some things to consider.

The 3.0 is known for possible broken head studs. It also uses CIS fuel injection. Starting in '84 Porsche went to the 3.2 motor and Motronic fuel injection. CIS works fine when everything is working correctly, no vac leaks, and everything is tuned properly. When CIS cars have aged and not been maintained it can take a little patience to get the CIS sorted out. The 3.2 is a bit more refined -- you can chip it to get a few extra HP. Other than that , the differences in early 3.2 Carreras and the late 3.0 SCs are mostly cosmetic. They both used the same 915 transmission.

In terms of market valuation, as you noted the market has run up recently. I saw an '83 cabriolet in November. I'd say it was a 7.5/10 and the guy was asking $34k. One fender and door had been repainted and didn't quite match. Other than that it was really clean. The car you're talking about is asking $40k and needs paint work? I could be wrong about the market but that seems too high. Paint work can be really expensive.

If it were me, and I'm saying this as an SC owner, I would probably go for the 3.2. That old adage of "buy the newest car you can afford" is probably true here.