About to buy a 1978 911 sc

MarkieMark · 10-15-2008, 04:20 PM

Im thinking about buying a 1978 911 sc. I dont know much about Porsches and this will be my first one to own. Im an automotive painter though so im not dumb when it comes to cars. The owner of the car said the motor is rebuilt and the tranny is new. Is this year and model a good car to own? are the reliable and fast? Its not going to be a daily driver. It a black on black coupe which the owner said was rare. Im not sure of that though.

Paul K · Paul K's Garage

Mark:

Welcome to Pelican! You might want to post your question in the 911 technical forum. Also, do a search, you'll find a lot of info here as that question has been answered many times. Also, be sure to get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic. That can save you literally thousands. Lastly, please add your location to your profile.

Cheers,

Paul.

JB36 · 10-15-2008, 05:05 PM

SCs are known to very reliable cars. These cars are quick, but are not super fast by today's standards. I would ask the seller if he has receipts for the tranny and engine rebuild. A stack of receipts would be good to show the car was looked after. I would use your skills to determine if the car has any rust issues or prior repairs. Take it for a good drive and see how it feels. These are very tight cars and should feel this way. A pre-purchase inspection is always recommended. The engines are very robust when maintained well, but repairs can be expensive. Snap a bunch of pics and post to this thread. What's the asking price and the mileage? These cars typically run in the 10 to 18K range depending on condition. A good thng about these cars is values are pretty stable. If you buy smart, you should always be able to get the purchase price back later if you sell. Black/Black combo is very common in the 80's. I'm not sure about the earlier SCs of the 70's. These cars are not rare so make sure it's a good one or I would pass.

JB36 · 10-15-2008, 05:13 PM

Why is PPI a good idea? Read reply # 57 in this thread:
http://http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=432068&page=3

racer · 10-16-2008, 12:53 PM

As an automotive painter, be sure to check body panels for odd gaps and signs of repaint and wonder why, if any, paintwork was done

As mentioned, having a seasoned, second set of eyes look over the mechanical parts is a good idea. What does the seller mean by rebuilt trans? Replaced a synchro or two? something more? Same with the motor.. why did it need a rebuild? What was actually done? head studs? valve job? be specific. The cars are OLD (nearly 30 years!) Some parts will be NLA when they fail. Keep that in mind. Lots of SC drivers/owners though and they are a loyal group.

A stock SC has 172 hp and weighs about 2700lbs. (esp if it has AC, Sunroof p/w etc) so they are no longer "fast" by todays standards. you *might* be able to keep up with a new GTi for example, in a stoplight dash

Living in TX, be wary of flood cars (seems the HOUSTON area is notorious on the web for "washing" titles for flood damaged cars) Also, living in TX, you may want working AC. Good luck with that

RacerX1166 · 10-17-2008, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB36

Why is PPI a good idea? Read reply # 57 in this thread:
http://http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=432068&page=3

Darn, I've become a case study!

GothingNC · 10-17-2008, 10:44 AM

PPI X2 is a must !!

From Rennlist:

Well, my purdy diamond metallic blue 88 coupe went for its PPI today at EPE. Turns out it isn't so purdy afterall. Long story short, it needs a valve job, clutch, a few oil and fuel lines, and some seals and gaskets to the tune of $8-9k.

RacerX1166 · 10-17-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GothingNC

PPI X2 is a must !!

From Rennlist:

Well, my purdy diamond metallic blue 88 coupe went for its PPI today at EPE. Turns out it isn't so purdy afterall. Long story short, it needs a valve job, clutch, a few oil and fuel lines, and some seals and gaskets to the tune of $8-9k.

I hate to admit to being an attention whore but that's me too with the same car.

GothingNC · 10-17-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacerX1166

I hate to admit to being an attention whore but that's me too with the same car.

At least you found out beforehand.

I know of someone who purchased a blue Carrera Targa for $10,000 with 140,000 without a PPI.

Spotted the ad on line, flew down to Florida, made it back home without any problems

And then, within a few months put about $14,000 into a top end overhaul - (leaking like the Valdez and guides were shot), new clutch, master cylinder, struts, CV Joints, suspension bushings etc.

Now needs a fan housing, seats are very worn, paint is a 20 footer, dashboard cracked, window seals dry rotted, battery rust.

And the car is still worth $10,000...

Now

JB36 · 10-17-2008, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacerX1166

Darn, I've become a case study!

Yeah, I thought you were a good example

I almost bought a leaky 964 until a $100 PPI revealed the engine tray was preventing the oil from leaking on the ground

RacerX1166 · 10-17-2008, 04:03 PM

I guess I'd rather be an example of how a PPI saved the day rather than the example of what happened to me when I didn't get one.

Considering the car's history, I was actually having little notions of not getting one but I sure am glad I did!