Looking at 77 targa tomorrow...

[kc911s]

Going to be looking at a 77 911 targa tomorrow. Has had a repaint but has good service history which is a plus. Not sure about any engine work Til I see it in person. Hoping it has had the tensioners or valve covers and bolts done to it. Sounds like its in pretty good shape and has good ownership. If I fall in love whats a good price to pay for it? What would a 77 be worth with no rust and strong running engine? I like the mid years with their narrow bodies- just don't want to over pay. Any thoughts?

[billh1963]

Mid-$20's is a good place to be if it checks out.

[CountD]

My advice:

1) Don't 'fall in love' like you say right away.
2) The turbo valve covers and tensioners are the LEAST of your worries because they are relatively inexpensive and can be done by you
3) There is no such thing as no rust. Even and especially on early galvanized cars. I have seen some galvanized cars that have rusted much more than my '75
4) Get it up on a lift.
5) Get it to someone who knows these cars (ie Porsche mechanic) with experience after you think you may want it
6) As with midyears that are starting to gain favor, remember that a '77 Targa was probably one of the least desirable 911s not that long ago
7) A 2.7 engine can and will be very, very expensive to sort and would eclipse the purchase price if done correctly and if yours is on the edge

Good luck and have fun, but don't fall in love too soon

[77Targa0912]

'77 are great cars. I own two Targas from that year. One has been in the same county in Tennessee it's whole life and the other was imported from Germany. No rust on either cars. If the engine was taken care of the head stud issues aren't major. My car had the thermal reactor bypass pipes installed at an early age I believe. I refreshed the motor with new lower head studs. All the original studs came out and the threads in the case were in good shape. I added Carrera tensioner and the car already had an 11 blade fan update.

My car came with factory AC so it has an oil cooler in the front fender. That could have helped the longevity of the motor. It now has 10k miles on the rebuild with no issues.

Don't shy away from '77. It's basically a '78 SC with narrow fenders and a 2.7 instead of a 3.0.

[2ndTARGA]

A couple of comps from craigslist, FYI

1977 Porsche 911S Targa

1977 Porsche 911 Targa

[thamlin000]

I bought my 77 coupe less than a year ago for $25k. Here it is for reference. (the ad was two sales before I bought it)

1977 Porsche 911S | German Cars For Sale Blog

[pmax]

Originally Posted by 2ndTARGA

A couple of comps from craigslist, FYI

1977 Porsche 911S Targa

1977 Porsche 911 Targa

The first one has been discussed here a few months back.

[Soarer20]

1. Have a reputable AIR COOLED porsche guy look it over very, very carefully.
2. Find the best autobody shop around and have them check the paint, check for evidence of repairs, etc.

I skipped having a body shop check out the paint on a mid year I just bought and the paint is showing some faint micro blisters, apparently from a repaint where the moisture trap dryer wasn't working properly. Had I had it inspected carefully they would have caught this and I wouldn't have bought the car.

Unless you know who Painted the car and their reputation and quality of work I would consider the repaint a negative.