79sc targa w/89 3.2L

atlascafe · atlascafe's Garage

I have a dilemma, I just scored a this car with high miles and had fallen into disrepair. It has a 3.2L motor that runs pretty good and sailed right through the California smog test with no issues at all. It has the BAR sticker, so it's a ligit motor swap. Triple black from the factory (paint code 700). Solid rust free body with a few dents. But it needs body work and paint, Interior is from a late 80's carrera and is all there but mostly shot.
So my question is this.

A- Do I pull the engine and tranny(LSD 915) for a lower miles 77 911s (Numbers matching, color change) coupe I have with a bad engine and sell the 79 targa as a roller or...

B- Keep the car together (seeing that it has the BAR sticker and passes smog), Clean it up a little bit and parlay it. Take the proceeds and fix the 77 with the original 2.7L.

Values on both scenarios?

SalParadise · 03-29-2017, 04:22 AM

To me (and I lived in California for 12 years), keeping it together with the BAR sticker and selling it is a smart move. It will make it much more marketable to anyone in California (a large market).

I would do a serious detail and clean up and put it on the market. If it doesn't sell, then you can decide to take the engine out and do the swap. I'd only do the swap if it didn't sell for what you want for it, but it would sell for more together. But with values on the rise, do you really want a 3.2 in the '77?

But you should do the math. How much is a Targa roller worth? 9K? (maybe) And then there is the hassle of selling it. How much is the motor worth? $8K? So it's worth maybe $16-17K split (maybe, just maybe if the engine had good numbers).

Either way, with what you get out of the car you could build a nice 2.7 - if that was the original plan. Sometimes its better to stick to the original plan.

Macroni · Macroni's Garage

If that was a horse they would shot it.

Put the motor in the 77 and dump the targa......

dwelle · 03-29-2017, 07:29 AM

getting that '77 CARB legal and passing smog with a 3.2 is a whole issue in and of itself. no small feat.

that said, i have a '76 with a 3.2 and it is really fun. mine has been titled as a '75 since new, so no smog for me. i'm not sure i'd want to manage the engine swap in the '77...

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

The bar sticker is not a huge deal, as CA likes newer engines in older cars when all emissions controls are left in place.

However, it is not trivial to put a Motronic engine in an earlier chassis. Personally, I'd clean it up a bit and market it. Not sure where to put the value, though. Depends on the degree of cleanup. When you market it, there are buyers worldwide who may be interested, so the BAR tag is not much of an asset.

specialtyoneinc · 03-29-2017, 09:00 AM

Detail the Targa and put it on the market. Use the funds to sort the Coupe.

Matt Monson · 03-29-2017, 09:06 AM

Just flip it. We are car guys. Many here also bag on the targas but in the wider market those opinions don't count for much. We would consider just the sort of engine swap you are considering. Go outside Pelican and the perception is the BAR sticker is a big deal that would be a major investment to achieve. Someone will see this car and see all the hard work and consider it a steal for low $20s.

How much is your time worth? Or how much do you pay your techs? I don't see the labor costs covering the swap to a new chassis on this one.

atlascafe · atlascafe's Garage

Thanks for the input. I think I'm going to clean it up and move it on. Waiting for the title now, it will be at R-Gruppe monthly meet up at EASY this Saturday.