A little help please with an 82 SC

[Gretz]

Put a deposit down today on a 1982 911SC that is local to me. The owner has daily driven it for the past 4 years he has owned it. The paint is crappy and there are small spots of surface rust but nothing horrendous. It's got 135k miles on the odometer and it's had a top-end rebuild and head studs replaced. Recent clutch replacement as well. Previous owner lowered it with a "race suspension" which looks great, but seems to cause some tire rubbing on the inside of the fenders. It will definitely have to come up a bit to alleviate that issue. He says no oil leaks but a little bit of transmission fluid leaks. I got some limited photos under the car and it appears that something has leaked onto the exhaust which I assume is oil. He has previously replaced the airbox which made a loud sound and "blew up". There is a pop-off valve installed according to him now. The previous owner also installed a Carrera decklid with turbo tail.

When driving there are some squeaks and noises, some of which seem to be coming from the rubbing rear fenders. Some seem to come from the front suspension and I'd guess it needs some lubrication. Doesn't look like Carrera tensioners have been installed. He has receipts for the service that has occurred while he's owned it but none from before.

The interior needs some detailing and the dash pad is cracked but it could be worse. He has seat covers but the seats underneath are in decent condition. The usual wear on the driver's side bolster. Gauges have been replaced with white dial versions. Any way to tell if these are just replacement dials, or the whole gauges were replaced? Based on the Carfax, the odometer reading seems appropriate. The sunroof is not operational, he said one of the cables is broken and it is in the closed position. There appears to be some water marking on the headliner, rearward of the sunroof. The sun visors need to be replaced. The ignition stopped functioning and he had it replaced. Now he has a separate key for the ignition and door locks. The previous owner had some type of electronic door lock system installed which he had removed. He thinks one turn signal currently doesn't work but I did not verify. Also the AC apparently functions as well as any 911 but it needs a recharge.

He said that a week ago a lady pulled out in front of him and he rear-ended her at a very slow speed. The front bumper went under her rear bumper and scratched the front edge of the hood. I can't immediately see any additional damage.

Obviously the car needs a serious respray, but I'm not very concerned with that. I'm more concerned with mechanical issues, and avoiding expensive mechanical issues after purchase.

Thank you!!!

[sugarwood]

What was the ballpark price for this car?
It seems like it could be a nice deal for a driver quality car.

Dash cracks and white gauges are a negative.
Aftermarket shifter knob.

Steering wheel looks very worn

What is the deal with the sun visors??


Engine is caked with oil.
Are you sure it was rebuilt and removed?

Look at the oil leak on photo #36

Pic #39
Front bumper looks like it's hanging down a bit? Drooping?

Pic#48
Why is there black on the lower hinge?

[NYNick]

Minor, typical stuff. That'll keep you busy fiddling in the garage.

Get the rebuild documents. I'd wanna see those. Plus the clutch receipt.
My fenders rubbed too. We rolled the fenders. Careful when doing these that it doesn't dent the fenders OUTWARD. Squeaky suspensions can be tracked down and lubed. Oil leaks need to be determined where they are.

Price should dictate decision.

[juanbenae]

is that car in elk grove ca?

[SalParadise]

"He said that a week ago a lady pulled out in front of him and he rear-ended her at a very slow speed. The front bumper went under her rear bumper and scratched the front edge of the hood. I can't immediately see any additional damage."

This is what worries me. A LOT can happen at very slow speeds to these cars - a lot can get bent up under there.

Check this carefully.

And lose those awful wheels. -$2200 off the price right there.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by Gretz

One of the reasons I'm willing to overlook a lot of these issues is the price, which is excellent.


Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

we could be the judge of that if you shared it...

[Gretz]

Originally Posted by juanbenae

we could be the judge of that if you shared it...

Maybe I’m just paranoid about car flippers lurking, but I was trying to avoid giving away too much identifying information. What do you guys think is a reasonable price?

[Toast54]

Can't blame you for that. Plenty of lurker.

[SalParadise]

With the accidents, the wheels, no paperwork etc., etc., to me the car is worth $24.5K. I would not pay more than this myself. Dudes are going to say $30K around here, but that's too high for me, and it would be unknowledgeable, unspecialized, and unforgiving. $30K where so many people place these cars in this condition is really disservice. Why? Because you should save your money and buy a $40K one, and that will be a nice car.

[Gretz]

Great advice, Sal. Thanks.

One of the reasons I'm willing to overlook a lot of these issues is the price, which is excellent. No idea why the visors are like that. Any idea how that could have happened?

He said specifically that he had the headstuds done and the top end rebuilt. He said he knew there was an issue because the engine started sounding "like an old VW". He said he had it done at a reputable local shop. He thought the job cost $4k-$5k. He has a bunch of receipts in the glovebox but couldn't find that one. He did have the one for the $1k+ airbox repair and the clutch replacement which was around $2k if memory serves. While I was there yesterday he called and left a VM for the mechanic that did the rebuild and headstuds asking for a copy of the invoice. Hopefully I will get a copy of that paperwork in the next couple days. He said it was done about 2 years ago and since it's his daily driver he estimated that would have been ~24k miles ago.

The front bumper could have gotten slightly bent down ("drooping") because of the recent accident. I noticed that too. I will definitely have them take a look at it during the PPI. If the accident did cause that, I'm not sure how easy it would be to fix it.

No idea why there is black on the lower door hinge.

The car is not in Elk Grove, CA.

Yes, the wheels are not great. But I've seen worse aftermarket wheels. I'll definitely change them. Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Gretz

Great advice, Sal. Thanks.

You know how you can give back to the community? Don't remove your original post and erase the sharing of knowledge. Poor form, IMO.

[Gretz]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

You know how you can give back to the community? Don't remove your original post and erase the sharing of knowledge. Poor form, IMO.

Sorry about that, guys. Like I said, I was getting a little paranoid about someone trying to buy it out from under me. I saved my original text offline and I'll re-edit my original post with the text as soon as I seal the deal. Thanks again.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Gretz

Sorry about that, guys. Like I said, I was getting a little paranoid about someone trying to buy it out from under me. I saved my original text offline and I'll re-edit my original post with the text as soon as I seal the deal. Thanks again.

No worries. I’m not trying to be harsh. I’m just saying that if you pass and some gypsy flipper gets it they may not disclose the accident. Photos like your can be very useful to others later. I remember an instance where the wear on the seat outed a less than honest flipper and made it clear it was the same car, months later.

[NYNick]

Car has issues that affect the price. As I said, I'd need the rebuild documentation along with the clutch receipt. The little stuff will drive some buyers away. I'd also need to check out that minor accident thoroughly. Without the rebuild docs, I'm gonna call BS and get a PPI....might get one anyway.

Your info is sparse and your pix nonexistent; I understand the paranoia. Understand our price guesses based on that info are indeed guesses.

Anything below $25 would get my attention. Anything above $30 would get my attention too. Good luck.

[Gretz]

Hey guys, I just replaced the original text from my posts. Dropbox is giving me some issues so I'll try to re-post the photos link when I can get it working.

As stated above, the 911 world seems to be filled with car flippers and I got a little paranoid about giving so much detailed info on the car when I simply had a deposit down. So I temporarily removed the details until I could do a PPI and purchase the car. Now I've done both, so I've replaced all the original details.

Thanks again for your help. I didn't mean for my post removal to come across as ungrateful.

The PPI revealed a few items that need addressing, of course. Fuel line dry rot, so they need to be replaced. Compression test came back perfect. Tires need replacement, and the wheels are 17" Cup knockoff wheels so I'm just going to buy 17" Euromeisters and 4 new tires. Potential rear wheel bearing replacement needed. Found out on the way home that the fuel gauge is occasionally functional (new sender ordered, fingers crossed that it's the issue). The right turn signal also doesn't work, front and back. Transmission fluid leak that is more than a tiny drip. The slow speed accident the guy told me about seems to have been superficial = Some scratches to add to the already awful paint. The interior is overall in decent condition but very dirty. I also got all the invoices from the previous owner, which totaled about $17k in the last 4 years.

So I have plenty to work on. My price was under your low number, Nick. I wouldn't have thought it was a great deal if the top end rebuild, headstuds, and clutch hadn't been done. But the previous owner drove it daily and had to keep it running decently so the mechanical stuff seems pretty sorted. Anyway, thanks again and sorry for any confusion.

[SalParadise]

Originally Posted by Gretz

Hey guys, I just replaced the original text from my posts. Dropbox is giving me some issues so I'll try to re-post the photos link when I can get it working.

As stated above, the 911 world seems to be filled with car flippers and I got a little paranoid about giving so much detailed info on the car when I simply had a deposit down. So I temporarily removed the details until I could do a PPI and purchase the car. Now I've done both, so I've replaced all the original details.

Thanks again for your help. I didn't mean for my post removal to come across as ungrateful.

The PPI revealed a few items that need addressing, of course. Fuel line dry rot, so they need to be replaced. Compression test came back perfect. Tires need replacement, and the wheels are 17" Cup knockoff wheels so I'm just going to buy 17" Euromeisters and 4 new tires. Potential rear wheel bearing replacement needed. Found out on the way home that the fuel gauge is occasionally functional (new sender ordered, fingers crossed that it's the issue). The right turn signal also doesn't work, front and back. Transmission fluid leak that is more than a tiny drip. The slow speed accident the guy told me about seems to have been superficial = Some scratches to add to the already awful paint. The interior is overall in decent condition but very dirty. I also got all the invoices from the previous owner, which totaled about $17k in the last 4 years.

So I have plenty to work on. My price was under your low number, Nick. I wouldn't have thought it was a great deal if the top end rebuild, headstuds, and clutch hadn't been done. But the previous owner drove it daily and had to keep it running decently so the mechanical stuff seems pretty sorted. Anyway, thanks again and sorry for any confusion.

Congratulations and right on with replacing the text. You're a stand-up guy, and in this vicious Porsche aircooled buyers world you cannot be too careful. Look what just happened to Fred and that 356. Shameless tactics are now the norm. Pat yourself on the back for getting it - and outrunning and outgunning BHCC et al.

Awesome you got the car. Price seems fair. Now the real work comes in. Don't play with the fuel lines, and you'll be surprised how fast three quarts of gear oil can go away on a leaky 915 and leave it dry (ask me how I know).

Post some pics. Great story and glad it worked out. Victory.

[SalParadise]

...and now go over to the tech forum and start your very own rebuild thread. People are interested. Just get it safe for now. Get those lines replaced - and tires. Leave the paint and drive it everyday.

[NYNick]

Great buy. Good luck!

[Gretz]

Thanks, guys. Great idea to start my own rebuild thread. I always forget to take photos while I'm doing the work but I guess I need to start remembering!

[Matt Monson]

Better safe than sorry. Glad it worked out.