Pre '89 911 purchase

[CaptainSlow]

I'm considering buying a SC or 3.2, have seen these three. Has anyone had a look at them or have any knowledge of the cars.

First one on PH, private sale

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Second from a dealer on PH

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

The third is a black SC at eporsch @ £11k.


Also, any opinions if a 964 would be better? The car would be a third car so used at weekends etc.

[hoges11]

964 a bit easier to live with as a regular driver, easier drive, few more driving aids. If its just for fun either is great

[Beaky59]

Mechanically SC’s and 3.2 are generally bullet proof, mileage shouldn't be a issue if well maintained, but and it’s a critical BUT the real thing to watch out for is rust, rust and rust.

Check around sill’s kidneys bowls (B pillar), base of windscreens and base of headlamps.

They are very great to drive, very raw and totally involving; a budget around £15-17k should get you a good one.

Check the Impact Bumpers forum for load of info and a few cars still for sale

Good luck with the search

Edited by Beaky59 on Friday 14th December 14:46

[PDenyer]

^^^^ what Xris says ^^^
Rust is the killer on SC's and 3.2's
Those you listed look to be at the bottom end of IB prices and I would suspect need a bit of work although cheap ones do come up that need little work..
Realistically i would be looking at cars from 16-18k which should had kidneys / top ends done.
Mines had all of that done and now has an agreed value of 24 k with the insurers
Make a cuppa and have a read of the bodywork threads on the impact bumper site.
Plus drive some , they are not for everybody.

Pic of some of my rust , good luck

Edited by PDenyer on Friday 14th December 15:55

Edited by PDenyer on Friday 14th December 15:56

[CaptainSlow]

Yeah I'm aware of the rust issue. I've been considering getting one for a few years now. Unsure if better to buy one at the lower end of the spectrum whilst knowing some work may be needed or buying at the top end and getting a nasty surprise.

The eporsch one interests me. Would prefer a silver or white one though but I guess condition is key.

[PDenyer]

The kidneys work out about £1500 a side , any bubble on the sill or b post means kidney also .
Battery tray and inner front wing where the impact tubes run also rust , plus rear quarter in the upper middle due to sunroof drain blockages etc etc
Replacement parts are pretty expensive too , £600 odd for a front wing , and on and on

[Mayhem911]

I agree the drive is not for everybody, SC's were prone to gearbox problems, weak synchros on 2nd was a common fault. They didnt have the smoothest gear change, but still a great car in there day, i had an 81 SC, then an 85 carrera3.2,never had any major issues except it wanted to go straight on at islands in the wet if you didnt have a full tank of fuel. Oh happy days :-)

[Crimp a Length!]

Rot boxes trust me, i've had a few.
Get on the IB site, for constructive advise
www.impactbumpers.com

[anonymous-user]

.....SC's were prone to gearbox problems, weak synchros on 2nd was a common fault.


I've never heard of this before. In that case wouldn't it also affect most 3.2 Carreras, up to '87?

[anonymous-user]

Crimp a Length! said:

Rot boxes trust me, i've had a few.
Get on the IB site, for constructive advise
www.impactbumpers.com

They rot no more than most cars of their age, in fact I've seen alot worse.
Not cheap to repair bodywork but it's all repairable.

[SEE YA]

Buy the best you can for the money you have, and have some money left over for a big bill or two.

Also a factor is that it will be a weekend car, this can help with running cost.

[supersport]

That 3.2 has sold but personally I wouldn't put 8.5K into one unless I had my eyes on stalks with the £10K in my pocket to start to put it right.

The advantatge of putting one right is that you know that it is right and get what you want. You also don't get that shock when you find out that it is rusty. The extent of rust on these cars is very hard to see until you start cutting and I firmly believe that they WILL ALL do it one day.

[stuttgartmetal]

They're getting rare and rarer every day.
Any money you sink it to it, is a good investment.
IB prices are on the up, good ones are getting harder to find.

[Mayhem911]

sjwright944 said:

.....SC's were prone to gearbox problems, weak synchros on 2nd was a common fault.


I've never heard of this before. In that case wouldn't it also affect most 3.2 Carreras, up to '87?

No, the gearbox fitted in 3.2 carrera had a servo synchro lock system and were an improvement made before going to g50 box on later models.

[zero corrosion]

Dont buy an IB full of filler/rot most of them.
Serious rot boxes, all underneath arches etc open to the elements, behind lights, terrible from a rust point of view.
964 a little better due to arch liners but still rust as do 993's on scuttle panel and leading rear quarter edge.

If you want to pay over the odds for one that's had a repaint and drive it in the dry then thats a different matter, loads of polished turds out there wanting late teens early 20's. Watch out.

[N24]

supersport said:

That 3.2 has sold but personally I wouldn't put 8.5K into one unless I had my eyes on stalks with the £10K in my pocket to start to put it right.

The advantatge of putting one right is that you know that it is right and get what you want. You also don't get that shock when you find out that it is rusty. The extent of rust on these cars is very hard to see until you start cutting and I firmly believe that they WILL ALL do it one day.

This^
Well worth doing for a 'keeper'.

[graemel]

SC, 3.2 and 964 all great cars. The SC and 3.2 no power steering and a more raw feel to them. 964 a little softer by comparison. Rot is your biggest enemy. My advice is to spend more money and buy the very best. The best will cost little to run and only appreciate. Buy a bad one and it really will hurt your bank balance. Drive all types and see what you prefer and get a thorough pre purchase inspection done before buying.

[mollytherocker]

sjwright944 said:

Not cheap to repair bodywork but it's all repairable.

Ultimately, anything can be repaired given the funds. Lots of enthusiasts have thrown 60k+ at an early 911.

There are loads of SC and 3.2 cars knocking about for early teens that are shiny but rotten underneath. Their relative low value discounts any viable serious bodywork investment.

I see only 2 options when buying these cars.

1 - Buy low but in useable condition, enjoy and patch up as necessary.
2 - Buy at the top of the market (20-25k) and maintain to a high standard.

I see the middleground as the worst place to be.

[beazer]

I owned the SC which is for sale at Romans. I sold the car to my brother last year who recently traded it in at Romans to buy a Cayman S.

It's a good honest car which drives well and I spent a fair amount getting it up to scratch in the three years I had it. If the OP wants any more info. then PM me.