Searching for the Porsche Hobby Car

While you weren't watching, the 911SC has quietly become one of the greatest all-time Porsche bargains ever. Here's how to buy one.

By Jim Schrager

There are many ways to get started in the world of Porsches. You can buy a brand spanking new Porsche, with all the pride and joy of enjoying it and keeping it in wonderful condition. The club has long been a leader in supporting the process of being well informed when looking at the latest models from Stuttgart. Buying a new Porsche is both a dream and a special treat that everyone should experience. But a new Porsche may be beyond the reach of many of us, and certainly when I first joined the club, it wasn't a possibility.

The first convertible 911 ever offered by Porsche is the 911SC, introduced midyear in 1983. Most cars available today will be Targas or coupes.

LEONARD TURNER

There are many other ways to enter the Porsche sphere, by building a race car, a rally car or a concours car and entering various club events for the fun of pitting you and your machine in intense (but friendly) competition against other enthusiasts. Or you can start the way many of us in the club started, on a highly limited budget, with a hobby car.

Hobby Porsche defined

A hobby car won't win any concours, isn't a dedicated race or rally car, and probably won't ever be in perfect condition. It is a car to work on and enjoy, a car to drive at every possible opportunity, a Porsche that is your legitimate admission ticket to the club and includes all the joys (and occasional sorrows) of Porsche ownership.

The neat thing about Porsche hobby cars is that in the past, they didn't require giant amounts of money, no more than a used Chevy Caprice in the 1970s and 1980s or a few-years-old Honda Accord over the past two decades. With today's stratospheric prices on so many old Porsches, it's easy to assume that the days of the hobby Porsche are far behind us. But I will argue otherwise.

Hobby Porsches have always been around. When the 356 was new, the hobby Porsche was a used 356. They held their value well, but you could still have that dramatic shape and the pure driving fun along with the ultra-exclusive aura of Porsche ownership for about half the new car price. It was a great deal and many of us, not able to stretch into a new Porsche, enjoyed the used ones immensely. Most were far from perfect and needed lots of attention. But that is part of the fun of a hobby car.

As the 911 became well established in the early ‘70s, 356s started to come on the market at very favorable prices. Anyone who wanted one could have one, and they were a wonderful way to enter the Porsche hobby without spending the price of a new 911 which had risen to about $15,000. Great fun to fiddle with, still wonderful to drive, even special models like Speedsters and roadsters had modest prices through the mid-1970s.

In the 1980s, another hobby car slid quietly into view, the early 911 cars, 1965-73. As the world was wowed by the newest 911 models, with their bullet-proof engines and rust-proof structures, along with high power outputs, superb comfort and drivability, you could buy all the early 911s you could shake a stick at for under $10,000. They were a huge step up from the 356s, with road holding and power at an entirely different level. As the years passed by, early 911s demonstrated tremendous durability as well.

Today, the prices of both 356s and early 911s are headed out of sight, even for examples of modest specification in average or worse condition. Part of the fun of a hobby car is that the purchase price is low enough that you aren't always worried about how much you have "invested." With a hobby car, prices stay low, so there is no pressure to wonder about selling when the market suddenly values your car at much more than you paid. Sharply rising prices hurt the hobby car idea, as it forces a change from pure fun to some mix of fun and money—and usually, the money part gets in the way of the fun part. This has happened to many of us with 356 and early 911 cars. Should we sell? Can we afford not to cash in now? Will we keep our cars through the next "sure to happen at any minute" downturn we have all read so much about and therefore suffer a huge loss, on paper at least?

The 911SC

Hobby cars are different. They are cheap, fun, and nothing gets in the way between the owner and the machine. The 356 and early 911 cars are rarely hobby cars today; they have achieved a more complex identity in today's frothy market. But a new hobby car exists, one with even better performance and durability than the early 911: the 1978-83 911SC. While you weren't watching, the 911SC has quietly become one of the greatest all-time Porsche bargains ever. And just as in the past, it is a car you can own and enjoy at about the price of a few-years-old Honda Accord. Prices are low and staying there. Is there something wrong with the 911SC cars? Why are prices low?

Simple supply and demand. There were about 76,000 356s built, 70,000 early 911 cars, and 60,000 911SCs. Many of the 356s and early 911s rusted themselves off the road, making by comparison the surviving 911SCs available in far larger quantities than either of the previous cars. This is good because demand for vintage Porsches is growing—that's why the prices on 356s and early 911s have been so strong. But because so many 911SC cars have survived, the prices have stayed modest.

Yet a 911SC isn't a second-rate Porsche. It was the mainstay of the line, with all the engineering excellence, attention to detail, and development you'd expect. In its day it was the car to own and the biggest seller by far. And if you haven't driven one lately, it delivers wonderful performance.

How much to pay

So how much to pay for a 911SC? A rough 911SC can be had for as low as $5,000. There can be some great buys at those prices, but unless you really know your way around 911s, I don't suggest you start there. Really nice cars can start the mid-teens, say $15,000 to $20,000, the sweet spot to get a car someone has cared for, updated, and is ready to be enjoyed by a new owner. Above this price you can find exceptional cars in unusual colors with low miles but they don't make the best hobby cars. In between $5,000 and $15,000, you'll find all manner of 911SCs, some needing too much work and some that are great deals as long as you are willing to tackle some projects. It is often the projects that make a hobby car the great fun it is.

As you think about what car to buy, first some ground rules. This is not about winning a concours or a race, this is a car to drive and enjoy with the lowest possible expense and the highest possible fun. Next, be realistic about your priorities. Budget the time or money to do things that are important for the safety and life of the car, while letting other projects wait as resources are available. Third, don't worry about checking with the classifieds to see what your car is worth this month. It's just a car, so feel free to enjoy it as it was meant to be used.

A 911SC, properly chosen and prepared, will surprise you with the great fun you'll have driving it. They don't feel as light or tossable as a 356 or early 911, but are blessed with bountiful torque and that wonderful feeling of being built out of a single piece of steel so characteristic of the 356s and early 911s of old. Plus this car is seriously fast, and can handle all modern road speeds without breathing hard. So what projects lie ahead for the new 911SC owner?

Engine issues

The 911SC has a few mechanical issues that are critical, and a host of smaller issues. Starting with the engine and transmission, as with miles—and most 911SC hobby cars have loads of miles—you have some important research to do. Begin with the chain tensioners, one part of every 911SC that will wear out.

There are three schools of thought here: first, to install new original-type tensioners; second, to update with the pressure-fed "Carrera" tensioners; and third, to use mechanical tensioners. I don't like the third possibility, as they were designed mostly for race cars that get rebuilt frequently. Many of us have upgraded to the pressure fed tensioners and they seem to work very well. Some folks believe there is some extra strain put on the cam chain gear from the pressure-fed system, so an additional option is to go with a new set of the latest version of the original tensioners. Ask the owner what he has and review receipts. If he claims to have Carrera tensioners, look for the distinctive small oil lines at the rear of the cam chain housings.

The next thing to worry about for a 911SC (and the Carreras that followed from 1984-1989) are broken head studs. If your car has never had any, the chances are good that you won't get any. If your car has had one or more, find out how many were replaced and when. The cause of head stud breakage is unknown, random, and of a fairly small percentage. If you get hit with this during your ownership, you'll spend about $3,000 getting the 24 studs replaced, but you'll have another 20 plus years of driving ahead.

Another engine upgrade—Turbo lower valve covers—helps prevent leaks onto the heat exchangers. Many people add a "pop-off" valve to the airbox to keep the airbox from cracking should the car backfire when starting. Both of these are easy additions, costing about $200 each or less if you do it yourself.

The engine on a test drive should feel strong and pull smoothly. If you feel hesitations or flat spots, be sure to have a mechanic check it carefully. Fuel injection distributors can become corrupted from lack of use. Capacitive discharge ignition systems, coils and spark plug wires all wear out. Look for blue smoke on hard acceleration (worn rings) or on deceleration (worn valve guides) as signs of major repair ahead. Listen for funny noises. Look for power everywhere in the rpm range. Watch for good oil pressure, about 10 pounds per 1,000 rpm and for engine oil temperatures at no more than about half of the temp gauge.

Transmission and brakes

The Porsche Type 915 transmission is an excellent unit if treated well. If you have a bit of a slow first to second gear shift when the car is cold but no other symptoms, the gear box is fine and I wouldn't mess with it. This is common as the cars approach 100,000 miles. But if your gearbox has been mishandled, worn synchros at 50,000 miles may make it almost impossible to shift gears. The biggest problem is the practice of speed shifting, that is, going from one gear to another in a quick, single motion. Stop momentarily in neutral as you shift between gears and never force a Porsche transmission into gear. Guide it gently and it will last nearly forever. Gearbox rebuilds start at about $3,000 or so.

Brakes are excellent and will only need normal maintenance. Clutches the same, as with shock absorbers. Don't upgrade to heavy-duty sport shocks just because they sound neat. Do this only if you need the high speed performance and are willing to put up with the significant increase in harshness on regular roads. Stock wheels for most USA 911SCs were the new 16-inch Fuchs forged alloys, distinctive with black or color-coded centers, in 6-inch (front) and 7-inch (rear) widths. Low profile 16-inch tires work well with the suspension, but do realize that if you upgrade to tires with a very high speed rating, you will inject an additional dose of harshness at normal speeds.

If the ride is too unforgiving for your tastes, the ATS pressure cast "Cookie Cutter" wheels in 15-inch diameter are widely available and soften up the ride quite nicely. These are also 6-inch and 7-inch widths, and can be painted in the stock silver/gray, color coded to the car, or with a polished rim and a black center.

Creature comforts

Don't expect the air conditioning to work unless it has been thoroughly rebuilt and updated. It never was much good on really hot days. Likewise the cruise control, which always seems to die of atrophy. Expect your fresh air blower motor to give up and your turn signal switch to need replacing somewhere along the way. Each of these seems to last about 20 years or so.

For seats you have a choice of the standard seats, factory sport seats with separate side bolsters, or a whole range of accessory seats in both race and street styles. Seats and road wheels are two ways you can personalize your 911SC at modest cost and without making any permanent changes.

Although the cabriolets were introduced in mid-year 1983 and some will be available, most cars will be Targas or coupes. Most coupes will have sunroofs. Targas are great if you like open air motoring, and for now carry no premium. Coupes allow you to lock the car with more security and for track days the body structure has extra rigidity. For a hobby car intended for sunny day driving, many prefer a Targa, but there is plenty of demand for coupes as well, and even a small following for the rare sunroof-delete coupes for racing purposes.

Good news on rust

The 911SC was the mainstay of the line between 1978 and 1983. Today is continues to deliver wonderful performance.

LEONARD TURNER

Rust has long been the bane of the Porsche hobbyist. How many of us learned to weld trying to patch together our nearly hopeless 356 and nearly-as-bad early 911 cars? The great news for this latest and best Porsche hobby car is that the entire chassis and body is rust proofed from 1981 on. For the earlier 911SCs, everything is rust proofed except the front fenders, which can be unbolted and replaced. This doesn't quite mean there will be no rust, so don't fail to look for rust that could be due to previous collision damage or battery acid. Both have the chance to harm the protective zinc coating applied to the mild steel panels.

Of course you want as nice an interior as you can find, but the good news is that most everything is available and this is one area where a handy hobbyist can learn to do plenty of good work. If your carpets are old, don't be afraid to buy a carpet set, remove the front and rear seats, and have at it.

With all the different ways to enjoy the Porsche world, it is wonderful to realize that the hobby car is still alive and well. For anyone who worked well into the night in the garage trying to get that new radio installed, or who answered an ad in Panorama looking for a different set of wheels, or who took his Porsche for a ride on a Sunday afternoon even though he had no particular place to go, take comfort in the fact that new entrants to the fold have their machine to follow in your footsteps, the 911SC.

And what a fabulous first Porsche it is, until the world catches on and discovers what wonderful cars these are. Then prices will start to rise and we'll be on the hunt for the next Porsche hobby car.