A Porsche 911SC For Sale at Cars & Coffee

This past weekend’s Cars & Coffee meet in Montrose California was more like a used car lot than a car show, as it seemed that every other car or truck had a sign in the window announcing its availability. There were Panteras and pickups vying for attention, butI was drawn to the flame of this burgundy 911SC based its being one of the most desirable of model years, and as these cars are making a rocket-like ascent in pricing of late. This Targa had an asking of $18,800, let’s take a look and see if you think that’s a fair price. Now first off, the car is a Targa, which I happen to like, but I know is less well loved than the coupe in general. That top looked to be in decent shape on the outside, but in need of a new headliner underneath. The present owner also noted that he never folded the top, preferring to simply slot it behind the seats when off. That might indicate that there’s more damage done when filing it, owing to age, or that it’s just to big a pain for him to do. He gave the impression that he hadn’t owned the car for very long, so perhaps this was a recent purchase that had led to a certain amount of buyer’s remorse. Being a ’78 makes this the first year of the SC, and the first for the 3.0-litre Bosch K-Jetronic-fueled air-cooled six. That engine put out 180-bhp in ’78 and those ponies were corralled by the venerable 915 5-speed gearbox. The owner said that both worked fine, but that the timing tensioner on the engine had yet to be updated. He averred that others had told him that was an unnecessary fix, but that’s not what I’ve heard. The bodywork and glass looked to be in okay shape from the back, although there was still a small section of crappy window tint marring the big back window. The real issues are in front however, where the nose exhibits a ton of peppering and a rubber smiley that needs replacing as it’s lifted and looks too much like a Snidely Whiplash mustache. That piece alone is about $160 from Pelican. The side view mirrors are also pocked and will need to be repainted. The interior looked good, the seats and door panels seemingly in decent shape. The shift knob is something weird, like an aftermarket Momo or something, but that’s an easy fix if you want something more traditional. The steering wheel on the other hand needs more work as the surface is cracked in places. A late-model stereo head unit sits next to the poorly fitting glovebox door, but the presence of sisal mats make up for that in my book. Mileage is 172K. These cars are legendary for doing that and much more without much complaint. What do you think about this 911SC for $18,800? That’s cheap for those cars these days, but there’s a lot that is somewhat sketchy and in need of work on this particular one. Do you think it’s intriguing enough to take the chance? What would you pay for it? Images: ©2014 Hooniverse/Robert Emslie, All Rights Reserved