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Fresh from the shed: 1983 911 SC Targa

Porsche has been a family name in sports car fan circles since Porsche began as a company, with the 356. The 911 was introduced in 1964 and has been in continuous production since, resulting in a truly massive fan base. In its near sixty-year production run, the 911 has gone through many different body styles, changes, and upgrades, and at the risk of offending Porsche fans, they’ve all looked identical to the one that came before it and to the one that came after it. They’ve all been rear-engined, they’ve all been 2+2 seaters, with big, happy round headlights and, for most of its production run, an air-cooled engine. This 1983 911 Super Carrera is one of the more desirable air-cooled models and can be had here on eBay, where the current bid at time of writing is $25,100 with the reserve not met.

The interior looks alright, the dash is free of cracks and the steering wheel and carpet look good. Having said that, there are some gashes on the seats that look to have been repaired with black duct tape. An easy enough fix to just reupholster the seats that are in there, or to get a replacement set from literally any other 911 that has ever come off the assembly line because they’ll definitely fit for sure. Jokes aside, you do have some options here, and personally, I’d go with the reupholstery route because the seats that are in there look to be decent, if not for the rips. Plus, all seats look better with a tartan or checked pattern. There’s a good opportunity here to truly make it your own.

The seller doesn’t include any pictures of the underside, but there’s said to be no rust. They do include a picture under the whale tail engine cover, and it looks well-used and loved. The seller states that it was stored in a shed for a decade, but the three owners in its 38-year life look to have kept it up well and driven it like it was designed to be driven. The only downside, mechanically, that they mention is that it doesn’t like to idle when cold. Once it warms up, though, it runs like a top. Probably an easy enough fix, though I’m pretty sure this one’s fuel-injected and not carburetted; I’m not sure how different that would be to tinker with.

A great base to get into the world of classic 911s, and for $25k you’d be hard-pressed to find something better suited as the ultimate drivers’ car, especially with the Targa top. Open up the top and listen to that air-cooled flat-six sing. 

Comments

  1. Avatar alphasud Member

    I’m surprised with 10 years of storage the K-jetronic wouldn’t need a complete overhaul. The fact that it runs. Okay warm suggests the warmup regulator is to blame. Last I checked they are no longer available but they can be taken apart and sometimes repaired. The SC is a strong runner but expect to spend several thousand dollars to sort the car.

    Like 1
  2. bobhess bobhess Member

    Correct on the warm up regulator. The same unit was used on several brands of cars of the era and going outside of Porsche parts circles might find one. Also, there are several high profile Porsche specialty shops in the country who probably have their own sources for parts or have the capability to repair parts like the regulators.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Ralph

      I have a friend who rebuilds the fuel distributers for these and other high end cars. He also rebuilds the fuel regulators.
      Has been in the business for almost 20 years, not cheap but worth the investment though.
      Ships worldwide, does a good job.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Stu

        So who is he?

        Like 2
  3. Avatar John Wilson

    I own a 1980 911sc Targa. I would like to find a shop to perform a driver type restoration in the Tampa Florida area. Any suggestions?

    Like 0

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