After several years of being a Porsche evangelist (after several years of not being one), I have settled into a pleasant middle ground where I can appreciate them for their charm while also acknowledging the infatuation with them is slightly overblown. In particular, one aspect of the ownership experience that has gone completely sideways is the cost involved in maintaining one, with many specialist shops charging an obscene amount to work on any Porsche, regardless of condition or specs. This 1980 Porsche 911SC was converted to a slantnose Turbo at some point in its life, and will require an engine overhaul before it sees the road again. Find it here on eBay for $49,500.
I actually wrote “Or best offer” after that number before realizing it’s not actually OBO; it’s a $50K purchase if you want to bring it home. After beginning life as a fairly standard 911SC, it was converted to a proper slant nose with a bored-out 3.4L flat-six turbocharged engine stuffed in the rear. Now, I’m assuming the rear bodywork was also flared out at this time, but the seller doesn’t confirm if this work was done (it appears so to my eyes.) The interior also received a slick set of Recaro bucket seats, while a Moto-Lita steering wheel was installed around the same time.
When you think of taking a car that was nearly new and performing this level of upgrades, it’s clear someone spent a fair chunk of change at the time. The whale tail-style spoiler was also procured, along with gorgeous BBS E52 wheels in what appears to be a staggered fitment and 930 Turbo brake calipers. Now, the body shows some wear and tear, and the perfectionist will likely wish to respray it. The original color is Light Blue Metallic, which it the 911 appears to still be clad in. The good news is that there’s no rust and it looks quite clean underneath.
The seller adds some specifics about the engine, noting it “…uses a 3.6L crankshaft, 76.4mm stroke, and a 97 mm bore.” Records supposedly go back to the 80s, which hopefully provide some more detail on the work that was performed. The seller notes that unfortunately, the engine has a knock that is significant enough to be declared not driveable, which is a shame; it was clearly a previous owner’s pride and joy at one time considering the scale of work that was done. Still, it’s a big project for $50,000, and given it’s not actually a 930, someone will have to assess whether driving a project 911 modified in period is worth the investment.
The high asking price is going to kill this sale. While it’s a nice car it’s no good for anything with a bum engine.
It was possible to factory-order order a “regular” 911 with “Turbo-look” body panels. Except for some odd gaps between a couple of pieces, I would guess that’s what this car has.
Slant-nose conversions were all over the place, quality-wise. Don’t know if these panels are steel (like factory conversions) or fiberglass. Some expert can perhaps tell us if these mount to the stock understructure in place of the stock bits; that’s what I would want to do if this were mine.
But the engine is the real red flag. That can get very expensive in a hurry. So, if the original 911 component is there can the transaxle. I seem to recall factory 930s were beefed-up in the gearbox department.
I have enjoyed every Porsche I’ve driven, including a couple of 930s that refreshed my memory about oversteer, but I think I’d give this one a pass. Unless done by a really competent firm (like, for example, RUF), a 930 clone is a financial — or perhaps other — disaster waiting to happen.
If that engines knockin’? I wouldn’t bother talkin’. But, I don’t light my Cuban cigars with $100 bills.