No Reserve: 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa

While we all tend to appreciate the beauty of a perfectly preserved, bone-stock example of a collector vehicle, the right tweaks can also make a vintage car or truck quite desirable. This 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa is a driver-quality example with some upgrades, namely in the form of some aftermarket wheels and a larger rear wing. The market for a malaise-era Targa has gotten surprisingly hot, especially after being a car for many years that wasn’t particularly sought-after. The Targa is offered with no reserve and located in Chicago, IL.

Now, I may be mistaken right off the bat about this car’s pedigree. The seller claims that the wheels are original Porsche equipment, and he mentions the tail in the same sentence. For a few reasons, I don’t believe either of these would have been options at the time, but I could be misreading the seller’s description. Either way, the wheels are a sharp look and I suspect they are some sort of period BBS “knock-off” like a Mahle or MHW. The gold paint may not be for everyone, but if you want your wheels to pop, gold on black is a great choice. The rear spoiler may be an OEM piece, but I feel the narrow body cars look far better without it.

The seller mentions that the interior is in excellent condition, and he’s not wrong. The seats and dash both appear to be in excellent shape, nice enough that I have to wonder if they’ve been re-done in the past. The 911 retains its factory steering wheel, along with the optional cassette storage box in the center console. No sport seats here, but those were hard to come by even in 1978. While it is an AC car, the seller notes that it, of course, just needs a charge. At least all of the factory equipment is still present. Incredibly, the radio is hooked up to an optional power antenna, which the seller confirms still works.

The 3.0L flat-six saw a few bumps in power over the years, but it generally hovered between 172 and 180 b.h.p. The SC cars have always been loved for their durability and ability to log some pretty high miles without needing a rebuild. Still, this car has been serviced recently, with the seller noting that it benefits from a new fuel regulator, distributor, and lines, along with new injectors, spark plugs, and having its major fluids flushed and topped off. The 911 is listed here on eBay with under a day left, so check it out soon if a vintage Targa is on your list.