While it may seem like everyone with a classic air-cooled Porsche for sale has become an overnight speculator and/or brilliant broker, that’s actually not the case. This 1982 Porsche 911 Targa is a refreshing reminder of how simple these cars used to be in terms of how they were used and viewed in society. The sellers of this Targa simply pushed it into a warehouse parking spot when they had children, and it hasn’t been actively used since 2013. Now, it’s listed here on eBay (for the second time, apparently) for $39,900.
The details in the listing tell you the seller is not a Porsche-obsessed fanatic, and that’s actually refreshing in today’s market. He’s not trying to sell us on the wonders of the air-cooled “noise,” or how rare or desirable this Targa-roof 911 is. There’s simply practical knowledge about the car’s changes, like the preferred H4-powered European-spec headlights he swapped in, and some funny business with the engine lid badge as Porsche hasn’t yet made “Carrera” standard nomenclature on its cars yet (I believe this should have a 911 SC badge in order to be factory correct.) It’s an honest car that likely hasn’t run in 10 years or more, and that’s all you’re buying here.
Speaking of purchasing, the seller laments that the first winner of the last eBay listing showed up only to begin negotiating in person. Don’t do this, people – that’s a huge waste of everyone’s time, and I believe this seller is showing the 911 exactly as it is. However, after selling my 1990 911 a few weeks ago, I can tell you that the number of brokers who will call and harrass you is absolutely exhausting these days, and a significant reason why these older 911s are difficult to buy. The blue interior is still in nice shape despite the years of limited use and never being treated like a trailer queen, and represents one area of the car you can live with while the mechanical bits are refreshed.
The seller notes the engine and mechanical bits will need attention after so many years parked. The gas in the tank is old and will likely need to be drained before any meaningful attempt is made to start it, and while the tires have good tread, they’re also ancient by modern safety standards. The 1982 911 Targa is powered by a 3.0L flat-six producing 172 b.h.p. and 189 lb.-ft. of torque, and while it will likely leak a bit, I wouldn’t worry about a full reseal until you’ve driven it a bit; it may actually surprise you and not be all that tired, as these engines were generally quite robust. The asking price seems fair to me, but closer to $35,000 seems slightly more on-market.
Nice description of a nice car Jeff.