1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa 3.0 from North America

Summary:

One sentence is not enough for an opinion. But in a word: Awesome!!!

Faults:

When I bought it, these were the things that were wrong with it:

- Leaky front window.

- Aux. heater blower clunking around (not blowing).

- Small crack in the distributor cap.

- Ignition coil has a small leak.

- Rust spot on the driver's door towards the back by the glass (fixed).

- Air con heating up the wires.

- Idle when cold.

- Shifter wobbly in 1st and 2nd.

Things that broke:

- New coil.

- #1 cylinder injector.

The ignition coil is the worst part of the whole experience. The previous owner replaced it as part of the sale. I went through two OEM silver Bosch coils from Porsche; one lasted 700km and the other 10km. Sealed the old one and that's what I'm using. Porsche still owes me money or a coil.

Proactive replacement:

- Distributor cap + rotor.

- Spark plugs.

- Spark plug wires.

- All injectors.

To do for the 2016 driving season:

- Seal the leaky window.

- Get air con wiring figured out.

- Fix the warm up.

- Rebuild the aux heater fan (in progress).

- Valve adjustment.

- Shifter.

- Buff the paint back to a showroom shine and repaint the rims.

General Comments:

Awesome!

I take it fishing with my girl on a regular basis.

I smile every time I drive it.

I really don't know how I lived without this car for so long.

:):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th December, 2015

1981 Porsche 911 SC Coupe 3.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Pure driving pleasure

Faults:

Gearbox problem.

Brakes rebuild.

Airbox blown.

General Comments:

When I first bought the 911, it was used as my main mode of transport to work; I thought that I would never get tired of driving it.

But then I had only 2 kids, and they fitted into the back no problem. But of course things change and I could no longer fit my family in.

So what do you do in these situations... Well any sane person buys a people carrier for the wife.

I still have my SC, although it's not my main car anymore. I keep it for when I want to go out for a spin and listen to that raucous engine note. I have a few cars now, all over 30 years old, but the Porsche is the only one I would regularly use over the Irish winter, an amazing car really considering the harsh treatment I give it, pure driving pleasure! With a Dansk sports exhaust system, it never fails to thrill.

No power steering and no ABS brakes, in this case definitely less is more!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th August, 2015

1981 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Porsche 911...one sentence just isn't enough!

Faults:

Not starting even though turning over. Turned out to be dodgy wiring to the fuel pump. Easily fixed. Now starts first time every time.

Blown air-box. Requires tow truck and expensive repair. FIT AN AIR-BOX POP-OFF VALVE ON YOUR 911SC!!

Sunroof cable broken.

Air-con gas leaked. A/C is useless in Australia.

Emissions air-pump failed and had to be removed.

General Comments:

This is an amazing car. That's in 2007...imagine what they were like in the early 80's!! The 3.0 SC and 3.2 Carrera are brilliant. These cars are reliable, fast and made to be enjoyed every day. The engine note is intoxicating. The only thing better than the sound is the amazing power surge from 3,500 rpm to redline. My SC isn't the most powerful car (204 bhp), however at 1,160 kgs its still good for 0-60 in 6 seconds. The other amazing thing is this car still feels so well built. There are no squeaks and rattles, everything works, there's not a spot of rust and it just doesn't feel or look like a 26 year old car. Anyone who doesn't like a Porsche... has never driven or owned one!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd January, 2007