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As the Porsche 911 has become an increasingly hot commodity on the second-hand market we’ve tended to see shifts in the way modified 911s are presented. We still see track-prepped cars fairly frequently; those cars do fit firmly within the 911s roots and as such we should expect they will always be available. We also frequently see backdated builds – builds that use a modern chassis and drivetrain but revert the appearance to the pre-impact bumper design of the long-hood. Prices for those backdates exist over a wide range with many builders hoping to stumble upon the success of Singer, whose bespoke creations command very large sums of money. What we see a lot less of are modified 911s that most wouldn’t be able to tell are modified. These sorts of subtle, but important modifications don’t attract as much attention, and thus as much money, but can actually be some of the best options for pure driving enjoyment as they preserve the basic foundation upon which the 911 has been so successful. The example here is just such a build: a Malaya Red 1979 Porsche 911SC Coupe with 191,659 miles on it whose engine has been replaced with a rebuilt 3.2 liter engine from an ’84 Carrera. There are a few other items added from the Porsche parts bin as well, such as seats sourced from a 964 RS America and air-conditioning from the 993, but for the most part it sounds as if the rest of the work was performed in order to revive a high-mileage 911 and return it to a high-quality state.
We are in what I perceive to be a pretty good time for purchasing some air-cooled 911s. It’s not the best time, since prices are still higher than what they were a few years ago, but with values having either reached a plateau or taken a step back over the past six months we can now look around with less urgency and fear of missing out on quality examples. And all things considered some of the prices aren’t too bad. Outside of a 911 Turbo, these early cars aren’t going to blow you away from a performance perspective relative to many modern machines, but for enjoying backroads they still provide plenty of punch and a sense of oneness between car and driver that is tough to find once cars become shrouded in technology. As usual, for the best values we must turn to the 911SC and the one we see here appears to be in excellent driver condition and comes in a pretty subtle, but very pretty exterior color: a Light Blue Metallic (Hellblau) 1981 Porsche 911SC Coupe, located in Florida, with 122,000 miles on it.
Back to reality. After a slew of very high-dollar Porsches we’ll come back down to earth to return again to a perennial favorite the 911SC, and what has been a consistent feature of late in the reasonable value camp with a 911SC Targa. The great thing about Porsche is that even though we have stepped away from their supercars and vintage racers, it doesn’t mean that we’ve completely dissociated ourselves from the roots of those machines. While we certainly won’t see much shared DNA between a 911SC and the 918 Spyder there is still shared heritage and we certainly would find links between the early 356 and 911s within even a basic 911SC like the one we see here. And compared with many of the previous examples this one even comes in a really nice color. Here we have a Petrol Blue Metallic 1980 Porsche 911SC Targa, located in Maryland, with 81,345 miles on it.
Hey look another 911SC Targa that presents well and currently stands as a reasonable value. Like my last two 911SC Targa features this one shows well in a dark exterior (this time an unstated non-metallic brown) over a light interior. For me, it is that interior that is the winner here. I assume the color is Cork, but even if not it looks fantastic and serves as a nice contrast to the dark brown exterior. 1978 marked the first year of 911SC production and while the 911’s future was not assured at that time the success of the SC and its successor the 3.2 Carrera cemented the 911’s legacy and helped fashion it into the icon we know today. As we’ve seen of late, the market for driver-quality classic 911s appears to have fully stabilized and may even be coming down slightly, signaling a nice reversal of the rapid price increases we have seen in years past. Rare, original, and low mileage examples may still command a sizable premium, but the rest are ready for many more miles of enjoyment.
Following on the heels of yesterday’s fantastic Black and Tan 3.2 Carrera, we’ll step back one model to the 911SC to take a look at an example much more suited to providing weekend enjoyment without concern over the high initial cost. While there are certainly important differences between the 911SC and the 3.2 Carrera, for many buyers choosing between the two models might come down simply to the best available car at the best available price. This could be especially true for buyers who are new to the marque and want their first experience of an air-cooled 911. The one we see here, a Black Metallic 1980 Porsche 911SC Targa with Tan interior and 70,675 miles on it, checks a lot of similar boxes to yesterday’s Carrera, though in most every regard we have to bring our overall assessment down a grade or two. This has clearly been a 911 that has been used, but it still presents well for its age, which suggests it has seen appropriate care over its life. And, of course, that use results in a much lower cost of entry: while the Carrera sat with an asking price of $80K, bidding on this auction sits at a very reasonable $21,100. The seller’s reserve has not been met so that price will have to come up, but we’re still a ways away from where this 911 becomes overpriced.
