1983 Porsche 911 Targa 3.0 from North America

Summary:

Awesome car, style and performance

Faults:

It has been the most awesome car I have owned, it drives great and is a joy to drive.

I upgraded the brakes to 4 piston Porsche brakes, Bilstein shocks, Fabspeed stainless steel exhaust. New tires, stereo and speakers. It's a dream; I wouldn't own anything else.

I hope to drive it more over the next couple of years. I have worked a lot lately.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th November, 2010

1983 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 from North America

Summary:

Air cooled 911's are the epitome of automibilia

Faults:

I have had to replace the transmission. I also have had to have the generator rebuilt. Also, there is a bushing on the steering column that went bad, and the steering wheel would move vertically up & down about 2 inches. I replaced this bushing & it restored the drivability of the car.

General Comments:

I love this car. It has been my dream car since childhood, and now I am lucky enough to own the dream. The handling of this car is unbelievable. I previously owned a 92 Nissan 300zx turbo, and while that was a satisfying car to drive, the grip on my 911 continually amazes me.

However, this brings me to my one caveat regarding my baby. I need more power. This car is so amazing, it probably needs 275-300 horsepower to truly realize it's full potential. This car is built for acceleration, with it's rear weight bias, and I am left longing for some serious acceleration G's. I hope to rebuild the motor to provide me the power to fulfill my fantasies, but I would welcome suggestions regarding the most cost effective, reliable, and above all effective ideas on how to make this car a true monster.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th April, 2008

28th Aug 2009, 09:56

There is not much you can do to up the power of the 3.0 engine except for installing SSI Heat Exchangers and sport muffler. I think that will get you about 25-30hp, which is noticeable but still won't be earth shattering. The car only came with 172hp, so another 30 barely gets you to 200hp. This requires removal of the catalytic converter, which is probably not legal for street use. You could also rebuild your existing motor, which costs thousands or swap it out for a 3.2 or 3.6 from a later car. The 3.6 is probably going to get you closer to 280-300hp.

People also take weight out of the car, which effectively improves handling and acceleration performance at some point. Big items to remove are the complete A/C system, install lighter exhaust, maybe go with lighter fiberglass bumpers, remove rear seatbelts (if nobody sits back there), and the sound deadening material under the rear seat carpeting area and back deck. You can probably get 150 pounds or more out of the car doing this, which will be noticeable.

1983 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 from North America

Summary:

Perfect

Faults:

Minor oil leak.

General Comments:

Comfortable, swift, and hums at 70 mph. Very sleek lines and fat. Proud to own history and a fine piece of machinery.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd March, 2008

1983 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 from North America

Summary:

Awesome German Refined Engineering

Faults:

My air box blew up from a lean fuel mixture backfire on cold start-up. This is a problem with some 911 SC's, and can be avoided by installing an inexpensive pop valve in the airbox.

General Comments:

This is by far the best all-around sports car I have ever owned. It is tight, pulls strongly through the gears, handles great and the steering transmits the feel of the road like no other thanks to the manual steering.

I am 6'1" and there is plenty of leg room inside, surprising for such a small car. The sport leather seats are very comfortable.

The a/c blows "cool" but not cold, which doesn't surprise me given the a/c set-up on this air-cooled engine.

Instrumentation is all business and easy to see, especially the large, centrally-located tachometer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th June, 2007

1983 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 flat six from North America

Summary:

Awesome

Faults:

The only problem experienced was with cold starting, however this is a common problem with the older air-cooled 911's. You must be careful not to apply any gas pedal during the starting process or the engine might backfire and you can blow up the air box. It is a good idea to install an after market pop valve, which will take away this risk. I also switched from regular Mobil 1 (10W-40) to Mobil 1 Synthetic (0W-40) and the car cranks much easier. Sometimes the switch to synthetic oil results in more leakage, however I have seen no difference.

General Comments:

One of the great things about these older Porsches is that they didn't have huge production runs like Corvettes and other sports cars. My car, for example, had only 1700 total units (1983 911SC Cabriolets) made for the whole the US market!I've had my Guards Red 911 for 2 1/2 years and haven't seen another one yet, even at Porsche shows! Therefore, you get a nice "unique" car. The pre-1990 911's are real no-nonsense performers and are built like tanks. The 911 flat six engine is legendary, and nothing sounds as cool as a 911 winding through the gears.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th January, 2007