1983 Porsche 911 SC Cabriolet (Original with 20,000 miles) SOLD

SOLD

1983 911SC Cabriolet

Ever since I saw the Geneva show car version of the 1983 911 SC Cabriolet on the cover of a magazine in 1983, I’ve been dying to find one. Back in those days, this car was absolutely mythical to me, and the rest of the Porsche world who had waited 18 years for an open top Porsche.  Fast forward 32 years, and I’ve finally found one worthy of the Road Scholars name.

The 911 SC Cabriolet was scarce even in 1983, and finding a well preserved car today in an unusual color (not white, black or red) proved to be my white elephant. In December of last year, I spotted an ad for one in the Pacific Northwest. The short, but sweet ad copy read, “21,000 miles and all original.”  So I called “Scott” and had a long chat.

Scott bought this and his 1983 Audi Quattro at the same time and the Porsche was only $1,500 more. Living in Santa Barbara, the Porsche wasn’t used much since it was at his home in Oregon and mainly sat untouched (hence the ultra-low mileage over 32 years).

A quick conversation revealed that a German buyer had beat me to the punch to inspect and buy the car. I tried as hard as I could, but Scott was a man of his word and held the car for this other gentleman’s inspection. I predicted a likely scenario of either the buyer beating him to death on the price (it was high, really high!) or trying to get it on consignment. Lo and behold, I was correct. He started beating on him about price and told him he was going to take it back to Germany. Needless to say, Scott called me back before the other buyer was finished backing out of the driveway! Done deal!

Even though this car had only a few oil changes over the years and still had its original tires, it ran great! But, she was destined for a major servicing. Where to start? New Michelins were the first order of business, along with an “engine out” service. The chain tensioner update was completed and a minor re-seal for any leaking oil. New belts and filters were added, along with a brake fluid flush. All the mechanical issues we could find were taken care of.

The exterior needed a thorough bath top to bottom. Lots of hand rubbing to bring the paint back to its original luster and a couple dabs here and there took care of any stone chips. The interior had a newer stereo installed, not correct to the car, so it had to go. We mounted a block-off plate until we can find a correct 1983 unit (Alpine would be cool) or an original. A strong vacuum and lots of leather conditioner finished the job on the inside.

I arrived in Washington State to find this gem polished up and ready to show off. The ultra-rare Ruby Red (810) color is amazing, with a deep fine metallic paint you can stare at all day. This car’s stance, profile and sound are unmistakable. The quality of this one-owner car makes it remarkable. And the hunt for this particular model makes it unforgettable. One of only 1718, in a 2-years-only color, in exceptional original condition makes this car irreplaceable.

And, on a sunny March day in Washington state, my 32 year old dream came true. As I drove this SC Cabriolet 85 miles north to our shop on San Juan Island, meandering through the Skagit Valley with top down, listening to the sweet sound of the 3.0 liter six behind me, all I could think about were the twists and turns life has thrown at me in the last 32 years. What a great ride!  Thank you Scott, I’ll make sure she stays in good hands.