1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa 1 California Owner Original Paint / 20k Miles

  Stock #1521   VIN: WP0EA0915BS1xxxxx**   ENG# 6410xxx (930/16)**   TRN# 7410xxx (915/63)**   20,300 Miles from New   Black (A1) on Black Full Leather Interior   Clean Carfax® / Original Paint   5-Speed Manual 915 Transmission   1 California Owner from New   Clean and Clear California Title (Original Pink Slip)   PCA Member Owned
SOLD!

Because the Porsche 911SC was one of the best-built air-cooled Porsches, they were typically driven to the ground.  Yet, they would still work.  Some of the reasons they lasted was their robust aluminum-block 3.0L engine as well as their galvanized bodies.  However, I believe people love them because they are really fun to drive.  Finding a 1-California-owned survivor with low miles is nearly unheard of.  Furthermore, to keep it all original, including its paint is another level of improbability.

This 911 was built on December 29th, 1980, and sold new on July 13th, 1981 by Carlsen Porsche + Audi of Palo Alto, California.  It was ordered with the following factory options:

  • US/California Equipment
  • Genuine/Full Leather Interior
  • Option Group J17
    • 16” Fuchs Forged Allow Wheels
    • Electric Antenna
    • Blaupunkt Cassette/Digital Radio with ARI
    • Sport Shock Absorbers
    • Rear Speakers (on parcel shelf)
    • Fog Lamps
    • Passenger Door Mirror (Electrically Adjustable & Heated)
  • 88 Amp/HR Stronger Battery
  • Automatic Heating Control
  • Automatic Speed Control

The MSRP was $36,125, which is approximately $124,125 in today’s money.

The dealer then added on “Dealer Handling” and “Polyply Coating,” which brought the total up to $37,033.

The current owner was from Half Moon Bay, California when he purchased this 911 new.  The car was garaged there for 46 years until he relocated to Sonoma, California and took the car with him.  He’s in his late ‘80s and had a local friend/broker help him sell it.  Unfortunately, due to the owner’s current delicate health situation, we are not able to interview him about the history.  In his move, service receipts were either misplaced or lost.  The owner did say that the car really didn’t need anything major and he just did the normal routine services.

Upon receiving the car, it was clear that this 911 has not only been well-preserved and garaged with a car cover its whole life, but it was also well-serviced.  We did reach out to a few of the shops (found on Carfax®) that had serviced the car over the years.  They all said the same thing…it’s a very nice car that never needed much besides normal fluid changes, batteries, and factory recommended services.  One shop did say they installed a new alternator back in 2010 as well as a valve adjustment.  That was about 1,000 miles ago.  Furthermore, it looks like fairly new oil-fed Carrera chain tensioners have been installed and they still have the sticker attached.  It looks as if those were much more recently installed.

Nevertheless, we immediately took the car over to our local air-cooled specialist for inspection and any necessary services/repairs.  He too confirmed that it is an excellent, low-mile survivor that has been well cared for.  He noted the following services were recently done:

  • New valve covers and gaskets/recent valve adjustment and major service
  • New oil fed Carrera chain tensioners
  • Possible new CD box for the ignition
  • All new brakes (calipers, rotors, pads, and brake lines)
  • Installed pop-off valve for airbox
  • Pirelli tires installed in 2021

He said there were no signs of any prior damage or corrosion and the rubber/seals were all in excellent condition.  He noted that the transmission was a slight bit damp, but no signs of leaks and might be due to lack of use.  Also, he said the fuel tank is showing some light corrosion around the drain nut at the bottom and the fuel pump also looked original.  He recommended possible fuel tank flush or replacement as well as new fuel pump in the future.

The exterior of this 911 is exceptional and indicative of a low-mile, garaged California car.  The paint appears to be original as verified with a paint meter.  There are no signs of any prior damage or repairs.  There are minimal signs of use and only a few minor chips, which have been professionally touched-up.  The body gaps and rubber seals are all in excellent condition.  The glass is all original, including the windshield, and wearing the proper factory stampings.  The Fuchs wheels are wearing their original anodized/satin finished centers and are in very good shape with no significant blemishes.  They are wearing Pirelli tires that were installed a few years ago and less than 500 miles ago.  They have full tread remaining.  The brakes are also all new and at full life.

The interior is equally as nice and further showcases the light/limited use this 911 experienced.  It’s a full leather interior that is in amazing condition with none of the usually warping from old leather.  The front seats look barely used and still are firm and supportive.  The leather is soft and not dried out with no tears, rips, or separation of the seams.  The rear seats look unused.  The Targa top headliner has no sagging, tears, or staining issues and the interior light on the Targa bar works.  The door panels are in very good shape with just slight bowing of the door pockets, but no warping of the pocket lids.  The carpet looks near perfect with no stains or excessive wear spots.  The leather dash is one of the better I’ve seen with none of the major warping typically seen around the center vents and on the edges.  All the gauges work, except the clock.  Even the original “85mph” speedo is still in place, which is rare as most were replaced early on.  The power windows and mirrors all work.  The A/C blows, just not cold.  The system looks complete and untouched.  The rest of the ventilation/heat system works.  The cruise control also does not work.

This SC drives amazingly.  There is nothing quite like a low-mile survivor like this.  Everything feels tight and responsive.  It starts easily and holds an even idle.  The throttle response is strong and it pulls nicely through the rev range with no hesitation.  The transmission shifts smoothly through all the gears with no grinding.  The clutch engages properly with no slipping.  The brakes have a good initial bite with no fading or pulling.  The handling is crisp and the car tracks straight.

This 911SC has always been California registered and it passes our strict smog/emissions test.  We have a log of smog tests going back to 1996, which it passed all of them.

This Porsche comes with 3 keys, owner’s manual with the vinyl case, original maintenance booklet with stamps, two Targa top keys, front license plate bracket, both original California blue license plates, car cover, space saver spare tire (never used), jack, and original window sticker with supplemental dealer markups.

**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud.  All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.

Once you’ve had great sushi, you can never go back.

Driving a low-mile pure original air-cooled 911 survivor is a similar experience.

They are as close as you will get to tasting what it was like to drive one of these new in-period. 

From the simple things like the strong tension of a barely used door handle to the firm feeling of full leather that hasn’t been beaten down like tenderized meat, this 911SC Targa transports you to 1981.

This owner resisted the urge to personalize and modify his 911 (aka nesting) for 43 years, which is comparable to a monk’s oath of celibacy.

In fact, it’s still wearing both original license plates that were issued to the car when sold new.

It’s even owned by the first owner who still has the original “pink-slip” title that was first issued in 1981.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or [email protected]

This vehicle is sold “as-is” with no warranty, written or implied.  In some cases, the vehicle does have the remaining factory warranty still in place and will be described above if that is the case.  All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the listed price.  All vehicle sales will require a $170 administration fee.  The vehicle listed is described to the best of our ability.  The information is based on our own research and statements made to us by the previous owner(s).  To the best of our knowledge, the above information is accurate.  We are not responsible for errors in our description of options or any other details.  The above-mentioned vehicle is used and can be expected to show some wear and tear.  It is not a brand-new vehicle.  We do welcome all local pre-purchase inspections on vehicles in order to verify their condition.  For payment, we accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, or cash.  Checks take up to 10 business days to clear.  The vehicle and title will be held until all funds are cleared and verified.  Bank transfers usually only take 24 hours.

Note: For out-of-state buyers, California does not offer temporary tags/registration.  Each State typically has a grace period to allow buyers to drive their new out-of-state acquisition to their local DMV for registration.  Please check your State’s DMV website for more details.  Also, California requires us to surrender standard plates less than 30 years old back to the state and will not be delivered with the vehicle.  Personalized plates stay with the seller.