As a fan of Porsche 911s, Mike couldn’t resist the temptation of one that needed plenty of work. What would Elvis make of it, though?
Mike loves a Porsche, and a few of them have found their way into the Wheeler Dealers workshop over the years, including his favourite 911s. But it’s fair to say that none of them looked quite like this one…
A trailer was needed to needed to collect this abandoned project, a 1981 Porsche 3.0 SC that had cost Mike £27,000. It certainly needed plenty of work and he wasn’t sure what Elvis would make of it, but with plans to make it the perfect daily-driver the opportunity was too good to miss.
Fortunately, the master mechanic could see the potential lurking beneath the dusty, half-finished Porsche and he did enjoy the drive on the private roads surrounding the workshop. But it was time to get stuck-in and return this brilliant sports car to its best, and that started with the bodywork.
Replacing the corroded front wings was going to be too expensive, so some clever repairs were called for instead. Hours were spent measuring, fabricating and welding to get them looking perfect and with that done he could think about the flat-six engine.
In the meantime Mike went to see the experts at Ricky Evans Motorsport as he had a plan when it came to replacing the missing Porsche windscreen. A heated screen would be the perfect upgrade, and it was fascinating watching it being made – it was clever stuff. And at £360 including electrical work and fitting it was cracking value.
Now that the engine was out Elvis could set about a thorough overhaul that would ensure the air-cooled motor was fit for many more miles. Discovering the common problem of broken cylinder head studs, he opted for upgraded items and then got on with replacing the timing chain, guides and tensioners and carefully setting the valve timing. All of that work set the boys back almost £1800 but it was definitely worth it.
An easier job was giving the psychedelic Pasha trim a thorough clean. It’s a design that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it perfectly suited this ‘80s SC. And then it was time for another upgrade, this time an improvement to the brakes that would ensure this potent Porsche would stop as well as it went.
Elvis had decided that bigger front brake discs and larger, uprated six-piston calipers were needed and it didn’t take him long to fit the new parts. And the good news was that the classic Fuchs wheels could be retained.
The project was on the home-straight, and it was just a matter of refitting the engine, body panels and interior. Discovering headlamps that were stuck on main beam wasn’t a major problem, and a quick repair to the steering column stalk was all that was needed to get things working perfectly.
A fantastic test drive in the snowy Cairngorms was the perfect ending – that heated windscreen was very welcome – and it was time for the Porsche to find a new home. Almost £33,000 had been spent in total but this desirable classic was always going to grab plenty of attention, and buyer, Brendan, had no hesitation in paying the full asking price of £36,000. We don’t blame him…
Mike says: “Wheeler dealers has always had a successful run with every Porsche we’ve had through the workshop. Having owned several and being a massive fan of the 911 SC body, when one appeared on the radar, I couldn’t resist snapping it up, even though it seemed like only half the car was there.
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discovery UK – Wheeler Dealers
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Porsche Club Great Britain
Porsche Enthusiasts Club
