1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa

In the custody of the vendor for nine years, this Porsche 911 SC from July 1981 has been carefully stored in a garage for almost a decade awaiting restoration.

As is so often the case, John Lennon’s observation that “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans” meant that the project never got started. Until recently, that is, when the owner instructed his trusted classic car experts to give it the once over and to try to get it started if they could.

The garage in question repaid his faith in them by not only getting it started but also getting an MOT on it! Truly remarkable and a testament to the robustness of the car’s design and the care with which it had been stored. (A decent wedge of servicing and maintenance bills from the 80s and 90s probably helped…)

Being sold now with a couple of advisories and some cosmetic tidying up to do, this structurally sound but slightly scruffy 911 is your opportunity to buy a running and MOT’d 911 at a bargain basement price.

The good news is that the flanks are straight, the panel gaps seem good, and what rust there is – front wings aside – doesn’t look too bad at all. This is a car that wears its faults on its sleeve and the more you dig, the better it looks.

Plus, the metallic Oak Green colour looks amazing, adding a sophistication to the car’s lines that some of the more popular colours simply don’t; while a whale tail-equipped Guards Red example reeks of eighties’ excess, Oak Green speaks of a more mature, considered approach to life; you’ll know your own personal tastes better than us but can we suggest that if you’re a fan of Jordan Belfort of Wolf of Wall Street fame then this isn’t the car for you. However, if Steve McQueen is more your style (girlfriend-battering aside, obviously…) then this would suit you very nicely indeed.

Of course, we can’t pretend that the years haven’t taken their toll and we can see that the new owner will probably want to splash out on a pair of front wings. Other localized repairs will be necessary too and we’d strongly encourage potential bidders to go to Wiltshire and take a look at the car for themselves in order to accurately gauge the work required.

But, and this is important, it’s solid and there are plenty of pretty 911s of this era out there that have been bodged with P38 and a couple of rattle cans of Halfords’ paint. They will look good – and some of them look very good indeed - right up to the point that they don’t, after which you will be spiraling into a world of hurt without knowing which way is up.

This one, on the other hand, looks tatty but we are advised by the The Motor Garage, who have obtained the MOT and are currently looking after it, that they have looked under and around it and state that it is solid and hasn’t been messed about with; it’s being offered in ‘as is’ condition, so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into from the start.

The Fuchs alloy wheels look to be in good shape too but will need refurbishing. Oh, and while the tyres passed an MOT a prudent driver would possibly replace all five on the grounds of age, if nothing else. The vendor tells us that they’re slightly out of round too (you would be too if you hadn’t moved for nine years), which is another reason to splash out on a fresh set of rubber. After all, nothing beats the first few days driving on a matching set of high-quality tyres, does it?

The targa roof was replaced in the eighties and looks okay. Again, it needs cleaning and probably some minor fettling but that’s a nice-to-do job rather than an essential one at this stage.

The black leather seats are in surprisingly good shape but then four decades and 122,000 miles is nothing to a Porsche of this era. They’re still firm and supportive and don’t have anything as vulgar as rips, tears or other serious damage.

Having said that, the black paint is starting to come off the passenger’s seat showing red leather underneath, so they won’t be the original front seats. On a more positive note, while the edges show some scuffing and the piping has started to come adrift we think all four seats could be coaxed back into shape by a professional trimmer at minimal cost.

(Of course, if you’re looking for Man Maths to justify a pair of Singer-style ventilated jobbies then we’re happy to provide a written assessment saying just that for your other half.)

The lower dashboard panel was originally the same deep tan colour as the upper dashboard - and probably the seats and door cards, too - but it has been recoloured black to match the seats. This is starting to wear away in a couple of places, most notably where the ignition key hangs. Again, it could be recoloured black, or stripped down and refinished in the original colour depending on how the next owner views period colours and originality. (FWIW, one of us had one in this very colour scheme of Oak Green coachwork and tan interior and it looked amazing.)

The door cards are tired too, as is the carpet. However, none of it is critical and could all be refurbished and/or replaced as and when funds allow and second-hand replacements become available.

The front ‘boot’ contains the steel spare wheel and tyre plus a toolkit and jack. Again, it needs some tidying but it all looks solid and everything looks to be there, so it wouldn’t be an especially onerous task to get it looking smart again.

The engine bay is pretty good considering how long it’s been in storage. More importantly, the vendor tells us that the engine “starts and goes as it ought too”, and doesn’t smoke or rattle. He says there is a slight vibration when the car is being driven, but he attributes this to the tyres, which are old and out of shape. Otherwise this is a working car, not a haul-it-out-the-weeds-with-a-winch lump of metal and plastic.

The 911 needed new front brake calipers when recommissioned, and the MOT tester has suggested that a fresh set of discs all round might not be a bad idea.

The underside is rusty and but the MOT tester did comment that the rust is not structural; if it were ours we’d be tempted to pop the car on four axle stands, strip the suspension and other components off and then wire brush the hell out of it to see what’s what and establish a baseline; we reckon the result won’t be half as frightening as you think…

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please contact the owner to arrange an appointment.

The most recent expired MOT dates from 2009, which dovetails neatly with the vendor’s account of the car being in storage for the past nine years.

The current MOT, which expires in November 2020, shows underside corrosion that isn’t structural, plus the need for front and rear discs (to match the new calipers) and a rear view mirror.

The car comes with a reasonable sheaf of invoices and bills from the eighties and nineties to confirm the work that was done to it then, plus a stamped service history book from the early days.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the more recent paperwork.

Let’s pretend this is a barn-find, shall we? There, now your pulse is racing you’ll be even more delighted to hear that it’s in much better condition than the average long-abandoned project car, largely because it has been driven and carefully maintained for the majority of its life and only put in storage for the past nine years.

Only lightly recommissioned to get it running and MOT’d, it is now being offered in an honest ‘as found’ condition; it certainly isn’t a problem-child being foisted onto the naïve and the unsuspecting because the car’s (relatively few) faults are laid bare and open to inspection.

Pop along to see and hear it running, and then crawl over, under, and within it to your heart’s content until you know whether or not it is within your capabilities to restore. (*spoiler alert* it probably is)

As a targa, it offers the best of all worlds, too: open-air motoring when you’re in the mood, and coupe-like civility when you’re not. And, it’s offered in an unusual and highly attractive colour, which only adds to its appeal, surely?

As for price, we think it’ll fetch between £12,000 and £19,000 but why not go along and take a look? After all, the reserve is lower than the lower estimate - and just think of the peace and quiet it’s going to buy you this winter. (Or even the next few, if you want to spin things out to give you some much-needed respite from the family...)

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Netheravon in Wiltshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply.