Porsche 911SC
The price may be steep, but as Richard Gunn explains, a 911 that’s this good overall may well be unrepeatable…
The price may be high, but this must be one of the best 911s of its kind available. It’s wonderful, both cosmetically and mechanically, has obviously been well lookedafter, and needs nothing other than being enjoyed. The bodywork is in remarkable condition; there’s no evidence of a full-scale restoration in the history file but some work must have been done for the car to look this exceptional. The paint is almost completely unmarked, the valance and sloping nose free from the usual collection of stone chips and the bumper corners are unmarked. Pop open the fuel filler cap, and the protective vinyl flaps are still present.
The desirable optional 16-inch Fuchs five-spoke alloy wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Exalto tyres – 205/55 ZR16 91Ys at the front, 225/50 ZR16 92Ys out back – which are date-stamped 2017.
The seats – black leatherette with fabric faces and white pinstripes – are superbly preserved with only a small patch of black repair tape on the driver’s side seat bolster. The carpets are clean and the dashboard free from any major marks. All gauges and controls function as intended, including the climate control and sunroof. The modern Alpine Cd/radio works well and sounds impressive and the front boot is as tidy as elsewhere, too.
Having been steam-cleaned less than 300 miles before our test drive, the engine bay is largely immaculate with oil, grease and grime noticeable only by their absence. There are signs of the recent service, too, with a spotless red oil filter, new air filter and fresh alternator belt. The wiring and pipework are sound and don’t appear to have been messed with. The warning and information stickers on the slam panel look like they were applied yesterday and what we could see of the underside looks fine. The car will be sold with a new MOT.
The 3.2-litre Porsche engines are fabled for their longevity and this one feels strong and eager, having yet to trouble 100,000 miles – it reads 93,651. It fires with no hesitation and idles smoothly from cold. There’s 231bhp to play with so it’s effortless whether just pottering around or sprinting, with a sportingly notchy gear shift hitting each of the five forward ratios with ease. It all feels utterly together and drives faultlessly with no hesitation or roughness under acceleration and the steering is pinpoint accurate, with precise handling and great steering feedback. All this is complemented by superb, positive brakes.
The packed history file is neatly organised by date going back to the Eighties, and includes a CD-ROM of images, continuous MOT certificates and around £50,000 of invoices. The most recent is from August 2020 totalling £1280 for a service, suspension work, clutch adjustment and engine bay steam clean. There’s also a Porsche certificate of authenticity listing build details and original options chosen, original driver’s manual, Fuchs wheels booklet and instructions for the Alpine head unit.