1978-1983 Porsche 911 SC: Everything you need to know

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Porsche expert Nathan Merz gives us a full overview of the 1978-1983 911 SC, from body styles, year-to-year changes, helpful resources, and all kinds of things to look out for when you're in the market.

0:00 - Intro
2:50 - 911 SC Basics: 1978-79 vs 1980-83; OE equipment basics; patina
13:21 - Body Styles
16:58 - Exterior: Year-to-year changes
34:19 - Interior: Year-to-year changes
52:57 - Inspecting the frunk
1:03:39 - Paint and Color
1:17:24 - Interior colors and materials
1:19:13 - Inspecting the engine bay
1:26:40 - Authentication and Documentation: Model, options, stock equipment, mileage, etc.
1:38:27 - Going deeper with authentication and documentation
1:40:55 - Example of a typical 911 SC
1:43:40 - Conclusion

#modelguide #nathanmerz #porsche911SC
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[jahblessin]

I’m always amazed with Nathan and his never ending knowledge on all things Porsche.

[jaygillotti]

Historical note - there is a theory on why the SCs were such good cars. Theory is that the engineers and assembly line workers thought they were building the last 911s and they wanted it to go out on a high note. Great video as usual from Nathan.

[richglazewski]

Great Video summary of the SC . It validates the 81 SC that I bought from the original Owner 35 years ago. I seem to fall into that small percentage of cars that are Original Paint and no accidents. Nathan is spot on. Grand Prix White exterior / Can Can Red leather seats / Full Leather interior. . Black Leather dash & trim / black rugs. Is a combo that really POPs . 41, 000 miles with documented Speedo change by Dealer and all service documentation !

[vor]

Possibly the BEST comparison test of the SC models that can be found on the internet! Thank you so much!!
Cheers over from 🇩🇪,
9vor11

[tylerdred]

Thank you so much for bringing awareness to the amazing 911 SC. Overlooked and under-appreciated by the community

[saturner]

Really well done and informative video. Thank you Nathan/PCA! 
One thing that I haven't heard many people talk about is the swap to the 3.2 Carrera cases on late model 1983 SC's. I own one and never even realized I had something non-standard until a few years ago when I ordered an 'SC Oil Change Kit' from Pelican, and it came with a sump gasket which my motor does not have. I was super confused and thought Pelican just made a mistake. Turns out Porsche used the soon-to-be-released '84 3.2 cases on some of the last of 198SC's coming through the factory, including mine. Super interesting.

[purematossan]

nice job ...SC are the perfect balance between vintage and sport car ..general clarification: All SCs have 49mm intake valves, and 41.5mm exhaust valves. The '78/79 cars have an intake port that's 5mm larger (39mm vs 34mm), but the exhaust ports on all SCs is the same (35mm). The early cars use larger diameter intake runners, but the '80-83 cars have a solid improvement in torque with the smaller runners and intake ports. All USA SCs are rated at the same HP (180 DIN). If a camshaft change is done care must be taken to not disrupt intake manifold vacuum. CIS injection depends on that vacuum to operate properly, which is why Porsche was so conservative with cam profiles for the CIS cars. Although all SC cams are similar, the late engines have a different timing spec, which must also be taken into account. Regarding compression, '80-83 cars have higher compression (9.3:1 vs 8.5:1), made possible by the more precise CIS which includes Lambda (oxy sensor, ECU, etc.).

[rgarrett]

in the middle of a restoration of a 1980 SC- thanks for the details. Really informative.

[AlexBeras]

Incredibly informative video!! I learned so much about the nuances of each car which informs the variances between cars even between the same model years!! The radio “misplacement” on delivery forcing dealer install is hilarious! I love my 88, but I’d definitely consider an SC. Thank you!

[emgee]

Fantastic-this video is a real hobbyist’s dream. Really enjoyed watching - thank you Nathan!

[gregfazzio]

Excellent job Nathan and Damon! It was a fun day. Thanks for inviting me and my SC to the party👍🏻

[ianhardin]

As always...we're not worthy. :) Thanks for the info session. I've already shared it with a friend who is in process of restoring an SC Targa.

[bluesky]

Learned a ton from the video. Appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into these videos, thank you producing them - invaluable content.

[flyingpatmiller]

Wooohoooo!! Finally! Just bought my 911SC a month ago, so wish I would have had this. Thank you Nathan & PCA!

[irwinliaw]

Thank you 🙏 great video by Nathan knowledge of all things 911

[stevetheodore_specialtycars]

Another masterpiece of a video courtesy of Nathan and the PCA. Bravo...I will never tire of these deeply educational and entertaining videos. Thank you!

[david]

Really enjoyed the video. It's kind of amazing that SCs still are sort of looked down upon and don't bring all that much money compared to the cars that came a few years earlier or a few years later. Maybe one day we'll see the values really take off for original ones.

[dennymcwayne]

Fantastic video you guys! Thanks again for all the hard work you put into making these!

[scottmarshall]

Great video. Thanks Nathan for spending your time producing this. My SC birthdate was 10-1980, but was registered as a 1981 model. It has the metal paint code label in the driver front door jamb as in previous years. You mentioned that 81’s didn’t have this plate. Maybe my car was produced before the change. Love all the interesting details you provided about the cars.

[TorneroCarlos]

Another amazing video. Always wondered about the paint sticker. Thanks Nathan.