1980 Porsche 911 SC Targa

This 3.0-litre 911 SC (Super Carrera) targa, with manual transmission, was first registered in February 1980 and has had 10 owners, collectively covering around 110k miles.

The last owner, from Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, purchased the car in August 1998. He was looking for a 911 and this was the best option within his budget at the time. He drove it for a year or two and then put it away in his garage with a view to carrying out a few renovation jobs on it when he had the time. As is common, work and life got in the way and the longer it remained neglected in the garage, the more needed to be done to bring it back to good working order and the less likely it was to happen.

Whilst the garage had some warmth from a domestic central heating boiler inside, there was no control over the moisture levels and where the car was tight up against a wall on the nearside, there was also a reduced air flow. These factors contributed to the poor external condition of the car that you see today and the slightly damp interior.

The 911 is finished in silver metallic and although there is no obvious body damage that we could see, there are numerous areas of lacquer failure and peeling as well as multiple patches of bubbling - a few with rust now showing through - particularly around the outsides of the cabin and door shuts.

The black vinyl-covered targa panel looks in good order externally and seems to fit well. The lining on the inside, however, feels a little loose and has succumbed to a touch of mildew.

This SC has the whale-tail rear spoiler, which has a crack to one side of it and also has the shark-fin rear wheel-arch trims, more often associated with the contemporary 911 Turbo.

The Targa sits on 15-inch Fuchs cookie-cutter alloy wheels which have black inners and silver rims. One is missing the centre cap and all will need refurbishing to correct the lacquer damage and surface corrosion.

For what it’s worth, they are fitted with Goodyear Eagles on the front axle and Firestone Firehawks to the rear - although undoubtedly all will need replacing before project completion.

The black Tex/vinyl interior appears to be complete and in an undamaged condition with no rips or tears in the upholstery or cracks in the dash. Although it does come with a slight aura of dampness.

Officially known as Schachbrett (chessboard) - the blue/black chequered pattern across the seat facings and door cards is more commonly known as Pasha and is highly desirable. The carpets are also present and correct.

There are Pioneer speakers installed in the doors but the head unit has been removed. As the car is in an unusable state, we cannot say what interior equipment does or doesn’t work.

The front boot opens to reveal that all liners are present and intact, as are the tool roll and jack. Underneath is a steel spare wheel fitted with a collapsible Vredestein tyre. The floor of the frunk appears to be solid and free of any significant corrosion.

Although the car has been garaged for the last 20 or so years, inevitably moisture and humidity found its way around the vehicle. The undersides show a good deal of corrosion across most surfaces. However, without a professional inspection, we couldn’t say to what extent but as ever we encourage you to look through the photos or inspect in person.

The rear engine bay and contents appears to be complete and intact, but looks as if it has gone unopened and untouched for a couple of decades - which is pretty much the case.

We believe it was the very end of the 20th century that this 911 last graced the UK’s roads and since then it has been tucked away in a domestic garage.

The history file contains old MoT reports, tax discs, invoices and other documentation from the ‘90s - none of which serves to give any indication of the current condition of the car. It will however give some clues to previous ownership and a good starting file thickness for the numerous dockets that the next owner will accumulate over the course of their restoration project.

We always recommend a thorough scrutiny of the detailed photographs in the gallery, but especially so in this case. If you’d prefer to get hands-on with the car in person, we can of course arrange an appointment to inspect it at our Oxfordshire HQ.

The odometer currently reads just under 110,500 miles, which we believe to be correct based on the last available MoT certificate.

To give you an indication of what could be achieved with this 911 SC Targa in terms of presentation and potential value - an almost identical (no whale tail), fully working example of the same model year is coming through our auction at the time of writing.

Clearly this particular one needs some work but we think that in this state, as a largely complete car awaiting a mechanical and cosmetic restoration or renewal, it will sell for between £17,000 and £22,000.

For some time, the targa top 911 was overlooked by many enthusiasts and collectors, but in recent years more are coming to see the “best of both” benefits of the removable roof panel and prices have climbed. If you’re handy with the spanners and like to wield the wet and dry, here’s your chance to get into a true Porsche classic.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.