C vs SC

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Bill Lawless
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C vs SC

#1 Post by Bill Lawless »

Quick ?
Besides the engine and lettering on back, is there any way to tell the difference between a C and an SC..

For example, If an SC has a non-matching number engine, can you tell the car is an SC, somebody may have just put an SC on a C car??

Just curious, My quest to find a Cab and C and SC are priced quite different...

Bill
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Jules Dielen
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Re: C vs SC

#2 Post by Jules Dielen »

Tach has a different red line

that is about it unless you get in and drive it. SCs have a bit more ooph, but if the engine is worn.... meh.
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David Jones
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Re: C vs SC

#3 Post by David Jones »

Kardex will tell you and the COA may. Other than that engine will have a number starting with 8xxxxx and tach will have the higher redline and you have the SC badge and I could add one of those to my car and call it an SC.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
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Ron LaDow
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Re: C vs SC

#4 Post by Ron LaDow »

David Jones wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:53 pm Kardex will tell you and the COA may.
Pretty sure those are really the only way to tell.
The factory did not 'match' engine and chassis numbers, so a car fitted with a C engine and associated parts could 'evolve/mutate' to an SC by scumbags motivated by such fraud and dishonesty to make such changes in the parts.
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Martin Benade
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Re: C vs SC

#5 Post by Martin Benade »

Like my S90. :D
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Adam Wright
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Re: C vs SC

#6 Post by Adam Wright »

Ron LaDow wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:52 am
David Jones wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:53 pm Kardex will tell you and the COA may.
Pretty sure those are really the only way to tell.
The factory did not 'match' engine and chassis numbers, so a car fitted with a C engine and associated parts could 'evolve/mutate' to an SC by scumbags motivated by such fraud and dishonesty to make such changes in the parts.
I bought one like this once. It was badged as an SC, had a period correct SC motor. The guy said he didn't have a COA but he talked to Porsche, he even gave me the name of the guy he talked to. The seller even worked for Porsche. I bought the car, but had a nagging feeling. Before I picked it up I ran the number with my source, the car was not an SC, it was a C. When I asked the seller about it he got fuzzy on why he thought it was an SC. I got my money back. His attitude was I could probably sell it and no one would know, the problem was I knew it wasn't an SC!
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Martin Benade
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Re: C vs SC

#7 Post by Martin Benade »

You didn't consider it to be non numbers-matching until proven otherwise, and pay accordingly?
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Adam Wright
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Re: C vs SC

#8 Post by Adam Wright »

Martin Benade wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:23 pm You didn't consider it to be non numbers-matching until proven otherwise, and pay accordingly?
The guy was a Porsche employee, dropped all the right names, so I trusted him. When I called him on the farce he got vague, and wouldn't re-negotiate on the deal, but he did give me my money back. He probably fleeced the next guy.

The car was 221142 if anyone comes across is, the original motor was 716XXX.
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Toby Brown
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Re: C vs SC

#9 Post by Toby Brown »

Along with the Kardex you can track the vin number or chassis number and comparing this number to the range of numbers of Reutter and Karmann you will find out if the car is indeed a SC. Engines are the hardest to verify because so many were switched out. Many have 912 engines with big bore kits etc installed. The Appendix in James Schrager book “Buying, Driving and Enjoying the Porsche 356” lists the chassis numbers and engine number ranges of the C and SC

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Re: C vs SC

#10 Post by David Pateman »

Toby, the problem is that the bodies were all C, the chassis #'s were all the same two series; coupe or cabrio. The engine could be C, SC or Carrera, and the body trimmed to suit. The best proof available is the Kardex, or the COA for abbreviated information.
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Re: C vs SC

#11 Post by Ashley James »

I’ve got a spare SC engine for my C, but when I pulled my C engine down it had a counterbalanced crank, the SC camshaft and the heads were the same. Both engines were 1720cc and I have a choice of Zenith or Solex carbs. I run Zeniths because Solex will not give me the performance of my 718 and I might lose some torque.

Presumably a genuine SC is more valuable than a C, which is a very nice car.

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Bill Lawless
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Re: C vs SC

#12 Post by Bill Lawless »

Jules Dielen wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:13 pm Tach has a different red line
I did some looking on ebay at C's and SC's that had COA's and the tach red line is 6,000 on SC and about 5200 on the C's.
A scammer that would make a C look like an SC most likely will not swap the tach...

Bill
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Re: C vs SC

#13 Post by Martin Benade »

Ashley, the C cam would work best with the Zenith carbs, nicer low speed torque. The heads are identical either way, with the exception of sodium cooled ex valves in the SC, which is not particularly important. Too bad the cam is so much work to swap because you would like it even better.
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Re: C vs SC

#14 Post by Greg Bryan »

I seem to recall that the SC tach went from a 6000 rpm display to 7000 rpm when it went to the electronic tach in early '64 as a running change
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Re: C vs SC

#15 Post by Ashley James »

Martin Benade wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:14 am Ashley, the C cam would work best with the Zenith carbs, nicer low speed torque. The heads are identical either way, with the exception of sodium cooled ex valves in the SC, which is not particularly important. Too bad the cam is so much work to swap because you would like it even better.
Martin, the engine is surprisingly flexible as it is, presumably because it’s 1720cc. TBH I was surprised at how smooth and powerful it was and with broken rings and a scored barrel. It has a new set now and stem seals. Otherwise it seemed to be in pretty good condition, so hopefully I’ll never need my spare SC engine.

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