1983 911SC Coupe Safari

Like any modified Porsche, the quality of parts, who did the work, and quality of said work all determine the price of a Safari build, which can vary wildly. You have everything from a ratty unmaintained 911 with a few beefy bolt-ons at the bottom of the market, all the way to full nut and bolt restorations with custom fabricated bits and fully built engines at the top.

This 1983 911SC Coupe falls in the upper end of the middle of the pack with quality parts, a nice repaint, and some solid engine work. The car was repainted Ruby Red Metallic last year with Ivory graphics, rear duck tail spoiler, and Avorio (Ivory) bumpers. The front bumper has been recessed by about 1.5” and features tubular brush guards, skid plates, and custom fluted headlight lenses with bi-LED projectors.

The suspension has been beefed up with Von Street coilovers, RSR-style hollow sway bars, a bump steer kit, decambered ball joints, and Turbo tie rods. It rides on Cream-colored 16” Braid wheels with BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires over four-wheel disc brakes with ventilated rotors. It also features a spare tire mounted above the rear window. Who needs to see behind you out on the trail anyway?

On the inside, the Sports Seats have been reupholstered in Burgundy leather with Gray & Ivory striped Alcantara inserts a la 959 with matching upholstery extending to the RS-style door panels and dash. Additional equipment includes a four-point roll bar, Porsche Classic radio, Rennshift shifter with 917-style wood shift knob, and a three-spoke Clubsport steering wheel reupholstered in Burgundy leather & Alcantara.

While the chassis shows 154,000 miles, the 3.0-liter engine was rebuilt 20,000 miles ago and features dual PMO 40mm carburetors with velocity stacks and 911R-style rain shields, along with Electromotive XDi200 electronic ignition, SSI heat exchangers, and a stainless-steel Dansk exhaust system for one heck of a build.

Like I said, Safari builds can vary, but the quality parts list, recent bodywork, and engine build on this 911SC mean someone spent some coin on this example to get the car we see here today. Had this been a stock 911SC Coupe, it would have sold in the $55k range, ±$5k, but it was far from stock and sold at a final bid of $135,000. Now, I highly doubt the work cost $80,000, so if this Safari build was your jam, it was pretty well bought.

Two things that go hand-in-hand? Porsche and watches. Every Porschephile I know is also a watch nerd. And like Porsches, watches can be enjoyed at all price points. 

On a recent visit to Pittsburgh, SML subscriber Allan S. tossed me his new Sheffield Allsport watch. Sheffield Watches is a reboot of an old dive watch brand founded in New York in the ‘50s that was synonymous with producing low-price point, quality watches. The weight of the stainless steel case felt robust, as did the feel of the screw-down crown and unidirectional bezel—definitely quality. As for price point, the Sheffield diver punches way above its weight at $108. You can’t buy more watch for the money, period. 

And that’s what Sheffield Watches’ founder Jay Turkbas set out to accomplish, reviving the brand's ethos and creating a watch synonymous with quality, technology, and affordability. Taking inspiration from his original Sheffield watch from the ’70s and his 30-plus years of experience in product development and innovation, he knocked it out of the park with a durable watch capable of exploring the depths of the ocean one day and cars & coffee the next. And all at a price point equivalent to the $13 the watch originally cost back then. Take a moment to give Sheffield Watches a look. I know you’ll be just as impressed as I am.

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