Porsche 911 Info

InTheTrees wrote: »

The wisdom is to avoid the 911S and go for a 911SC which started in 1978. (I think it can lay claim to the most reliable engine ever made?).

Until 1988(?), all 911's used the 914 gearbox which is notoriously delicate. Beware of any crunching gears on a test drive, and they're expensive to fix. The later gearbox is the g50 and is alot more forgiving.

What is wisdom .... as the above remarks already shows a few pretty obvious misunderstandings:
Since you don't distinguish between 'pre-73' and 'post-73' (impact bumper) Porsches, any novice is already put on the wrong footing here, in believing that a 911"S" is to be avoided: in fact a PRE-73 911S is one of the most desireable of all Porsches, bar the Carrera RS, and is currently fetching prices in excess of 40k !!! Your remark is clearly originated from the myth that the Post-73 911's with he 2.7 engines are unreliable, which is not really true. Suffice to say, a European 2.7 is as good as any other 911 but the US cars MAY have suffered from overheating due to the obligatory emmission restrictions built in...
Also, there is no such thing as a 914 gearbox! There is a Porsche 914, but the gearbox you refer to is the 915 gearbox which indeed can have a weak synchro on 2nd and 3rd. Interesting fact is that the 3.0 and 3.3 Porsche Turbo's had a 4 speed box and never came with the 915 5 speed box, because it was deemed too weak for the brute force of the Turbo's.The older Porsches have a 901 box, with the so-called 'dog leg' 1st.

There are loads of stories doing the rouds in what I would class as the typical 'pub story tales' surrounding Porsches and Porsche ownership, some are true, but quite a lot are utter misconceptions. originating from people who have never owned, driven or let alone sat in one, but who believe they know all about them... Feel free to give me a ring sometime and I can help dispelling some of the myth surrounding Porsche ownership and give you some pointers and advice...

PaulK_CCI wrote: »

What is wisdom .... as the above remarks already shows a few pretty obvious misunderstandings:
Since you don't distinguish between 'pre-73' and 'post-73' (impact bumper) Porsches, any novice is already put on the wrong footing here, in believing that a 911"S" is to be avoided: in fact a PRE-73 911S is one of the most desireable of all Porsches, bar the Carrera RS, and is currently fetching prices in excess of 40k !!! Your remark is clearly originated from the myth that the Post-73 911's with he 2.7 engines are unreliable, which is not really true. Suffice to say, a European 2.7 is as good as any other 911 but the US cars MAY have suffered from overheating due to the obligatory emmission restrictions built in...

Er...

I agree but I dont think anything before 1975 is relevant because the Original poster said "Late seventies".

Sure euro 2.7's may be more reliable than US 2.7's but wouldnt you still recomend the 3.0?

PaulK_CCI wrote: »

There are loads of stories doing the rouds in what I would class as the typical 'pub story tales' surrounding Porsches and Porsche ownership, some are true, but quite a lot are utter misconceptions. originating from people who have never owned, driven or let alone sat in one, but who believe they know all about them... Feel free to give me a ring sometime and I can help dispelling some of the myth surrounding Porsche ownership and give you some pointers and advice...

I'm on my third. I currently own two and they've been my only cars for over ten years. Both over 150k miles and running like new.

But shock horror they're 944's. However I spend a lot of time around porsche people so I fully admit my late-70's 911 knowledge is a tad sketchy. Although I totally stand by saying get a 3.0 over a 2.7...

I'd say the biggest misconception is the "oh but parts are so expensive" cry. Yes, they may be slightly, however the germans who designed these cars made them like tanks, I have never owned a more reliable car. The issues that affect them are pretty much known and documentated so if you keep up the regular maintenence (thats no more than any other car), you'll be fine.

....forgot to add, and this is where we run into the Irish Dilemma: you find a car you can buy, cheap tax, cheap insurance.......but it's not quite what you want. Maybe a bit too old, or too basic, or.......whatever.

Move up in the years to the one that does float your boat, and even at the right price, you run into the more expensive tax (:mad:), first, but insurance is still reasonable. That's how I ended up in a 968. Or 2 :rolleyes:....anyhoo, I did the 911 thing, and gorgeous and all as it was, here, it didn't do daily short hops very well, I missed the comfort of Power Steering, air-con (ok, call me a Wuss :P )..it was just too old a car (type) for where I was at the time.....(had MX5 and TT at the time as well, which kinda spoiled the party.....)....and it needed a fair bit of tlc 'going forward' as they say (engine), but the tax really, really grated.......:mad: So, I sold it 14 months later, for -6k on what I paid for it, to a good home.





However, a chance encounter with someone who'd bought a 944 Turbo cheap opened my eyes to something that ticked more of the 'modern' boxes, but was still a bit special, and started looking. I ended up in a 968 during that search, purely by accident, but it's worked out v.well so far, and I've been quietly won over by the 'waterpumpers' as they're known. I have 2 x kids, and carry everything from shopping to bicycles in them, so they truly are useful. And this is one reason I suck up the tax - did I say :mad: :mad: :mad: already ? - as the car gets well used. I couldn't say the same if it moved once/month, for example........

I've seen this in the flesh, and it's gobsmacking, won the Porsche Club concours, and that says something. Getting rare, too..........

No matter which one you pick, with the right car, there is no 'wrong' Porsche imho.

galwaytt wrote: »

No matter which one you pick, with the right car, there is no 'wrong' Porsche imho.

Thats a beautiful 911.

I had a miata for a couple of years, it was a really fun car.