tcsracing1

For those of you that own a 69-73' 911, what are they like to own?

Are the easy to live with? Decent in city traffic? (would you use it to commute in a large city center?)
Much work to keep them running right?

Reliable transportation or Best kept as a garage show piece for sundy drives?

JCP911S

Most cars from this period are crap. I wouldn't drive them to the grocery store, and even worse, would't want to be seen driving them to the grocery store.

If in proper mechanical condition, you could drive these 911s to California without problem, but understand that any 45 year old car can have problems, maintenance is key.

greg1990964

Kidding right? The 73T coupe in my garage is fun to drive. It is very different then a 964. Go cart like. I do enjoy the 80' euro coupe and my 964's more. What's the old saying? It is more fun to drive a slow car fast, then a fast car fast? I like them both for different reasons. I do agree they are also pretty durable. The only thing I can't get my head around is what the early cars are going for price wise. I expect an Italian V12 for those prices. That being said, the 73 is staying put.

JCP911S

'70 2.2 911s at speed on the track. Really fantastic sports car. Earned its reputation honestly.

Bought it for 10K. Can't afford to even look at it today.

Unfortunately, these cars were so good that they have become collectors items for rich guys who trailer them to car shows, and will never drive them at speed again.

Grace Kelly, if you believe the gossip, was one of the best pieces of **s in Hollywood, but then became a princess.

What a shame.

tcsracing1

I enjoy my 997 and my 993. Easy to live with. Have been considering a hot rodded 911 long nose but i really do not know much about them other then i think they look nice.

My fear is that i pay big bucks for one and discover that it slow, brakes poorly, handles bad, rattles, requires constant repair and requires constant tuning....

Can an old long nose be made to be reliable without having to be a full time mechanic?

race911

Of course. When I got into these things in '80 the 356 guys would be driving them across country for trips and Parades. No 911 is more backward than that. Mechanically, ANY 911 is basically bulletproof once 1-5 major (depending on year) things are addressed.

So it just depends on what you want to spend. A fully restored/NOS car that's 6-figures? Or a shell you'll be rebuilding from the ground up? (Which still might be 6-figures.) Any way you slice it, it's Stupid Money (relative to the later cars) in today's market. Glad I've still got the near perfect, never a spot of corrosion '73 shell sitting in a warehouse.

And you'd better dissect this down from "69-73"...... A stock '69 2.0L T isn't even the same car as '72-3 with a 3.6L morphed into a widebody.

race911

Now, onto this. Most built cars you'll see out there are compromised. Either because they were built in an era when you were $20K upside down in having $35K in the car, or they were can kicked over the decades with a little of this, and a little of that in "performance" modifications.

Simple answer to speed is to go back and check out the old Excellence issue where Van Overbeek compared a 997 GT2 RS, 997 GT3 RS, and his dad's (RIP as of the weekend before last) Spec 911. Granted, pop's Spec 911 was a (rumored) $150K+ build, but there are homebuilt's out there who run with him and the other JWE "pro" builds. My old car, in my friend's hands and upgraded by Gamroth is a 1:51 car at Sears. I think Johannes did about 1:48 in the GT2RS.

tcsracing1

thanks folks.
I have really been on the fence of a 72 i was looking at earlier this year.

I just cannot get over how much these things are selling for.... Am i crazy to pay almost twice what a decent 964 or 993 costs for one of these things?

Bill Verburg

I had a '72 S back in the day, it was miserable around town and more so in heavy traffic, couldn't wait to replace it w/ a '76 Carrera 3.0 which I still own 38yrs later

Amber Gramps

It's a rich man's Tinker Toy, and not a poor man's daily driver.

nathan1

My 71E is the favorite of all my cars and I own basically every air-cooled generation. The steering is simply marvelous, light yet provides incredible feedback. The motors are VERY rev happy and the gearing in the 901 is great. Back before values got silly I would do 2-4 track events a year with this car and it was VERY competitive and surprised a lot of people with a few "correct" mods. Everything about them just feels "right" (it could be the 2200lb curb weight...)

Would I want it to be my daily driver or my only Porsche? Hell no. But for the "I had a horrific day at work" take a car out and drive in anger, its absolutely the one I hop in. If I could only have 1 air-cooled 911 it would be a 964, two air cooled a 964 and a 70-71E, 3 air-cooled cars add in a 3.2 Carrera, then an SC and finally a 993. All great cars, just different! Just get whatever you enjoy!

tcsracing1

interesting points of view!

FrenchToast

Driving a car in anger isn't a good idea!

As a city car? Absolutely not. These cars are tiny now, even next to a modern Mini Cooper.

And unless you get an E, they are carbuerated. Not exactly reliable, at least by today's standards like EFI. From what I've read, the E's are a little troublesome as well?

Regardless, I would say no. Not all of them have door beams either, and none have impact bumpers.

Only you can answer that......!

Did you drive it?

Also, mechanically these cars aren't much of a problem. Rust on the other hand.....

Well, anything can be made reliable.

Best of both worlds is probably a resto-mod. Modern mechanicals, vintage exterior. Cue Singer Vehicle Design, PS AutoArt, et al.

tcsracing1

I will be at Sebring for Winterfest and the PCA 48 hour.
Anybody with a longhood onsite please hook up with me to give me a ride so I can better understand what all the fuss is about before i impulse buy....

Need to get this long hood idea out of my system one way of another.

It is a RS clone if that means anything...

race911

For me, it's the 2.2S. A whole lot was lost in the low compression "upgrade" to a 2.4 in '72. Well, if you make a 10.3:1 2.7 "RS" there's a whole lot going on there. (Not to mention a 2.8.)

I ran the hell out of my '73S from '98-'01, when I decided to get back into racing. The RS America was not more entertaining out there, and only marginally quicker. I held 4 track records with it at one time, in a class against 3.0 and 3.2 cars.

Again, my comment above on when the car was built, and to what standard.