Bloose993TT

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fastdiablo

This buyer needs to buy a copy of "the used 911 story", and a red book. Mandatory for an noob with some cash in hand to buy a g body. I'm also suspect of anyone promotes 915 over a G50. Just look at the market for your validation. Not to mention Porsche didn't go to G50 because they're worse lol.

bradnic

I have a copy of The Used 911 Story and Paul Frerés book. Also the Motorbooks series, the black 993 book, the Carrera RS book.. Safe to say I'll be ready to buy when the time comes.

But I am a noob. My only real experiences with aircooled 911s were two as a young college kid:

- driving my brother's 75 Copper Brown Targa for a full weekend a long time ago. manual brakes, manual steering, no AC.. the car made a deep impression on me to this day.
- driving a 930 from a standing start, through 2nd gear then back to zero, several times for a couple of miles.. massive turbo lag, neck snapping acceleration. amazing.

re the comments on 915 vs G50, I don't think anyone said 915 was better. Didn't Ferry Porsche use to say his favorite Porsche was always the newest one?

Rather I saw multiple times mention of G50 cars costing more - to your point about 'market for validation'. If you like the earlier cars, manual trans linkage vs hydraulic you're going to be satisfied with what those earlier cars came with, warts and all.

ksluna

I'll look into that book.

To be honest, a lot of reading on this forum I would say majority of people say the 915 isn't that bad and it shouldnt deter anyone away from a 3.2.

911Dave

That's true, but the majority of people on the forum are 915 owners, and as a wise man once said, people tend to defend their choices. There's nothing wrong with a 915 as long as it's in good shape. I've owned 2 of them. It's just that the G50 (what I own now) is better. It's up to the purchaser to decide if the G50 premium is worth it, but a 3.2 Carrera is a fabulous 911 regardless of which transmission it has in it.

ksluna

Seeing in your sig as you have both experience with the G50 and 915, can I ask which one you prefer - and, if you could only have one, which would it be?

911Dave

Hands down, the G50. I've had my '88 for 6 years, and I wouldn't go back to a 915 again unless I found a car I just had to have. I'm spoiled now. But by no means should you overlook a good 915 car. Like I said earlier, the condition of the car is far more important than the transmission. A car with too many issues will ruin the whole experience, especially if it's your first 911.

AG81

^
This is very well stated and my feeling exactly. I love, I mean love my G50 car..... but the right car, in the right condition is very much more important to me then the transmission.

With that said.....it would take a really spectacular car to get me out of my 88 3.2 G50 car.

mooty

I have both g50 and 915. if your 915 is set up right, it shifts just like G50
if you can't shift a well tuned 915 you can't shift a G50 either.

sithot

fastdiablo

What does it mean to have a "well tuned" 915? What goes into that mechanically and in terms of dollars and what kind of maintenance does that require? Is that a wevo SS and after markets parts, or is that a freshly rebuilt 915? Seems if it were that simple, the G50 premium could be easily avoided for buyers who don't prioritize fully original cars/original mechanicals.

ksluna

This is a great question. I just assumed a 915 with wevo SS and maybe the seine systems gate shifter would be almost as good as a G50.

r911

A well-tuned 915 will shift fine, but in its own way. You will always have to pause between gears.* The Wevo parts are not needed, but nicely run in syncros, and careful attention to the 3 bushings in the shifter are needed. You can put a newer shift tower in, and then go thru Sherwood Lee's blueprinting instructions. They are on his web site, renn-something...

And when I say "fine" I do not mean it will ever match the wonderful 901 or 911 transmissions.

For those who are not able to shift like a Porsche-man, get a G50.

If you do get a G50, get a nice 993RS to go with it. A great car, but a different car.

* it uses a baulk ring (or balk ring) device; P AG was very proud of this design, licensing it to others and keeping it for a long time, even after the more "modern" Borg-Warner syncro design had been out for years, which IIRC is used in the G50 designs.

AG81

^
I don't think they are the same. A 915 with a wevo vs a G50 with a wevo are not the same. I think we are referring to a fresh 915 mechanically being a great car to drive and worth anyone's consideration.
I didn't think this was a 915 vs G50 thread.

911Dave

And those who can't afford a G50 settle for a 915. Then they install aftermarket parts to try to make it shift like a G50.

And let's not forget the self-adjusting and smooth hydraulic clutch of the G50, vs the cable-operated clutch of the 915, which frays and wears over time, increasing the stiffness, until one day it breaks and strands you on the side of the road.