Son of Farquhar

Well, for the past six months, I've been hunting for a new car, and I've narrowed my choices between a series 1 240z Datsun (which would be #3) or taking the plunge on 911 of the same vintage, or even an SC.
Recently I've been leaning towards the Z, due to it's slightly lower price (which would leave me plenty of funds for goodies) but as of late prices for the condition I'm seeking are approaching 911T levels.
So of course you know where I'm going with this; How is the T in terms of driveability and performance?
I've always loved the inline six purr with the triple webber inhaling my 240z would give me (as well as the trouble free maintenance and bulletproof reliability), but I've come across some very clean 911T's (one 70, one 72) that deserve my attention.

I would appreciate any owner experiences/thoughts on the T model; what do you like about it, and what don't you like about it. Are they generally as reliable and the other models of that vintage?

Thanks in advance!

Paul

HarryD

Personally, I think the choice is a no-brainer.... The z's are nice, but when they were new, most folks lusted after the Porsche and got the Z.

My two cents..

James Achard

Paul, I have owned an early Z and they are really a challenge to work on. I had a '73 and it was an awesome car but the parts were hard to come by. That was ten years ago. I have not looked recently for parts but I can only imagine what it is like now. That said, they are great cars and I still love the look of them. From a practical standpoint, the Porsche is a no brainer.

Cheers, James

Dan

IMHO the T is the way to go, especially if its a targa. Right out of high school when I first got my T a roommate of mine had a 240Z, for some reason he always wanted to take my car when we went somewhere, and ofcourse would always want to drive it. Also since mine is a targa the headroom ( Im 6'4" ) was much better and overall felt more roomy to me than his 240Z. My .02

rayjay...'80SC

I own a '70 240Z (vin #979!)project for the last 10 years, 75%, for sale cheap, and also own an '80 911SC. The Z is fine for what it was...a low cost alternative to 911's and XKE's and a competetor to TR's and MG's. It will never be a 911...there will always be a quality and engineering difference that is huge. Buy both...my Z and your 911T! For a great 911T, search the archives here for threads by Jack Olsen, just to see what can be done...he has an incredible car. I love my SC, but at a Porsche site, this is what you will hear. Good luck! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Son of Farquhar

Thank you, everyone, for the responses. Perhaps I was a somewhat vague in my original post; I wasn't seeking answer to "which one should I buy", rather I was interested in getting impressions on the 911T model-including any know "quirks" or issues that would steer me towards an E, or even a torquier SC; I certainly would expect to hop on this site expecting people to say "get the Z, get the Z".

One more note, this car would somewhat of a daily driver (in perfect weather of course!).
Thanks again for the responses! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Dan

Well with that being said, I think the pre 73 T's are great daily drivers. Even with the limited HP's the are pretty fun. Going to an E or an S would increase you HP and improve the handling a little. But as daily drivers any of these models are great IMHO. I am currently taking my T to an S with some minor mods for HP gains and better handling. After having her for 17 years she needed a rebuild so just decided to go to more of an S. The different years though can give you different problems and benifits, carbs vs. mfi, vs. cis. Whether AC or not. Just things to consider for maint. issues. My 71 is a targa in living on the central coast never needed or wanted AC. Also mine has carbs which I love.

Son of Farquhar

Thanks, Dan. The one I'm very interested in is a 70 with A/C. Any particular issues related to this particular year? I am looking at the car this week.
Thanks,
Paul

cmelecci

Paul, I currently drive a 70'911T to work on a regular basis,approx. 250mi a week. Yes, I long for more power, but have put my money into suspension upgrades allowing me to feel better about the car in casual, agressive, and emergency situations. The "mild" tune state of the "T" works well with traffic, no carb/plug loading up, great low end for short shifts. All in all IMHO there isn't a better choice. In all fairness, the "Z" will literary BLOW the "T" away when you turn on the heat or defroster.
Good luck
Carl

Tom F

I think that you may find the 2.2 liter car a little underpowered, considering what you'll probably have to put in to it, and what you could probably do with the same money in an SC. I feel that the engines on these early cars are not nearly as long-lived as the 3.0 and later cars, a point which you will find echoed elsewhere on this post. Plus, the rustproofing and interior trim are not nearly so good on the earlier cars. Some of the parts are relatively hard to come by, though overall, parts availability is good for all 911s, except the earliest ones.

Advantages of the early cars? A modest weight advantage and more charming appearance.

To sum up, the SC and later cars are simply more complete cars, and the cost of buying and maintaining an older 911 is likely to make you wish that you had bought a later one.

Just my opinion! I really do like the 2.2 cars, too.

Son of Farquhar

Thanks for the info. I still will check out the T and go from there.

Roland Kunz

Hello

A good maintainet 911 T will outperform the 240 Z even with the lower HP rate. So if you look for Z-Performance you can simple chose any 911 T.

Simplest are the 2,0 / 2,2 carb versions.

The early Tīs are maybe the toughest 911 engines ever. The engine is capable for much more power so if you look at T cases with some 100000 mls they mostly even donīt show any stressmarks.

Also all the stud trouble startet with the 2,7 and the early SCīs have other issues with studs.
( Costs are the same )

In fact Tīs die mostly by missuse or non maintaince. Even overreving canīt kill them.

Only issue to keep a eye on it are the rustspots and preowners "fix it cheapest way as it is a worthless T anyway" attitude.

Early AC is mostly retrofitet in the staates and the retrofiters worked not gently ( but fast ).

Retrofiting isnīt a problem and the new stuff and rotary compresseors are much neater and perform better even with R134.

Grüsse

frankd

Go for the 72 911. It has a larger motor 2.4 l vs 2.2 l onthe 70 car. Also the this was the first year for the 915 gearbox vs the 901 in the 70 model which has the dogleg first gear. Both are great cars.

The only work of caution is to check for rust. The are many early rust free 911's out there however it takes some time to find one.

One last note the 72 911 has a unique oil filler door located onthe right rear fender. This is the only year Porsche did this. My 72 is a wonderful car.

Dan

Paul, Have we looked at the 71 yet? How did it pan out? Give us a post and let us know.

gridchief

I have owned several 911Ts. All but one have been carborated. The one I own now is a 1973.5 T with CIS injection. I have found the Ts to be delightful cars. As for the Air Conditioning, they are nice to have but I perfer one without. The reason is they are so much easier to get the motor out of the car if you need to. These cars are simple to work on and can provide years of driving pleasure.The difference between an early T and an SC is dramatic. The improvement in the car during the 70's was great. I find it like comparing apples and oranges. I for one perfer the simplicity of the early car. But my best advise to you is to buy the best car you can find in your price range. ANy porsche you buy will be a delight.