LosingGrip

I hope I'm not posting twice. This is my first i Rennlist.
I did try to search because I'm sure this question's been asked but was not successful.


After 4 years in a 944 and 8 years in a 968 which I love, I start to think about a real Porsche . I'm thinking 1978-1984 for price 10-18K-- essentially, not much over what I might get for the 968. The primary use would be for autox and DE. I'm not looking for comfort, just raw driving experience. Here are my questions.

-- The 968 is a lot of car for the money, will I be sorry to change to a 911?
-- Once I get into a 911 will I wonder why I didn't do it years before?

I'm sure someone else has been there before. Comments? Thanks.

rgrimm

First, I wouldn't say you don't have a "real Porsche."

I've driven 968s, but haven't "lived" with one for any length of time. FWIW, from my short experience, I've always thought a 968 would be an ideal car for long-distance touring; a 911 for shorter runs where you get to carve up some twisties.

I'm guessing with a 968 you can talk someone with a 911 into going for a drive and "swapping" cars for a short period--that's how I got my driving experiences. But for the raw driving experience, you might be on to something. Of course, for a really raw driving experience, might I recommend a SWB? :-)

Amber Gramps

Do it.

EDIT: I guess the question was why....Look at my avatar. That is how the 911 makes me feal. She sits in a shed on the side of the house calling me, wispering my name. Her voice follows me around asking me to please take her out. When I open the door and back her down the driveway she does exactly what I say. exactly.

Daniel Dudley

I have owned a 944S, a 951, 928s and a 911SC euro. They are all great cars, but I would classify the 911 as a visceral driving experience, and very engaging. Mine was very well set up, and very fast for an SC. You take them by the scruff of the neck, and you drive them, as in YOU. They are very composed in situations where other cars are not, but the front end is light. This can mean that they have super quick turn in, or it can mean that they have no turn in, depending on how you set the car up for the corner, especially the sharp ones. They like to be planted with the throttle, and they have the most amazing traction when it comes to hooking up the power coming out of corners. OTOH, they are prone to oversteer, so you must initiate it and control it.

I cannot say they are better cars than 968s, but I find them to be more engaging. OTOH, a 968 will save you in situations where a 911 will absolutely not. IMO, that is not likely to happen on the street, even during spirited driving, but if it does, it will probably be raining.

When I compare a 911 to another car, I never compare it to anything but the Formula Dodge cars that I drove at Skippy School. And yeah, I spun a few of them getting the hang of it. They are fun cars, and a challenge to drive well. They are also like certain kinds of food - you eiher like them or you don't, esp, the earlier ones that have the Porsche syncro mesh in the gearboxes. Because of this, you should try to drive a few before you buy one. A PPI is a must.

As many on this forum do, I reccomend ''The Used 911 Story'', By Pete Zimmermann. It will fill you in fast. I also reccomend ''101 Projects for Your 911'' by Wayne Dempsey as a good way to get familiar with the mechanicals. Also, do a search on Pelican Parts. They have an excellent 911 forum over there.

BTW, selling my 911 was something I really regret. I fully intend to have another one, and I have some really nice and really fast cars. Nothing is quite like a 911, even cars that are faster or handle better.

jakeflyer

Now or in the next year may be the once in a life time chance to get a 911sc or Carrera at a reasonable price. Prices are off from last year and the Euro guys may have backed off a bit with the World economy catching the blues that we have. There seem to be a lot of Targas and Cabs at good prices but few coupes. With bank failures projected to increase and the banks holding on to their money, along with the other bad news-- unemployment up to 6% and home values still in free fall, continued softness may be assumed. With 2 years into the hunt with one SC bought and one to go (or maybe a Carrera) my $13,000 will buy a lot more car now than a year ago.
Question---- can you keep the 968 and get a 911, if you shop carefully, for say $12,000? Sure would make a nice garage.

Ed Hughes

Make no mistake, you have a Porsche. They didn't really build any junk.

But, to sum it up succinctly, when you learn to drive a 911 well, you've hit the "sweet spot" in driving. I'll beg to differ with Daniel, about the 968 saving you when the 911 can't. Yes, it is easy for a beginner to get into trouble in a 911, primarily letting off the gas when the going gets tough in turns. But when you learn thru your DE program just how far you can take the car, there ain't nothing better.

Imagine coming out of a turn gear turn (on the track) at a decent mph, and the back end starts to break loose. Your skill tells you that the car is just playing and keeps the proper amount of throttle in to keep it planted and complete the exit of the turn, and you accelerate down the straight. That, my friend is great feeling and is why you bought (or will buy) a 911, and why you will establish yourself on a different plateau from the drivers of the "other" cars.

Why does Porsche continue to excell with a design that is not supposed to work or is supposedly less than optimal?

Edgy01

Porsches are all Porsches. Forget the whiners who bitch about one being "more" Porsche than another. If you're looking for another driving feel than the 911 is a treat for you. I would start by going over to talk to Jerry Pelligrino about looking over any car you may be considering.

LosingGrip

The 968 thanks you for the support. Yes, it is a real Porsche and it's nice to see the air cooled crowd feels the same way. I am very attached to the 968.

I did get to gently drive a 911 SC for about a mile around our course after we picked up the cones and what got my attention was how quickly it turns. Yea, the back end might want to come around quicker but it seems that would be useful. I've gone on a few autox rides (as passenger) with 911ers and they seemed paranoid of the back end on the coners where I was having a blast with the 968. So, I'm sitting there thinking "noo, no brake... more gas, more gas". Is it my naive enthusiasm, or their healthy respect for car? Can I expect to lower my times stepping out of the 968 into a 911? Currrently my stock 968 (well it's chipped and LWFW) in class 5 is faster than the 911s in our region until we get into class 14 and 15 (modified and improved). I want more fun but I hope faster times also.

Thanks for the references, I'll check out the bookstore.

Your comments were helpful. I think the next step is to beg someone to let me have more time behind the wheel.

Ed Hughes

I think the speed comparison of you behind the wheel of a 968 and a 911 is completely up to you. There may be some times, like smaller AX courses where the balance of a 968 will make for faster times. But, if you're looking at tracks with some speed, I'd think you could get a well maintained 911 past a 968.

Matt

This is a question I can relate to...

My track car for more than ten years, until this year, was a 924S. A great car, I spent countless hours making it an excellent track ride, and I had more fun driving it than I can describe.

However, ever since first discovering this club driving thing I've wanted an early lightweight 911 (think '73 Carrera RS clone). I was at Auto Associates this past spring and Scott remembered my saying just that, many years ago. He showed me a '71 911 built out to '73 RS specs that a customer had for sale and, well, that was that.

It's like learning to drive all over again from scratch. I had all spherical bearings, solid suspension mounts, etc., in the 924S so it was suitably noisy and its feel was pretty direct. But compared to this 911, driving it was like putting on a favorite bathrobe. The '71 is very raw, direct, challenging and extremely fun to drive.

The 968 is a terrific car, so is the SC/Carrera you're considering. The contrast as to refinement is probably a similar spread as to what I've seen. The 911 will more directly reward good driving and punish mistakes. In the 911 I think you'll become a sharper driver by necessity, and I'd guess you'd have buckets of fun. I know that people really enjoy their SCs on the track.

Something to consider is that there are far more aftermarket performance options available for the SC/Carrera than for the 968.

Performance-wise, one indicator is the club racing classifications - the 968 runs with the 3.2 Carrera, while the SC is one class down. The 968 has the best power-to-weight ratio of the three, but the 911s are lighter, particularly the SC. It'd be interesting to also look at the autocross regs.

968 or 911? Not a bad dilemma to have.

cal44

jakeflyer is spot on. Buy now as the prices are reasonable. I can't remember how many collector cars I have owned looking to own "the one". I find the 80's 911 to be the most fun of any car I have driven. Since I went back to these cars I no longer disire to own anything else. Ahhhhhhhhh

Dan Cobb

$12-$15,000 should certainly get a decent 3.2 Carrera or a well sorted/upgraded SC.

I wold rather purchase a 'better/newer' even more stock Carrera than a modded SC for the same $$, but that is my opinion. Probably because i would likely never track the car and an altered suspension, gears etc. etc. would not benefit my 911 driving experience.

Granted, going faster and stopping faster are not bad things. Bouncing around town with a track suspension might be tougher on the kidneys and the CD player than you think.

I'd get the newest, most original version of what I want for the $ that I could spend.
+++

Ed Hughes

You need to clarify whether that's being put forth as a Pro or a Con.......

LosingGrip

How can I resist? It looks like I'm going to the dark side. OK, I better take my time making the final decision.

So I bet selling a Porsche is a whole other adventure....

Thanks for all the comments and help. I appreciate it.

Mike_A

[QUOTE=LosingGrip;5776602]

-- The 968 is a lot of car for the money, will I be sorry to change to a 911?
_____________________________________

If you liked wedging razor blades beneath your finger nails, you are going to love the 911....