w00tPORSCHE

So you did not like my answer !!!! I took the effort to even pull out a couple of threads

race911

It's not a "bad" question, just one that could keep a discussion going until we don't have any gasoline with which to fuel the cars.

Without knowing a prospective owner's budget, an evaluation is pretty irrelevant. I'd guess, price-not-factored, a '73RS would come in #1 on everyone's list. Even if they were as common as finding a nice 3.2L car.

If you want to know my favorite, after 30 years and pretty much owning one of every non-turbo U.S. delivered variant from a short-wheelbase '68 to multiple 993s, I'd say a '70-1 (2.2L) S. High compression engine that revs freely, coupled with a chassis that when tweaked right offers phenomenal performance for what it is. But I'm not paying what that market dictates to go down memory lane. My 993 faux RS is a performance car magnitudes better at 1/2-2/3 the price.

Jay H

Keep in mind that you're asking such a question on a well established 911 board that has been in place for over a decade and has some users around that have been answering these questions for quite a long time. It's expected that you're going to get quite a bit of sarcasm. Ignore that stuff (like my post above) and pull out the good stuff that is relevant.

Buy Peter Zimmerman's book for starters.

You also need to phrase your very subjective, open ended question with some background. What do you want out of a 911? Daily driver? Weekend toy? Track rat? Concours queen? Summer only? Winter beater? All of that type of information will help us help you better with obtaining the information you seek.

I personally love the 3.2 liter cars with the 915 transmission due to the ability to better handle the fuels in my area (lots of ethanol content), the feel of the 915, the cable operated clutch, the first of the computer controlled cars, I like how the motor looks, I like the integrated fog lights and some other minor stuff. My reasons are valid only to me and most other people may think those reasons for owning a 1984 3.2 liter are rediculous. Very subjective stuff...

Good luck!

Jay
90 964
84 911
08 987

P.S., I agree with race911 that the 1970/71 cars are pretty cool for a weekend toy or even daily driver if you have the budget to keep these cars in top condition.

spanky

I own a 75 911s with the 2.7 engine, have had it for the past 8 yrs and yes the stud pulling bogeyman did visit in year 2 of ownership. Had a proper rebuild completed and have never looked back a single time with regret. I can not say I wasnt worried when the engine failed but I soon got over it and many years of driving pleasure later I am very happy I have it. There isnt a single one of these years of 911's made that dosent have its own so called look out it might bite you warning / fault attached to it. Buy the best car you can afford, maintain it and be prepared for things to break. None of them are new cars any longer, and I just left my friends shop where he was breaking the bad news to a lady that her (2006 / 99 whatever) engine would req replacment after 65,800 miles, something about an internal shaft failure that can not be repaired. What ever happened to remove and rebuild and reinstallation?

Jay H

Ah, the wonderful and beloved Intermediate Shaft (IMS) failure. A simple bearing failure renders the entire motor junk in less than several seconds... The M96 motor used in the 986/996 and 987/997 models is wonderful. Until that bearing fails...

ron mcatee

Color: White....why...Texas heat.

Shannon123

This comment gets me thinking....out loud of course. While I am very close to buying my first Porsche ('86 model year) I have been shopping for nearly 8 months. While I realized the economy is in the stinker, I have seen the prices on many of these '80's Porsches' take a bath....to be kind. It would be interesting and perhaps valuable to know the 'participation' statistics of a website like this over the course of the past 10 years.......has the number of postings to the 911 NA board peaked ? gone up over time ? beginning to wane badly ? Obviously the interest in these cars directly affects the pricing, therefore, the aforementioend stats may have some 'predictive' value !!

Does anyone else think this is a viable statistic ?

This is from Google trends for
Porsche 930
Still sliding
Porsche 993
Looks like most peoples stock portfolio
Porsche SC
Looks like stable market

Trends for website still growing nicely
Rennlist.com

Brett San Diego

nah, 959 for me.

Brett

Brett San Diego

OK. The best 911 to me was one in arrow blue, Mexico blue, or orange. That meant something from 1974-1982. Pretty crazy, eh? We all have our priorities. Some are just more messed up than others.

"Which 911 is best" questions so often devolve into silly arguments founded upon wanton chest beating that it becomes pointless. Kind of like "which tire is best?" It's almost always entertaining however.

Brett

Ed Hughes

What answer would you expect? We'd all name a the same specific car?

To each their own, and if you've not taken the time to search and look at a few threads, do so now, and you'll see there are some knowledgable people with strong opinions (perhaps) and different desires or experiences in 911's all over the map.

You need to determine or state what it is you want to do or are looking for.

rusnak

84 and a half.......yeah, one-half. You are very welcome.

whalebird

Funny thing, as I dream about my next 911 purchase, I have considered a 993 OR another early car(pre-74). Some ask me why - they are worlds apart. In my mind they are not as each model embodies the 911 experience the same. In reality, everything in between is equally satisfying. I've experienced literally hundreds of these cars and each one gives me the same feeling. The only difference is the level of upkeep and condition. A 74, non-sunroof coupe has a lot going for it, but then again, a solid SC is better, but wait - a Carrera has motronic injection...a 964 has pavement peeling torque. A 993 is just plain bad ***. I just saw the familiar silhouette under a car port down the road-a 75 with flat tires...maybe I can pick it up for a couple of grand. But for the same money after it's all done, I could jump into a 86 Carrera that needs paint. I think this evening I will pour a Fat Tire ale and google search "911 for sale", the search results will be the best 911.

g-50cab

I'll amend this to include ...own or lust after.....

Really, I've had a 964 and I've had a g-50 cabriolet. Both are great at certain things. Now I have a 1974 non sunroof coupe in a great color... It does some things better -

I'll ask another open ended question - what is your vision for this car? Cruising with your honey on a Saturday Night? Road trip to the far ends of the world? Track day beast and occasional driver? Garage queen that you can polish and admire? To me they would all embody a different version of 911...

User 4621

Short answer: whichever one makes you happy whenever you drive it.

I've owned and/or driven pretty much every major 911 series up to the 997S I recently sold. They all have pros and cons. My current car is the "best" for me right now.
'74 tub so it's CA smog exempt. <- big deal.
'96 3.6 with lightweight flywheel for power, torque and fast revs.
Jerry Woods/Wevo tranny.
~2250 lbs
935 style 2 stage coil-over suspension, Smart Racing bits and pieces, adjustable everything.
993 A/C system for those hot days
IROC series look. Pretty enough to be featured in Excellence and 1st place winner PCA concours.

It's probably not the "best" car for anyone but me. I can list at least as many things that some people would consider negatives. Recaro shells, cage, harnesses, no radio, no sound deadening, etc.

These are toys. It's gotta make you happy. If it does, then it's the best.

Daniel Dudley

I personally really appreciated it.

The Used 911 Story, by Pete Zimmerman will tell you more about 911s in one afternoon than you can learn here in a month.

However, in general the 87-89 Carreras are the best shifting, most refined classic air cooled 911s. Probably the easiest to own, if you get a good one.

Read Pete's book, and you will know why. Right now the 90 and up 964 models are a real bargain and are strong runners. However, as I have said a million times, if you look at several cars, one will usually be superior in condition and driveability. A good SC is a nicer drive than a bad Carrera.

Rennlist is a good forum. The early 911S Registry is a good forum for early air cooleds. Pelican Parts has a particularly good 911 forum for Air cooled 911s as well.

The first 911 I drove was a really bad 78 SC It shifted horribly, and had a bad clutch. It was poorly maintained. The second 911 I drove was an 89 wide body Speedster which was almost as new.It had wonderfully tactile steering, a great tranny and a super engine with a nice surprise at 4000 RPM. I drove it down one of my favorite roads, and I knew after five minutes that I loved that car, and I would never get tired of driving a car like that.


I personally like 911s that are a little faster, a little lighter, a little lower geared, and really set up for driving. I like the raw feel of the earlier cars, and I like the quirky 915 gearboxes that make you have to execute all your shifts well. I like the Euro cars, and the Hot Rods.

Currently I own a 78 SC Targa with high compression pistons and a Euro fuel distributor , headers and a free flow exhaust. It has 220,000 ,miles on the odometer, and is a really nice driver. I also own a 1985 Euro spec Carrera with a Chipped engine and a trick suspension on 17 inch wheels. It is not quite as free revving as a good SC, but it has a lot of thrust, and is a serious good handling car that rewards excellent driving. It is also quite happy trundling around at 2000 RPMs, if you like.

I like 911s because they are real drivers cars that require that you drive them well to get the best out of them. I like the edgy ones, the ones that scowl when you screw up, and smile when you get it right.