rusnak

Bah, these are not F1 or wrc cars, and the quarter second or so shift difference is not enough to worry about. Since this is a single disc clutch, probably hydraulic is more for grandma than anything. The real reason imo is that the G-50 is cheaper to manufacture, especially in order to handle higher torque. The 915 was phased out early for that reason mostly. As for sporting driving, being able to feel the bite point of the clutch is a nice plus in the cable system. You need to eventually stiffen the clevis fork at the forward cable end with a weld though. It gets bendy.

w00tPORSCHE

Completely agree on that Ray. I totally echo your thoughts. Recently I spent quite a bit of wheel time with two cars that several automagazines rated as having the best manual gearbox in the planet, the boxster spyder and the Carrera GTS. As smooth and modern as it shifted, very quickly I realized how old school I was (and I am "only 40") and clearly found those buttery smooth shifts not to my liking. I missed my notch gear shifts and that heavy pedal feel on it's cable clutch.

I too like Ray know for a fact that the G-50 is utterly delightful and rectifies all the "flaws" of the 915. For me and several others here, there is special sense of satisfaction found only in learning the intricacies of a 915 gearbox. Mr. quadcammer, I see no shame in extolling nor enjoying the virtues of the 915 gearbox. Porsche keeps making great cars as years pass by.. that does not make the previous cars built inferior or take away the joy or pride in owning them.

Helios59

Back to Inside Line...this time they reveal the intricacies of checking oil. Brad Penn FTW!!



Note the absence of A/C.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...r-dummies.html

TT Oversteer

I finally drove a G50 car and don't know what the hype is all about. The gear engagement seemed to require less effort but lacked the positive engagement feel of the 915. The shift throws of the G50 are still quite long and still have that "stick in a jar of peanut butter" feel. When you consider the substantial weight penalty of the G50 I think it's a toss up. I prefer the lighter weight and "bolt action" shift engagement feel of the 915. Of course a worn out or misadjusted shift linkage can make a 915 a nightmare to shift. The only advantage I can see with the G50 is that it can handle substantially more torque.

c didy

Shouldn't oughta speed shift with either one, unless you have to. Other times you wanna slow it down and enjoy the process. Shifting nicely is kind of an obsession and an art. Matching rpms and actuating the clutch is what makes it interesting. Otherwise get an auto tranny.

Right at the moment my G-50 shifts pretty well, and getting better since I rebuilt the pedal cluster, (worth it), and changed the oil, (probably worth it but it might just be the warmer weather). 20 minutes of driving really gets things moving better than the first couple of shifts in the a.m.

That said I have to say that my 915 shifts better. There are gear changes that feel like I could have dropped the lever into place with a feather; absolutely butter, seriously one finger and not pushing, just guiding. Interestingly, it's a '72 and the car came with tranny oil at least 20 years old. Brand new flush/fill with Swepco hasn't really made much difference despite all the testimony otherwise. The thing knows how to shift.

Helios59

Here's the latest Inside Line post. The staff members get all misty-eyed over this car, much to the irritation of some of the readership. Needless to say, I share Scott's enthusiasm.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...come-true.html

Peter Zimmermann

From;
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...come-true.html


"Sitting in our 911 I could smell gasoline. The interior looks it's age and there is a cacophony of rattles and squeaks as this thing lumbers down the street, but it just adds to the rich flavor. Just muscling the unassisted steering wheel at low speeds through the parking garage brought a big grin to my face."

Is he kidding? What car was he in, or was he on something?

"Cacophony of rattles and squeaks"? I've driven hundreds of 3.2 Carreras, got news for this guy - they don't squeak or rattle.

"Lumbers down the street"? No, 1953 Ford station wagons and Buicks lumber down the street.

"Muscling the unassisted steering?" Maybe if no one has checked the air in the front tires since about 1998. Hey, maybe that's why the car "lumbers..."

"Smell gasoline"? Who the hell takes care of that car, and why the hell is somebody driving it if it smells like gasoline?

This might be the most ridiculous Porsche-related post that I've ever read.

gerry100

I've had my 915 rebuilt and 2nd is still a little notchy.

IMHO, the 1-2 shift is to get rolling , 2nd gear is to power out of the "pits" and the real shifting work is done very well at high speeds in 2-3-4-5, where it works great if..

The linkage is adjusted correctly , which can be tricky.

Not for hole shots but great for high speed work.

Helios59

Hey Pete,

Not that I've ever sat in that particular car, but I think I know what the guy's trying to say. These cars do have a special smell - leather, hot oil, and maybe a whiff of gas if the engine needs tweaking? They don't have that plastic smell of modern cars...I think this is what he's trying to put across.

Squeaks and rattles - well, who knows what shape the car's in.

If you've been brought up on cars with over-assisted steering, a 911 of this vintage will be an eye-opener, especially if you have to park it.

So look past the little stuff and see that the guy still loves being in this car...that's the big thing to me.

CorsePerVita

Agreed, Ray. I can kind of see where he's going with the article, wanting to take the person reading who may or may not have ever driven one back to a place where cars were simple, not full of a bunch of crazy electronics and all dependent on the driver.. not the computer, or sensors, etc etc....

But mine doesn't squeak and rattle, nor require a lot of armstrong. Hell... i'm 140lbs of negative muscle mass computer nerd, need to eat your wheaties if you gotta muscle that puppy into a parking spot.

But I definitely can see what he is trying to do with the article. I like primitive cars. My 914 is more primitive than ANYTHING I have driven, mind you I'm a "young'n'..." so to speak, so for me it's fun to drive such a thing. It's like taking a time machine back to a time and place where cars were just cars. Man and machine, not man and star trek enterprise. No power assisted brakes, no abs, none of that, no power steering, no bells and whistles (unless you count an am/fm radio). I love it.

My 911 is "similar" although everything is really smooth, I don't get the smell of burning oil off the heat exchangers from leaky pushrod seals AND it does at least have bells and whistles and the heat works better... and it's just a wee bit more power lol.

Either way... they all hold a special place in my heart.

txhokie4life

Maybe he's driving my '82 Euro 928 running a bit rich with a slight leak in the power steering rack
with a kick down switch that needs a new relay because I broke the circuit board :-)

Mike

CorsePerVita

This sounds like a very specific experience...... do we have a story to share? LOL