dshepp806

Then: the 915 has won many races over the years, for sure...and is quite adequate in it's delivery. end.

The G50 was an IMPROVEMENT over the 915 (obviously)....yet you have to taste it in order to compare.

For one to think it wasn't a GREAT improvement, is silly indeed. STILL, this , in no way , suggests the 915 is bad or massively inferior.....cause', it ain't. Great tranny: PERIOD.

,..now,..next?

It's just not as good as a G50,...my 2 cents.....different ball of wax.....I prefer the G50 over the 915 any day of the week....(yeap, I've driven my share of nicely tweaked 915's)...

Porsche made a step in the right direction with the G50....

Best!

Doyle

Ed Hughes

Yes, and the 6 speed G50 and the 3.6L engine and the car around it was a GREAT improvement over the 3.2 and 964 G50 cars. Silly to think it isn't, after all, it's a "different ball of wax".

The point is that there is nothing wrong with a 915, and the trans should not be the determining factor-it's the overall car condition/price equation.

dshepp806

Let's just talk stock,...going forward equalled improvements, in all cases.

I think I mentioned (not to "have" to repeat myself,...-although I am) that the 915 was a great gearbox,..especially for it's day,..and would never be a detriment to purchasing any fine specimens of such......shoulf that be what the buyer was looking for,....redundancy over [?] ....

Bottom line for anyone looking to purchase a Carrera,..go drive 'em,..taste those gearboxes,...THEN make your decision.....it will come down to a personal "preference", in the end...HOWEVER: should I be destined to an island with just one Porsche (assuming, I've a Service center on the island (not))))))), then the G would be my choice,..and by miles,....it's kinda' like the 915 in certain ways, as to learning it,..ultimately maximizing it......and, SMOOTH, it is!!!!!!!!!!! Just the facts.

Again,..the 915 has it's hallowed place in proof......and they do quite well (in my experience).....yet a different animal (nothing new here).........KUDOS to the 915!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEST!

Doyle

dshepp806

I would think that the G50's will bring more to the $$$ table, in the end...

Yet, as you pointed out: the progresses of the "evolution" is evident,..and the subsequent versions of new designs are, measurably, better (almost easily by definition)......therein my point,...however the "point" would never slander the 915 gearbox,......I just want to be clear on this......I'm NOT a 915-basher in the least......things are what they are.

I haven't read the recent Panorama, but I think it houses some researched (gathered?) data on some NOTED Editions that will, ultimately, carry good resale (down the road,..),..glad to hear that one of those groups is the "87-"89 Carreras,..especially the the SA and CE Editions.....

Dig it!

BEST!

Doyle

salukijac

Doyle, I agree with you 100%. DISCLAIMER: Of course I also own a g-50 car. But the arguement continues even though MOST g-50 owners have never critized the 915 transmission. For the most part most have stated the differences between one and the other and where the improvements were made. Somehow that translate into 915 bashing. The reality is improvements were made and that is the reason buyers gravitate towards the g-50. After all, the cars are identical except for the transmission and if one transmission is better than the other, which would you like to buy? It's simple.

I don't get it. It seems whenever someone comes in here asking anything about the g-50, the 915 police comes out. Again I don't get it.

porsche0nut

The G50 may have had many advancements from an engineering standpoint making it a smoother, easier shifting, and perhaps more reliable transmission, but the gear ratios are (in my opinion) not as good as the 915. The 915 feels like a faster car because of it (I have no facts to back up whether or not it is). My brief exposure to the G50 I felt that 1st and 2nd were too short. My 915 on the other hand, pulls hard in first and second and by the time I'm shifting up to 3rd I'm already doing 60mph. Into 3rd and she keeps on hauling.

I haven't seen the gear ratio/acceleration chart in the G50 owners manual... would be interesting to compare it to the 915's. I'll go take a pic of mine and post it here, perhaps a G50 owner can do the same?

Edit: Here are 915 ratios and acceleration curve.

Ed Hughes

No, when someone writes that there is a GREAT improvement going to the G50 from the 915, it bugs me. That was Doyle's exact word and capitalization. That simply isn't true. There is not enough of a difference in shifting quality to justify not looking at 915 cars, which is what many people come here intending to do, because of the overly-dramatized negative comments on the 915 cars. That is precisely how this thread started going.

For the record, I know of at least 5 rebuilt motors in 87+ cars due to a mis-shift at the track. If the G50 solved that issue, then I'd suggest to everyone buy nothing older than 87.

This is a common theme here, and Doyle always goes out on a limb with ever-so-subtle comments about 915 transaxles. I don't have a dog in that hunt anymore, as I've got the EVEN BETTER 6 Speed G50 now. But it used to bug me, as the ongoing negative buzz about 915's does have a possible negative effect on car values. So, that is what starts and justifies the 915 defense.

That is no different than stating people shouldn't buy 911's- go to 964's or 993's if they want air-cooled cars. That would be silly.

It's not that "simple", because most potential buyer don't come on here saying they are looking at equivalent versions of each-which should they buy. They come here stating, more often than not, they want to buy a G50 because they hear they are the best.

If you don't get it, your exact words, then go back and read the sequence of posts here. All you have to do is get as far as post #4. That spawned my version of the "915 police". If you still don't get why I said what I did, then your reading comprehension needs work.

salukijac

Ed, you don't need to go there. My comments about 'not getting it' are based on all of the threads in here regarding the comparisons of 915 vs. g50. They always start with 'I'm looking for a 911 with a g-50' and then it morphs into something else. That's what I don't get. It is like clockwork.

A lot of folks here will say 'don't discount a 915' and that is good advice, but the fact are the facts.

Oh by the way, the OP on post 4 also finished the sentence with a wink...I think he meant it in jest...I could be wrong

Ed Hughes

I'm sorry, but I felt the 915 police comment warranted it.

abarthguy

"Thanks !
I'm going to see an '86 tomorrow and wasn't sure if it had the "good" trans.....;^) "

Yes, my comment was in jest and I went to test the car with a better understanding of its spec.
Had the car been as advertised, I might be enjoying it today !

To me, Porsche didn't design bad cars.......ever ! All of their racing victories are proof.

dshepp806

I thought it was stated in "jest", also.

I disagree with Edward wholeheartedly, and do consider the G50 an improvement,....I kinda' think Porsche felt the same way,..to each his own....

The G50 ratios (ratio'd to one (1) ) is as follows:

1st gear: 3.5
2nd geard: 2.059
3rd gear: 1.409
4th gear: 1.125
5th gear: 0.892

I'm not bashing the 915 in any way, subtlely (geeze?) nor blatantly.

My reading comprehension is most adequate, for the record.

If someone posts here that they are looking for a G50 car, then so be it. If they are posting to say they're looking at a 915 car, so be it...as well.

Like everything else, it evolves....I think Porsche's tranny evolution was an improvement in my humble opinion. That's all.....I wouldn't call that a "bashing comment" at all,..and to suggest so is a failure in the reading comprehension area. Whether you have a dog in the fight or not,...who cares?

I stand by my comments.

Good luck on your search!

BEST!

Doyle

Ed Hughes

The thing is, your statement above is not what you stated originally. As I mentioned, speaking of comprehension, it was the "GREAT improvement" comment that got me. That simply is not true. But, you do tend to add a bit of "drama" to your posts.

I stand by my comments as well, so we're all in unison there.

bobaines

A good 901 is better than either a 915 or a G50.

You guys need a reality check!!

Peter Zimmermann

The biggest problem with a 915 is the quality of its last repair. Many shops/individuals do not understand why certain repairs are necessary, and are willing to cut corners, knowingly or not, to make a repair seem "reasonable." Except for the very rare garage queen still fitted with its virgin 915, 99% of them have been apart; most for synchro difficulties. Many have had secondary internal problems overlooked, and those problems will usually cause the car's next owner problems. Result? Another glitch in a great transmission's reputation.

Combine the above with linkage that is far more complex, and more difficult to adjust than a G 50, and you have a situation, as stated above, that a car with a 915 is only as good as its mechanic.

Ed Hughes

Haha-spoken like a true vet!