Mike Andrews

There you go... problem solved.

That's a very nice car.

To the OP, go with the five speed car, it realy is that much nicer....

bernocco930S

Nice idea but OP does NOT like slant cars????

Thanks for the kudos on the ride, it is an attention getter!
eric

82SC_VRAM

I'll let you know....but I always wanted to try a 4 speed in my 3.6 to get those loooooong pull aways.....

shockm

I love the 4spd in my '86. Great for highway pulls, forget the extra gear...just get more power!

pdqcarrera

I'll raise my hand for the 5 speed. I'm currently saving funds for the $9k G50 conversion because I have experienced both (racing and street) and it's better IMHO. It only makes sense when you think about how it gives you better options for selecting the right revs/gear at any given time keeping you in boost. Cheers!

UDPride

having a 5spd in my 951, Im glad my 930 has a 4spd. keeps the cars completely different. the 4 is a great tranny though and built like a tank. very old school and raw -- to the roots of the original design. if you are like me, the closest your car will come to the track is when you drive by it.

911rudy

I think that the old 4 spd box is just right for street driving. I'm in third most of the time and have boost almost instantly. Ist is a no brainer to get the damn thing rolling and after that 2nd and third do the rest. It would be nice to have an OD or 5th gear for the highway but we have so much torque above 2500 rpm that shifting one more time in the lower ranges isn't necessary IMHO. Maybe on a certain track where your rpm and the track speed are mismatched, then the extra gear would keep you in the sweet spot longer. I would like to see a comparison torque curve between the two to see where the 5 spd would have a big advantage over the 4spd. If you discount 1st and 4th on the 4spd and 1st and 5th on the 5spd that leaves 2nd and 3rd versus 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the 5 spd. Then you have to see where speed/type driving and the rpm band match up. On my car in 2nd I am on boost almost instantly above 25 mph. This carries on until I reach 4-5000 rpm where I shift up to 3rd. I never get to 5000 rpm in town in 3rd gear so where would I use the extra gear? Sure, I could probably keep the rpm down a little in 2nd by going to an extra gear but it would not be worth $10,000 to do it. I would take that $10,000 and do EFI and coil overs.

Geoffrey

"I think that the old 4 spd box is just right for street driving. "

I always find these comments funny. The gearbox is not "just right" for street driving. The gears are so widely spaced, and the stock 3LDZ turbo so laggy that each shift puts the car out of boost...I'm not saying that it is cheap to convert to a 5spd, or even that one should do it. The original question was whether or not to buy one with a 5spd as originally thought, or accept an earlier model with a 4spd. Without question, my experience and preference is the 5spd, and even then if you put shorter gears in it, it is "that much" better.

911rudy

My car has a HF turbo with headers and I don't experience the problems that you find funny. And since you mention putting in shorter gears to make it even better I think that tells something about the typical 5 spd which is that it is set for high speed driving and the 4 spd is not. The 4 spd can be re-geared also to make it more adaptable to one's driving needs. Of course the 5 spd is a better choice if it was an upfront purchase choice but to spend upwards of $10,000 to retrofit a 4spd car for street driving, then it becomes a stretch. To each his own.

BrianKeithSmith

After instructing my last student at VIR, I wish I had a 5spd... It was ALL BOOST, ALL THE TIME, with that G50. And even though my car weighs a few hundred lbs less than his, and I have 100hp more, his car could've still achieved roughly the same top-end speed on the straights - all due to being in the powerband - ALL THE TIME.

Now where did I put that spare envelope full of cash that I labeled "G50"?????

jimculp

I think the 4 speed is the best because that's what I have in my car.

sand_man

How true...

UDPride

Keep in mind there are many factors at play regarding 4spd/5spd. Its not just a question of "shoulda got the 5spd." For many people, a 5spd is just simply out of their price range. You are gonna pay close to $5,000 more for one. For someone like myself, Id never enjoy a 5spd enough to pay the premium and could spend the same money on a nice set of headers, exhaust, and turbo. One might argue, "you are spending $33,000, whats another 5 grand?" To me, $100 is a lot of money. $5,000 is a small fortune. I dont even like overpaying on Tic Tacs.

The cars really arent in the same price range. Many people completely jump the 5spd 930 and go straight to a 964T for this reason.

If you have the means, Im sure its a real treat nonetheless if your driving habits necessitate it.

InC

Correct me if I am wrong, but some prefer the 4 speed for drag... the taller ratio helps in a way. I am sure the G50 is a more refined gearbox. Makes the car feel newer too. The 4 speed some times makes you feel like you are in a truck.. very dated, loose feel, not centered!

jimculp

I hear the WEVO shifter cures most if not all those complaints.