la crosse

I recently had an extremely heavy crash in my 1984 Carrera due to mid corner throttle lift-off over steer. The car was totaled and I purchased a 1991 C2. I am very nervous and cautious now in corners and afraid to carry any speed into them.

The question is: how does the lift-off over steer in a 964 compare to that in a 1984 911?

I have included pictures of the wrecked 911 and of my new 964!

Thank you!

la crosse

My wrecked 911 pic didn't upload on my original post. Here it is.

The Stig

No sure about a C2 as I have a C4. Lift-off oversteer can be a little hairy in my car, but it takes a while to get there and usually requires a brain fart or two on my behalf. The rear is very planted. My bigger issue is understeer. My suspension changes will sort that out.

I understand that C2 owners should switch to a C4 rear sway bar to improve rear handling characteristics.

Shame about your Carrera. Hope you got out unscathed.

Makmov

Yeah, you shouldn't lift in a high speed coner with especailly a 911. Bad things happen as you obviously found out.

Makmov

Yes, I have a C4 also and suffer from more under than over steer.

la crosse

I made out a lot better than the car. Spent a night in the hospital and still have a bit of CRS. (can't remember sh*t)

I had a great purchase experience from a used car dealer in St. Louis when buying my 964. I flew down from WI and picked it up. Had a wonderful drive back home.

For the first time ever, the car was better than described on the phone by the dealer, and with much more equipment than disclosed, too.

la crosse

I have noticed quite a bit of understeer at lower speeds. I'm totally fine with understeer. It is the oversteer that can kill a guy, though.

Makmov

You just got to be ready for it, maybe some DE track days. It takes some working doing in a C4 but I have had even my C4 car sideways. You can spin one (C4), though I suspect it's easier to do an a C2.

The Stig

Makmov - try a search on "Wringing Out Your C4". Its a series of articles from a few years ago outlining all the required suspension mods to eliminate most of the nasty C4 handling traits.

Some tips in there for C2s as well.

Unkle

I have the same fear too la crosse, although not from experience but purely from reading about the 911 and knowing the car has generally more ***** than i do, and i don't want to find the limit on a wet country road.

Personally I would book a track day. Not necessarily something as fine a Mid Ohio but a disused Air field track day. You can't go wrong with a 50mtr runway and a few cones to lay out the track at least they aren't going to kill you (or damage the car). Then you can experience the limit and lift off oversteer to you hearts content. You will probably come away far more experience than 10 years on the road with the 964 IMO.

I will be going in the next couple of months or early next year, weather dependant, and the opportunity to throw the car into a few quick chicanes and see what really is going on will be valuable experience.

Makmov

Yes, already read the article and plan on some H&R springs, Bilstien HD, sway bars, some new shoes and RSA alignment specs.

Jim Richards

SLOW IN, FAST OUT. That's why Porsche went to so much trouble to make the brakes so good.

Makmov

+1

fast in, crash out!

generall Porsche always had the best brakes known to man on their cars.

rocketdogbert

Ouch. My '85 ended it's life in a ditch



Some years ago now though

la crosse

I understand slow in fast out, but what happens if you find yourself mid corner going way to fast? You can either lift and spin or go off straight into the ditch/other traffic/off a cliff/ etc.

I heard that the 964 has much less lift off oversteer than the 84-88 911s due to the coil over suspension vs. torsion bars. Is that true?