911 Carrera 3.2 Vs 930

[911teo]

I have an 88 Carrera with 130k miles. Looking for an upgrade. I came up with the following alternatives

1) 3.2 to 3.5 (3.7 Andial)
2) swap to 3.6 varioram
3) 930

Lots of pros and contras for all of them. Resale will not be a major issue...
With a rebuild I get a new engine, done to my specs.
The 3.6 is a newer more powerful engine but it's old and there is always the issue of transplanting.
The 930 is a complete package and I always loved the wide body version of the 911... But it means selling my car and finding a nice well mantained example.

Have you driven a 930? How does it compare to a 911? How about turbo lag? I tend to prefer NA engine for their revving abilities but have never driven a 911 turbo.

With a 3.2 => 3.7 I will upgrade suspension, brakes and cooling and again the financial viability is not a major factor here.

Another option would be to get a Euro 964 RS.

Ultimately the car will be a daily driver which will see the track a lot.

[creaturecat]

euro 964rs would be sweet.

[Wayne 962]

Turbos are unique beasts. A lot of them trade hands because the owners don't like the boost on the top end with less-than-minivan power on the lower end.

Best bet? Combine the best of both worlds - build up an NA engine for a Turbo Look car. The Turbo look cars had all of the upgraded brakes and suspension components that the regular Turbos had.

-Wayne

-Wayne

[beepbeep]

Take a 930 for a quick spin and see if you like the character.

[911teo]

Wayne

If I go with the NA route I will go a step further... I will get 17 in Fuchs and YOU will supply a set of big reds, some hollow torsion bars, new blisteins etc. I could probably source some turbo front fenders and.... weld some wide flare at the rear.

[juan ruiz]

3.5 Turbo

[jryerson]

930s and 911s drive similar, 930s are buggers in stop and go traffic with the lag but on the open road or once the car hits full boost nothing can touch them in speed, its a total rush you can't get that much power upwards of 350hp in a NA 911 engine, once you've had it you wont want to go back.

930s have modded suspension for less squat on accelleration and a wider track for stability at speed, and the 78 up better brakes, doing all of that would add quite a bit in price to your 911, they also look exotic and have a prescence with the widebody flairs.

[R Wilco]

Turbo. Had a friend who had an 89 Carrera. He did every available upgrade he could do. Spent 4-5k. He came over one day and we swapped cars for a comparo. At the time I had a 76 with a big IC, k-27, adjustable boost, andial turbo fueler. He sold his car the next week and moved to a turbo.

[masraum]

I think your two best options would be a 3.6 swap or go turbo. The 3.6 swap does have the pro's of the engine being better for running around town and regular driving. The turbo comes with an upgraded suspension and brakes already, flares for big tires, and a relatively easy inexpensive upgrade path (inexpensive in $/hp compared to a NA, it's probably $^2 instead of $^3).

I say drive a couple of turbos and try to drive or at least ride in a couple of 3.6L swap cars. Either option is too expensive to try on hearsay.

[911teo]

930 seems to get the nod here... The problem is that threre aren't many around here that Ican just take for a spin... As per 3.6 conversion... forget it...
930s here are going for $35... so assuming I get $15k for mine... @20k is not too bad to make the jump...

[john walker's workshop]

if you go turbo, forget the 4 speed, use the G50 that's already in the 88. that's what i did in my 87 and it's fine around town. in fact i just bought a 77 930, stock engine/4 speed, and installed a 83 915 box, SC cams and K27, and it's quite fast off the line now, and great around town. no minivan performance here. a carrera isn't set up for CIS, so you need to deal with that too. new pumps, wiring, fuel lines.

[fredmeister]

How long will a 915 gearbox last with a turbo?
Read lots of reports that they will not handle turbo power/torque levels with any longevity. Otherwise why would not have Porsche used them in the first place?
Would like some real facts from guys that have done this conversion and how they are holding up in the field.....

[David]

I think the 930 is a really different animal. If all I wanted was stock turbo power, I would have built a 3.5 NA. The lag is as bad as they say and the extra weight is noticable. Before you dive off into 930 territory, spend some time in one and I don't just mean around the block. Preferably drive it a couple of times days apart.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something that will stomp almost every other car on the road in a straight line and still do pretty good in the turns, the 930 is a great way to go.

[RarlyL8]

I don't think the 915 gets enough credit. A stock unit most certainly would not last in a track car, even if just a big N/A engine. But for a street car with under 400HP you should be OK.
There are many things that can be done to beef up the 915 without spending stupid money. An aftermarket side plate and posi gear will go a long way in longevity. Oil cooling is manditory for track use.
My 915 is stock. The engine is probably just shy of 400HP given the mods. After 10,000+ miles the Sachs clutch and tranny both work as well as they did on day one. I don't abuse the tranny, just let out the clutch and then stomp it. The gearing and SC cams create instant torque. This combination is MUCH more driver friendly and has far more off boost torque than the stock 3.0L SC engine that the car came with. I was blown away on the first drive around the block. You can litterally let the clutch out without giving the car any gas. Now that's an easy driver!

BUT - if you like the howl of a N/A motor and have no tolerance for the "disconnected" feel of turbo lag, even if it is minimal, you will not like the turbo motor. You gotta get some seat time to know. Also - there is a HUGE difference between stock and moddified, in either turbo or N/A.

If I were you I'd combine the best of both worlds. Rebuild your 3.2L engine and add a turbo. Moderate compression, EFI, G50 and a turbo are a great combination. Just ask Juan.

[JeremyD]

You have the basis for a nice turbo + the g-50, EFI - build up a nice engine and turbo it. Like Juan said - 3.5 low compression bad boy turbo and you'll have to have surgery to get that stupid grin off your face.

[rick conrath]

Wayne...minivan? Turbo lag is greatly overated until you drive one. Doing a 3.6 conversion isn't really that great of a bargain....I have one sitting in my garage now.You will never get your money back out of the carrera if you go 3.6.
Rick
'78 930

[TurboBert]

This is pure emotion but unless it's a daily driver, you should buy the 930. On a stock engine, the lag does put you into minivan land under 3000 rpm but the rush of the boost should not be underestimated.

Also, don't jump into replacing the 4-speed until you've driven it for a few months. I've learned to love it and I wouldn't change it even if the G50 conversion were offered for nothing.

[pu911]

The turbos are completely different cars, drive one and see what you think. I don't like the nonlinear powerband but they do haul a**.
phil

[creaturecat]

i still say 964RS

[bigrubberjeep]

Get one of these with a low milage engine, then do as you please with the motor later on. Simple way of not having to worry about all the other little things.





Good 930 Brakes
Good 7"s and 9's Fuch's
Good turbo suspension
One of the best N/A motors built by Porsche Longetivity/ power/reliability
then there is the body.

Then you can learn to drive it with the stock motor for a while, and figure if you really "NEED" the extra power, i foyu decide you do, then just swap the motor or upgrade your existing motor. Everything else should handle the upgrade just fine.