more fun to drive? - subjective. Faster - not a chance! - esp. compared to a ROW.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/911/technical_specs/911_guthrie_faq.htm

I have a stock 67 911S and my friend has a stock 87 911 and we followed each other to LA from Tucson AZ. At first my wife wanted to ride in and drive the 87, quieter, AC and faster and my friend would "let me" drive his car. By the time we were comig home every body wanted to drive the 67S and the 87 just felt like a car compared to the 67. There is more going on than just H.P.

According to the FAQ link above,

83 r.ow SC = 204hp, 195lbft @ 2760#
86 USA 3.2 = 207hp, 192lbft @ 2760#

A close call indeeed

'Fun to drive' is a very subjective thing.

I had an 83 SC Coupe, which I thought was a raped ape.. When I moved to Aus, I purchased an 87 Targa.. It felt downright pedestrian, even though the 87 was a ROW ( 231 hp ). The SC certainly felt like it had more of everything ( handling/ accel/ top speed/ etc ) but the truth of the matter is, it didn't/doesn't . The Carrera's performance is better, but the *way* it does it is more .... refined? ( not really the right word but )... It just feels like you are going slower. My brother has the SC now and we do back to back comparisons all the time ( mind you with non-scientific means ) and the 87 always tops the 83, not by much tho..

Now I am sure that if I
remove the AC ( the 83's AC was already removed )
fit non-power seats ( save a couple of lbs, 83's are non-power )
fit turbo tie-rods ( the 83 has em )
fit better shocks n struts ( the 83 has em )
etc,
The difference will be more dramatic.. but still not what one would consider huge

Also, sound has alot to do with driving experience.. The Carrera's sound more subdued

Dont get me wrong, I would love to have both

Just my HO

Nice to hear. However, is this still true after the RoW car has been federalized? I've always wondered if the required modifications for import and especially for California don't nullify the initial HP advantage. Anybody?

What is a "raped ape"?

Runs as opposed to walks, I believe. :cool:

like a scalded dog.

Before I bought my car about a year and a half ago, I drove just about every variety of SC, Carrera, and mid-year 2.7 car that was locally advertised. Some were an absolute blast to drive, others were kind of tired. None of them really struck me as being how I had envisioned a 911, though. Then I checked out an early long nose car, one with MFI. I was hooked immediately. It was by no means the most powerfull or the fastest, but it certainly was the funnest. It's all subjective; different folks like different things from their 911's. It's pretty cool that there is such a variety of "personalities" to choose from in one model car. Someday I would like to add a newer, more refined, more comfortable 911 as more of a long distance tourer and something my wife can appreciate more.

I'm partial to the Carrera's..reliability.

SCWDP >>>>>>MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA:D
*end shameless plug

Softer springs always make a car feel faster.

(all my 911's have been Targa's...'nuf said on that...) My '71 T was good...my '72 T (MFI) was really good...my '78 SC was crisp & fun...my '81SC was a bit long in the tooth....my '75 S (sans all smog crap) is the best of both worlds...lighter then the SC's, torquey like the '72 but more reliable then MFI...and...IT HAS A HAND THROTTLE....SC's don't got those !!! :p

My vote is for the Smog Exempt '74 & '75, 2.7's

Greg
more cars then sense....

I think that I know what you're getting at . . . more "squatting" on accel (due to softer springs. . )

The thing is, Carrera's had the same spring as the SC's, 'til 86 . .. when they got heavier . . . and got heavier springs to accomodate. . . .or do I have my Carrera history wrong?

I think the original poster mentioned that his wife's Carrera had upgraded t-bars.

Yeah, I mean the 'It's throwing me back in my seat' feeling you get from softer springs on take-off. Like someone's pulling the rug out from under you. My car felt quicker with softer springs than it does now.

Let's not underestimate what I call the "*****-and-moan factor." My Miata makes all sorts of noise, rattles, creaks, etc. when driving fast. If I do 60 through a particular turn, it feels like I'm flying. If I take the same turn in my wife's RSX-S at 60, it feels slow, because the car is quiet and refined.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure someone will), but don't the Carreras have stiffer structures and more sound-deading materiel? Surely the effortless, serene way Carreras make speed has something to do with it.

One more thing I think is true: "It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow."

Then I'll take it a step farther. I planned on buying a Carrera. I drove many. My buddy has a SC Targa that I liked too. I drove a mid year car and bought it because, for me, it was just more fun to drive than any of the other cars I tested. My buddy with the SC Targa has made similar comments.

Softer springs? More vintage feel? Don't know. I'm sure it's merely personal preference. FWIW, when I asked a Porsche expert about mid year cars (I knew nothing at all about them except they "leak oil and suck") he said that they are lighter due to a number of factors, giving them a different ride quality. As far as speed, My car and my friend's SC are close on the street. No clue about on the track.

Dont forget the stock Carreras are set up pretty conservatively for emmisions standards etc. After I unplugged the "little brown wire" and put in a Steve Wong custom chip it was a TOTALLY different beast. You must do those easy and inexpensive adjustments before comparing the cars. The SC may be a bit faster on jackrabbit starts, but get that chipped Carrera over 5K in 2nd and whoooosh............shes Gone. Good luck keeping up, all the way through 5th. I havent taken mine over 130 but the one time I ran it up there, it had a lot left in it.

There is another way this can be true. Throttle return springs. The harder it is to push the gas pedal, the less power you think you have. If only a slight pedal pressure is necessary to get your fistful of torque, the illusion of an "anxious" motor is created.

Oh, and many SC's have broken or missing throttle linkage shaft bushings, and their throttle linkages are adjusted so that full throttle is not possible. Also, many SC's have their ignition timing set at factory spec. That leaves HP on the table. I think Carreras have knock sensors, so their ignition systems are always as advanced as they can be without pinging.

I'm happy to take on most of those Mighty Carreras, though some (chipped, for example) are faster than my SC. Usually not, though. Many Carreras, for whatever reason, have trouble staying with me.

I have not seen any information to this effect but would like to see it if anyone has this information.