Test drive gone bad...

[UTKarmann_Ghia]

I have an '82 SC Targa which I'm very fond of and has treated me well for the past few years. I'm putting her up for sale to get something a bit more practical with my biking hobbie and 2 kids left at home. So naturally people want to test driver her. Who do you let test-driver your car?

Well, so much fun for me the guy has never owned a 911...hmmm. So I take him around and he's itchin to take a turn himself. So we switch seats and we get going. Understand that this car has 1) a factory short-shift kit, 2) a sines gate shift kit, and 3) a rebuilt, smoooooooth transmission. So this is the best example of a smooth-shifting 911 I've personally seen. About half way through the drive, this guy is shifting like he's arm-wrestling a gorilla. Finally, I say STOP! We switch back and I drop him off. He's totally pumped about the car (obviously) and just loves it. I drive back to work and notice that the shifter now rotates! Hmmmm....this is not good. And it's shifting like crap.

I spent 6 hours Sunday fixing what he broke
First, he somehow loosed the shifter handle from the socket (was factory epoxyed in for the past 24 years), and loosed the gate for the Sines gate shift kit. I'm actually pretty pumped about how it turned out as I used jbweld to re-epoxy the shifter, and I also drilled a small hole in the socket and tapped the shifter handle so I could tighten it and have it hold the weld perfect. Did the same for the sines gate shift kit. Good news is that now it's better than new and gives you that feeling of a job well done

I'm thinking about enacting a rule: 3-finger shifting only! And if you cant shift with just 3 fingers...you suck at shifting and you cant drive my car. Does that sound about right?

[masraum]

That sucks. At least he didn't do something really bad like screw the tranny or engine or wreck the car.

[UTKarmann_Ghia]

I guess there's a silver lining in there somewhere...

I always three-finger shift after one of our local Pelican guys (Gady or something like that) told me that's how you should shift these. It's made me a MUCH better shifter. Anybody else shift this way?

[nigel911]

Prospective purchasers want to drive, I need to be able to hold payment in full. Has always been my policy, especially with motorcycles. You can drive/ride all you like when its your incurred loss, not mine.

[livi]

That sucks. I would have dropped him of at speed.

And nope, I don´t shift with only three fingers. I get much more accurate sensory input with a gentle grip of my whole palm.

[k9handler]

thumb and two fingers is how I shift...funny thing is I didn't even think about it until I read this thread.

[RLJ]

Wana test drive my Porsche or motorcycle, we sit down and write out a contract. They sign it and then we go for the drive. Kinda of like you drop it you buy it in the gift shops. This also weeds out the folk who want my time and toys for their entertainment. I had a guy who wanted to come and ride my bike, okay, after he refused to sigh a sales contract if he dumped the bike I told him to "piss" off.

Time is money and I don't care to fund the other guys good times. Honest up front "buyers" will not balk at my actions.


Best,
Randy Jones
1971 911 "Iris"

[azasadny]

Yep, I shift mine like a "sissy" (thumb and two fingers) but several other have not been able to get the hang of the clutch. My neighbor and father-in-law just couldn't get it but my other neighbor and my best friend had no problems.

[nut11]

Three fingers all the way even for my G 50.

87 blk coupe

[Miguel Antonett]

Three fingers is the only way...

Full hand on the knob - muscle car style = grind gears.

[cbeers]

I always three-finger shift after one of our local Pelican guys (Gady or something like that) told me that's how you should shift these.

Matt,

you are talking about Grady Clay, one of the most esteemed members on this forum.

You will do yourself a HUGE favor by making friends with him, he truly is a great guy with more Pcar knowledge than you can ever hope to know


-Chris

[rfn026]

At least he didn't destroy the transmission the way an instructor did at a local PCA DE. We have a rule that the instructor must drive the student's car for the first few laps of the first morning session. By lap 2 this instuctor had taken out the 901 gearbox in a really nice 914-6. I haven't seen this 914 owner at one of our DEs since.

Richard

[Grady Clay]

I agree, thumb and two fingers. If I see someone unfamiliar
with Porsche man-handling the shifter, he is out for instruction.
I drove some dealer’s 964 for a Pelican last week and even
though the sales person had no clue, I still shifted very
conservatively – it wasn’t my 911.

I can be in the heat of competitive racing and still not abuse
the transmission. If anyone doubts the importance of this,
read the reports of the ’73 IROC at Riverside. You won if you
did not abuse a 915.







When I first drove this 4-speed. I practiced the 3-finger
approach.







When selling a 911 you need to screen the prospective
buyers like any situation. Your explanation of caution will
impress most serious buyers. If not, attempt to educate
them. If still unsuccessful, demand the sale and payment
prior to testing. Don’t be embarrassed about taking care
of your 911.

Best,
Grady

edit for typo

[450knotOffice]

Now that I think about it, I three finger shift when I pull the shifter from 1st to 2nd or 3d to 4th and I use the area of my palm just below my wrist when I move up from 2nd to 3d and 4th to 5th. No rushing and smooth action so I can feel the gears sliding in.

Usually works like a charm. When I get rushed and try to manhandle it, that's when I have trouble dropping into some gears.

[sithot]

Until the name on the title changes you only watch the bike or ride shotgun in the car.

No exceptions.

Tom

[Joe Bob]

Originally posted by sithot
Until the name on the title changes you only watch the bike or ride shotgun in the car.

No exceptions.

Tom

I agree....cash, then drive..otherwise yer a freaking spectator...

[89911]

Understood, but I got to wonder how reliable a shifter it that uses epoxy as one of its means of staying together as far as reliablility.

[SLO-BOB]

I have some comments on some of the above.

Three finger shifting- I don't actually know how I shift. It's like dialing a phone number you call all the time. I can do it with the phone in my hand but don't ask me to actually know the number by heart. Next time I'm in my car I'll know. Either way, one needs to "feel" the car into each gear. Mechanically engaging w/o feel is for those who don't know any better or who lack mechanical understanding.

Selling a car- I wonder if those who made some of the above comments have actually sold a 911. I have. It can be nerve wracking, but I let the prospective buyer drive the car. It is for sale after all. I think asking for a down just for the drive is unreasonable. I know I wouldn't pay it and I've bought three. I think it's best to get a feel for the driver's 911 experience and, if necessary, instruct accordingly. If the guy is a total meathead as described above, you should probably have figured that out ahead of time and then maybe been more firm in your requirements. Easy to say after the fact I guess.

DE instructors- Some are great but some just suck. They're human like the rest of us. I've met two that were fairly ham fisted, but thought they were Hans Stuck. One was my first instructor. He rowed through my car's gears waaaay too fast and without any mercy for my poor 915, heel and toe-ing hard into every corner. He had skills, but was too rough. The next one was a prospective buyer of one of my cars. He simply thought he was better than he was, mis-shifting often. I'm glad I'm past having them in my car, which is kind of a shame as I still have much to learn.

[Joe Bob]

Sorry....I disagree....a 901/915 is NOT A MUNCIE Rock Crusher....it's s low shifting German tranny. You shift it like it should be or u get yurass outta my car. I don't care if you ARE an Instructor....did that at San Diego PCA once.....guy was PIsZed....

The head guy later came over and shook my hand...

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by mikez
You shift it like it should be or u get yurass outta my car. I don't care if you ARE an Instructor....did that at San Diego PCA once.....guy was PIsZed....

The head guy later came over and shook my hand...

Believe me, in hindsight I wish I would have done the same. I later tactfully asked some of the other instructors about their shifting technique, but I think they caught my drift. Maybe his rep preceeds him. They said maybe that instructor needs to have an instructor.

I ended up with him because he had roughly the same vintage car as me. The others had either older or newer cars.