How do you drive a 911?

[wreckah]

Hi guys,

i searched a bit on the fourms but haven't come up with much info.

My question is this:

how different is your riding style in a 911 compared to a 'normal' car (front engined), when you're going a bit quicker than commuting pace... ? I'd like to know a bit more about your riding techniques.

We have put only 50 kilometers on our porsche since we bought it (and it's going to be off the road for maybe 2 months more during it's restoration) and we haven't really 'tried' the car out yet because we werent sure about the condition of the car.

So what are important tips for riding our tailhappy (?) 911's?

I'm really anxious to find out how our 1969 911 will ride, when we'll give it some stick

cheers,
Jan

[defcon65]

1. Securely affix grin to face.
2. Please wind it up to at least 5000 rpm in second through fourth gears.
3. DO NOT lift off the gas in a curve.
4. Clutch fully, shift deliberately.
5. Repeat Nos. one through four as often as possible.

Enjoy!

[Bill Verburg]

Brake in a straight line
Don't lift in a turn

[Danny_Ocean]

1) Unlock door.
2) Seat onself.
3) Trans in neutral.
4) Turn ignition.
5) Back out of garage (unless you've backed in, then drive out in a forward gear).
6) Look both ways before entering roadway.
7) Accelerate.

[Christien]

The braking in a turn rule is a big one, ask me how I know... Graned this is more of an issue on the track than the street, but it's something that should always be in the back of your head. One place I ocassionally find myself in trouble is a tight turn on a busy highway - if I'm going in too fast and someone cuts me off, it could be really dangerous. These older cars also don't have any of the safety features of more modern cars - airbags, traction control, etc.

That said, they're way more fun than a boring regular car, and so long as you respect the car, it will reward you many times over!

[algs911]

Congratulations on your purchase.

The 911 can be tricky to drive.

The best advice I ever got was this: go to an autocross (preferrably a few) and have an instructor help you. Autocrosses are cheap and usually safe (nothing to hit if you mess up).

I spun out at almost every event last year. This year I'm right on the edge (I have an '86 911).

After learning how to drive my car I've slowed down a lot on the road. 8/10s is feels safe and fast. 10/10s is simply way to fast for road use.

Just my 2 cents.

Al

[vesnyder]

Drive it like you stole it

[mppickett]

Remember that our cars actually understeer when you're really at the edge. If you lift the throttle in the corner the rear will come around but if you practice you can catch it by geting back on the throttle hard when you are pointing in the right direction.

[Dantilla]

A 911 doesn't steer. It oversteers, or understeers.

The pedal on the right determines if it oversteers or understeers. Push pedal down to understeer. Lift off pedal to oversteer.

The big wheel in front of you doesn't steer like a normal car. It just determines which way to oversteer.

When you mash the right pedal down, it doesn't matter which way the big wheel is turned. You will launch straight ahead.

[charleskieffner]

Originally posted by defcon65
1. Securely affix grin to face.
2. Please wind it up to at least 5000 rpm in second through fourth gears.
3. DO NOT lift off the gas in a curve.
4. Clutch fully, shift deliberately.
5. Repeat Nos. one through four as often as possible.

Enjoy!

couldnt have said it any better.................outstanding!

[911teo]

Actually i think the 911 has to be driven with caution, especially on open roads.

It's all good to think "don't lift". And on the race track it becomes second nature. U start braking too much (too slow on entry) and improve lap after lap...

But on the street it's different. You never know what can happen and you always have to leave a little room for emergency.

Maybe it's just me, but I think I feel I cant drive the 911 as close to the limit as I would with a different car.
Granted the 911 limits are high. Here I am talking about speeds that would put you in jail.
Also the older 911 the more respect it commands.
I totalled my 911 because of an idiot crossing my path with me being too close to the limit to react. And I will not make the same mistake again.

So my personal comment is that I feel I am not as close to the car's limit (on public roads) as I would be say with a Boxster.
This does not mean that I can't be faster on the same road than the Boxster...
I just know and feel that the 911 has more in it but I am too chicken to get to it on the road...

On the track though... a different story.

There the 911 is one of the most fun car u can drive. Especially because of the peculiar behaviour at the limit.

I found myself starting cautiously and then braking later and later until you find yourself trailbraking into the apex.

And then you have gone too far... and you lose it...
Reaching the limit of the 911 is so cool it's difficult to explain. And it's more fun to do it with a stock car as it will happen in a much more predictable way (in 911 terms mind you) than with an "upgraded" car...

[Zef]

One important point...Don't let her drive you...!!!

[quattrorunner]

Yeah, those early cars are real loose. If not flared, and thus wider rear tires, better to learn the car on the autoX corse. The mose scared I have been without crashing(I got lucky) was in my 72 with a little too much speed for a corner, I lifted and thought "O-yeah now I see what he was talking about". Next thing I remember, I was aiming the other direction. Scared the crap right out of me. Keep that in mind.

[hytem]

A mechanic showed me how to drive my SC. You can drive at normal speeds, but get the rpm up to 4000 in 1st and 2nd gears every time you drive it. I like to let the oil get warm, then use the first two gears at 4000 rpm. That gets you up to about 45 mph, which is OK on most streets. Ideally, you want to drive at least 20-25 miles per trip to get the oil hot. I use 5th gear on the highway above 50 mph. It's quieter and more economical.

[DarrylD]

I drive mine like if I miss a shift, say hit 3rd instead of 5th when at red line in 4th gear, it's going to cost me at least $5K (read: very carefully)!

[Christien]

Originally posted by quattrorunner
The mose scared I have been without crashing(I got lucky) was in my 72 with a little too much speed for a corner, I lifted and thought "O-yeah now I see what he was talking about". Next thing I remember, I was aiming the other direction. Scared the crap right out of me. Keep that in mind.

Sounds familiar, except there was a wall at the end of that journey for me...

Another point is to not MASH the gas in an oversteer situation - you never want to hammer the gas or brakes, but apply gentle pressure. When I had my little spinout, I got on the gas to correct the oversteer, but I hit it too hard and broke the rear wheels loose, therefore no traction behind. Next thing I know I'm going backwards with both feet in, leaving skid marks (in 2 places!)

I've heard it said before, pretend there are eggs under the pedals. Good thing to keep in mind.

[livi]

Vic Elford has a few things to say on the subject in his "Porsche High Performance driving Handbook".

[wreckah]

cool, thanks for your tips fellas,

we will try her out (for real) on an abandoned parking lot first

i'll try to find that book too!

cheers, jan

[SLO-BOB]

I have to agree with most of the above but I would add that you should break yourself in to the Porsche experience the same way you would a BMW 330i, a Chevy Caprice, a Hummer, or even a Greyhound bus--SLOWLY-. A 911 can be driven with ease within legal perameters. It handles, accelerates, and stops well. Within those confines I have found the 911 to be one of the easiest cars I've ever driven.

Naturally, after you gain experience with the 911, you'll want to push the envelope. Bring it up incrementally. The 911 rewards good skills and it spanks poor choices. The Vic Elford book is a good read if you can sift through all the narcissism and self praise. I guess when you have won as many races as he has, why not use yourself as the reference for how to drive a Porsche?

[74-911]

Originally posted by Dantilla
A 911 doesn't steer. It oversteers, or understeers.

The pedal on the right determines if it oversteers or understeers. Push pedal down to understeer. Lift off pedal to oversteer.

The big wheel in front of you doesn't steer like a normal car. It just determines which way to oversteer.

When you mash the right pedal down, it doesn't matter which way the big wheel is turned. You will launch straight ahead.

On oily, wet, slick streets, all bets are off as to what's going to happen when you turn the big wheel, accelerate or brake or any combination of the above.