sell my stock 911 and buy old sc w/ 964 3.6L?

[fast911sc]

Been talking to this guy that selling his car on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280142776014

was debating - Is it better to sell my old stock SC to pick up this HOT ROD SC? As looking at the various 3.6 conversion sites it appears to be alot to buy the motor/exhaust/conversion parts + labor. Seems to be smarter financially to pick one up like this... Ideas? Thoughts?

[speedracer]

That is a really good deal if the car is as good as he says it is. 3.6 conversions are usually in the mid twenties..

[BReyes]

Its hard to say yes. Is its color combination your favorite? Have you driven it, dont you feel like you should? Who serviced it, and what do they say?

Why is he selling it, and on Ebay on top of that?

Do you have to sell your current ride?

Regards,

[fast911sc]

love that midnight metallic blue color... I have not driven it as he lives about 5 hours away - debating about a road trip Saturday... I will ask him about who he took it for service.. He say he is selling due to the 4 kids and his daily driver nearly dead and not enough in budget to take on new car payment so he selling this. He sounds very reluctant to sell it as in talking to him on phone its very apparent he loves this car... he say wife been on his case for over year and I guess she finally broke him (poor dude hehe) I actually asked him where he trying to sell it and he say he also listed car on excellence-mag and in local paper near him. I looked on that excellence site and found it - I would not need to sell my current car but once / if I buy this I would sell it as once I drive this car I doubt I will ever want to drive my old stock SC again (i hope)

[Joe Bob]

Great price if it was done right.....

[fast911sc]

Hey Mikezzzzzzzzzzzz - What do I look for to see if the conversion was done right?? I read up alot on these conversions and there no sound like there is alot that can go wrong... I asked him about the idle at a stop as I read that these cars can stall as the stock 964 motor had a heavier flywheel - he said the chip not stock and that compensates for the lighter flywheel - sounds like he got most of the conversion done by the guys at instant-g.com and I re-visited their site and it looks like they really know there stuff... He DID NOT though do anything with suspension or brakes beside installing some cross drilled rotars in front. But I guess if he did do suspension and brakes he wouldnt be sellin it for $15K.... but what else should i ask or look for when / if I go see it?

[jwetering]

Yep - the worst thing I see is the cork interior. Naturally you'd want to have a good look at it, but having driven an old 911 with a 3.6 I can tell you it's a car I wouldn't get bored with in a hurry..

I'd hit it - that's for sure.

[fast911sc]

yes the cork interior does not thrill me either but could live with it - I just watched that video he has (for like 10th time) and I just wish he had enough room to go through a couple more gears... I going to ask him to make another video and see if he will... and ask him to turn radio off this time...

[Joe Bob]

Well you can always buy the No Bad Days chip that Pelican sells, Ingo, Jack and I run it.

The biggest issue I have is the exhaust systems that Timmons sells....there are either low end and not smog legal or mucho dinero and bling blingy......

I ended up doing my own.

As to suspension....not a BIG deal unless you plan to track it....then take out a home mortgage.

[GarryW]

That really does look like a fair buy on that car, and even better if there is no rust, straight chassis and the engine leak-down and compression numbers check out. I have much more money in doing my own, and I have a tired engine needing a top end. For those who have not fully sorted the idle problem, Jim Williams had a thread a year or so ago where he described a fix that worked for me perfectly. On the wiring diagram of the main plug to the computer, you can locate and permanently ground two or three wires that tell the computer to increase idle to compensate for low rpm and A/C ON. I also love my No Bad Days chip............

[Scooter]

I am sure you have read about these conversions, so I am probably not saying anything you don't already know. My understanding on 3.6 conversions is that it is more involved than just putting a 3.6 in a car. You have to consider other factors like suspension and brakes, among other things. Everything should be upgraded to have a well balanced car. It does not appear that other improvements have been made. Also, who did the transplant? It could have been done well or could have been a botch job. I would say that you need a lot more information before proceeding. I have one more comment; actually three little letters...PPI. Good luck.

[ischmitz]

The early 993 was brought to 286HP from the 964 250HP mainly due to the better exhaust besides some minor mods to the intake port size. That being said the 3.2 heat exchangers leave some serious HP on the table. I doubt the 280HP figure he is claiming. It will be closer to the stock 250HP or below at this point. The K&N doesn't really do anything here but making a liitle more noise at WOT. But that can be adressed by sourcing a set of 993 HE's. or an aftermarket exhaust.

The price seems OK if the engine is in good condition. I think a test drive will quickly tell you if this conversion was done properly by they way it feels to drive. However, I don't think this is an exceptional example for a 3.6 conversion. It is a good start. I would consider it a platform to work off of. If you want the full potential there are several things to adress:

- proper free-breathing exhaust system (this will unleash some power)
- chipping
- beef up the 915 (bearing retainer, diff side cover, cooler)
- make sure the suspension is up to par (bushings, shocks, stiffer torsion bars, sway bars)
- brakes (if you want to track it)
- engine oil cooling (what is on the car?)

So be prepared to spend some additional $$$ to really get the most out this "hybrid"

Cheers,
ingo

[Jack Olsen]

The only expensive component I see missing from that car is oil cooling. He describes a 'turbo' oil cooler, in the singular. A single fender-based oil cooler is marginal for street use with a 3.6 swap and inadequate for any track use.

The transaxle is an unknown -- if he's been doing launches, you could have problems to fix. The Carrera exhaust might make it feel better at low rpms, but it's going to cost a few horses. B&B and other alternatives aren't cheap. The 993 route is labor intensive, but more affordable.

Aside from that, it looks like a lot of car for the money. Upgrading the suspension and brakes doesn't have much to do with horsepower -- it has to do with how you use the car. If you're going to track it, you'll need to upgrade those components, no matter what motor you've got in there.

I wouldn't touch it without a PPI from someone who knows the swap. And I'd want to do my smog research before I wrote a check.

[burgermeister]

IMHO, a well sorted slower car driven near its limits is more fun for street use than a hopped up, not-so-well sorted faster car that can't be driven near its limits. If you just want forward thrust, there are cheaper ways to do it than a 911.

Then again, there is quite a bit of fun in the sorting process... if you have the time, cash, and inclination, sounds like a great project. If not, I'd stick with what you have.