All things being equal--1973.5 or 1972 911 non-sunroof Coupe?

[M491Cabriolet]

I was wondering if I might solicit some of your opinions... If there were two cars:

+++ Both in similar or the same condition (mechanically, structurally and cosmetically),
+++ both being non-sunroof 911 Coupes,
+++ if one were a stock 1973.5 with CIS and
+++ and the other a stock 1972 but carbureted...

Which one would you prefer and why? Which one is more interesting? What's the difference? Which one is or will be worth more money?

Thanks!!!

M

[RWebb]

'72 for sure

1. it has the one year only oil door - easier to use & gives better balance to the car.

2. it does not have the horrid CIS as does the '73 - CIS has poor throttle response and is not a good choice for anything pretending to be a sports car

But, the '73.5 does have the safety door beams so it is a little bit safer
also, the CIS gives much better fuel economy (if you care) & a bit lower emissions.

[NiceT]

I disagree! The 73.5 cars are wonderful cars and even rarer at a shorter production run. My knowledgable car buddies comment on how strong and even the power is on my CIS T. True, it's not a rocket past 5000rpm but it's a blast to drive. It is the last of the long hoods but first of Porsche fuel injection technology that ran through 83. Someone felt it was a good idea. It just depends on what you plan to do with it, but I sure wouldn't base my decision on what someone thinks one might be worth in the future over the other. My car has required nothing beyond a tensioner upgrade and normal maintainance in the three years I have owned it. Always starts, always runs well. Drive them both and you'll know which one suits you better.

Daron

[jackb911]

IMO the '72, for the reasons that Randy pointed out. Plus it doesn't have the ugly rubber front & rear bumper guards of the 73.5. The first year CIS was not what it eventually evolved into by the late 70's - early 80's.

I assume both cars are 911T's?

[Sunroof]

I will assume the 72 is a "T" model. That being said, both are great cars, but the 1973.5T has many improvements. The CIS on the 1973.5T is certainly unique because its was the first introduction by Porsche that ran through the 1983 SC. The CIS does its job well. The MFI can be very costly to rebuild, so be sure the MFI is in excellent condition. For long term investment, if you left both in original condition, the 1973.5T may yield more interest as it is the last year of the longhoods, had more safety refinements and YES even those black bumperettes!

My vote? >>>>> 1973.5T


Bob
1973.5T Sepia of course

[lateapex911]

Looking like a split decision here.

OP stated the '72 was carbed, so MFI concerns are nulled. I think the '72 has the oh-so-cool oil door, and the 73.5 has the oh-so-fugly bumperette nipple thingies, so I say 72.

[Jays72T]

1972 would be the way to go. Nothing wrong w/ 73.5 but having the oil tank in front of the rear wheel is a one year deal.

[Tom F2]

I've owned both. For my money, the 73.5 is the better car in many ways. CIS problems are usually the result of contaminated systems, which are hard to fix, or not taking the time to set them up right, IMHO. Both cars are wonderful. You said "all else being equal," but in the real world, one of these two will be in better condition, and I would pick that one.

[tcar]

73.5... best p-car I've owned. CIS troublefree for years and years.

Carbs, not so much. (Sunroof, no MFI on the car he's talking about).

[M491Cabriolet]

Thanks for your comments so far! Sorry, I forgot to.mention that the cars in question are both 911Ts. M

[RSBob]

+1 on the 72. Better weight distribution = better cornerin. After that you can do whatever you want to the motor or replace it eventually. With a 73, you will never have the exclusivity of owning a 72 and will never achieve that better weight distribution. There have been polls on other sites, where the 72 hands down wins as the more desirable car over all the long wheel base models - engines being similar. (I owned a 72 before knowing any of this, and still regret letting it go.)

[Deschodt]

I don't get the CIS bashing on the 73.5 T. I had one and it was the most driveable "town" car I ever owned, better MPG, and felt as punchy as a 180hp SC (I own one of these and its CIS has been exemplary for 200K miles and counting). That said, I'd still get the 72 because of the cool oil door (bumperettes can be replaced cheap)

[M491Cabriolet]

Yeah, I don't understand the negativity about CIS either. My CIS car feels really quick and nimble. I wonder if there's an element of urban legend to it.?.?

[RWebb]

No, it is not urban legend. My comments are based on driving 911s with CIS.

"Someone felt it [CIS] was a good idea."
- CIS was a quick and dirty "stop-gap" solution to the Arab oil embargo and the extreme need for fuel conservation. At the time there were also emissions regs. going into operation -- but no real ability to use computers to control fuel or ignition (as in the later DME systems). So we got CIS.

I am a known, card-carrying CIS hater and have eliminated two systems on two 911s.

But... for its time, CIS is just fine for a leisurely cruise in your sedate sedan. But, a Porsche is a SPORTS CAR (and deserves better).

You don't have to believe me - just drive a CIS car with an MFI or carb'd car of the same displacement side by side. It will be a huge difference.

The CIS will give you one benefit - good cold-start capability.

I'd forgotten about the ugly rubber bumperettes - they are easy to get rid of tho. You can change to the normal chrome ones w/o much trouble or expense. I sold mine for about $100 - prob a concours person wanted them.

[TRE Cup]

my first motor in my targa was a 73.5 cis t. It was wonderful and other than a blown airbox incident, i loved the gas mileage, decent throttle response, and reliability over carbs.
Carbs are suceptible to altitude and temperature changes, and of course any dirt plugs up the idle jets

[Fidalgo911S]

Originally Posted by RWebb

CIS....is not a good choice for anything pretending to be a sports car.

Don't beat around the bush, what do you really think

[M491Cabriolet]

RWebb,

I appreciate your opinion. Really, I do, but I can't sincerely agree with you. I actually had a nice1972 coupe with MFI and I now have a 1973.5 coupe with CIS, not to mention a 1989 3.2 911 Carrera Cabriolet with the M491 option. I had to sell the 1972 when I took a job overseas. If I were to express my own personal opinion, I'd say that I really do not have a preference for MFI over the CIS--oops, I just did... To me, the two cars are actually quite similar in comportment. Maybe my CIS car has been tweaked somehow and I'm just not aware of it. MFI, in my opinion, is not nearly as reliable as CIS, which means a whole lot to me. The CIS car is a kick in the pants to drive too. I have had a disproportionate number of Porsche 911s of differing ages and differing models over the last 20 years--so I'm no newbie to 911s--and I'm sorry but can't agree with you about the CIS being crap. It's really not. That's my own opinion and, you know what they say about opinions!

[ljowdy]

I've owned both. Here's my take. The oil door is cool and was only a 1 year item because when gas stations were service stations, often times, the attendandt would put fuel in the in the oil tank. Personally, unless you're racing, the weight difference will go un-noticed.

1973.5 is the last of the long hood cars and regardless of the Bumperette's, it's a great car. If the CIS is working properly, it's got great throttle response and it's mighty 140 HP feels like more.

Both cars will escalate in value, the 72 because of it's oil door and the 73.5 because it's the last of the long hood cars.

As stated, the 73.5 is a safer car but I'm sure you're not concerned about that, just which car to choose.

The 72 has had it's MFI removed and Carb's installed which probably means that the injection system failed or, the previous owner thought that carb's would make the car faster. There is a reason other than smog that every car manufacturer dismissed carbs, they are prone to dirt clogging jets, they need to be syncronized and they don't get the mileage that injection provides.

If this is going to be a daily driver or weekend car, I vote for the CIS car. If you're planning on racing the car then go with the car that has already been modified from it's original state.

[dtw]

Practicality would say the CIS car; passion and cache' speak to the '72. Easy enough. Which do you prioritize in a sports car purchase?

Not sure the '73.5 T will ever be a great investment - rarity alone does not assure long-term value.

[Sunroof]

Whats with the bumperette bashing here? Its what came on the car and if you want to maintain the originality then leave what was on the car when it came out of the factory! With the increase value of these older cars and they keep going up, an older 911, such as one with a new set of bumpers which are less safe actually may take a bit away from a serious collector. When I bought my 1973.5T eight or so years ago, every dealer and every mechanic strongly encouraged me to keep it as "original as possible". Changing the bumpers because the 1973.5T units stuck out a bit, which was in-line with the bumper designs of the day, would be like putting a whale tail on a 356!!!! Whatever you get keep it as original as possible. An yes, even if it might be Sepia Brown!!

Bob