Drove my first 911 yesterday! I have questions.

[911dean]

I looked at a '85 with 112,000 miles. It has no rust, some paint work but no evidence of accidents. The engine has had no rebuild work of any kind. It runs strong especisally from 4000-6500. Has had no supension work. The transmission has never been worked on either, but has a wego shifter. The questions mostly are with transmission. The shifter seemed great. It definetly did not engage into first gear easily and no quick shifting seemed possible.( I'm not expecting to power shift it like I would the gm muscle cars I'm used to either.) I'm thinking it just does not work the way it should. Rear axle seals have seepage also. I'm capable of dropping the engine and trans. What is this going to cost to fix? I'll have the trans or transaxle rebuit by others amd would want it done right maybe even ratio changes. What would be ballpark value of car? One last note. This car really drives differntly from anything else I've ever driven. Will need to get used to it. Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated.

[Tsunamiboy]

I drove a lot of 911's before I bought my SC. Comparing the different production runs can give you better perspective on what you want your Porsche experience to be. No matter what the purchase price is you are going to spend some serious money the longer you own your Porsche. Spend it up front or spend it later.

[Drisump]

No idea if the transmission needs to be opened up. Linkages, springs and bushings all have to be within proper operational tolerances, and even then, the 915 tranny will still not shift like a modern one. IMHO changing gearing will cost a ton, from my economic perspective. I have no numbers, but "while you're inside", if done properly, you will likely find a lot of things that you should deal with. Yes they do drive differently than other cars, better..... at LEAST more fun than most. Cheers

[ivangene]

thoughts - start reading posts... there are litterally 100's of posts that are exactly the same.

sorry to be so vauge but there are too many variables to answer the questions of worth based on that assesment

as for the trans, it could just be out of adjustment or need new bushings. Rushing to the "i'll have it rebuilt" could be BIG money spent for no reason.

If you are really interested in this car, have it looked at by a Porsche Specific mechanic...get a full PPI and have him tell you whats right, whats wrong and how much it will cost to repair whats wrong....

as a point of data, my 86' has ~170k miles and never been touched - I re-did the bushings and adjusted it right and WOW!!! also doing suspension now so looking for my other big WOW!

[Drisump]

Forgot to mention that the G50 transmission found in the 87-89 model years are a more modern design that can be shifted faster.

[911dean]

The car has had a clutch along with the wego shifter. I think this was done to improve transmission and owner seems to indicate the trans could use some work. This is what leads me to think the trans needs rebuilding. Also research indicates 112,000 alot of miles for an original 915.

[intakexhaust]

If it's the blue / tan one advertised on ___, it has enough appeal to look further into. Find any service records and make some follow-up calls. Dealer stampings, independent garage, etc. If by chance you find that it was serviced by an independent and you get some feedback from them (good or bad it doesn't matter), take it to another reputable shop for an inspection. Pay for the inspection fee will pay you back in less anxiety and potential headaches down the road.

If the owner will cooperate, take them with to the inspection. They know your serious at that point and they want the sale. This also gives both parties a fair assesment of what is known and fair adjustment of price... if needed.

BTW: If it's the car I'm thinking of I'll welcome a PM and could refer two reputable service independents. Either one is close enough to do the inspection. Nothing fancy but factory trained in that era, straight fair and 911 guys. Good luck.

[jwetering]

The 915 trans takes a fair bit of getting used to. The car you drove may in fact be perfectly normal. Certainly the description you give doesn't sound out of the ordinary.

First gear is always hard to engage, you shouldn't even try to engage first with the car still rolling. Nor is there a need to do so ever. You don't use your gears to sow the car down - that's what the brakes are for. If you do want to put it in first before the car has stopped moving, then a double clutch is indicated.

Up shifts have to be made slowly. The more you hurry a 915, the balkier it becomes. Fingertips only, a one-two count as you engage the next gear...speed shifting a 915 is both a waste of time and expensive.

If you don't hear grinding then the gearbox is probably ok. It may benefit from a new coupler and an adjustment but balky action is what the 915 is all about until you learn what it likes. Once learned it's almost as though there is no resistance at all when you change gears. It's a magic box the 915.

Don't get me wrong, it may fail. I had my first gear dogs go out in a somewhat spectacular fashion. It didn't give me any warning though.

The WEVO (not wego) shifter is a great upgrade. Worth $600 new.

Try a few other cars and compare.

[Tilikum Turbo]

The car rewards you if you take the time to learn how to drive that car.

If you do that, everything else will take care of itself. It's a drivers car, to
say the least.

Welcome and drive safe!