I may have found my 3.2

[r-mm]

I have owned a 3.2 for 6mos and was also looking at 964s. I landed with the 3.2 because I found an honest one, much like yours, for a similar price. It is not a modern fast car but I offer the following...

1. Seems like many if not most of the members here have found 10-25% of their throttle is not being used, check that WOT is achieved with the pedal floored
2. The car responds exceptionally well to chips. Check out some of the dyno charts showing 24hp/20ft-lbs and no low spots/peaks. On a stock 3.2
3. I have always found it more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow... and that is in reference to my second favorite car o all time, my NA miata. The 3.2 can not be called slow by any metric, but you can beat on it hard. Engine loves it, speeds wont be deep three digits, you will be getting a lot of enjoyment out of the car.
4. It is one hell of a nicely made car. I generally hate bs about "german engineering". Every VW i've even been in / owned seems like it was made be a caveman compared to every Japanese vehicle I've owned. Sure, new Audis, BMWs etc are nice cars but their complexity and use of plastic bothers me. The 911 feels very, very different from every car I've owned. Plane analogies abound. It is a very nice machine to sit in, interact with, work on. Well planned, unbelievably efficiently packaged, beautiful. I like it.

[rwilner]

Larry
Another thing to note that no one has mentioned about a car that's sat for awhile...you're going to need to replace suspension rubber and brakes. If you're paying a shop to do this, labor will be expensive. If you do the full monte..shocks, bushings, t-bars, ball joints, wheel bearings, rotors, pads, hoses, fluid...front and rear...parts can easily hit $2k.

BUT

That's the kind of thing you only need to do once, and then you're good for another 20+ years. So if you're planning to keep the car it's worth it!

have fun.
Rich

[daleflesburg]

Larry in Michigan:

There is no question about it, if you can find and afford a newer air cooled 911, go for the newest, lowest mile car you can find and afford. If possible go for a 97 or 98. I think they were the best 911s ever made. But do not stop there. The water cooled ones are even nicer, and an 08 is a wonderful car.

I have a 74 with a 3.2L engine. The car weighs 2350 pounds. I have spent a lot of time and money on it (a lot more than $20,000). I have an 05 Boxster. I would trade the Boxster for someting newer, but the 74 is going to be inherited by one of my sons. (If they outlive me!)

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by daleflesburg

Larry in Michigan:

There is no question about it, if you can find and afford a newer air cooled 911, go for the newest, lowest mile car you can find and afford. If possible go for a 97 or 98. I think they were the best 911s ever made. But do not stop there. The water cooled ones are even nicer, and an 08 is a wonderful car.

I have a 74 with a 3.2L engine. The car weighs 2350 pounds. I have spent a lot of time and money on it (a lot more than $20,000). I have an 05 Boxster. I would trade the Boxster for someting newer, but the 74 is going to be inherited by one of my sons. (If they outlive me!)

Your comment is interesting as I had a 74 (no sunroof coupe) w/ a 3.0 and it was a ball to drive. Unfortunately, I sold it and curse the day I let it go. I also had a 98 M3 at the time and found I enjoyed driving the 74 better than the M3 so I sold the BMW and bought an 84 Carrera. No plans to sell this one. We're never happy with what we have until it's gone.

[Chuck.H]

>> 3. I have always found it more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow...

slightly off topic, but has anyone ever driven a FIAT x1/9? You would never believe a car with 75hp could put such a smile on your face... well at least for 2-3 miles before something breaks.

Chuck.H
'89 TurboLookTarga, 361k miles

[daleflesburg]

Widget et al:

My 74 911 is a lot of fun to drive. Suspension, brakes, springs, sway bars and shocks are all from an 85 Carrera, so a notch heavier that what the 74 had. The 3.2 is rebuilt from the crank out and is strong. The 915 is a euro unit from an 86. The car has no sunroof, no air conditioning, no heater, manual windows etc. It handles very well. It goes very well once the car is in 2nd. It is a little clumsy from 1st to 2nd. It gets a lot of attention, and I really like driving it and the way people react at PCA car show events. I have not ever had a Porsche come loose from just applying throttle. I have spun on race tracks in my 914 because I lifted the throttle, not from applying it, and I have had a car spin on a race track because I entered a corner too fast and the car did not have enough power or traction to "pull out of the beginning of a spin with more throttle". That said, an X19 or a 914 is a great car to learn to drive. When you can go around Mid Ohio, or Putnam Park or Blackhawk and have the throttle all the way on the floor at every turn in, then it is time to think about more power. Until you are there, you have enough power!