[chrisbalich]

Originally Posted by sean m

Dude….my head hurts, sell it, don’t sell it whatever!

You need to own it either way and move on

Thanks for setting me straight. DM me your phone and I'll just call you next time I'm trying to make a decision.

Originally Posted by MikeD930

Chris...you need to ask yourself what was the reason for getting into this aircooled 911 ownership? If you are disappointed that your current 911 (I think your car is really neat and unique) does not meet your expectations (modern tightness/quietness/dry/etc) then I suggest to sell it. But if you are having doubts to sell it then sell your Q5 and buy a Cayman or other modern sports car while keeping your LBDC (don't do any more major work on it) for a year. Then you'll have a better idea what you want to do (sell or not to sell LBDC). Lastly...ask your wife how she feels about the LBDC.

Mike,
Solid advice here and more for me to chew on.
Kelly thinks I would be best served by maintaining course for another year until I can afford a 981, buy the 981, drive both for a bit, then make a decsion. Historically, she's not far off the target. (We talked about this last night before reading this post.)

Originally Posted by Jjm4life

if youre thinking about this enough to consult the internet, it sounds like youve already made up your mind.
I can speak from my own experience. built a 964, it was raw. sold it thinking i wanted something more refined. a few cars later im in my '83. you might realise what i did, the 'flaws" are character a newer tighter car wont have.
from reading your thread it seems like the trans is your real source of frustrations. i would think if you can get that operating as youd like, you would fall back in love with the car. or not. but thats for you to determine. i know what i bought/sold to end up back where i started (sort of). i purposely went with a SC, if i had gotten another 964 i would have chased that former build.. and that would have been insane.

I consult the internet for things like this to gather as much perspective and experience as I can so I can make the best decision. Big decisions for me almost always require a sounding board. What better sounding board for this topic than Pelican?
I agree, the 915 is my primary source of disappointment. I still haven't ruled out going all the way in and g50 swapping it. It would be some time out as g50 swaps are bloody expensive, but it would root out my chief complaint about this car.
Agreed wholeheartedly if I sold this, I couldn't get another SC (probably G at all) as I'd be chasing the things I love about the LBDC and attempting to avoid those I did not.

Originally Posted by wildthing

When is it time to sell? When I no longer enjoy it. When I can no longer take it autocrossing. When I can no longer drive it in the twisties in the Santa Cruz mountains.

-OR-

When I am not able to drive it. When they outlaw gasoline and there is no alternative. When I am physically unable to drive due to a health condition.

I don't have a never-ending build though. If I wanted something to build upon I'd get another 911 that's not as well-kept.

Now you're just bragging about being close to mountains.

Originally Posted by MrBonus

Thanks for this perspective. My wife and I are embarking on private school (kindergarten on up) and I’m feeling some measure of guilt for having an expensive toy in the garage.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I have a tidbit to share nonetheless.
I have known far too many parents who abandon their complete identity in the name of raising their families. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but rather something to be wary of. I have yet to talk to someone who gave up all the things they loved to raise kids who, once the kids were raised, did not experience some great measure of regret for not hanging on a little tighter and 'making it work'. YMMV

Originally Posted by 72doug2,2S

It's a part of the family. If Fido refused to retrieve a stick, would you drop him off at the pound?

Both my '72 P-car and my '76 2002 bmw are 'dead-man's-cars". The pink slips change ownership when I'm 6ft under.

I don't think you really want to know how I feel about pets.
But your devotion to holding onto the things you love is admirable.

Originally Posted by Evan Fullerton

No car is perfect but the 915 gearbox is a big let down in G-body experience if you are used to being able to bang shifts in a modern car.

As for rattles, squeaks, and leaks, that’s an ongoing thing but there is definitely a lot of variability based off of the chassis in my experience. Had a never hit, original paint, survivor 912E with the same suspension setup as my Frankenstein used and abused ‘75 911S and there was no comparing them. The 912E was tight as a drum and the 911 chassis was definitely well past its prime in the rigidity and dimensional accuracy department. The 912E was too nice to modify beyond OEM + bolt ons…….. the 911 now has 250ft of chromoly tubing and a VERY expensive G50 gearbox which hopefully solve the 2 things I didn’t like about it.

Hate the steering feel of a 964 with or without power steering, 993 rear suspension leaves a bit to be desired. 996 GT3 built into a street Cup is the only 911 I’d consider over my highly bastardized ‘75 because there is no perfect 911.

I agree there is no perfect 911. I often think about your car and wonder how far I'd really have to go to swap in a g50...and if that would push me over the tipping point into long-term devotional love with the LBDC.
And jeebus, 250' of chromoly is a lot of tubes, my dude.

Originally Posted by fanaudical

I think we've all been there, Chris. And I recognize that your open discussion here is part of your thinking process (you walk around the problem a few times until the right answer feels right).

Some hopefully-helpful questions:

Do you need to sell it to start the next project?

What aspect of 911 ownership has brought you the greatest joy? And are those aspects still fun? If not, why not?

Are the imperfections truly aggravating enough to force the change?

I've often been able to classify "car people" into three distinct modes in which they are the most happy: Builder, Maintainer, and Driver. Which are you? And which does the LDBC need?

Best of luck with the journey.

Thank you for recognizing that I oft utilize the sounding board to get perspective.
Let's work through your questions here instead of in my head.
1. Do you need to sell it to start the next project?
Only if I don't allow myself another year before buying another car.

2. What aspect of 911 ownership has brought you the greatest joy? And are those aspects still fun? If not, why not?
Building it, improving it, and then being able to drive something that I built from garbage into a respectable sports car.
Yes

3. Are the imperfections truly aggravating enough to force the change?
IDK yet. I reckon if I had $30k of disposable cash laying around, I'd slam a g50 (or hound Mr. Monson for that sequential 915) into the LBDC and everything else becomes more background noise than big problem. Alas, I do not have such funding at my disposal, so I'm left to waffle whether it is worth the time, money, and work to imrove this one major problem, learn to live with its disappointing performance, or move on.

4. I've often been able to classify "car people" into three distinct modes in which they are the most happy: Builder, Maintainer, and Driver. Which are you? And which does the LDBC need?
I'm 50/50 Builder and Driver. I hate maintenance. I do it because it's necessary, but I will never in my life derive joy from washing cars, vacuuming them, changing oil, or adjusting valves.
I do get great joy from making changes that improve the driving experience.
The LBDC needs a little bit of all 3 right now. One day, I expect it'll just need a Driver, but we're not quite there yet. At least not in my opinion.

Originally Posted by FA-18C

MrBonus - the decision was less guilt for me than a realistic approach to dealing with the understanding that with parochial school bills, my available resources for my projects was gone. For me, yes it is a car, and a "fun toy." But is also an outlet and escape from the day to day grind. I can disappear in the garage and let the stress of the job melt away, and accomplish something I control. It is my therapy . I probably should have kept the 70E, and have regrets over selling it - plus I cannot in good conscience afford to replace it. The 88 Targa is a compromise that I have embraced. It is the same years in age as my 70E was from new when I bought it and so there are many things I can continue to renew and update/upgrade over the years. If you can financially swing it, try and keep the car through the school years. Avoid the regret if you can, but if you cannot, just let it go. I had to pretty much completely exit, including Pelican, for 15 years. There were 2-3 toe in the water times to see what the market was doing, and what a reasonable entry point would be, but in the end, it took 15 years. So hold on, if you can, but you can regret selling and it is softened by making the right decision for your family.

This level of experience and persepective is why I started this thread.
Thank you for sharing.