G50 Premium - How Much ?

[tdw28210]

What is the premium for a G50 vs. a 915? Think '86 vs '87 911 same color, miles and options. $3K to $5k?

[SilberUrS6]

For me, I wouldn't pay extra for a G50 car. I have a very nice 915 in my car, and it shifts like butter.

I prefer it over my hydraulic clutch Audi. I think you'll get some folks who think the G50 is worth more, but I don't think that just the transmission alone will get you much more than a $1500 premium. Condition is king. Cool color combos are a close second. Transmission is about number four on the list, IMO.

[Nachtfalter]

If you ask me, the 915 with the mechanical clutch feels like a Porsche should..... that said, I agree with Silber, condition is everything with pre-90's Porsches. Color and clutch mean almost nothing to me.

[pmax]

When I was looking for the car, non G50 Carrera's were not even under consideration.
If it's not a G50, I'll wait until one shows up.

3-5k sounds about right. But it's irrelevant in my case.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Nachtfalter

Color and clutch mean almost nothing to me.

For most Porsche folks, I think you are correct. But in the marketplace, interesting colors that are not red, white, black, and silver usually get higher prices.

Also, I think that G50 cars are now beginning to show less of a premium than they once did over their 915 brethren. But still some premium.

I only bring these things up to separate our personal preferences from the general aircooled marketplace.

[blau911]

+1 on the above. The G50 is a good tranny, but a good shifting 915 should not be considered inferior. Using a tranny as a justification for asking more money for a 84-89 3.2 car is just dealerspeak. The same way dealers like to talk up the 72 cars with the external oil fill doors as a rare and somehow more valuable option on a longhood.

My understanding is that the only reason the 915 was replaced with the G50 was because the 915 trannies needed their own oil coolers due to the extra power and heat produced by the 3.2 motor. The 915 trannies ran hot on the 231hp euro 3.2 cars, epecially when driven at autobahn speeds for extended priods. And the 915 trannies with the needed external oil cooler were expensive to produce. Hence it was a cost saving measure for Porsche rather than a performance decision.

[pmax]

Color can't be changed without affecting originality.
Condition can.
So it's color over condition for me assuming it's a G50 of course.

[RacerX1166]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

Also, I think that G50 cars are now beginning to show less of a premium than they once did over their 915 brethren. But still some premium.

Excellent point. As a market migrates more toward being collector driven, versus driven by enthusiasts, attributes demanding a premium will change. G50 transmissions are likely one of these, for various reasons I don't feel like expounding upon without more caffeine.

At the moment, I'd also agree with the $3-5k premium, which is quite a bit less than it used to be, when one looks at it as a % of vehicle price.

Additional non sequitur observation on how even 'mid range' 911's have become more coveted. I was surprised at Ricky Sloan's new arrival inventory to see more and more 50k+ mile vehicles, many with non-original equipment. Not very Sloan like and certainly a statement on how difficult primo examples are to come by these days.

[techweenie]

What I'm observing is a bit different. "newbies" are coming in to the market, informed that the G50 is what they want. The real world premium I'm seeing is in the $3-6K range, yes, but the 87-89 cars are also newer than the '84-86 cars so the actual premium attributed just to the G50 may be less.

There are people who will only consider a G50 car, period. So there's that...

Personally, I have driven a few well set up 915s that I'd be happy with. But in the 3.2 platform, I'd expect to pay less.

[HugoBear]

I think TechWeenie is dead on with his observation. Even when I bought my first 87 911 in 2011, this is exactly what I was told. Buy an 85-89 G50. The debate on the G50 and 915 has been hashed out a million times but the market speaks and the numbers TW states and the rationale are consistent.

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Originally Posted by HugoBear

I think TechWeenie is dead on with his observation. Even when I bought my first 87 911 in 2011, this is exactly what I was told. Buy an 85-89 G50. The debate on the G50 and 915 has been hashed out a million times but the market speaks and the numbers TW states and the rationale are consistent.

Which is good for those of us willing to be open-minded and judge the car on its own merits.

[Nick Triesch]

Holy Smokes! Even the new Excellence buyer's guide (2014-15) says it is a great tranny. "Thankfully, the 3.2 is a gem that responds well to constant shifting This is also when the super slick and precise G50 transmission comes in handy. It's entirely devoid of slop, shifting up and down the gears with a direct, mechanical feel." I was on a budget when I bought my 85 911. But if I could have afforded it I would have bought a later 3.2 911 with the G50.

[2cam]

ALL of the recent articles, blogs, etc. about 3.2s expound on the superiority of the G50 and state that it is the one and only transmission to have. So, what do potential buyers (that may not be as well informed) look for? The G50 of course. Since the resulting demand is greater for a G50 than a 915, one would expect that there would be a market premium for the G50. Warranted or not, I'd guess that there is probably a $5K premium (sadly stated by an owner of an '86 915 car).

2cam

[Mehoff]

Originally Posted by 2cam

ALL of the recent articles, blogs, etc. about 3.2s expound on the superiority of the G50 and state that it is the one and only transmission to have. So, what do potential buyers (that may not be as well informed) look for? The G50 of course. Since the resulting demand is greater for a G50 than a 915, one would expect that there would be a market premium for the G50. Warranted or not, I'd guess that there is probably a $5K premium (sadly stated by an owner of an '86 915 car).

2cam

I think you're dead on. It's the best version of a classic car (with lower production numbers), and from a collector car perspective those variants sell markedly higher than their counterparts; think an "e" vs. "s". I think as the market continues to grow the gap will widen significantly for collector grade and converge to next to nothing for non-collector grade.

From a P-car enthusiast and avid driver/racer perspective, I would never consider getting the G50 over the 915 if I had it to do over again. The ridiculous cost associated with rebuilds and spare parts of the G50 just doesn't outweigh the benefits (especially on a race car)

[gred04]

Drove a couple examples of both 915 & G50 driver quality 911 when I was shopping. Which was in the last couple months.

Noticeable difference to me in G50 favor and what I ultimately decided on.

I think the OP is spot on at around 5k difference if most other things are equal. Not that much really considering it is universally considered a upgrade.

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Originally Posted by gred04

Drove a couple examples of both 915 & G50 driver quality 911 when I was shopping. Which was in the last couple months.

Noticeable difference to me in G50 favor and what I ultimately decided on.

I think the OP is spot on at around 5k difference if most other things are equal. Not that much really considering it is universally considered a upgrade.

I don't doubt that just jumping in and driving G50 and 915-equipped cars will typically result in a preference for the G50. But a little familiarity with the 915 will make its idiosyncracies comfortable. I'm OK with the (short) learning curve.

[Nick Triesch]

Well, the most respected Porsche buyers guide in America says otherwise.

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Originally Posted by Nick Triesch

Well, the most respected Porsche buyers guide in America says otherwise.

OMG, it's in a magazine!

[whiterabbit]

Personally I wouldn't pay anymore as a G50 car is heavier and I prefer the earlier 3.2 interiors without the breezeblock center console and nicer seats. A G50 is also more expensive to repair I think as the cars get older there will be no difference. Right now who knows as condition and originality trumps all.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Reddy Kilowatt

I don't doubt that just jumping in and driving G50 and 915-equipped cars will typically result in a preference for the G50. But a little familiarity with the 915 will make its idiosyncracies comfortable. I'm OK with the (short) learning curve.

A good 915 has no difference in feel from a decent hydraulic clutch trans other than pedal effort and throw length. Even then, the differences are small. In overall use, a 915 has some quirks that you have to think about during use, but those are small issues.

I still contend that the price premium is much smaller than it used to be, and that condition issues are really what differentiate the g50 cars from the 915 cars. Same-condition cars are hard to find, so it makes the comparisons difficult, but the higher-end 915 cars are really running neck-and-neck with the g50 cars. And I think that's condition-based, and not transmission-based.

Both the Zimmerman book and the Leffingwell book talk about the difference, but don't really suggest one over another, except in an implied way as part of an overall strategy to get the best-condition car into your garage.