Where else should I look?

[autojack]

Originally Posted by autojack

That looks great and is close to me. Does seem like the price is pretty optimistic for an '86, but I'll definitely see if I can arrange a drive.

Already sold He might have an '88 coming into stock in a week or two, said to call him back.

[Matt Monson]

Also look in Reno. Reno Rennsport can do a PPI for you.

[Nachtfalter]

I can't imagine a scenario where my wife comments on, or is involved in what I spend on cars. If you need her blessing, you are cutting it way too close and do not have enough savings for this.

Oh, and you're right, that gorgeous blue 86 with the crappy 915 is optimistic at 40K, what are they smoking?

[Rich Gas]

Night farter, I doubt your Slavic mail order bride would understand you anyway. If you are married, I guarantee the wife has more to say about the money than you. I guarantee....

You just bragging again tough guy.

[Scottc714]

Originally Posted by autojack

Already sold He might have an '88 coming into stock in a week or two, said to call him back.

Of course its already sold. Spring time is right around the corner and buyers are coming out of the woodwork now looking for their car. The good ones will be gone by the time you see the add if your not hot on it. I dont think that seller was being "that" optimistic at 41 K at all. A lot of work went into that car. Any car or anything for that matter is worth exactly what one buyer is willing to pay for it.

Tell the dealer to call YOU the second he knows when the car is coming in. Or that one will be gone before you see it too.

[Scottc714]

Why did Silber get banned???

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by Rich Gas

Night farter, I doubt your Slavic mail order bride would understand you anyway.

Mmmmmm, Slavic Wooomaaaan - gimmie suuuummmm!!!

Originally Posted by Scottc714

Why did Silber get banned???

Scott, see the last page(s) of the locked thread for details of brother Eric's situation.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Scottc714

Why did Silber get banned???

Sacrificed himself for the cause. Bissy-B came back and Eric led the charge into the brink

[Scottc714]

Ok i saw it LOL. At least Matt gets 2 weeks of peace now. I looked at that thread in the beginning but didnt follow it through. i had no idea you guys got ahold of it and did the usual dismantling of it or I would have.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by pmax

Sounded like a three way CJ that Ronnie somehow missed.

I kept my direct involvement with Boats to a minimum and just concentrated on slinging smut at folks that don't mind getting splattered by it!

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Scottc714

Ok i saw it LOL. At least Matt gets 2 weeks of peace now. I looked at that thread in the beginning but didnt follow it through. i had no idea you guys got ahold of it and did the usual dismantling of it or I would have.

I don't even understand why he came back and started in again. He had been gone for a week of peace. I kept my approach civil and left off the insults and name calling. I wasn't going down with him. Just no point.

[Scottc714]

This will be a huge blow to his ego...having been punished and suspended by a kindergarden teacher no less, on a website full of unruly smut slinging disrespectful little twits

[sugarwood]

Smart move expanding your search to 84-88. Focus on the condition and ownership history of the car. I would not include the gearbox as part of your non-negotiables such as body type and color.

Here is a premise worth considering. You say you are used to a Honda gearbox, and that's why you prefer the G50. I'll suggest that the entire point of getting an air cooled 911 (and paying top dollar for the privilege) is to have a vintage driving experience. No power steering. Mechanical clutch. No nanny controls. The point of buying an old 911 is that it's nothing like your Honda. Something you're not used to. If you want a modern gear box, then you should be in the market for a Honda, or a 964/993/996, right? In that regard, a 915 gearbox may be more authentic than a G50.

A correctly adjusted and serviced 915 is a perfectly good gearbox. It was in production for the better part of 2 decades. It is not defective. It was not recalled. It was not subject to lemon laws. Remarkably, it actually does shifts the gears. Are you going to be shifting with lighting precision where every 1/10 second counts? I doubt it. If you were, you wouldn't be looking at this car in the first place, and you'd be driving a modern car with PDK, like the pros. If you get a 915 and it's worn out or needing adjustment, just get that fixed.

[sugarwood]

Here is a nice quote floating around online:

The 915 gearbox was derived from the 916 unit which had been built for competition in the 908 racer.The 915 made its first appearance on a 911 in '72 with the 2.4 liter engine which had 8% more torque than the previous 2.2. The 915 is a fine competition gearbox; light fast and accessible. Just look at it's racing record - all the 911's successes from the seventies and eighties.

Attached though Porsche was to the design of the 915 gearbox, it's torque capacity was ultimately to prove finite despite continuous upgrades. But as each new 911 iteration was introduced, torque increased between 5 to 10 %... finally the 915's capacity to transmit was reached. Rather than invest in tooling for a new gearbox casing for a larger capacity 915, Porsche turned instead to a cheaper solution represented by the Borg Warner synchromesh which was already used in the Audi gearboxes fitted to the 924 and 944 models. So Schmid's light, competition oriented design was reluctantly abandoned.

The 915 was a classic product of a company devoted to competition and owners were expected to know how to use the clutch correctly. But the problem was drivers did not always use it correctly with the result that the gearbox was eventually prone to baulking with which it is associated today and the lower ratios become more difficult to engage.

John Sadler an unshamed purist for whom the 915 is an integral part of the Porsche experience accepts that Porsche had to switch to the G50 as both the torque and weight of the 911 had increased. But for him the G50 was somewhat of a variance with the principle of the 911.

The classic 911 enthusiast who finds an exceptional 915 car, could get himself a 911 that is closer to traditional Porsche values and for real aficionados will offer more satisfaction than a 911 with the G50 transmission.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/869014-can-you-drive-915-transmission-hard-true-british-cars-better-made.html#post8657476
915 Series Porsche Transmission
915 gearbox: Can you handle the truth ? - Rennlist Discussion Forums

[autojack]

I'm sold, I'm sold, gearbox is negotiable! If for no other reason than it is becoming clear I need to open up the field some more. I never thought I would hate a 915, just assumed it would be easier to find the right 87-88 car for me. I'm actually relieved to see my options opening up more, as folks said they would, now that I'm open to older cars. Thanks!

[ab1752]

Did you see the red 89 targa in Seattle that just posted in the for sale section here? $29,9k asking and it looks pretty sweet.

[autojack]

Originally Posted by ab1752

Did you see the red 89 targa in Seattle that just posted in the for sale section here? $29,9k asking and it looks pretty sweet.

I can't do an '89 because if I move to Australia next year and bring the car with me, it has to be more than 30 years old or they would make me convert it to right hand drive (total non-starter).

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by pmax

. . . since they keep coming back for more

That's because I'm such a fookin' sexy beastly beast!

[Rich Gas]

Hey autojack, check PM.

915s shift like butter!!! Racing derived, light weight, smooth as silk. Just a cable adjustment away from perfect. Wevo coupler, new shifter bushings, properly adjusted, made mine seem like a magic box, shifting into the next gear with a thought.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by pmax

I always wanted to ask MM how many stock 915 transmission parts he sells for rebuilding vs the G50.

This sounds a good time.

None.

I've been somewhat removed from the stock rebuilding world for more than half a dozen years now. I manufacture and sell race gears and differentials. While I do stock synchros to sell in conjunction with my new gears, I'm not the guy people call when they are doing a rebuild.

Back when I was in the trenches, there was way more 915 stuff than G50. But then it was a 14 year production run versus 6, if you count the 964s too. Just plain volume of production makes 915 more. There were also a lot of 915s that got bandaid rebuilds in the 80s and 90s that were starting to need proper complete jobs done on them.

A G50 will last longer between services, but when it needs major work it costs more. Throughout the long term 10 or 20 years of ownership I think they are close to a wash.