Hi all I'm in the market to purchase my first 911 I've been doing some research and have found that the 87 and after model were better cars transmission etc
Just wanted your thoughts on this
Was the transmission in the early 80 to 86 that bad
All I hear is how the g50 is do great from the 87 on

 

the earlier cars have a 915 which isn't a bad transmission but you have to know how to drive it. Rev matching and etc
The g50 trans is 87+ and it's very easy to drive.
In most cases it becomes a more personal preference as both can be great at what they do. Depends on your application.
On a side note 87-89 911 will fetch 4-8k more then a similar 79-86 car.
Drive both and decide

 

Thanks for the reply the 4-8 k more was it just because if the tranny or was there other features that it wold fetch that much more

 

Depends on condition, options, color but the transaction and the fact it's newer doesn't hurt. Drive a 87-89 and 78-86 . Different injection, engine size, weight and etc

 

The one I'm looking at is red body has 3 to 4 spots of rust starting to form car has 190000 km no major work on the engine pretty much stock plus a few other things like hood won't stay up etc
He's asking 16000 it's a targa
Plus it needs tires

 

Did you end up testing driving it yet Redwhitekat?

 

I did drives nice but it's got some small leaks and no engine work has been done it's at now 200000 km
However I found another one that's an 82 911 sc 170000 km clean engine rebuilt by a reputable shop in Markham very clean rings heads etc lots of paper work and receipts
Might be looking at purchasing that one

 

The 84 thru 89 911's are essentially the same cars except for the transmission and later cars have about 10 more HP. If you buy a SC then the motor is a 3.0 versus 3.2 and the exterior is slightly different. As a new 3.2 air-cooled owner, I read all of the similar information regarding the benefits of the G-50 over the 915 transmission. As I continued to look for a car I became more informed. If you ask an independent shop mechanic, most will say they prefer the 915 because it is lighter and easier to work on. It was used from the early 1970's until 1986 including some of the early turbos. Bruce Anderson who was a technical writer for the PCA and Excellence magazines said he would buy a well sorted SC or 915 car over a G-50 car with issues. I just bought an 86, the shifting is more notchy but once you get familiar it is fine. Another reason for a 915 is less people are looking for them and you have less competition. What ever you buy make sure to get a PPI. Good luck.

 

Agree. 915 is fine and fun to drive when you learn. Don't forget the 1-2 pause thing.

 

I just bought an '86 Targa. I have been driving a 996 and really wanted to try an air cooled 911. The 4-6k in price difference is more like 10k these days and especially for a well sorted coupe'. I have never driven the highly touted g50 but I can tell you driving the 915 is so sweet. As they say, it took a couple of hours before I got comfortable with shifting. That said, it wasn't like I was grinding gears, stalling etc. It is very easy to drive, it just takes a lot of focus.

The one I purchased had a synchros installed for 1st to 2nd gear? Not sure what that does but I am guessing it solves what others say is a "pause" between 1st & 2nd gears.

Question: I literally just picked it (86 Targa) up yesterday and had a really nice 3 hour drive home in it. It was cold so I used the heat. I could smell exhaust and when I got home I smelled really bad according to my wife. When using the heat is it normal to smell the exhaust like that or do I have a leak? Lastly I am having issues finding good DIY videos etc. on these vehicles, any suggestions? There are a ton of vids and DIY sites for the 996.

I love my 1986 Carrera Targa in Guards Red and Brown interior. And I love my 996. I pity anybody who overlooks the 996, IMO. I guess I just love Porsches because they are "drivers cars".

 

Hey, enjoy your 915. They're a lot of fun once you get used to them. By the way, replacing the syncros doesn't 'solve' the pause between 1-2 shift issue. It's a repair for someone not pausing. You'll be replacing them again,soon, if you don't do the pause thing. Once you get used to it it's no big deal.