chris951

Guys, I'm getting a little frustrated fixing my car and I'm thinking about sacrificing the speed of the 951 for a 911 as far as maintenance goes. This is probably a stupid idea, but an earlier 911 does not have a waterpump or a timing belt to worry about. Somebody please talk me out of this!

black944 turbo

have you driven one. I love them, but they drive almost exactly like my 64 corvair with a lot more power. Just very ancient feeling to me. That being said, I do love the cars and admire them. I would keep the 951.

SD Porsche Fan

Once you start down the path of the dark side forevery will it dominate your destiny!

Choosing between a 951 or a 911 is like choosing between chocolet and vanilla. Why dont' you get a 930! It would be like having the best of both!

ed devinney

I like swirl, myself :-) Two great tastes that taste great together!

Seriously, they're different cars, each with its own joys and sorrows, but I'm not convinced the 911 has a lower total cost of ownership than a 951. The 911 is a little less touchy, perhaps (less plumbing, less complexity), but all the little systems are the same, performance parts are just as pricey and then there are the big gotchas: timing chain tensioners, weak hydraulic lifters, valve guides, head stud failure...

After all, the 951 is like all Porsches - Expensive, and Built To Stay That Way!

SD Porsche Fan

jwl

Three months ago I bought a 1987 930 for a price I just couldn't refuse. The motor had major issues and needed a complete rebuild that I have just recently completed. If I would had a shop rebuild the engine it would have cost somewhere around $10,000 but since I did all of the work myself I save a considerable amount. The 911 engine has over 250 parts and requires allot of special tools to work on. Also, the parts are more expensive.. but there's a bigger market for them.

The 930 is a amazing piece of engineering and I've really enjoyed learning and working on it. But if your going to own one make sure you get your check book out.

Tom M'Guinn

I had an 85 911 -- other than valve adjustments, it was pretty much hassle free. It was also faster than its numbers would suggest. Rock solid build too. Drive one before buying though -- they are a different experience altogether...

evil 944t

I had the same 85' car. It was fun and handled great but boring once you feel the boost of a turbo. They also sound great with a full B&B exhaust. Its not cheap to build horsepower either.
Drive one first. They are way different than anything. You may hate it or love it.

chris951

a 930 is way out of my price range, the only 911 I've driven was an '04 carrera with a GT3 bodykit, it was awesome, but is a completely different animal than an early 911.

H964

well, i owned manny 944s, 3 turbos and 2 s2 cabs, but always wanted an old 911. and 1 day, i bumped into a 964 cab (91 911), needed some work, (paint and few oil leaks), and bought it. well as far as maitenance i had to learn to do them my self, piece of cake compared to 944s. the car runs great and i know it will never stop. 2 3 oil drips after a hard drive and thats it. now as far as apower, the 3.6 has a lot of it, pulls hard and sounds like no other. but few days ago, some damm *** with a ford focus( i had to be a turbo) wanted to race me at a traffic light, i dont really do that but i figured why not, well i was faster in the firt gear, but by the second one, i could hear the turbo kick in and i new i was going down, so i slowed down and let him go. AND THATS WHEN I SAID, damm if only i had my old 86 turbo (347 whp)..........
anyway, i will never regret moving to a 911, the feel and the noises and of course the looks it gets are priceless, however, i will be buying a 951 again when i can.
if you are a hp junkies , dont think about it unless you are getting a turbo, otherwise any 911 is just another world of fun.
good luck

black944 turbo

One thing that no one has adressed is the balance. The 951 is 50/50 while the 911 is tail happy. If you enjoy pushing your car the 951 is much more forgiving and more predictable. On the other hand the 911 is more fun if you learn to control it. The 911 is more pure, manual steering and such.

chris951

I hate the way the 944t has excessive body roll.

H964

its funny a lot people think 911 dont handle good, well iwas one of them, well let me tell you. all the corners i used to take at 50 miles an hour in my neighbourhood, i do them now at 60 and the car feels a lot better that all my 944s before, the good think about the 944s is if you overdrive the car on turns its just easier to control the car thanks to the 50/50, on the other hand its takes a lot of skill to do it with a 911.

Matt Sheppard

You know there are very few cars that are more frustrating to bring back from neglect than a 951 - they're called 911's.

But unless you can afford a top nic SC or above, I think you'll be disappointed. 996's are wonderful but very different than your 80's 911's. I noticed you live in Texas; (in my best Chris Rock voice)

Do you need air conditioning? 911's arent for you.
You sick of repairing a new system every week? 911's arent for you.

BTW: Diamond Blue Metalic is about the nicest color I've ever seen on a 944 body

chris951

thanks for your responses guys!