Doug&Julie

Considering a 964 Tip, which would fit my lifestyle ideally*, but since this is the first real autobox for a 911, I'm curious to hear real world opinions on the trans and how it affects their enjoyment of driving their 964s. Also any issues with reliability?

Thanks in advance!


* - My drive to work is all of seven miles and I rarely break 45 MPH on the drive. Some stop and go as well (especially going home). So I've grown tired of driving stick shifts on a daily basis...

mike8

Doug,
I have owned three 911's prior to buying my cyrrent 964/Tip. All great cars in their own right.
I have owned the car for about 8 months and I can tell you that I am very happy with the 964 and the tip trans. The 964 Tip does have a different "feel" then a standard shift, but maintains the same 911 performance with just a little less effort. Which can be percieved as good or bad. In traffic or stop and go traffic it can't be beat. On the highway it hauls asz just like my other ones, just a bit more refined.
You slip it into manual mode and you can bang it around just like a standard shift car. There is a difference in "feel" compared to a standard, but IMO very small, As a DD, a no brainer. I will take the tip every day of the week.
I bought this car to use more as a DD then a track car so my expectations are different from that stand point. I find myself driving this car much more then any of the prior three, which where all great cars but sat more then i would have liked. I find myself driving the tip everywhere.
I know you had a bad experence with a C4 but I would suggest considering a well sorted C2 tip as an option. Old school look and feel with modern performance (IE A/C that works)
As a DD, i would say hell yea...good luck!

Doug&Julie

Thanks for the input...your experiences outline exactly why I think it would be a good car...something I'd actually drive and enjoy more.

And don't worry, this one is a completely different car than the (high mile, poorly maintained) C4 I had before. This one is low mile with a recent rebuild / reseal and a lot of other sorting done to it. More of a premium price, but looks like a top level option.

Cheers!

mike8

Good to hear, a well sorted car is well worth the "extra" you may pay up front. I lucked out as mine wasn't as well documented as i would have liked and had some minor cosmestic issues that I was able to sort easily but the car so far has been great..good luck and look forward to seeing and hearing about it....

mozsan

Doug,
I fully agree with Mike, nothing beats a Tip as a DD. Owned a 993 between 98-01, 30k to 45 k kilometers , driven rain or shine ( almost no snow though, that was in Istanbul!). Recently bought a '91Tip as a DD in Toronto, but will keep her away from sand & chemicals for 4 months I guess. Just be aware that the market for Tip cars is a bit illiquid, for both sell and buy sides, I guess 80% of the P car crowd still believes it's not a sports car if it's an auto. They will have tough decisions to make in case of a lottery win, as the turbo won't be available in stick anymore

jack.pe

Hi Doug,

Can I ask you a bit more about this car? I saw a Tip of the same description a few months ago. It was a blue targa. Not the same car is it? was way overpriced.

Doug&Julie

Yeah, I'm not one of them. But I'm sure the early Tips are not as good as the modern ones, so I've been curious as to whether they diminish the experience or not. So far, it appears not. And I'm sure it wouldn't diminish mine.

It's a '91 Tip coupe with 66k miles. The description reads:

Within the the last 500 miles the engine was pulled from the car and a complete reseal was performed by the good folks at Euro Motorworks in Indianapolis. There were the typical oil leaks that had begun to surface, this was the reason for the engine work. During this engine work the heads were removed and a valve job was completed. The cylinder head studs were replaced and new piston rings installed. The case was split and the rod, main, and shaft bearings were replaced. Also during the engine work, new lower valve covers, chain rails, distributor caps and rotors were installed. Also while the engine was out the firewall insulation blanket was replaced. The engine runs strong and is dry. Euro also installed new rear brake pads, steering rack boots, new interstate battery, front and rear hood shocks, wiper blades, and the right window switch. The air blows cold, everything works on the car. The original paint is in very good condition, the interior also is in very good condition. The transmission performs well and is dry. A new set of Hankook tires and a fresh four wheel alignment have the car tracking sure and smooth.

I know the shop and trust the work. The only thing I don't like are the gold BBS wheels and the mile-high ride height. Asking price is $24k. I'm going to try to see it this weekend.

mozsan

Hey Doug, about your stable.. I drive a Subie Outback, a 91 964 T, and wifey a Mini Cooper !! Best of all worlds approach I guess Good luck with the Tip, sounds like a healthy example.

LouZ

I've been driving the tip for 10 years, it's no slouch! I DE mine on a regular basis and I can keep up with 964's, 993's and with proper driving style, 996's. I actually leave it in "D" when DEing, but use the manual mode on the street.

Doug&Julie

Very cool! Unfortunately (?) if we get the Tip, we're going to sell the Mini in the Spring and I'll drive the 964 as a daily and she'll drive the new Subie. We'll keep the 912E as long as we can. I'd still like to "hot rod" it...if that's even possible.

Interesting...I was reading a review of the 964 Tip from when they first came out and they said the fully automatic mode was "smarter" than the manu-matic mode...implying that it would be better at true performance driving (although I think more because the manu-matic mode doesn't truly let you operate fully manually). Regardless...looks like you find it the same? ..or do you just like keepin both hands on the wheel?

911Jetta

I drove my first Tip a couple months back as a "Renntest" for a West Coast RLer.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well it drove. I've never owned an automatic, and don't plan to for the foreseeable future, but I have to say I was impressed with how smooth and responsive the system was. It's definitely a nice option for those seeking an automatic.

Glad to see you looking at 964 again!

mozsan

I agree, you'll maybe do the manu-matic for a few times to see, buy you'll end up by keeping it on the auto. You know it'll start on the 2nd gear rite ? (unless you keep the selector at "3", then it'll start with the 1st).

Doug&Julie

Thanks! Yeah, dynamically I loved my C4, but I bought a bad example. That pain is becoming a distant memory, and I too believe that the 964 is one of the best of "old and new". But it's a premium price, which will mean some other car shuffling and more debt (if temporary), so we have a lot to weigh into this still...

Yeah I read that! I'm ok with that since the car has such good power / torque.

Also agree about the "manu" part of manu-matic. My Impreza is a manu-matic CVT, and really I rarely use the manual part.

This is the car, but I Photoshop'd the gold wheels into silver. I figure I could probably paint them for the time being until I can "afford" to get new wheels.

mike8

Doug,
Great looking car with the needed repairs....
Hopefully you are getting the stock deck and wheels. AS WE ALL KNOW, repairs and replacements come with a price. So if you ever decide to bring it back to stock(deck/wheels) expect some dollars spent.
Tips are pretty rare but typically sell/trade at a discount to a standard shift car. Keep that in mind when you are neg.
There was a thread that I followed by "Ricardo" that he started about a year or two ago ('looking for a tip"?)that showed the different cars and price points for tips he was considering. Some good info as it helped me sort out what i was looking for and what type of price i should expect to pay for a tip. Just for a reference, I think I was looking at good to outstanding examples around the 18K to 24K range. I ended paying 16K for one that needed some minor paint and repairs.
Hopefully Ricardo will chime in as he was all over the tips when he was looking about a year ago.He was good source for me
Tips tend to sit on the market so at 24K you may have some room to neg if you get my drift...
Good luck

Doug&Julie

Thanks for the input, yeah between the wheels and the Tip, I agree there should be negotiating room. It's on eBay right now, so I'm going to wait out the auction to see the inevitable "did not meet reserve" and start negotiations then. That is, of course, if I like the car after seeing it.