What's a 930 like to drive ?

[GT3 Ape]

Hi

The 930 has always been my favourite shaped 911, from being a wee nipper. I've owned a 996 Carrera and a 997.1 GT3 Clubsport, but am now being drawn to old school 911's.

Currently have a Caterham R300 for hooning around in (which I will keep), plus have owned an Ariel Atom in the past, so do like my cars raw.

I appreciate the 930 is an old car now, so not expecting it to drive like newer models, but can current / previous owners try to describe what these cars are like to drive please ? Problem is I have a friend who owned one and refers to it as one of his worst handling cars ! I'm trying to remain neutral

Would be looking to put a couple of thousand miles on a year, no track days, more a car to take to car meets.

Lastly what should I budget for a clean, up together 930 / 930 SE please ?

If anyone is within an hour drive of Evesham, Worc, would love to come and see your 930 and talk shop.

Thanks in advance

Dave

 

[p27549]

Dave,

I love my 930, i have a standard 1988, 4 spd, 3.3 Targa so to some it possibly does not handle as well as a coupe.
The car is very agricultural, long gear lever change, lots of lag, shaking steering. Its a drivers car and it feeds back alot of the road until it wants to break free at the back, then i suppose only training and rear engine experience can help.
You have to remember its an early 70's design car with a lot of HP on torsion bar suspension.It drives completely different to any other car out there.
I have an A4 S Line which handles beautifully and is real easy to drive, but it is so so boring compared to the 930.

You will either love an air cooled 911 or hate it. I have had 4 old 911's so i am in the love them group. Best bet is to go and drive one.

Best of luck

TIM

 

[carreraboy]

Having owned a standard 930 to a Bob Watson build Supersport Turbo and now a 964 Cup Car rebuilt to 965 Turbo S spec the difference is vast. The standard car is a good daily driver, mine had the 5 speed G50 box this would be my recommendation with LSD a must. Easy suspension mods can be made. It certainly has road presence, my icon too as a kid.

 

[GT3 Ape]

Sounds positive

 

[Metz2000]

Hi, Sorry for the late reply.

I haven't got as much experience with different Porsches, I've driven a few new ones and a couple of mates older ones, but I wouldn't give mine up for the world (my boys are already arguing who gets it in my will). She has modified suspension, more bhp than standard and other stuff done and handles lovely. She doesn't drive like a 991, which is much more refined, so if you're looking for 'raw' then a 930 may be the place to put your money. As far as your mates suggestion that they are the worst handling cars then I definitely disagree, not that I want to start a debate but the Volvo v70 T5 was the worst handling car I've owned.

As for prices... the sky's the limit almost, just have a look at the web and you'll find a massive price difference depending on condition etc.

Hope this helps

Chris

P.S. I would have said come and have a chat etc, but you're 250miles away.

 

[GT3 Ape]

Thanks Chris.

Re suspension, is there a standard upgrade recommendation and if so what prices would one be looking at ?

Cheers Dave

 

[turbo jonny]

For the same money a 964 turbo 3.3 is a great alternative

 

[GT3 Ape]

ORIGINAL: jonny boy

For the same money a 964 turbo 3.3 is a great alternative

Christ don't confuse me even more

 

[1975turbo]

Hi Dave,

Just picked up on your thread. The rarest and rawest 930 is the 3.0 litre. Just 74 cars were imported in the 75-77 model years. They are much lighter than the 3.3's and handle completely differently.
I am not far away from you, in Hereford. You are welcome to come and take a look at my 1975 example.

Chris.

 

[Bertroex]

I responded to a similar question on DDK and I quickly copy/pasted my post

I have a 4 speed 930 as well as a normally aspirated Carrera 3.o, which is a bit lighter than it rolled off the factory line.

I had a bit of a stint with a 964 widebody as well. I immediately realised my mistake: why taking a good car and make it heavier, thirstier and create more drag: the polar opposite of what Ruf does (more powerfull engine in small light body). But I was lured by the whole athena poster thing and still, people get attracted to that wide body arse end.

So the 964 jubi went and the turbo came. At least, big arse and appropriate engine (for its time).

The turbo is an either/or car: on the one hand, I lets you waiting during B road driving, and on the other hand it is king of acceleration on the motorway.

The first UK test of the Turbo 3.3 was done by Steve Cropley at Car Magazine. I suppose that the quote of "into the red in second, the turbo does 95mph" could very well be true. I understood that third goes up to 130mph, but the bottom line is that you have to drive the thing like an animal in order to make stellar progress(and to keep up with a normally aspirated Carrera).

The reality is that driving a turbo is "hard work". Driving old porsches is still "slow in, fast out." With a turbo you brake, set the bend, floor it at 2400 rpm, waitwaitwait, hit the apex at 3000 rpm, BOOST, "crickey have we arrived already?" and BRAKE.

My Carrera 3 comes on cam at 4200 and due to its 5 speeds and short 2nd and 3rd, you are pretty much "bang on" and accelerate faster in "real world" conditions.

I don't have the numbers of the Turbo 3.3 at hand, but here is a comparison test of the then new Turbo 3.o vs the Carrera 3.o.

The turbo is in my opinion not really a balls-out car: it is a comfy long distance GT. On a European Autobahn you could technically accelerate in second on the sliproad, join the motorway at 85mph, meander through the lorries, put your foot down, redline, third, get some boost, and she will do 150 mph all day long until you have reached your Berlin office. But we live in the United Kingdom, with a speed limit of 70mph. Plently of A roads are restricted to 50 mph.... This car is a bit of a anachronism.

Having said that, the way its suspension works, how it grips the road, the way you can chuck it in a bend and the way this 911 is weighted: pure magic. This driving style is far too risky for a short wheel base 911, which was the original widow maker, but when the turbo 3.3 hit the market with its bigger tie rod ends, different banana arms and 917 derived braking, it is a Porsche Package that feels just right.

Furthermore, the turbo is quiet. The exhaust noise reverberating through the woods of the peak district is a joy in my carrera 3, but the turbo intercooler package quietens things down considerably in the 930.

So, for a while I used the turbo for european long hauls, the Carrera for A and B road chasing.

RE running costs:

To put it into perspective, my turbo had a 5 pence sized bubble in both sills, and was looking, 9 years after a quality restoration by Porsche Silverstone "£20k all day long after detailing the swirl marks out".

Nearly £10 k later (sills, B posts, impact bumper brackets, windows out respray, all new rubbers and lenses, suspension rebuild, brakes rebuild, gearbox set up, couple of oil lines, rubber sealing rings in flywheel, engine seals) ....

I would expect any prospective purchaser to have a professional Pre Purchase Inspection done, after the initial impressions and inspection works out.

These things can be as reliable as a beetle on the condition that you spend money on its upkeep. (which is about the polar opposite of beetle upkeep prices.)

Miss a year or three, or potter about in the village 400 miles between MOT's for a few years and you might as well hand grenade your safe deposit box. I reckon on a par with receiving the total sum of the works that needs doing.

Trouble is, these turbo's are so over engineered that they can sustain a lot of abuse. Porsche reckons that 85% of their drivers don't know how to get the max potential out of their cars -I'm in that group, btw-, let alone that the majority of the "drivers" know the difference between a good and a bad one.

Old Porsches nearly always get rescued. A turbo will always sell. After all, Porsche cars GB only imported 930 of them in the UK.

It also kills bugs fast.

But.. read this DDK topic to get to get a flavour.
http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/vi...light=turbo[url] Take care, Bert

 

[SEE YA]

First thing is finding a good one, price guide £30k-£60k I saw one the other week at £60k WOW times have changed.

The items over looked are as follows by many owners, shocks, bushes, top end. There are many worn 930's out there for sale trust me I looked at 12 so called good ones.
Many people buy one use it spend no money on them then sell them on hence so many worn ones up for sale at silly money. Even when you find the right one, for you it will need money spent on it that year.
If you can buy the best one you can find a solid base one, and then each year spend money on the upkeep of the car.
These cars need money spent on them each year, the bonus is they are going up in value each year. Five years ago around £20k would get you one not anymore.
They are becoming a car out of reach for many people's pockets today when five years ago more people could afford one like myself.

 

[GT3 Ape]

ORIGINAL: 1975turbo

Hi Dave,

Just picked up on your thread. The rarest and rawest 930 is the 3.0 litre. Just 74 cars were imported in the 75-77 model years. They are much lighter than the 3.3's and handle completely differently.
I am not far away from you, in Hereford. You are welcome to come and take a look at my 1975 example.

Chris.

Thanks Chris, will take you up on this please

Thanks Bert for such a comprehensive reply

Dave

 

[GT3 Ape]

ORIGINAL: SEE YA

First thing is finding a good one, price guide £30k-£60k I saw one the other week at £60k WOW times have changed.

The items over looked are as follows by many owners, shocks, bushes, top end. There are many worn 930's out there for sale trust me I looked at 12 so called good ones.
Many people buy one use it spend no money on them then sell them on hence so many worn ones up for sale at silly money. Even when you find the right one, for you it will need money spent on it that year.
If you can buy the best one you can find a solid base one, and then each year spend money on the upkeep of the car.
These cars need money spent on them each year, the bonus is they are going up in value each year. Five years ago around £20k would get you one not anymore.
They are becoming a car out of reach for many people's pockets today when five years ago more people could afford one like myself.

Thanks