Porsche 911 3.2 sport coupe
27 October 2002, 01:15 AM
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Anyone on the board got one of these ? Any known problems with the engine/gearbox/transmission.......
Visited AUTOFARM today and fell in love......
Any advice appreciated !
Gastro
Visited AUTOFARM today and fell in love......
Any advice appreciated !
Gastro
27 October 2002, 09:17 AM
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I had a quick look on the website, not sure I could find the one you looked at. The only thing to worry about with any Porsche is that it has an exceptional service history.
They are fantastic cars, will last forever and not as expensive to own as you might think. Join the mailing list from the website below.
http://www.titanic.co.uk/32Carrera/
Good luck, and show us the pics if you get it.
They are fantastic cars, will last forever and not as expensive to own as you might think. Join the mailing list from the website below.
http://www.titanic.co.uk/32Carrera/
Good luck, and show us the pics if you get it.
27 October 2002, 11:26 AM
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My first Porsche (in '94) was one of these, an '85 car in Prussian blue; still the best Porker I've ever had.
Obviously you've seen the dash and can live with that (I think it's character; the fuel gauge varies by 1/3 scale depending on the forces on the car.... brilliant stuff!).
You will never get better steering than these last unassisted cars and they are quick enough and sound lovely - proper engine noise too, not just a burbly exhaust like Scoobies have. Throttle response is almost telepathic.
Things to remember are (as Dave says) service history, probably with a recognised indie like Autofarm or any one of 20+ others. You cannot buy cheap enough to make a dog worth resurrecting with Porsches, just buy a good one to start with.
Top ends need rebuilt sometime after 80 to 100k. If it's ignored it WILL take the rest of the engine with it. Job is £3-4k, but the whole engine is more like £8-10k. Want to see the receipts for a rebuild unless it's a low-miler.
Early cars (pre-'86) can be identified by the smaller air-vents and have a cable clutch and the 915 gearbox. They are fine, but synchro wears on lower ratios and a rebuild was £2,400 at the main dealer in '94. Later cars have the G-50 'box and hydraulic clutch, and are better to drive (received wisdom here, I've only had a couple of quick drives). I don't know what wears on them but something must be first to go!
All 911's start with a puff of smoke (because oil collects at the bottom of the horizontal bores) but should clean up very quickly. Mine used to 'hunt' at idle when it was started from cold, which was not a problem, and the 915 'box is baulky when cold, again normal. Generally the 915 shift isn't very nice, being notchy and quite slow.
The 3.2 has electronic injection and hydraulic chain tensioners making them far better engines than the 3.0 and earlier (and the 3.6 later cars which have all sorts of problems). There aren't any strange noises that are normal and when driving it should rev freely, smoothly and eagerly and sound not unlike a big sewing machine, but with a hard edge to it as well. You'll red-line a good one just for fun, why use 5th when 3rd will do?
They do about 25mpg cruising, dropping to 12-13 if you give it some. Expect 14mpg then! Service intervals are 12,000 and I think it's the same service every time. It has chains rather than belts and things like valve clearances are very specialised (using shims) and not considered strictly servicing. I used mine every day as my only car and they can cope easily, as long as you can live with the space / noise / fuel consumption etc.
Mine had an LSD and it was easy to get sideways in the wet or dry (contrary to popular belief you don't have to be a hero), but it felt like it would never stop going sideways in the snow one time... They're the ultimate slow-in-fast-out car if you want to go fast in them because they understeer if you're too hot on entry but they just squat and go when you nail them at the apex (maybe with a whiff of oversteer).
Brakes are good but with no ABS it's easy to hit the middle pedal hard and get plumes of tyre smoke over the front wings and not much retardation.
Downsides are really just heating and ventilation. Mine used to be hot on the driver's side all the time and opening the sunroof just sucked the hot air through all the quicker. Others generate no heat at all. Probably could have been fixed but it's time / money and never very good. They also tend to coat the inside of the screen with a film of crap, presumably something to do with the heat exchangers, but both of my 911's did it.
Air-con is a waste of time (again received wisdom) because it was never very good and will only be worse after it's converted to moders refrigerant. It wastes passenger footwell space as well because it's under the floor.
Be aware that it is VERY easy to unplug the connection to the back of the (electronic) speedo (you can do it from the luggage compartment just by unsnapping the carpet trim. When I heard about this and looked at mine I found a blob of blu-tack on the back of the speedo that was used to hold the end of the wire when it was unplugged!), so assume that any car will have done more miles than it says it has; I'd rather buy a more miley one with history and bills than a low-miler that supposedly hasn't needed the work done yet.
That's enough for now, but if you think I can help further then let me know!
Fen
[Edited by RB5#295 - 10/27/2002 11:35:40 AM]
Obviously you've seen the dash and can live with that (I think it's character; the fuel gauge varies by 1/3 scale depending on the forces on the car.... brilliant stuff!).
You will never get better steering than these last unassisted cars and they are quick enough and sound lovely - proper engine noise too, not just a burbly exhaust like Scoobies have. Throttle response is almost telepathic.
Things to remember are (as Dave says) service history, probably with a recognised indie like Autofarm or any one of 20+ others. You cannot buy cheap enough to make a dog worth resurrecting with Porsches, just buy a good one to start with.
Top ends need rebuilt sometime after 80 to 100k. If it's ignored it WILL take the rest of the engine with it. Job is £3-4k, but the whole engine is more like £8-10k. Want to see the receipts for a rebuild unless it's a low-miler.
Early cars (pre-'86) can be identified by the smaller air-vents and have a cable clutch and the 915 gearbox. They are fine, but synchro wears on lower ratios and a rebuild was £2,400 at the main dealer in '94. Later cars have the G-50 'box and hydraulic clutch, and are better to drive (received wisdom here, I've only had a couple of quick drives). I don't know what wears on them but something must be first to go!
All 911's start with a puff of smoke (because oil collects at the bottom of the horizontal bores) but should clean up very quickly. Mine used to 'hunt' at idle when it was started from cold, which was not a problem, and the 915 'box is baulky when cold, again normal. Generally the 915 shift isn't very nice, being notchy and quite slow.
The 3.2 has electronic injection and hydraulic chain tensioners making them far better engines than the 3.0 and earlier (and the 3.6 later cars which have all sorts of problems). There aren't any strange noises that are normal and when driving it should rev freely, smoothly and eagerly and sound not unlike a big sewing machine, but with a hard edge to it as well. You'll red-line a good one just for fun, why use 5th when 3rd will do?
They do about 25mpg cruising, dropping to 12-13 if you give it some. Expect 14mpg then! Service intervals are 12,000 and I think it's the same service every time. It has chains rather than belts and things like valve clearances are very specialised (using shims) and not considered strictly servicing. I used mine every day as my only car and they can cope easily, as long as you can live with the space / noise / fuel consumption etc.
Mine had an LSD and it was easy to get sideways in the wet or dry (contrary to popular belief you don't have to be a hero), but it felt like it would never stop going sideways in the snow one time... They're the ultimate slow-in-fast-out car if you want to go fast in them because they understeer if you're too hot on entry but they just squat and go when you nail them at the apex (maybe with a whiff of oversteer).
Brakes are good but with no ABS it's easy to hit the middle pedal hard and get plumes of tyre smoke over the front wings and not much retardation.
Downsides are really just heating and ventilation. Mine used to be hot on the driver's side all the time and opening the sunroof just sucked the hot air through all the quicker. Others generate no heat at all. Probably could have been fixed but it's time / money and never very good. They also tend to coat the inside of the screen with a film of crap, presumably something to do with the heat exchangers, but both of my 911's did it.
Air-con is a waste of time (again received wisdom) because it was never very good and will only be worse after it's converted to moders refrigerant. It wastes passenger footwell space as well because it's under the floor.
Be aware that it is VERY easy to unplug the connection to the back of the (electronic) speedo (you can do it from the luggage compartment just by unsnapping the carpet trim. When I heard about this and looked at mine I found a blob of blu-tack on the back of the speedo that was used to hold the end of the wire when it was unplugged!), so assume that any car will have done more miles than it says it has; I'd rather buy a more miley one with history and bills than a low-miler that supposedly hasn't needed the work done yet.
That's enough for now, but if you think I can help further then let me know!
Fen
[Edited by RB5#295 - 10/27/2002 11:35:40 AM]
27 October 2002, 02:06 PM
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I agree with what Fen has written above. I have owned a 3.2 Carrera sport in the past, for 4 1/2 years and 50,000 miles. I also had an SC which I had restored to A1 condition.
The 3.2 is a glorious beast, with the best 911 sound of any of the various types. "Like a big sewing machine" Fen descibed it as...I always heard it as a cross between a washing machine and jet engine on full chat. They do go on forever, but need specialist attention. Fen speaks the truth.
I will be going back to 911's myself soon, when I have sold my 99 MY 5 door turbo Scoob. I am torn between a Carrera 2 and another 3.2...heart says 3.2
...head says C2 
The Porsche's become like a pet, I found, and engender feelings that I never expected. I miss them like b***dy mad. I know that a well driven Scoob will beat a 911 of this vintage, but I am not concerned about such things. I want a 911 for the classic appeal: shape, unique engineering, NOISE, performance and finally, the small size of the car. If Dr Porsche were still alive, I'd have his babies
Gina G
PS My partner,Lemmy, has an STi7, so I won't be without a wild Scooby ride!!
The 3.2 is a glorious beast, with the best 911 sound of any of the various types. "Like a big sewing machine" Fen descibed it as...I always heard it as a cross between a washing machine and jet engine on full chat. They do go on forever, but need specialist attention. Fen speaks the truth.
I will be going back to 911's myself soon, when I have sold my 99 MY 5 door turbo Scoob. I am torn between a Carrera 2 and another 3.2...heart says 3.2
...head says C2 The Porsche's become like a pet, I found, and engender feelings that I never expected. I miss them like b***dy mad. I know that a well driven Scoob will beat a 911 of this vintage, but I am not concerned about such things. I want a 911 for the classic appeal: shape, unique engineering, NOISE, performance and finally, the small size of the car. If Dr Porsche were still alive, I'd have his babies
Gina G
PS My partner,Lemmy, has an STi7, so I won't be without a wild Scooby ride!!
27 October 2002, 02:22 PM
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I wish I'd bought one again instead of the Scooby; for what I paid for the RB5 I could have had a nice G-50 car with sensible miles. Insurance would have been similar, if not cheaper, servicing is less if only because it is 12k vs 7.5k, residuals are as near rock solid as you'll get (I paid £15,500 at a dealer for mine in '94 and sold it 26k / 18 months later for £13,750, and had to turn people away. Now it would cost around £13,500 to buy it back) and I think the 911 would better the Scoob's mpg for my mainly motorway driving (and it happily runs 95RON). I would have been happy to sell my 944 Turbo as well if there was a REAL Porker on the drive.
I let myself be put off by the heating and space inside, and because the Impreza was modern and had a warranty; Muppet. Now I've discovered how expensive to run and overrated Scoobs are but mine isn't worth enough to buy me a decent 911 anymore.
I'm talking myself into buying another one as well now!
Fen
[Edited by RB5#295 - 10/27/2002 2:34:08 PM]
I let myself be put off by the heating and space inside, and because the Impreza was modern and had a warranty; Muppet. Now I've discovered how expensive to run and overrated Scoobs are but mine isn't worth enough to buy me a decent 911 anymore.
I'm talking myself into buying another one as well now!
Fen
[Edited by RB5#295 - 10/27/2002 2:34:08 PM]
27 October 2002, 04:07 PM
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Do it Fen!! Do it Gastro!!
Life is too short. I had 9 years of 911 driving and subscribe to the 'car for life' longevity of galvanised motoring. Only circumstances
forced the sale of my Porsches, and I feel the witdrawal very keenly indeed [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
After selling my last car, I convinced my partner to go the Scoob route. He bought the car I now drive (99 Wagon) and subsequently bought the STi7. He's an engineer (Chemical) and loves tuning and fiddling with the car. That side of things leaves me a little cold, as I prefer not to fiddle too much beyond port'n'polish, chip and lowering . Don't get me wrong; these Subarus are just the boll*x, but my heart was left in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
Just get a good one and you'll never look back.
Race you to the next 3.2 minter guys!!
Gina G
Life is too short. I had 9 years of 911 driving and subscribe to the 'car for life' longevity of galvanised motoring. Only circumstances
forced the sale of my Porsches, and I feel the witdrawal very keenly indeed [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]After selling my last car, I convinced my partner to go the Scoob route. He bought the car I now drive (99 Wagon) and subsequently bought the STi7. He's an engineer (Chemical) and loves tuning and fiddling with the car. That side of things leaves me a little cold, as I prefer not to fiddle too much beyond port'n'polish, chip and lowering . Don't get me wrong; these Subarus are just the boll*x, but my heart was left in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
Just get a good one and you'll never look back.
Race you to the next 3.2 minter guys!!
Gina G
28 October 2002, 07:13 PM
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Well - I'm going to do it !
Just put a deposit down on an ex-autofarm 911 3.2 - 49K miles, FPSH + 1 in autofarm........
Agree with all the above comments - cant wait to pick it up in 3 weeks time.........
Cheers for the advice - will post piccies later
Gastro
Just put a deposit down on an ex-autofarm 911 3.2 - 49K miles, FPSH + 1 in autofarm........
Agree with all the above comments - cant wait to pick it up in 3 weeks time.........
Cheers for the advice - will post piccies later
Gastro
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28 October 2002, 08:00 PM
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Keeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllllllllllllllllll!!
Congrats! I am so jealous! Please post some piccies when you can. It's going to be a couple of months or so before I can start *seriously* looking myself. Autofarm's ad stated they were 'imminently' expecting a 3.2, so I buzzed their site for a pic - but it seems some rotten swine got in first
Enjoy the 911. Remember..."PORSCHE...THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE"
Gina G
29 October 2002, 10:04 AM
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Yeah, but if the exchangers go you can dump £1,500 into an SSI set and get an extra 20+bhp as well as a lovely sound... You are going to mod it aren't you?
Nice one Gastro. What colour / spec?
Gina, I've let the head rule for once and bought an Ibiza TDi Sport. I'll rebuild my '44 Turbo for trackdays and finish my house before I get another real car. I WILL be back though...
Fen
Nice one Gastro. What colour / spec?
Gina, I've let the head rule for once and bought an Ibiza TDi Sport. I'll rebuild my '44 Turbo for trackdays and finish my house before I get another real car. I WILL be back though...
Fen
29 October 2002, 12:35 PM
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Spec....
911 3.2 sport coupe
Guards Red, Fuch alloys
Linen leather interior with red piping
ESR, original blaupunkt stereo
Looks amazing in the flesh...
Gastro
911 3.2 sport coupe
Guards Red, Fuch alloys
Linen leather interior with red piping
ESR, original blaupunkt stereo
Looks amazing in the flesh...
Gastro
31 October 2002, 09:20 PM
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Nice. One of the later ones (going by the interior in linen)?
I'm not a Guards fan myself (not a red fan at all in fact), but otherwise v. jealous. Nice to see it still on Fuchs like it should be, and that it still has its tea tray on the back (look out for the vortices off the ends of that the first time you drive it fast in the wet; amazing).
Fen
I'm not a Guards fan myself (not a red fan at all in fact), but otherwise v. jealous. Nice to see it still on Fuchs like it should be, and that it still has its tea tray on the back (look out for the vortices off the ends of that the first time you drive it fast in the wet; amazing).
Fen
31 October 2002, 09:20 PM
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Dude, she is awesome!!
Bring her along to the Bedford track day so I can have a good look and listen to her!
Are you going to use her every day?
Bring her along to the Bedford track day so I can have a good look and listen to her!
Are you going to use her every day?
31 October 2002, 09:31 PM
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Indeed - this will be my daily transport as of 16th of November.....
... and yes - linen leather
Can't wait !
When is the Bedford meet ?
Gastro
... and yes - linen leather
Can't wait ! When is the Bedford meet ?
Gastro
31 October 2002, 09:44 PM
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Bedford is 30th November. I am taking my 944 on track.
Heck lets post a couple of piccies! Although it wont have those plates on it
[img]http://www.dave.malings.btinternet.co.uk/images/Porsche/seat.JPG
[/img]
[Edited by davyboy - 10/31/2002 9:48:54 PM]
Heck lets post a couple of piccies! Although it wont have those plates on it
[img]http://www.dave.malings.btinternet.co.uk/images/Porsche/seat.JPG
[/img]
[Edited by davyboy - 10/31/2002 9:48:54 PM]
31 October 2002, 09:47 PM
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Curious......
I the images I posted wont display... but your 944 piccies do ?
Any ideas ?
Thought it was my firewall - but perhaps not......
30th of November - on-call
....but I will definately bring the car along to one of these meetings - some day - if the bl**dy NHS will alow me some holiday...
Gastro
I the images I posted wont display... but your 944 piccies do ?
Any ideas ?
Thought it was my firewall - but perhaps not......
30th of November - on-call
....but I will definately bring the car along to one of these meetings - some day - if the bl**dy NHS will alow me some holiday...
Gastro
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