Having said that, I'm curious if any prime members have ever owned an old school 930 turbo ? I've always liked the whaletail Porsche look, but I really don't have any idea about the driving experience of one. I imagine a rear engine car would handle quite differently. I 've heard that they (late 70's to early 80's turbos) have a rep for overheating in traffic......Anyway, I'm curious...maybe someday if I want to start a sportscar collection.......:smile:
I had a 1979 930; they were imported from 1976+, so they are not grey market cars as someone mentioned earlier. The car itself is a blast to drive, it is one of the cars I deeply miss, and when you consider the other cars that shared the road in the mid 1970's with the car its level of performance is amazing. When somebody compares a car engineered over 30 years ago to a modern sportscar like the nsx, and talk about things such as ease of driving, you are clearly not looking at the right car.
As far as the drive itself is concerned... it's very much a porsche, which translates into oversteer, but also means when you give it gas the rear will squat down and you will take off. There is a huge amount of turbo lag, but this gives the car character. Most of these cars are equipped with a 4 spd 'turbo' H pattern transmission, which is a huge upgrade in terms of feel from the 5 spd transmissions in regular 911's at the time (905, 915, etc.) - it also means the gears are long. The drive is, because of these two items, very much on/off - you will be cruising on the freeway, then you drop down a gear and punch the throttle, the turbo spools up, and the car seemingly transitions from a period SC into the starship enterprise, blasting off at incredible speed. Because this is essentially a 'german muscle car', and it is 30 years old, you will feel like you're going much faster than you actually are, and the huge increase in acceleration rate once the turbo spools up helps to highlight this feeling. There are many cars that are faster, easier to drive, more reliable, etc., but the 930 is an amazingly entertaining vehicle to drive, and I would recommend at least bumming a ride (or if you're lucky, a drive) in one prior to dismissing it. If you want a real mind bender drive a 930, fast, then drive a 1970's Ford, Chevy, etc. at similar speeds.
As can be expected with an early turbo car, smog in CA is something of a hassle. Some of the very early 930's are exempt, but they also have a smaller engine and no intercooler. There are many upgrades for the car, including larger turbos (the KKK K27 is popular), larger intercoolers, a variety of internal engine modifications, etc.
The common line, with regard to 911's, you will hear is to purchase the newest one you can afford. If you're not interested in the car for its nostalgic value, and intend to drive it on a regular basis, perhaps daily, this is sound advice. The 964 turbo's will be faster, are still air cooled, share many of the same aesthetic traits, have a 5 spd gearbox, and would be better suited towards this goal. Ideally you would purchase the pinnacle of porsche turbo's, the 993tt, but as the 911 turbo gets newer, so does the price. 993tt's regularly sell for more money than 996tt's with similar or even additional mileage, simply because they are in such high demand. If you find an amazing deal on a 993tt it is best to be cautious, as I found out the hard way. As with any high performance used car, a purchase inspection is key, and a high level of research is desirable. For air cooled 911's poke around the forums at pelicanparts.
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