End of the journey - a new beginning

[SimonN]

So as many of you know, after 12 years of ownership, I sold my 964 RS. I never thought the day would come, but times and values change. I feel very lucky to have been on that journey and I have many great memories.

The RS was never going to be an easy car to replace but I wanted to stay with a Porsche.  A few years ago, I thought I might sell the RS, get a GT3 RS and pocket a nice little sum, hoping to go through the same ride again. I think there was a time I could have done that, but I sure missed that boat! So I embarked on a lot of research. First thing i realised is that the only thing I believe water should be used for in a 911 is washing it, so it had to be air cooled. It then seemed obvious that I should not get a 964 - I would forever be comparing it to the RS. I needed a new experience. I have also never been a fan of the standard 993 (shape just doesn't appeal), so another era was ruled out.

I next ruled out the pre-74 cars. They are just a bit too old for me and I felt that with what I wanted to do (more later) they were the wrong base car. I also readily admit that having not driven any of them, I couldn't even choose which really interested me. Finally, I think the ones that would have been of interest would have been out of my price range.

I also had the chance to take over a project from a friend. In the end, I think we both concluded it wasn't the car for me. I didn't know enough about the era of car and what I wanted to build my "dream"car at this stage, while I think it is also hard to take over another person's dream.

Some suggested getting an Audi 924/944/968. It would have been a nice cheap option, but with the engine in the wrong end of the car, I might have found myself driving it backwards 

So this led me to an era I knew little about, the wonderful world of IB. I began to realise that I was attracted to the idea of a simpler time, with no driver aids (ABS, power steering, traction control etc). At first, I heard all sorts of stories about the 915 gearbox, which were leading me to a late 3.2 with a familiar G50 box, until I had the chance to drive a car with a fresh 915 box. What a joy - a gearbox that rewarded real driving. Get it right and you can hold the gear nob in 2 fingers and change gear with little to no pressure. Match the revs properly, toe and heel double declutching if needed, and I was back to my early days of racing. I know I am going to upset some people, but if anybody tells you that the 915 box is no good, tell them they don't know how to drive. I will take a good 915 over a G50 for a purer experience.

And despite the many stories to the contrary, rightly or wrongly, I have been scared off the 2.7. I am sure that a good 2.7 is great, but for me, it has too many risks and not enough rewards. This has led me to the big debate - SC or 3.2. The SC is the right money, the 3.2 is closer to what I want even though there isn't so much in it. How to decide.

In the end, the decision has been easy, even though I suspect some might be surprised having read some other posts I have made. I therefore introduce my new car...

So what is it, other than a  very white IB, and more importantly, why did I buy it.

Well, it is a 1985 3.2 and has the late 915 gearbox with the oil cooler. For me this was a sweet spot - as new as you could get and still having the 915 box. it's got a bit of a story, but what attracted me to the car, besides the price, was who owned it. This car has been owned by PR Technology for the last year and they bought it off a long time customer having looked after the car for the last 9 years. I therefore have a very clear picture of what i have bought, not only the good points but the bad as well.

So, what's bad about it? Well, to be truthful, the body is a bit tatty. It could do with the bonnet and drivers door being resprayed and the near side sill cover is slightly dented by the jacking point. Inside, the door pockets are a bit warped, the aircon isn't working very well and the headlining needs tightening up around the roof opening. Nothing major, but she isn't going to win any show and shines at the moment.

Then there is the really bad......if that i the way you want to view it. The car is not only an import, but it has also been converted to RHD. However, the back story is rather good. The car was bought newt in Germany by a member of the Saudi royal family. When the car was 9 months old, it went back to Porsche to be converted by them to RHD. Every single little part was done with OEM bits, so that it is almost impossible to tell that it has been converted. Yes, it's a conversion, but I wonder how many were done by Porsche themselves. In some ways it doesn't matter, because the car was priced as a converted import, although I personally believe the back story makes it interesting.

So what's good about this car? In short, what's under the skin is very, very nice. The car has done 170,000km and the engine produced great compression/leak down figures. The gearbox was fully rebuilt 4000kms ago, with a new clutch. It also has a factory fitted LSD. Suspension has just been refreshed with new uprated Bilsteins, stiffer TB's, poly bushes and the car has been lowered. It has turbo tie rods and the rack has been jacked to get rid of bump steer. It has been set up and corner weighted for fast road/track. Brakes were completely overhauled about 5000kms ago as well. It also came with a brand new set of sticky Yoko's.

I also like the interior, which is in a rather fetching dark navy

As can be seen, the sports seats are in excellent condition and I believe that with a good clean, the interior is going to come up pretty well.

So all told, under the skin is a very good car, wearing what is superficially a bit of a tatty dress. It gives me a great starting point which i can drive now but which I can also improve over time. I do have a plan for the car, but for now, it's a case of getting to know it and confirming that my plan is the way to go. I am going to keep the price confidential because all that will happen is that some will say i paid too much, others will think PR gave it away! What matters is that it was, I believe, a fair price before taking into account the spec. Compared with buyinbg an SC or even an Oz delivered 3.2, I have a lot left over for future "improvements.

As mentioned, i have some plans for the car and have a pretty good idea of a philosophy i want to judge the plan against. More will be revealed in the coming days

[turboT]

if you are going to write reams like Smitty at least get the photos embedded correctly mate! Probably guards red knowing what a colour blind architect you are  

[edgy]

So you bought the first car you had in mind! ? Congrats mate! It looks nice.

Geez I tell you what the next social is going to need to be a long one, Simons got a new ride, T is now an outlaw, some Audis and other boring shit have been acquired by others also... 

[LeeM]

  Thank gawd for that! :-) 

Nice one Simon, it looks great. Only purists care about converted/imported cars. It's a 911, thats all that matters. 

[SimonN]

if you are going to write reams like Smitty at least get the photos embedded correctly mate! Probably guards red knowing what a colour blind architect you are  

Embedding now sorted

Thought it would be a nice contrast to your new toy

[michel]

mike tankard 0418 519 xxx

[turboT]

Embedding now sorted

Thought it would be a nice contrast to your new toy

much better - looking very clean

[Coastr]

So if Porsche did the conversion (not the first one I have heard of), what did they do with the smugglers box area? Is it a lhd smugglers box?

Great choice by the way.  Uncatted 3.2 and 915 is the best overall.

[michel]

It'd be a RHD smugglers box - if done correctly the entire front bulkhead/firewall is removed and replaced with RHD equivalent.

been watching this very thing happen in canbra  

[hugh]

Love it, nice work mate! 

Looks like a tidy and clean car, great place to start - can't wait to see what you do to it. Enjoy! 

[Hughesy]

Great news Simon. Congrats. Thought you were vascillating but you sneaky BUGGER had this fine thing in your sights the whole time. 

Well played sir. 

[OZ930]

Just a bit of trivia.  The first "turbo" as displayed at the 1974 Paris Car Show started life as a 1973 911 and LHD.  When Alan Hamilton bought the car it was converted, at the factory, to RHD.  So yes they do carry out these conversions.

I have posted this link before but it is worth posting again, just to see how the conversion is done….probably not exactly how the factory would do it but worth a look.  

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/272316-australian-project-left-right-3-2-a.html

I believe this car now resides in Adelaide.

[SimonN]

While I am far from being an expert in converting LHD cars, it is my understanding that Michel is spot on. And when I was being shown the conversion work, or the lack of visibility of that conversion work, it was pointed out that they had used every single part, even small bits of foam padding that i don't believe are listed in the PET but which are found on the cars when new. 

In some ways, as Lee suggests, it really doesn't matter. It's a proper conversion and its a proper 911. Because of its past, I got it for a bargain price. It will always be cheaper than an Oz car, but it's good enough to track along with them, so lucky me. In all other aspects, and if I had said nothing, nobody would have known. If I had set out to find this exact spec, last of the 915's with LSD and before the engine was strangled, I might have waited a long time. If i hadn't done my research and listened to a few people on here, I would have believed the hype and maybe bought a later car. I think it was simply meant to happen. This was actually the very first car i was offered on the day i sold the RS. It just took me a long time to understand why Richard at PR said "I think I have the very car you want"!

 

[MFX]

It'd be a RHD smugglers box - if done correctly the entire front bulkhead/firewall is removed and replaced with RHD equivalent.

been watching this very thing happen in canbra  

That is the correct way to do it (unlike the butcher job I had to fix up on mine). The only issue with replacing everything is that you would have to cut out and weld in the VIN tag.

[OZ930]

That is the correct way to do it (unlike the butcher job I had to fix up on mine). The only issue with replacing everything is that you would have to cut out and weld in the VIN tag.

from the link, page 2, that I posted above

The engineer that will certify the car spent 5 minutes drumming it into me that the vin number must not leave the body ever at all.

If there is evidence of this then the car is a "non vehicle"in the eyes of the roads and traffic authority and it will remain unregisterable for ever !!

So it took a fair bit of thinking and working out how to do it without taking that part of the trunk floor away but I have worked it out.

The spot welds along the left side inner guard stay in tact so that the cut out part of the floor with the vin can be lifted off the cross wall and then the donor trunk floor will slip underneath.

Upon reading what I just wrote I'd better post some pics later this evening to explain it better, keep an eye out.

The vin shouldn't be on the half cut wreck but it is, it will be completely covered over by the original part of the car but I will grind it out in order to save any problems for future owners.

[Mike D'Silva]

How do people come across these little gems?

probably only paid $25k for it too.!!!

[michel]

I'd add a bigger multiplier mike. There's bargains and then there's stupid ? Which PR technology certainly ain't 

[turboT]

I'd add a bigger multiplier mike. There's bargains and then there's stupid ? Which PR technology certainly ain't 

cant believe he turned down Tangent for this piece of white trash?  

[tazzieman]

A nice story within a thought process Simon! I went through a lot of to-ing and fro-ing when considering which era of 911 to buy and logic kept pointing me back to the 78-85 era. I wouldn't change my decision even now. And you are right , the 915 box is proper old school ; like the porridge in the story , not too hot and not too cold - just right for a sporting experience! Well done and best of luck with the next chapter.