new family car

[limegreen]

so, my mother's half of the family (herself and my stepdad) have gone and bought themselves a new car.

it's a 1983 porsce 911.. i'm not sure whether i like it, or whether they're having a midlife crisis.
i think it's a v6, having had a peek under the bonnet/bootlid and not seeing a monstrous straight line of engine.

terrible fuel consumption.

[Dean]

I think it's a flat six arrangement a descendant of the flat four from the beetle. I like them personally, particularly the turbo charged kind!!

[limegreen]

I think it's a flat six arrangement a descendant of the flat four from the beetle. I like them personally, particularly the turbo charged kind!!

the book does say flat 6, but it sure as day looks like a v6. weird.
Ours isn't the turbo version, but it does have a bit of 'go'!

[Blaketon]

Expensive toy!!

It would be a flat six of about 2.7 litre. Is it a 911 SC? Probably good for about 140mph and 0 - 60 in about 6 seconds.

Porsche paintwork/finish is about as good as it gets (The VW Beetle was much the same), even if the car is functional rather than luxurious in the manner of an E Type Jag (The Porsche wouldn't rust like a Jag ).

It has to be said that the basic layout does not lend itself to good handling, and whilst Porsche spent years trying to make it work (With some success), a 911 in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon. In the right hands, its a tremendous rally car, rallycross car, circuit car and hillclimb car.

The Porsche 917 and 956/62 are legends at Le Mans, due in no small measure to Porsche reliability. Indeed Porsche provided the engine to McLaren in the mid 1980s and won three world championships. It wasn't the most powerful F1 engine but it was reliable and economical, no doubt the Le Mans experience counted!

My father worked for AFN back in the late '50s and early '60s. Prior to that time, they had built Frazer Nash cars but their main business was then importing Porsche cars (The 356 - forerunner of the 911). One of the first things the boss told him was to watch Porsches, as they were a bit lethal in the wet but he added "We don't tell the customers that".

Servicing was an engine out job. It sounds extreme but (As with the VW) it was easier, if you had a ramp, to drop the engine out, service it and lift it back in in through the underside of the car.

One of the more bizarre episodes concerned vibrating brakes. AFN used to routinely skim brake drums as part of a service (Often they would be swapped for a skimmed set). However, they hadn't considered the oversize tolerance and the drums were going out of shape.

[limegreen]

Expensive toy!!

It would be a flat six of about 2.7 litre. Is it a 911 SC? Probably good for about 140mph and 0 - 60 in about 6 seconds.

Porsche paintwork/finish is about as good as it gets (The VW Beetle was much the same), even if the car is functional rather than luxurious in the manner of an E Type Jag (The Porsche wouldn't rust like a Jag ).

It has to be said that the basic layout does not lend itself to good handling, and whilst Porsche spent years trying to make it work (With some success), a 911 in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon. In the right hands, its a tremendous rally car, rallycross car, circuit car and hillclimb car.

The Porsche 917 and 956/62 are legends at Le Mans, due in no small measure to Porsche reliability. Indeed Porsche provided the engine to McLaren in the mid 1980s and won three world championships. It wasn't the most powerful F1 engine but it was reliable and economical, no doubt the Le Mans experience counted!

My father worked for AFN back in the late '50s and early '60s. Prior to that time, they had built Frazer Nash cars but their main business was then importing Porsche cars (The 356 - forerunner of the 911). One of the first things the boss told him was to watch Porsches, as they were a bit lethal in the wet but he added "We don't tell the customers that".

Servicing was an engine out job. It sounds extreme but (As with the VW) it was easier, if you had a ramp, to drop the engine out, service it and lift it back in in through the underside of the car.

One of the more bizarre episodes concerned vibrating brakes. AFN used to routinely skim brake drums as part of a service (Often they would be swapped for a skimmed set). However, they hadn't considered the oversize tolerance and the drums were going out of shape.

Hmm, well, the engine definetly sounds a bit ropey, and there are a few little rustbubbles, but it seems to be proving it's worth on our little country lanes!

[Blaketon]

That's normal for a 911. Being aircooled there is no water jacket to take away some of the mechanical noise. I rather like the sound though and once they get going they sound great.

My father tells me that the 356 Carreras, with the roller bearing cranks, were real rattlers but they were quick.

[limegreen]

That's normal for a 911. Being aircooled there is no water jacket to take away some of the mechanical noise. I rather like the sound though and once they get going they sound great.

My father tells me that the 356 Carreras, with the roller bearing cranks, were real rattlers but they were quick.

That definetly makes me feel better about being taken for a drive in it! Thanks! xD

[Blaketon]

Just remember the right foot in the wet .

[rayofleamington]

It would be a flat six of about 2.7 litre. Is it a 911 SC? Probably good for about 140mph

I doubt the average one will make anywhere near 140mph unless it's had a recent engine rebuild.
I had a 1989 with 5 speed box - it was a little embarrassing to be blown away by modern Rice-racers (the proper ones, not the chav wagons).
After suffering very very bad service from 3 different Porsche specialists in a row, I decided enough was enough.

Despite all the hype, the car was extremely user friendly, even when driven in anger. I had to try rather hard to get some power off oversteer that people keep mentioning.
On a dry flat road it weaved in and out of the other cars like they ere stationary though ;-) However in the wet it was a disaster and on very bad roads my Civic handled better.

The later ones (from some point in the 80's) had galvanised shells. The ones before that do suffer with corrossion, but unlike a lot of Minors, they are garaged unused over winter so are less likely to get nasty salt everywhere.