4 or 5 speed 912....? That is the question (Part 2)

[Highlander]

Hi guys,

Wow this ddk thing is getting a bit addictive! Should i change my id to DDk Junkie.... lol. I posted a duplicate subject on the 912 website so thought id post in on the general one as well....just to get max coverage lol.
Anyway, im considering buying my very first porsche a 4 speed 69 912 from a fellow DDk member who has been on the forum for a little while now, and owned the car for 2 years, however im yet to view the car which is quite a way from where i live and having been in contact with the seller and seen the pics i feel its worth the trip to check it out, i also feel more comfortable knowing that this car has prieviously been owned by a (well known DDK member) and has very recently undergone some minor resoration work which i have been given free reign to contact the guy that did it anytime to ask questions about the work/car. (cant get any fairer than that can we).
Well i have been interested in 912's for quite some time and have toyed with the idea of getting an early 911 but unfortunately my pockets are not quite deep enough yet so this helped me make my final descision. I wanted to use this car as a daily driver and strangely (to me) have seen a lot of earlier cars with 5 speed configuration which has sort of confused me a little as i would of thought that the later cars would of had 5 gears as standard, maybe someone could advise me on this as im not an expert by any means. So as my potential car does not appear to have the 5th gear option how suitable would it be for daily use in towns and the odd run on the motorway?. If anyone could let me know how practical this would be including the pro's and cons of 4 speed, engine wear and petrol consumption ect, i will be very greatfull.

Thanks

Mac

[davidppp]

Hello, Mac.

4 speed is just fine IMHO.

Top is the same: and with a stock engine the slightly wider gear sapcing is not an issue.

Kind regards
David

[MartinP]

Mine is a four-speed and it more than copes just fine. My commute involves A and B roads, plus two decent stints on a couple of motorways each day. I'll admit that when I first got the car I naturally felt that I wanted to change into fifth, or flick on an overdrive switch as I'd come from an MGB, but that soon passed! The four and five speed boxes can easily be swapped anyway if you found you couldn't live with a four-speed.

[Highlander]

Hi David,

Thanks for your comments, had similar reply on the 12 forum same sort of response. Just wanted somthing that would be reliable if i needed to go on any longer journey's where motorway driving would be involved and wondered how well the 912's in 4speed configuration would fair on these trips and how well they keep up with modern vehicles i thought the 4speed would labour more (being unknowledgeable as i am) lol.

I would be very interested to hear from other members who use the 912 as a daily driver where motorways are part of their day to day driving and get their opinion. I have had loads of people say (not on here) that i should'nt bother wasting my time and money on a classic for everyday use and that they are not practical...!. But hey.. every ones entitled to their opinion. I just like the thought of knowing that a 912 can only appreciate in value and when i come to sell it it will be worth more than a lot of these modern cars with all their whistle & bells on .


Cheers

Hello, Mac.

4 speed is just fine IMHO.

Top is the same: and with a stock engine the slightly wider gear sapcing is not an issue.

Kind regards
David

[Highlander]

Thanks Martin,

Looks like my worries are for nothing. I should be ok (he says) as im fairly used to driving all sorts of vehicles from Army Landrovers to 4 ton'rs to the mini cooper s. Bet a 912 is more fun though.......!! Cant wait to get one, just got to find the right one!. Ive got (now) about 13k budget to find a good one. Would love a silver 69 model but never seen one!!.

Thanks

Mac

Hi David,

Thanks for your comments, had similar reply on the 12 forum same sort of response. Just wanted somthing that would be reliable if i needed to go on any longer journey's where motorway driving would be involved and wondered how well the 912's in 4speed configuration would fair on these trips and how well they keep up with modern vehicles i thought the 4speed would labour more (being unknowledgeable as i am) lol.

I would be very interested to hear from other members who use the 912 as a daily driver where motorways are part of their day to day driving and get their opinion. I have had loads of people say (not on here) that i should'nt bother wasting my time and money on a classic for everyday use and that they are not practical...!. But hey.. every ones entitled to their opinion. I just like the thought of knowing that a 912 can only appreciate in value and when i come to sell it it will be worth more than a lot of these modern cars with all their whistle & bells on .


Cheers

Hello, Mac.

4 speed is just fine IMHO.

Top is the same: and with a stock engine the slightly wider gear sapcing is not an issue.

Kind regards
David

[MartinP]

Hi Mac

Well, I use mine every day for a 110 mile commute and it copes admirably. I calculate that with our family modern we also own, I have spent (or taken out of warranty claims as well) at least £3,000 in the last 12 months for parts and labour.

I have spent the same amount in the last year on the 912, BUT, that is because I bought a very cheap auction car with no heating and a knackered engine, no carpets, knackered seats, leaking front shocks, bald tyres... you get the picture!

Unless you ignore all the basic pointers, you should get a peach of a car for your budget and not have to do much to apart from change the oil every few thousand miles.

More importantly, even on a rainy, dull day like this morning, my commute was still enjoyable because I was the only one racing up the fast lines of the M4 and M3 in a 41 year old car that sounds and looks a hell of a lot better than the hundreds of Citroën Picassos that I'm overtaking!