Freeman Thomas on the 915 Trans.

[37yrold911]

On p. 73 of the Dec. Pano, they quote Freeman Thomas saying saying he likes his 1972 911T because it is "probably the most capable of early 911 because of the gearbox [and] the refinement it has."

I don't understand that. I always think of the 911 gearbox as having the good road-racing shift pattern and light throws. The 915 has the "trapped in gridlock traffic" shift pattern and heavier throws. Any ideas what he is talking about?

[a911s]

Some do not like the dogleg shift from 1st to 2nd on the 901. Arguably, the 1972 911 is a more refined car with more torque than the previous models. It's whatever one likes - very subjective!

[beh911]

I wonder if Freeman Thomas ever nicks reverse on his way from 5th to 4th.

Long live the 901 dogleg...!

[37yrold911]

I couldn't tell if "refined" referred to the car or to the transmission. I hate the dogleg from 2nd to 3rd...

[Flieger]

911s rule

[gled49]

I much prefer the 915. They are more robust and can be made to shift like butter. Gled

[Flieger]

Who says 911's cant shift well?

[Mr9146]

The 72 shifter is the biggest pile of trash to ever come out of Stuttgart ... and there have been some real steaming piles of poo.

Beyond that, however, the 915 gearbox is a great piece of kit. Stronger than its forebears with good feel but not as chunky as the Borg-Warner synchro boxes that came later. G-50 style boxes feel like they belong in a Mustang ... or a pickup truck.

[Richardnew]

None of this is even a factor with my 915 4-speed.

Richard Newton

[37yrold911]

I agree - the 915 is an intermediate - not nearly as bad as the much-hated G50 (which anyone can shift), but not as nice as the 911. It is stronger than the 911 though. The 1972 box has all sorts of issues that were remedied later on; same applies to the shifter. IIRC, the best boxes are late 1970s, right before the Al cases.