Thinking of buying a Sporto, help please

[hdavis]

I can't believe it myself, but I'm considering a Sporto. Why?

Well it looks like a good clean car, very correct and solid, not perfect, but one that could be used perfectly well as is and fix up (what little is needed) along the way.

I've always been scared away of sportos, first because of what they are and second because if they go wrong I guess they could go very wrong. But in this case, I doubt I could find a car this good for this much money (asking $18), and maybe the price reflects the sporto fact.

Here are some pictures, I still need to do a final inspection, since the that car is a good drive from where I am, but the photos and a friends visit report sound good. PLEASE comment all you want, I certainly could use the help.

Thanks

[super9064]

Nice car, Great color. I think the Sportomatics have been underrated, I also think that they are starting to be appreciated for their attributes. There have been many times sitting in bumper to bumper traffic that I would have rather had a sporto. I say, If it checks out, buy it.

[Allen Henderson]

Hi Henry,

I was seriously considering a Sporto due to a bum knee but the 901 clutch is so much lighter than the 915 one, that my '67 solved that problem. Anyway, we are seeing less and less Sportos today as more and more of them either are converted to manuals or are parted out due to rust or wrecks.
The Sporto never was much of a sports car transmission even if Vic Elford won races with one. As with any automatic power is robbed with the torque converter and they have fewer gears and are slightly heavier, so performance is negatively effected. Also, like other automatics, driver involvement, in this case with no clutch pedel is reduced altough you do have to shift a Sporto. And you have to shift it the right way I might add. IMHO, the Sportomatic is a novelty. That being said, if the car is in good shape and the price right, I'd buy one!
-Allen-
PS Even today Porsche Tiptronics STILL have a torque converter. When is Zuffenhausen going to get with the program (of automatic "manuals" like BMW and Ferrari to name two)?
PPS I like the color, Bahama, too!

[caproader]

And now a comment from the sportomatic owners corner:
I have a sporto in my 73S. Not having ever driven a 73S 5 speed, I'm not sure what I'm missing. But they are fun to drive. Mine has given me zero problems in 4 years. But then I only put about 3k miles a year on it and it only had 50k miles when I got it in 2003. I also have all the parts to convert it to a 5 speed if the sporto ever goes belly up. But it hasn't. Maybe that's because I got all the parts stockpiled.
The only serious aggravation is that it takes the 911 engine oil leak issue to the nth degree. All of the extra oil lines, an oil pump and a torque converter just means that many more oil leaks to chase down. If you love the smell of hot oil on a heat exchanger, you'll swoon. And if you are a budding hydralics engineer, we'll be in 7th heaven.
If I could have only one 911, would it be a sporto? I'm not sure. Do I ever ask myself what I was thinking when I bought this? Not so far.
Send me a message if you want more.

John, aka, The Capitalist Roader; proud member #322
73.5 silver targa
73 mfi 2.7 coupe
73 S with sporto
69 Irish green 912 in rehab (not the Lindsay Lohan type of rehab)

[hdavis]

Thanks for the replies, John´s is especially interesting. If I get more serious with this I will contact you John

[Scott Clarke]

You had me at Signal Yellow! Perhaps a 5 speed conversion, with care taken to insure that reversibility is possible, is in order.

[hdavis]

You had me at Signal Yellow! Perhaps a 5 speed conversion, with care taken to insure that reversibility is possible, is in order.

That is a very good suggestion, had thought of it already, and I'm looking at a transmission from a totaled 70E on saturday, if it's in good shape and all there, I might do just that.

The color is great isn't it, one of the best early colors

[Earl Green]

Man do I miss my sporto. The car was restored original with a 2.7RS spec motor. It had the right look, sounds, smells and hauled the mail. I loved giving rides in that car making sporto converts. The car was very fast off the line 0-70 in 2nd boom! (just like that)

The only downfall was the touque convertor shared oil with the motor. It would spin when shifting 2nd/ 3rd - 3rd/ 4th adding heat. It would also spin when down shifting even after matching rpms. I never felt it was a compromise in performance but the car ran hot.

I sold the sporto to a guy in Belguim and bought a 5 spd car I could do all of the hot rod stuff I didn't feel comfortable doing to a 73S. After selling that car if I had the choice between the two I would have the sporto back in the garage.

R Gruppe #259
73T 911 Spec Racer

[WM711]

I sold this car to Earl, I miss it every day... I am still looking for another Sporto, it was an interesting, fun car. I highly recommend one.

[mike curnow]

My wife had one for about 10 years, a daily driver, nerer had a problem with it. It was a 1972 T