So what are these SWB 911's like to drive and live with ?

[graemel]

Just after a bit of feed back really as per the title.
I've owned quite a few air cooled 911's over the years but never owned or driven a SWB car.
I've never been or will be into the water cooled stuff.
A good few years ago I owned a white with blue 2.7RS rep based on a 1973 2.4E which is the closest I have been.
What are they like for heating and ventilation. I'm guessing with the '66' running webers it will have a nice induction roar. Do they feel very nervous although this to a degree is probably down to a good geometry set up and fettled suspension.
Comfort. My old mate got rid of the seats in his 2.2S years ago in favour of some race seats. He said the originals were too uncomfortable. Are there any modern day retro equivalents out there that are better.
Although I have a long way to go. My initial thoughts.
My first task with the '66' is to refurbish the shell. It is a non sunroof car. Remove all rot and treat the shell with maybe an e-coating (still unsure about this) to prevent the rot re occuring as best I can. Gearbox has already been rebuilt. Engine will be stripped, inspected and rebuilt as necessary. If they can be tweaked it will be tweaked for torque and not absolute horse power. I am not looking to race it. Full suspension and brake refresh.
Interior. Standard dash but maybe lightweight door cards, seats to be decided upon. I'm open to suggestions
Here is my 3.2 Carrera Super Sport that was built from a rot free 1989 road car with 68,000 miles on the clock.

[Hokie09]

You'll get much more detailed and experienced reviews than mine, but I'll chip in anyway.

Once I drove my current car, I knew I had to have it. I just couldn't get over the response to my every input, the connection with the road and the confidence I quickly built as I became familiar with the car's capabilities. I'd agree that the SWB cars are a little "twitchy" at high speeds, bumps over corners, etc., but suspension and chassis tuning can really tighten these cars up. Mine has a full cage and essentially a race suspension so my experience is different than some others. As with most older cars any speed feels faster, and some passengers who were owners of ferraris, newer porsches, and STi's were outright scared how quick you can take some turns in a properly setup SWB car. Strangely as we exchanged cars and drove the same roads, I felt much less confident in newer porsches, ferraris, etc., because although their cars were fantastic and better on paper, I just had so much less connection with what the car was doing. So with what they are like to drive, I guess you have to drive one and compare to your experiences. My only downside I would say is that in my experience the 901 trans is just not the most delightful. Most 911's are just not meant to shift quickly, and this may be the worst offender, but porsche squeezed a gear or two more into a smaller box than many others were doing at the time, and managed to make it reliable. I think it adds to its charm.

As far as to own like most other 911's the key is finding a good, properly maintained one. They can be driven hard and put away wet and take a long road trip with just a small box of supplies.

[jaudette3]

My experience with the SWB that I had sat up the best was with my '67 Sports Purpose Build. I was able to post faster lap times in that car than any car I've ever driven. A big part of it was the great suspension setup of course. But the tremendous over-steer (unsafe at any speed) is a wonderful asset of these cars. Just fantastic for throttle steer.

I'm not a great driver but that car got more out of me than any other car I've ever owned. Latency was really tiny. The lag time between my thought and the subsequent action seemed almost simultaneous to me. I thought it - it happened.

I miss that car.

JohnA

[gsjohnson]

I've owned a couple of 914-6s, a 55 speedster, a 72 911T 2.4, and a couple of 996s...and my favorite is my 68 SWB. Light and nimble packed with a ton of fun is how I would best describe it. The 914-6 is a close second, but you will definately enjoy the SWB experience...

[NorthernThrux]

I've only driven a SWB once, last fall. The SWB is probably as close to a go cart as you can get in a road going car. Rear engined, twitchy, instantaneous, connected. Alive. I prefer the LWB for the better stability at speed, but you really can't go wrong with a SWB on the street.

Ravi

[Haasman]

Lithe and visceral .... are my two favorite adjectives

[Chuck Miller]

As far as performance goes...

Some years ago I drove Fred Stewart’s beautiful and pretty stock ‘67S pretty aggressively through some of the same hills I drive my ’73. I found that the ’67 was more a ‘figure tip’ car then my ’73. ‘Lighter in the front’ and you had to respond a little quicker to the rear. That was for about the first 5 minutes or so… then once you ‘got it’ all was just wonderful and business as usual. Of course there is always the 2lt. RPM range to stay within… but after you ‘got that’ all was wonderful again….. They are GREAT cars.

I was on an R Gruppe fun run some time ago and realized that the slate gray 911 in my mirror that I couldn’t shake was Tom Fender’s ‘67S on skinny wheels and tires……..

[pht9]

It's how the 'lift off oversteer' legend was created

[Anatol]

Maybe this explains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94dD4eUPWD0

[Peanut]

I've owned a couple of 914-6s, a 55 speedster, a 72 911T 2.4, and a couple of 996s...and my favorite is my 68 SWB. Light and nimble packed with a ton of fun is how I would best describe it. The 914-6 is a close second, but you will definately enjoy the SWB experience...

"Light and nimble. Packed with a ton of fun" - that sums it up, as far as I am concerned. Immediately familiar feel to other Porsches. Yet, I still have the fun of learning about driving my car.