965 3.3 or 3.6?

[t1grm]

Do I get the prize for the most numerical subject?

Seen a nice 965 on 911virgin.com (the Black LHD one) and may go take a look at it next weekend if he’s still got it. However, it’s a 91 model so looking at the 40 years of the 911 history on the Porsche website I assume it’s a 3.3 litre and I also notice that in the 93 model year they upped the capacity to 3.6.

So apart from the obvious incremental differences in power, torque, top end and 0-60 time which are actually fairly small is there a massive difference between the two in terms of drivability? I assume the handling and interior/exterior spec are the same?

[ultra violent]

Lots on this subject, just search for 965 on PH. In short the 3.6 is way to expensive in RHD, although there are a lot more in LHD. I'd say a 4k premium in LHD for a 3.6 (which is still too much in my book).

[GR4]

Just to clarify, I think I'm right to say that the 3.6 did not replace the 3.3 but was offered alongside it at a substantial premium, so you can get late model 3.3's.

[domster]

IIRC, from a road test in Autocar at the time (which I still have somewhere), the 3.6 *was* a replacement model. It finally got the engine it was due to have at launch all those years previously, ie the twin plug 964 motor not the improved 930 engine.

I may be wrong, of course UV would probably know, he's a bit of a T2 freakboy.

[ultra violent]

You'll get one of these right soon.... The 965 was originally to have a 959 derivative engine. We have done that story to death. People got restless waiting for a new turbo so they hurried through the '965' 3.3. This was basically an updated 930 unit producing 10% more power with 10 less boost. Again I have detailed the exact engine changes in another post. The 965 3.6, was a horrible mishmash of KE-Jetronic and the early 964 block. It is not twin plugged and nor is the 993tt. The 996 was the first (normal) porsche to get twin plugged heads.

[clubsport]

I am glad you did that UV rather than me, I didn't want to appear as another part of the back up to the broken porschecheck function on Domsters pc

Dom, clearly has kevlar bits and V8's occupying his automotive thoughts at the mom.

[domster]

Don't like 965s anyway

[Melv]

domster said:

Don't like 965s anyway

Neither do badgers.....

Mel

[iguana]

ultra violent said:

The 996 was the first (normal) porsche to get twin plugged heads.

err N/A 964s & 993s not normal then UV

[vario-rob]

There was a LHD 965 3.6 for sale in the previous edition of ‘Top Marques’. She was the old Autocar beastie that they imported back from Germany; what’s more they spent amounts of folding that would have shamed even the most profligate Russian oil tycoon on getting it right. If I recall correctly the loot being sought was about £29,000 which seems not too bad. What’s more, she is in acme wasp attracting yellow necessitating the 385bhp just to escape the swarms of the fg things it will attract of the next few months.

Without wanting to sound to ‘yah boo sucks’ about this old favourite of mine, is it the fact they weren’t equipped with super lightweight fag lighters and stripped out ashtrays that render them ‘unclean’ amongst the cognoscenti?

[ultra violent]

Sorry I was refering to normal, i.e. non GT or specials', turbo Porsche's available to general monkeys like outselves... Porsche actually took their time to adopt twin plugging on turbos. The pro's and cons are a PhD subject in their own right....

[ultra violent]

Oh, and if 965 drivers wanted to spend time befriending the badgers, they would have fitted 964 RS suspension Dom is so friendly he has is own table

[neon_fox]

I think the questions were:

a) Is the 3.6 radically different (either on spec or to drive) than the 3.3

b) Is the 965 3.3 a good machine to buy?

Personally I'd rather go down the route of buying a nice 964C2 and then adding a turbo RUF-stylee...

Fox
---
964C2

[ultra violent]

a) Not really, 3.6 rather than 3.3 (obviously), bodge suspension that is 30mm lower, speedlines, rs centre section rear bumper and 928 GTS front breaks (instead of 964 rs breaks that are on the 3.3).

b) Both cars are over 10 years old now, so if you get a bad one god help you. The 3.3 is simpler and better value for money (in RHD)*. £1000 of mods will see you with more power than a 3.6.

I think we'd all like a RUF, but then your are into 993tt money (at least).

These turbos are fun cars. Fuel bills alone make it an unwise every day car.

*If you are looking at LHD drive and don't intend to do much to the car, and you can find a good one i'd probably admit that there is not much (all things considered) between the two.

Go and enjoy some test drives....

[toppstuff]

neon_fox said:

I think the questions were: a) Is the 3.6 radically different (either on spec or to drive) than the 3.3 b) Is the 965 3.3 a good machine to buy? Personally I'd rather go down the route of buying a nice 964C2 and then adding a turbo RUF-stylee... Fox --- 964C2

I would call Colin Belton at Ninemeister ( www.ninemeister.com)..

I seem to recall him saying that the 3.3 965 is rather more tuneable and offers more potential than the 3.6..

Have a soft spot for the 965. The Turbo S model is one of my favourite older 911..