1983 Porsche 911 SC from North America - Comments

I have had to replace the transmission. I also have had to have the generator rebuilt. Also, there is a bushing on the steering column that went bad, and the steering wheel would move vertically up & down about 2 inches. I replaced this bushing & it restored the drivability of the car.

I love this car. It has been my dream car since childhood, and now I am lucky enough to own the dream. The handling of this car is unbelievable. I previously owned a 92 Nissan 300zx turbo, and while that was a satisfying car to drive, the grip on my 911 continually amazes me.

However, this brings me to my one caveat regarding my baby. I need more power. This car is so amazing, it probably needs 275-300 horsepower to truly realize it's full potential. This car is built for acceleration, with it's rear weight bias, and I am left longing for some serious acceleration G's. I hope to rebuild the motor to provide me the power to fulfill my fantasies, but I would welcome suggestions regarding the most cost effective, reliable, and above all effective ideas on how to make this car a true monster.

There is not much you can do to up the power of the 3.0 engine except for installing SSI Heat Exchangers and sport muffler. I think that will get you about 25-30hp, which is noticeable but still won't be earth shattering. The car only came with 172hp, so another 30 barely gets you to 200hp. This requires removal of the catalytic converter, which is probably not legal for street use. You could also rebuild your existing motor, which costs thousands or swap it out for a 3.2 or 3.6 from a later car. The 3.6 is probably going to get you closer to 280-300hp.

People also take weight out of the car, which effectively improves handling and acceleration performance at some point. Big items to remove are the complete A/C system, install lighter exhaust, maybe go with lighter fiberglass bumpers, remove rear seatbelts (if nobody sits back there), and the sound deadening material under the rear seat carpeting area and back deck. You can probably get 150 pounds or more out of the car doing this, which will be noticeable.