Porsche 911 964

Confession time. There are times when owning an old 911 gets frustrating. Times when it seems there are just too many little niggles to deal with. This year has been a bit like that.

Now I know the relationship with an old car is like any good relationship – it takes work. You need to stick at it. It’s not always perfect. Yet when it works, it’s magic, and I’ve had plenty of magic. But this year there’s been a lot more work. With the car back on the road after a replacement KW V3 was fitted, I’ve been quite excited to squeeze in some winter driving. Which I’ve managed to do. In my last column I explained the process I’d gone through, fitting sport seats in the car. They’ve really elevated the driving experience, so happy days there.

However, refining the ride after the reinstallation of the KW V3 suspension has required a little bit of patience. The BBS E88s on my car are a source of great pride for me, giving the car a beautiful stance, a classic green and gold colour combination and improved ride quality on account of their light weight. But with both front and rear wheels being wider than the Cup 1 rims and no agreed standard for offsets, ensuring the wheels don’t rub is tricky.

Too much negative camber on the rears and the inner shoulder will rub at the top of the wheel well when hitting a deep compression. On the front axle, caster set forward for geometry purposes means the outer tyre shoulder catches on the lip where the front bumper meets the front guard, also under big compressions. Set the caster back to mitigate this and the steering is compromised, while the inner shoulder of the tyre rubs in the wheel well at full lock. You could say that finding the balance between stance, drivability and outright performance is a dark art.

Over the past few months, it’s taken three alignments to get this perfect. This is in no way a reflection of poor workmanship from my local independent specialist. It’s just the reality of the car setup – one that I signed up for, going in with eyes wide open. But on my third Uber ride from the workshop to my office, with the car off the road for a few days, I must admit to feeling a bit ‘over it’. I must also admit to looking at 991.2 Carrera Ts and considering the changeover cost if I were to sell my beloved 964.

Meanwhile, speaking of the E88s, one of them needed a reseal (yet another thing to deal with) so the car had a short but sweet reunion with the Cup 1 wheels that were on the car when I bought it. I must confess that I was more than a little enamoured with the look of the car, back on the Cups.

I’m happy to say, having collected the car a few days ago and taken it for a shakedown run to test the latest alignment, I’m beyond pleased with the result. The car feels glued to the road, with turn-in immediate and go-kart like. Having such trust in the front end really makes for a special driving experience! With the alignment sorted, E88’s back in place and everything else running well, I’m hopeful of a well-sorted car coming into the warmer months. If so, a Carrera T might not be on the agenda after all.

• Andy Gaunt
• Melbourne, Australia
• Model 911 964 C4
• Year 1990
• Acquired MAY 2017
• @andyg_73
• Last Rasp
• Curb and Canyon

It’s funny how quickly the deadline for this column creeps up on me. I’ve spent the past few days thinking about what to share this month. Last night it came to me on the drive home. Little Green is mostly a weekend car. In my column, I’ve described solo blasts in the hills and escaping into the twisties with friends. But sometimes the old 964 is the perfect antidote to the monotony of the weekday commute.

• Andy Gaunt
• Melborne, Australia
• Model 964 C4
• Year 1990
• Acquired MAY 2017
• @andyg_73
• Last Rasp Curb and Canyon

So yesterday, amid a busy week in the lead-up to the long Easter weekend, I decided I needed a 911 moment. Even the act of grabbing the keys creates a mindset shift. One Porsche key, one house key, a leather Butzigear tag and a frayed, leather Porsche key tag means this set of keys feels different from my heavy, everyday keys. Light in the hand – not dissimilar to the steering of a 911. Sliding into the driver’s seat of the 964, I began the startup procedure. Again, it changed my feeling about the day, encouraging patience. As soon as the car eased its way out of the driveway and on to the street, my feeling was, “This is going to be a great day.” Truth be told, an air-cooled, manual 911 isn’t the ideal tool for stop/start commuter traffic. After a while the clutch feels heavy and, without momentum to force air into the engine, the temperature gauge starts to climb – a phenomenon that, in the early days of ownership, would send me into a spiral of anxiety. At 7:30am traffic was steady, but I was able to find some space on the freeway to drive how I wanted, which is to say leaving a huge amount of space between me and the car ahead. There are three moments I look forward to whenever I use the 964 for daily driver duties. The first being the freeway off-ramp that leads to an intersection where first and second gears will be exploited just enough to hear the flat six howl behind me. The second is a 90-degree turn which, if you catch the traffic light at the perfect moment, can be executed without touching the brakes. The third moment is when, having parked the car and begun the 20-metre walk to the office, I turn and give it an admiring look before starting my day. Today, all three delivered in spades and, as I sat at my desk, I grabbed my phone and texted my pal Gerard, to say how great my drive had been. I probably send him a similar message once a fortnight, knowing that, as a 964 owner who occasionally dailies his car, he’ll get it. I’m sure he rolls his eyes as he reads my message, but still responds with a thumbs-up. The drive home was even better. The day had been stressful and, like 11 hours earlier, the start-up procedure acted as a reset. Traffic was light as I pulled on to the freeway, its concrete barriers bouncing the car’s exhaust note back at me. I immediately felt the day’s stress melt away. At 100kph with the window down and the early evening breeze making things a little chilly, I cranked the heater just a little and decided I could happily drive like this for hours if it were required to get home. Five minutes from home, I took a long cut, taking me via a short country road with approximately 12 beautifully spaced turns. Daylight was fading as I turned off the highway on to this little stretch of twisty bliss. The traffic gods smiling on me: I had a clear run from start to finish and for a few brief minutes it felt like I was carving through the mountains in the early morning light. Honestly, as far as bookends go, this was about as good as it gets. So often, these wonderful cars sit in garages only to be driven on weekends. But trust me when I say, if you want to break up your week in the best way possible, grab the keys to your 911 and head out into the traffic.

• Andy Gaunt
• Melborne, Australia
• Model 1990 Porsche 911 CARRERA 4 964
• Year 1990
• Acquired MAY 2017
• @andyg_73
• Last Rasp Curb and Canyon

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. If that’s the case then I’m close to reaching peak Bon Jovi power ballad with my 964. The car has been tucked away in storage for the past month and I have to say it’s killing me. Until recently, I could make use of my next door neighbour’s garage, meaning the 964 and my other Porsche (whose model name I can’t say on these pages, but it starts with GT and ends in a number that rhymes with “door”) were both easily accessible. I recently lost access to this garage, but thankfully a good mate was able to offer me alternative storage space. This solved the immediate problem of housing my cars, but meant I could only have one car in my own garage at any one time while the other was in storage some distance away. So, I now need to cycle the cars, keeping one at home and one in storage. Wanting to spend some time with the other Porsche for a while has seen Little Green hibernating under two car covers half an hour’s drive away. “Cry me a river,” you may say. This is hardly a catastrophe, granted, but I am missing the easy access. While I love to keep the 964 detailed and ready for what I hope is the call-up should Luft ever take place in Australia, it’s a car I drive. A lot. And not just on the special occasions. In fact, one aspect I love about the 964 is the way it can play the chameleon, slotting effortlessly into so many roles and situations.

Furthermore, it has the ability to make the mundane memorable. Trip to the hardware store on a Saturday? Jump in the 964. Picking up pizza on a Friday night? 964 again. Commuting to work outside of peak rush hour? You guessed it – the 964. Not to mention those special drives – the Sunday morning blasts in the twisties with friends, road trips with my son, brunches with my daughter and dinners in the city with my wife. For reasons I can’t explain, the GT4 doesn’t answer this particular brief in the same resounding fashion as my 33-year-old 911, at least not to my mind.

Having filmed with the other car and had some fun drives, it’s time to get Little Green back. So, this week I’ll make the trek to my friend’s garage and swap cars. I wouldn’t admit this to anyone else but since it’s just you and me talking, I’ll let you know I have butterflies in my stomach, as I think about reuniting with Little Green. Truly. I can almost smell the signature aroma consistent in most air-cooled cars. I can almost feel the Momo Mod07 in my hand and hear that raspy flat six. Now I’m hoping my decision leaving the car without a trickle charger doesn’t come back to haunt me…

Everrati unveils its electric 911

The UK-based EV specialist is targeting the US market with its first electric 964-generation 911, with more models in the pipeline

Everrati Automotive has been in the business of restoring classic cars and converting them to electric power since its inception in 2019. Now the UK specialist has completed its first 964 generation Porsche 911 with US customers in mind. Everrati designs, develops and engineers its restorations from a bespoke workshop in Oxfordshire, and offers electrified Coupe, Targa and Cabriolet 964s in its Pure, Signature and Gulf Signature Editions. However, builds are also carried out by Everrati’s technical partner, Aria Group, a leading low-volume vehicle engineering and production specialist that’s based in California. The arrangement enables Everrati to manufacture on both sides of the Atlantic.

Alongside electric versions of the 964 , Everrati’s growing portfolio now includes the Range Rover Classic, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Series, Ford GT40 and Mercedes-Benz W113 SL Pagoda. All of Everrati’s builds feature state-of-the-art, OEM-grade electric vehicle powertrains. The company’s conversions aim to transform icons of the automotive world such as the 911, making them fit for the 21st century.

Multiple 964 models are currently in the build phase, destined for markets around the world, proving that demand for Everrati’s products, and the interest in electrified classics in general, is growing. The first completed US-built cars are now ready for delivery in North America, led by the 911 you see here, finished in striking Mexico blue with Bridge of Weir Dark blue leather. Based on a fully restored 964, the car is Everrati’s Signature widebody model with carbon-fibre elements.

The reimagined 911 boasts an EV powertrain consisting of a 62kWh battery pack and battery management system. It has an emission-free driving range of over 200 miles, with the capability of both AC and DC fast charging. Allied to this comes an impressive equivalent 500bhp and a 0-60mph time of under four seconds. While updating this 911, Everrati claims to have retained the timeless quality of the 964’s original character and DNA – both dynamically and aesthetically – while adding the benefits of “amplified performance, enjoyment and fun”.

Everrati founder and CEO, Justin Lunny, says: “It’s a huge milestone to see the completion of our first US customer car. This is both a sign of our rapidly growing presence in markets around the globe, especially North America, and a representation of the shifting paradigm in car ownership for a conscious, progressive and responsible generation. Our Signature 911 (964) is a redefinition of an automotive icon that will have its legacy live on for generations to enjoy. It’s a truly sustainable supercar.” Prices for Everrati’s Signature 964 start at £270,000, while its Pure (narrow-body) version, providing an equivalent 440bhp and a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds, costs from £220,000 – both in addition to the cost of a donor vehicle in good condition. Visit www.everrati.com to learn more.