Reliability of a 911sc

[wacko]

Hey Folks,

New to the forum and on the hunt for my first Porsche. I love the early cars and have determined that the 76-88 are in my price range. I plan to buy a car in good condition (not a project car) and would like to use as a daily driver.

I have a 10 year old truck that is a pig on fuel. I need a truck to pull my boat a few times a year and to travel through the mountains in the winter a couple times a year.

I am trying to convince my wife that rather than buy a new 50,000 truck I should keep my current truck (for the limited times we need it) and buy the porsche I have always wanted to commute 100km each way to work daily.

I am having a hard time convincing my wife that a 30 year old 911 will be a a reliable daily driver. (it should be noted that my wife has '06 bmw 323 so it won't be just my truck and the 911)

Am I crazy or can I make this work?

Thanks in advance

[wacko]

I meant to put this in the regular 911 section rather than the engine building section. Can it be moved?

[Nostril Cheese]

I've done 200km daily in Los Angeles with my old 911SC.

Don't know what it's like in BC, but I sure wished I had a car that had decent air conditioning and was more comfortable in traffic...

It CAN be done, provided you buy the nicest example of an SC you can find. The biggest issues are cylinder head studs and the lack of an effective oil cooler from the factory.

You mentioned $50K as a budget. Why not buy a nice SC for $15-20K and then get a 90's Camry or Accord for $5K?

[wacko]

I hear what you are saying about sitting in traffic. Luckily my comute is mostly highway driving. I am more concerned about the mechanical reliability as a daily driver.

[Henry Schmidt]

We've seen many 911SC used as commuters that amassed in excess of 250,000 miles.
The determining factor is the head studs.

[Sboxin]

IMHO: '85-'87 911 with the 3.2L or a '92-94 964

And agree with other advice - buy nice 911 and get cheap commuter car...

Regards,

[jsveb]

My take on it is, the SC is very reliable. However if you have no real preference for an SC, and are looking in the 78-88 region. I'd choose a 87-88 Carrera. It has got a real nice gearbox, I believe it is easier to get used to than a 915 type.

I love my Carrera 3.0 with its 915 gearbox, but I am a Porsche nut. My friends 88 sure seems more modern, but less raw.

My advice: play the game, buy the 911 then if needed buy a small commuter. That way it is easier to persuade the "other party"

Good luck

[recycled sixtie]

I came across this thread by chance. If you are completely sold on a 911 fine, but consider the Boxster which is newer, relatively cheap to buy, has good heated seats, good air cond. and is fun to drive.

[tomk]

i have owned many many cars and have rationalized the purchase of many. The 911sc was the most reliable car i have ever owned. i now own a boxster and while it is more fun to drive, is more modern in almost every respect, it has cost me more in repairs in the first 5 mos of ownership than 12 yrs with a 911sc. some of the failures i read about are quite shocking, including castings weeping, cracks and of course the IMS issue which is overblown, no pun intended, others may have a different experience but this is my experience, i miss my 911

[maui44]

I have a 77 911s. When I had both the top and bottom rebuilt, I put stuff like case savers etc into the rebuilt. Love the car and fun to drive.

I would not recommend for long daily commutes. I just would not want to run up the mileage on the car.

Good luck

[Packet82]

You could make it work, but I'd test drive a few and see if it's what you want in a daily driver. An SC is a much more raw car than most cars out there today. There aren't a whole lot of creature comforts and no matter what you do, the stereo is going to suck.

They're an absolute blast to drive, but if you're looking for something to relax in while stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, this isn't the best car out there for the task.

[porterdog]

I drive my 964 every day and sometimes think it's too raw/stiff/loud/hot. Then I realize, "I drive a 911 every day; I RULE."

Buy it and drive it; they're meant to be used.

[Reiver]

I drive my 83 SC everyday, it has 223k miles on an unopened motor. I just do the maint religiously.

[haycait911]

I think the SC is one of porsche's shining stars. a good all-round car with a dead-nuts bulletproof engine, and a bargain right now. if you don't mind a few quirks, a perfectly acceptable daily driver. driving in the snow is a personal choice. it doesn't do the car a lot of good but isn't the end of the world. where in BC are you? we've got quite a good pelican crowd here.

[jchris]

I have to add to the plus column for the SC. I've been driving mine for a year now and wouldn't sell for any price. The PO didn't drive it at all for 2 years when I took delivery. We put in a fresh battery, air in the tires and cranked her over. Started right away on ancient stale fuel! Big cloud of smoke but started. I've since done a ton of work but I love it. It is raw and traffic sucks in it, the stereo is worthless, but you have a sweet sound track from the rear any way. I've been commuting between Cincinnati and Indianapolis with it for the last week and still love it. Make sure to dump the dilavar studs though. They really do suck.

[tlarocque]

I drive my '88 about 35 mile round trip and love it. I took it on a road trip with my wife this summer and it was a blast. My buddy went through the same thing you are with his wife and now drives his '88 Carrera about 40 miles RT each day in Los Angeles. The SC and Carrera cars are very mechanically reliable and long commutes are great because they get up to temperature.

[911dean]

I don't drive my '84 daily, but think it would be extremely reliable, if I did( I have a company vehicle). The only thing to consider is if you would enjoy a car like a torsion bar 911 for daily commutes. I know if i had the oppurtunity to, it would be awfully hard to resist.
Dean