Daily Drive the 911

bivenator · 06-23-2021, 11:13 AM

So, I have had my 911 for 16 years. I have never had air conditioning in the car because" dammit that added weight could slow me down." I have now committed to adding a Griffiths a/c in the next few weeks.

My daughter needs a car as she is going to be a senior in high school and has an extremely busy schedule so I am "giving" her my current DD, a Kia Soul.

Houston TX daily driving a 911 is both an exciting prospect and terrifying. I dread the jackasses on the commute, which is fairly short 20 minutes on surface streets, I dread parking it to run an errand. I dread the sitting in traffic with a heavy clutch. I dread the trucks pulling up inches off my 6 with lights a blazing. I dread the paper tag plate camry that needs to race me at each stoplight.

If it proves more hassle than it is worth, the 911 may end up in another garage.

Wish me luck.

Rusty Heap · Rusty Heap's Garage

sounds like you have a garage queen, not a car.

cockerpunk · 06-23-2021, 11:30 AM

kia soul is probably still faster than the 911 too. v6 camry for sure is.

Seahawk · 06-23-2021, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bivenator

Wish me luck.

With a/c, I think you'll be good to go. Ease into it before the school year starts.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Doesn't sound very enjoyable. If the Carrera is in good condition, it's become more valuable and maybe there is a good argument for keeping it in its kennel most of the time and getting some inexpensive used car with good A/C and an automatic transmission. Something that you don't mind leaving outside if garage space is an issue and something that is presentable but flies under the radar?

I've been reading about how it's not the best time to be buying a used car but maybe you can get lucky on CL if you're the early bird. Some 100k+ mile Toyota or whatever with a small ding or two already installed. There is a wonderfully relaxing feeling about driving something like that when you have to squeeze into a parking spot at Home Depot. Good luck.

stevej37 · 06-23-2021, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

kia soul is probably still faster than the 911 too. v6 camry for sure is.

Along with 90% of the other cars on the road.

colingreene · 06-23-2021, 11:42 AM

Go pick up a decent driver 944. problem solved.
or 928 if you dont care about fuel milage and repair bills.

scotricker · 06-23-2021, 11:45 AM

subscribed !

I've been arguing with myself for years about wanting to put in the entire Griffith's AC System. Please post your progress and let us know how it goes with the installation process. I might start driving mine more too with AC, thanks

1990C4S · 06-23-2021, 11:52 AM

Commuter car? I would think about a Tiptronic...I don't do traffic any more, but I would not daily my 996 in stop and go.

masraum · 06-23-2021, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bivenator

So, I have had my 911 for 16 years. I have never had air conditioning in the car because" dammit that added weight could slow me down." I have now committed to adding a Griffiths a/c in the next few weeks.

My daughter needs a car as she is going to be a senior in high school and has an extremely busy schedule so I am "giving" her my current DD, a Kia Soul.

Houston TX daily driving a 911 is both an exciting prospect and terrifying. I dread the jackasses on the commute, which is fairly short 20 minutes on surface streets, I dread parking it to run an errand. I dread the sitting in traffic with a heavy clutch. I dread the trucks pulling up inches off my 6 with lights a blazing. I dread the paper tag plate camry that needs to race me at each stoplight.

If it proves more hassle than it is worth, the 911 may end up in another garage.

Wish me luck.

Back when I had my '88 911 targa, I used it as a daily driver rain or shine for the ~5 years and 50k miles that I had it. My commute was ~25 miles one way in Houston. I also had a period of about 6 months where my AC had died and I couldn't afford to fix it and I still daily drove it (which, frankly, sucked, but if you've got to drive a car with no AC, a 911 targa isn't a bad option).

In that 5 year period, I had 2 occasions where the clutch died and I had to drive the car with no clutch. One of those was when I was on my way to training, so I drove 15 miles, had training, and then drove the 25ish miles home (on Beltway 8, so almost stopping for toll booths). That sucked, but I was able to shift up and down and idle through the toll booths while throwing the change at the basket and hoping that the bar went up before my windshield got to it.

look 171 · 06-23-2021, 12:53 PM

Just buy another drily driver and keep the queen in its place.

Sell the 911 and you will have enough for a real 911, the Cayman S. I drily drive my S with PDK. The shifting is blue toothed to my brain and know exactly when to up or down shift if put in sports mode. Its on every time I drive the car. AC so cold that your nipples will stay hard for the duration of your drive. Its close 97 here today and I just go home. My AC fan is on between low and medium only because I dislike hard nipples.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

Just buy another drily driver and keep the queen in its place.

Sell the 911 and you will have enough for a real 911, the Cayman S. I drily drive my S with PDK. The shifting is blue toothed to my brain and know exactly when to up or down shift if put in sports mode. Its on every time I drive the car. AC so cold that your nipples will stay hard for the duration of your drive. Its close 97 here today and I just go home. My AC fan is on between low and medium only because I dislike hard nipples.

In L.A.? It’s 77 degrees right now in Laurel Canyon. 3pm. High of 81. Just looked on my phone. Borderline jacket weather.

Bill Douglas · 06-23-2021, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bivenator

, the 911 may end up in another garage.

Good luck, and don't let them win.

Chocaholic · 06-23-2021, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colingreene

Go pick up a decent driver 944. problem solved.
or 928 if you dont care about fuel milage and repair bills.

Or better yet, a well set-up 944.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 03:52 PM

I could strap an A/C unit on my 79 year old mom and send her back to work full time. But it's not a good idea.

Go buy your daughter a used Volvo. Get your Kia back.

Rapewta · 06-23-2021, 03:25 PM

My Carrera is a 99 man coupe and they are not a collector car. 95 K. Perfect condition but not for my daughter.
I just put her in a 2008 Subaru outback with 88 k. Checked it out with CarFax. Clean. Two owners.
Misc. Maint. records. I paid $7,800 which is in the Kelly Blue Book range. it is the LL Bean addition.
She sits high and can see all around. She just came out of a RAV4 so she is comfortable.
The only thing missing on her car is the COExIsT bumper sticker.
Good Luck.

onewhippedpuppy · 06-23-2021, 06:21 PM

All of my 911s have been a daily driver to some degree. One didn’t even have AC and it was my only car for a year. Fix the AC, get stated value insurance, and drive the damn thing! It’s not a one of a kind irreplaceable piece of history.

look 171 · 06-23-2021, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

In L.A.? It’s 77 degrees right now in Laurel Canyon. 3pm. High of 81. Just looked on my phone. Borderline jacket weather.

Had my AC on just now on my drive home. It might be 75?

ckelly78z · 06-24-2021, 01:54 AM

When I started dreading my commute in my Porsche 944, I sold it, and now enjoy a newer Mustang...no regerts !

onewhippedpuppy · 06-24-2021, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

When I started dreading my commute in my Porsche 944, I sold it, and now enjoy a newer Mustang...no regerts !

Also a good reminder that there are many options for a fun commuter car. It doesn’t have to be an appliance.