Anybody paranoid about driving their P-car?

[Porsche virgin]

I've had my '84 911 for about four years now. I've taken it for 1 1/2 hour trips regularly for autocrosses and I've driven out to Pocono Raceway, tracked it for two days, and then driven home--no problem.

This spring, the car let me down, stranding me. It was a faulty crank position sensor.

Since then, I've driven it less and only taken it autocrossing on the weekends.

I'm afraid that I've become paranoid after one bad experience. (I HATE getting stranded.)

The car has been good to me otherwise. She starts after sitting in my garage (during the winter) for months. She runs strong. My mechanic says she's a good one.

Can someone please talk some sense into me!?! Just tell me to STFU and drive the d@mnn thing!

Thanks.

[Jim Richards]

No, I'm not paranoid.

Early 911 Road Trip 2007

edit: Trip Stats:

Trip Mileage - 5, 917
Duration - 17 days
States Seen - 18
Pelican's Met - 10
Ave. MPG - 19.59

[legion]

Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my life...

(For me, it works on two levels.)

[VINMAN]

I'd feel totally comfortable taking my 944 on a cross country trip. Might be driving it back and forth to FL in two weeks. Even with the 220,000 on it, I wouldnt be even the slightest bit worried. I'm going to rebuild the engine over the winter for the hell of it, and do a repaint.
Unlees yours has a chronic problem, an electrical or mechanical problem can strand even a car right out of the showroom. So why worry about yours?

[JeremyD]

Drive it - don't save the miles for the next guy. It's a car for gods sake. If you have a AAA card and a cell phones your only worry should be is which route to take. Don't be a pussy.

[The Gaijin]

I was. But then I drove into Bed-Sty Brooklyn to pick up a date. Got to Man Up and drive.

[crustychief]

[/QUOTE]

Can someone please talk some sense into me!?! Just tell me to STFU and drive the d@mnn thing!

Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Done, you're welcome.

[id10t]

When I had my 356 on the road (a bad stranding stopped that), a 3/4 tank of gas, a AAA card, and my cell phone let me drive it anywhere. 40+ year old mechanicals and 6v electrical system not getting in my way!

Reason I stopped? Mechanical and my skills... I had replaced the distributer and not tightened the clamp down all the way. Driving home from work, the timing took a looong walk out into major advance land. Got home under my own power while waiting for AAA to find a flat bed (AAA was willing to send a flat bed from Savanna, Ga. to Gainesville, Fl. for me! gotta love 'em) . By the time I had time to work on it, and figured out it was the advance, the gas in the carbs varnished everything and I don't have it in my skill set to rebuild and re-sync the carbs. So, I've been hand turning the engine every few weeks, and saving up and building my resto fund. Looking for someone to do the rust repair now. Soon as I find 'em, I'll take it apart as far as I can, deliver it, and visit it every few weeks. Get the body work finished, get it painted, and then I'll worry about getting it running again. When I moved it last month - gotta get it out from under big trees with a 'cane or ts coming - the breaks were out, so I'm assuming that is a fill the res and bleed 'em and then see where things are....

[Rick Lee]

My 993 is the most reliable of anything I've ever owned. I drove it out to Phoenix from VA, to Albuquerque a few weeks later and it's been all around the state by now. Taking it to Vegas next weekend. Still has the factory original battery and the ice cold a/c has never been serviced.

[Rich76_911s]

I have a solution to your problem.

I will come up and trade you 911's. You don't have to worry about mine stranding you as it has NO engine. Perfect piece of garage art

Get out there and drive it. The weather on the East Coast is just perfect for it right now.

[Porsche virgin]

Thanks. This is just what I needed. I'll join AAA and drive the damn thing!

[masraum]

STFU and drive the d@mnn thing!

There, how's that?

Seriously. Drive the car. I had an '88 and put 50k miles on it over the course of about 4 years (bought it at 110k miles). I drove it to Florida and back which is normally about an 8 hour trip.

It's an old car. Stuff is going bad. Carry a spare DME relay just in case, and maybe add a Voltmeter. Those are just precautions. I had a spare DME relay and never needed it. You should be fine.

[Rick Lee]

My Carrera stranded me once when the fuel pump died. My heart sank when I saw the tach needle sink as I crested a hill in the middle of nowhere on a super hot summer day. Another time I stopped to help a stranded Carrera cab on the hwy. It was his DME relay, but I was in the 993 and didn't have a Carrera spare with me. Definitely don't leave home without that spare. When I go away for a while, I pull the DME relay out of my 993 in the garage.

[legion]

First thing I bought after buying the 951 was a spare DME relay. Never had to use it, thankfully.

After redoing the electrical system a few years ago, I took it out for a test drive. Everything was running great and I decided to really open it up. So I accelerate hard (I never spun the tires--didn't like buying new tires every year) and as I shifted into second, the revs didn't drop. In fact, it pegged the rev limiter and stayed there.

I shut down the engine and coasted into a store parking lot and popped the hood. Immediatley I noticed the throttle cable was slack. I'd put a hose clamp 90º from where it should have been, and the when the throttle opened past it it stuck open. 30 seconds with a screwdriver fixed the problem, but man, I was freaked out for a second!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Mine doesn't drive, but that's just because I haven't had the time to finish the upgrades/repairs to it. I bought it to restore & collect anyway, not really to drive regularly. When done, it'll be a "once a week for an hour or two" kind of car, if that.

I do get a little worried in ANY P-car about (1) idiots in big SUVs and pickup trucks not paying attention that can reduce a very expensive Porsche to rubble with one instant of inattention and (2) catching on fire (from personal experience). Other than that, I still love 'em.

[onlycafe]

i have no qualms whatsoever about driving my 911.
on the other hand though, when i am driving my 550 replica i am always on 100% alert status for everything from tractor trailers on down to squirrels. i always figure that there is someone or something that is out to ruin my day, my car, or my life. i guess that qualifies as paranoid.

[Rick V]

I only worry about the idiot that has to park right on top of my Porsche, in a parking lot, all the way out in the oh please don't park next to me places. Other than that hit the key and follow the front bumper.

[MT930]

Those cars are for driving !

Don't you feel better after a drive? I got stranded in a new truck a few years ago 156 miles on the clock. Anything with moving parts will fail, try to get past it.

[Super_Dave_D]

All I need is my phone and I dont worry. The only thing that stops me is the heat (AC). I love it when fall and winter comes - thats when the driving starts.

[TechnoViking]

I'd say my 79SC has been as reliable as any used car I've owned. Except for the Acura Integra. That thing was close to unbreakable.