SC as daily driver in wet country - UK

[smarjoram]

Hello

I'd like to hear of anyone's experiences. We're moving out to the country so I'm facing a 12 mile each way commute. Currently options are..

Keep SC as a weekend car and buy another practical modern car of some sort.

Use SC as daily driver.

Sell SC and buy a LHD Audi TT or similar from Germany for the same price.

My car's been pretty reliable so far (apart from the airbox that recently exploded) but it does suffer from the usual water leaks in bad weather. There's also a tiny patch of rust bubbles which will only get worse driving it on salty roads. And its done 95K miles so it wouldn't take much to get it to the point where I might need clutch or top end overhauls.

Any thoughts on costs of running, rust prevention, water proofing, TT's?

I'd hate to sell it and I doubt the TT would be quite as much fun but we do get a lot of rain in the west of England.

[Paco Anton]

I own both a TT and a SC and the latter is much more fun (although my wife thinks otherwise, that's why she drives the TT and I drive the SC).

However this is in (mostly) sunny Spain. If ir rains I still take the SC, but if it is really pouring I prefer a more modern car and then take the Lexus.

[wcballance]

Water leaks? You don't even have a sunroof... where does the water come in?

My SC does fine in the rain. I run Kuhmo (see ECSTA Supra 712 at TireRack.com) tires for normal use and they perform fine in wet and dry.

[Glasgow 911SC]

My SC has been more reliable than any other car I've owned (all much newer apart form my 1st mini). I would like to have another car (a 924 would be cool) so that I could spend more time with the car off the road for upgrades though.
One thing about driving in the wet though. In these cars it's pretty easy to get humbled by hot-hatches on a wet and twisty road. The front end loses grip scarily easy.
Book your car in to get waxoiled so you can use it whenever you want, but maybe a newer car wouldn't hurt if you can afford it.....I cant

[smarjoram]

I think mine lets in water through the trunk and front corner of the windscreen (both common places). I get misty dials, have had a wet floor before - also when I bought the car the rear seat was wet too. I rubbed glycerine into the seals which seems to have helped quite a lot but I know that it's not as watertight as it could be.

[smarjoram]

Chris - The higher cost of insuring the Porsche as a daily driver, repairs and low fuel economy mean that it would cost about the same to run two cars. Obviously I'd have to spend a few thousand buying another car. I think in the long run it'd cost more to run just the Porsche - even with purchasing cost included)

I'll try it over the summer and see how it goes.

[dickster]

first off, its wet everywhere in england

you should get both screen seals replaced - its pretty cheap.

i would use it as a daily driver for that short distance. its better it get used regular - mine doesnt cause we needed a family car, but it doesnt do mine any good. we used the 911 as a daily driver for over a year and it was great.

TT's are for girls and poofs.

[Glasgow 911SC]

Originally posted by dickster
TT's are for girls and poofs.

Haha

[smarjoram]

I see, well I won't be getting one of those then. I'll stick with me manly SC for the summer - and I won't mention that I was also looking at Diesel VW Lupo's ...64MPG!

Dickster - get yourself the Porsche babyseat and it can be a family car too - mine is.

[Glasgow 911SC]

As a cheap dailly driver, you should go for a diesel and run it on vegetable oil. Another one of my future schemes!

[Superman]

I drive my SC about 150 miles daily, usually in the rain.

[smarjoram]

Maybe you could get cheap used oil from one of the many chip shops glasgow seems to be famous for

[Jamie79SC]

If I can drive my SC every day in Seattle with good results, I'm sure you can too in GB. Get your water leaks fixed and enjoy!

[smarjoram]

I see why you're called superman then. You'd need superpowers to cope with the "demisters".

Seriously though - do you not get leaks?

[Glasgow 911SC]

Originally posted by smarjoram
Maybe you could get cheap used oil from one of the many chip shops glasgow seems to be famous for

hmmmmm. Imagine the smell going down the road. It'd make everybody around me hungry.

I get leaks, but I have a heated front screen which helps. It's poor driving with no carpets, doorpanels and wooden floorboards though. Eventually I'll get it sorted.

[dickster]

yeah, i suppose thats the problem with having it as a daily driver, less inclined to take it off the road and get it fixed.

get yourself the Porsche babyseat and it can be a family car too

i'm workin on it

[MrKJBlue]

It's poor driving with no carpets

LOL, mine came out temporarily 3 months ago will probably go back in a couple of weeks.

I have my cabriolet as a daily driver and no problems in the summer but it can be a pain with inadequate heat no real demist and scraping ice off the inside, some days I have been known to prefer my wife’s 206 but I wouldn’t tell to many people that .
Also it is true that a number of small jobs dont get done because the cars being used.

But when I finish work between 3-5 in the morning and have a fantasticly quick roof down drive home on summer/crisp winter mornings it all feels right.

[Richard-Dublin]

I think I'd buy an cheap "ordainary" car for the daily commute and save the Porsche for the fine days and the weekends. I bought a new 225 TT in 2001 and I couldn't get out of it quick enough - a real case of a victory for "form over function"!!!!

[Bill Douglas]

We don't have poofs in this country, so I don't know if I can really contribute here... But, I drive the SC rain or shine, and when it rains it rains cats 'n dogs. And the SC stays bone dry.

If you are concernered, maybe a Toyota Corolla for absolute reliability. A nice cheap one about 10 years old might be a go.

[thabaer]

Rule #2: No poofdas!
Could have sworn it was an NZer that told us that rule, maybe he was from Oz.

I've been in many a massive downpoor with no leaks, the cabin humidity tends to go up during sustained rain because of the vents. Another nice thing about an extra car is you don't mind when you have to haul grubby junk.