sounds like you are all set best of luck

do cabs leak?

i think the only downside of having an SC for DD is the downtime. it would suck to have to work on the car for maint..and not have a car to drive.

other than that, i think a street SC with an updated AC would be cool...till you need to do a homedepot run.

You've got to be kidding, right?? I had a '73 Targa, and it only leaked when it rained. There is this unbelievable adjustment procedure to go through to get the windows, the rubber seals and the top lockdown all in alignment. That is, as long as the rubber seals are in good shape. If not, that's another several hundred $$ expense. But I'd trade it for the pleasure of hearing the tones of the flat six behind me coming off of a stoplight.

Vash - that's what my wife's Volvo wagon is for - hauling stuff from the Home Depot. "I can do it, she can help."

I think that I am at the end of the intellectual journey. If the car checks out OK, I may take the step, and buy it, sell my Lexus IS250, and buy some older, very much older, Toyota of sorts, with 4 doors.

Ah, yes. A car that will embarrass the hell out of my wife in our hoydie-toydie neighborhood, but allow me to haul the Grandchildren and the mother-in-law that lives with us around when needed. And, it will be a car that even she'll be able to drive.

Yes I can see it all now. Her Volvo in the shop. I am driving a semi-classic Porsche, and she's in a 15 year old Toyota with kiddie seats in the back, and her mom riding shotgun. Now that sounds like a plan. There is justice in this world.

larry

Sure - any old 911 can be a daily driver if you have a backup car for those frequent times it breaks and / or needs maintenance. Or if you don't mind the hassle of arranging rental transportation. My 88 is down quite frequently - co-workers occasionally quip, "how's the Porsche - running these days?" Eventually I will catch up with all of the deferred maintenance, and it will hopefully improve. But any 911 you buy might have lots of deferred maintenance ...

Also remember that DD use usually precludes doing your own work (unless you are quite skilled, fast, and even-tempered - can't 'walk away' when you need to drive to work the next day). Parts procurement is lengthy - Autozone doesn't have most of the parts, and shipping from California is a week.

IMO, you'd be beyond insane to use a 911 as an only DD in Chicago (or anywhere else for that matter)

Mine is a daily driver. 1980 SC 126,000mi. no ac but i might get one soon. you guys are probably thinking im dumb for taking it to college but its ok because i have a garage parking pass, and theres a double line in between each car at the spaces! Front passenger window corner leaks a little in the rain (really pisses me off cause rain drives are real fun!) so i will probably get a new seal before too long. No problems yet down here in lincoln, though i've only driven it a few days because the campus isnt too large and i haven't had much time - - NROTC USMC option. if you can live with out creature comforts i say go for it.

also there was 4 or 5 other 70s-80s 911's driving around the other night.... if ya'll are pelicans speak up! i wanna meet some of you!

My 79 has been my DD for over 2 years now. It has only failed me when I failed to correctly diagnose an easy fix. My wife's 02 A6 wagon has been in the shop more than my SC.

As long as you have a "catastrophic backup" to get you where you need to go, then I don't see why you wouldn't depend on an SC, or any later Porsche.

My last note:

When I bought my Cab, I asked the dealer how much for a tune-up (valves adjusted, plugs, rotors, etc.); they quote almost $1,000.00.

I went to a certified independent Porsche mechanic: quote was $750.00 (cash).

Guess what? I quickly found PP and learned how to do the tune-up.

Similar to what someone posted above, if you are not mechanically-inclined, or have the bucks for the maintenance, then an SC (or any Porsche) may not be a good DD.

Oh, and people at work who make double my salary can't afford the maintenance; thus, they have garage queens.

other than that, i think a street SC with an updated AC would be cool...till you need to do a homedepot run.
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Oh yeah forgot about home depot. I usually rent the truck if I need something that won't fit in the Land Rover.

I would say no. Mine is mainly a track car now, but even if it had A/C and was quieter it is not nearly as safe as a newer car with airbags, anti-lock brakes and crumple zones.

An old 911 is a nice second or third car IMO.

Yes you can. But at 110° today in Dallas, things get a bit loose and rattly back in the engine compartment if you run a trombone oil cooler. But I also got a "What year is your Porsche?"and...."Nice Car".

I think it just depends on how you much you value comfort verus the excitement/enjoyment of driving. When I was younger, I valued the viceral driving experience above all. Now that I'm a little older, have to tote kids around from time to time and have work commitments, I find that for the daily drive I value reliability, AC, capacity, a quiet cabin to take a call in, etc. I still love forward to the times I can just take the fun car out -- and focus on enjoying that time.

If I had only one car with my current commitments I just couldn't do an earlier 911 (through '89). I'd consider something like the IS, or a M3, or if on a budget a MazdaSpeed3, WRX, etc. I had a Subaru Forester with the turbo, that was a blast. I guess I'm just getting soft in middle age. :-)

I think the suggestion of a SC in the garage and a beater Toyota is the best of both worlds.

A woman at work drives her 81 or 82 that used to be a Targa, now a Cab, every day. She has had it more than 20 years and just drives it. It isn't perfect or close but presentable. Every day. It is for sale.

I drive my '73 every day and really enjoy it. I am in So Cal and have the benefit of great mountain roads from my driveway......I do 10,000 to 11,000 per year. Have put 100,000 miles on the car in less than 10 years. Very satisfying to drive and only not having air is a downer.

When I had an SC, I used it as a daily driver for several years. Downtime was mainly limited to scheduled maintenance (as with any new car), with a couple of exceptions. Once, the alternator and the other time a dirty fuel tank. My car had done 250k kms without a rebuild and always ran like a champ.

I did get a little tired of no AC during the summer, but other than that was perfectly happy driving it everyday. My SC became a weekend car, because I needed a car to drive customers around in. It was difficult to fit three adults in the back :)

Can it be used as a DD? Absolutely! I used my '79 in Miami traffic for 5 years (although I did have covered parking at work and garaged it at home.) This with no AC to boot (well, it was a cab and there are plenty of days perfect for top-down driving in Miami.) I do confess though that I have a '97 Camry (with air) for when it rains a lot. My cab leaks water in two points associated with the doors.

if you had a new car and an sc to choose from which would you drive every day?

When i bought my sc that was my question, and after a few months of never driving the new car i sold it and drove the sc daily.


sell the $30k+ lexus and buy an sc and a used car for less coin. the amount you spend fixing the two cars will be offset by the amount you save by not having a depreciating lexus.


signed,

owner of depreciated lexus (wifes car).


i have a sc and a used car now for myself.

I did the same thing. I had a perfectly good 2005 BMW that I got rid of and replaced with a '82 SC Targa. My rational was the following....
- I know how to work on some of this stuff so I could mitigate some of the maintenance costs.
- I don't have a huge commute
- I already have a backup car

It's been one year and 7000 miles later and I have no regrets. I must say there are some definate sacrifices to using an old 911 as a DD (especially if you're used to newer luxo cars with warranties and updated engineering). Here's my quick list of downsides.

1. Sorting out a 25-year-old car... I don't car how well maintained or low mileage the old 911 is, it will require some work. My car was a 46K mile car but I quickly found out that headstud work, AC updates and my own personal upgrades meant spending quite a bit of time working on this car during the first few months of ownership. The first three months of ownership, I only put on about 500 miles due to the car being in a state of repair.

2. Yes, it embarasses the hell out of my neighbors. I live in a snooty neighborhood and piss off the neighbors every time I start the car up at 6AM. My wife always says, "why is your car so loud???" This is bummer since its 100% stock and I'm itching to upgrade the exhaust. The neighbors especially love it when I fire it up and it puffs it's white smokey tail.

3. Maintenance... it's no Lexus so you'll need to find a good mechanic. Also plan on using your backup car or rental during the several days per year it's out for work. Simple stuff like replacing an alternator could set you back a few days and several hundred dollars if you take it into a shop. This is not a "normal car" where you could replace an alternator for $150 and install it in the parking lot at your local Autozone.

4. Forget about taking cell phone calls or attending conference calls while in your car. I now have to actually get to the office on time. Nobody can hear you when you're on the phone driving a 911 (especially one with a soft top).

5. Back seats??? Yea right!

6. There WILL be times the car dies or simply won't start. But just when you're about to throw in the towel and exclaim that you're trading it in for a Corolla, it will start up like nothing happened.

7. AC??? I have fully rebuilt my AC, replaced everything and upgraded it to the best stuff and I still sweat like a pig.

Upsides:

1. It's an aircooled 911. C'mon... hearing the roar of that flat-6 reminds you why you're putting up with sweating profusely and never knowing when the car die and force you to walk the last 10 miles of your trip.

Go for it. You only live once!



Gabe


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'82 911SC Targa
'61 356B Karmann Notchback

Gabe,

Great post !!

85 3.2 here, my only car, just did 2000 miles holidays in france, no issues at all.

I'm chiming in late here, great post Gabe sums up my experience as well! I've had my SC for 2 years, and its been my daily driver all that time.
Except when it was down to replace the clutch throwout and the clutch and .....
and now, it just wont start, no spark.

Its a Targa, hasn't really leaked (except for a really hard rain).

On the bright side, with the 911 not running, I've been driving a car with air conditioning in the hottest part of the summer.

But I really need to get that problem fixed!

Jay