Newbe - 1987-1989 911 as a daily driver??

[sikest]

911 Guru's

I am interested in buying a 1987-1989 911 to use as a daily driver and occasional track car. I drive between 10-13K miles per year and have very good mechanical, electrical and fabrication skills and have a backup car.

I on the other hand also have a very demanding job so while I love to tinker with my cars on the weekends I simply do not have the time for another Fiat/Lotus/Alfa type headache. I am not opposed to yanking the engine or clutch when needed and understand that these are ~20 year old cars now. I also understand the maintenance required for a German car having owned several Audi's, BMW's and a 1986 944.

As I understand it, a PPI approved, well cared for 911 is a reliable rock solid performer when properly cared for and maintained. I have the funding for something newer but have always wanted a late 80's Carrara.

I know many of you guys have owned this era of 911 for years.

Am I completely nuts to commute a 911 this old?

I appreciate your help and opinions.


Tony

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by sikest

911 Guru's

Am I completely nuts to commute a 911 this old?

Nuts about cars maybe....
Go for it, they're great cars.

[Porsche_monkey]

This is one of those not so rare occasions where it would be helpful for you to fill out the 'Location' portion of your user info.

Alaska, Florida, France, Africa? It sort of matters in regards to your question....

Or, to phrase it differently: Do you need good A/C? Do you see snow, or a lot of sub-zero temps?

[jurhip]

I recently bought my '87 and plan to never sell it. Great, fun car and I see no reason this can't be a DD in the manner you stated. Originally, I was in the market for a 930, but I am 110% satisfied with my g50 carrera. The car gets better and better the more I drive it.

[sikest]

Sorry guys....

I am located in Oklahoma City, OK. The winters here are mild and the summers are okay. I have a 1986 Jeep Wagoneer I put a Vortec drive train in for winter driving and it has AC.

So is the A/C completly useless in these cars? I usually just open the sunroof my 04 325i which is my DD. I do use the AC perhaps 20% of the time in the summer.

I can deal with the bad weather days and can handle some heat as long as the car can.

Thanks Guys Tony

[Shadetree930]

Your plan is sound. 87-89 for a DD is just fine.

[Porsche_monkey]

Originally Posted by prials

Your plan is sound. 87-89 for a DD is just fine.

I would agree. They are reliable cars provided they have been looked after.

[Palum6o]

I love my car but don't think I could drive it every day. My back would start to hurt. I would need to put better seats in it if it came to that. Also, I hate driving the car in stop and go traffic. I would also drive as many as you can, I've driven some G50 cars that shifted far worse than my rebuilt 915 with a gated shifter. I think you'll be fine as long as you have a backup car in the event you get involved in a project.

[ChkbookMechanic]

I have an '84 and while it isn't my daily driver it isn't terrible when I have to use it as one. Other than the fact the a/c really needs to be beefed up for the Texas heat I enjoy driving it as much as possible.

[Barrpete]

Originally Posted by sikest

Sorry guys....

I am located in Oklahoma City, OK. The winters here are mild and the summers are okay. I have a 1986 Jeep Wagoneer I put a Vortec drive train in for winter driving and it has AC.

So is the A/C completly useless in these cars? I usually just open the sunroof my 04 325i which is my DD. I do use the AC perhaps 20% of the time in the summer.

I can deal with the bad weather days and can handle some heat as long as the car can.

Thanks Guys Tony

As others have already said a g50 Carrera should be a reliable daily driver. As the AC goes the later Carreras are better because the air ducting/venting in the cabin is much improved. The stock system was adequate when new, but now that its 20 years old its probably marginal at best. There are lots of options for upgrades though that are easily DIY though. I replaced/upgraded mine and it works just fine even when its 110+.

[old man neri]

I have an 88. Put 20K on it this year. It is my DD unless the roads are very snowy and salty. I don't need AC because it's a targa.

That being said I don't commute in stop and go traffic, actually I don't commute at all. For me it has been a great car to drive every day. I go on a lot of long trips. I went on a 1500mi trip this summer (twice) and it was fine to drive straight for 30hrs, no aches or pains. I don't see a problem with DDing a well sorted out G50 Carrera.

[Paul K]

Tony:

I've heard that your commute should really be long enough to get the engine up to running temp. I'm not sure why. FWIW, I use my '89 targa as a DD and it does fine- heavy steering at low speeds and the A/C isn't great, but the fun factor makes up for it.

Good luck!

Paul.

[burgermeister]

Your plan is sound if you have a backup car. If you don't, I think you're insane. Mr. Murphy watches my '88 911 very carefully it seems.

[Tspringer]

I drive an '88 Carrera as a daily car.... my only car.... for 3 years. No issues at all. They make great daily drivers.

[lindemans]

Should be fine, a late 3.2 for daily use !

JUST make sure you start with a car that is technically in good condition, or be sure you know what you need to invest first to get it in that condition.
Fixing a bad one can become very costly...

I have had my 1989 3.2 convertible for 10 years now; not my daily driver but it makes it to the office many times and I have even taken it on ski-trips to the Austrian Alps in winter on winter tires.

For me it's not meant to be a shining show car; I want it to be technically good; and for the rest I enjoy it !
Reliable and durable so far, DO IT !!

[pranderson]

"Am I completely nuts to commute a 911 this old?"

My 74 911 has pretty much been a DD for the past three years (About 300miles/week) A 2.7 to boot! It's a blast! I LOVE THAT CAR! No A/C, but until recently I commuted to and from work mostly at night so it wasn't a big deal. Just keep on top of your common maintenance items and I would think you'd be fine. I have a "backup" 83SC, but I have never needed it due to a breakdown.
They have both been excellent cars. In fact, my 2003 Ford was in the shop way more than both 911s combined.

[aigel]

No problem. Do it. Go for a very good car, maintain it and you will have no more issues than with a 2 year old Honda.

George

[livi]

Welcome, Tony!

Provided its a good specimen, reliability should be of no great concern. Whether you will appreciate driving it every day is another question. Only one way to find out!

[rnln]

Look like you and other people mentioned everything I know, there is only one thing left. That is the road condition. On good surface roads I love my ride, but on the bad surface roads, sometimes I wish I can afford a 996/997.

[89911]

Any car can be driven as a daily driver, so that is not really the issue. The factors I would weigh in would be:

Heavy traffic? The G50 clutch is not a fun thing to push in and out a couple of hundred times if you sitting in stop and go traffic. Neither is having a well handling sports car.

Temperature: Once again, in traffic the AC system is going to be needing to running in its best condition to provide any relief. Upgrades may be needed in the summer time.

Where do you park it? I have a designated place where I park my car at work. The only person that parks next to me is an employee. I would cringe at leaving it to the mercy of anyone who would randomly park next to me and be careful.

The car is mechanically strong and reliable, so it won't be letting you down in this respect.