Whats the best daily driven 911?

[westcoast911]

Originally Posted by woywitka

Hello fellow Vancouverite!

Have you seen that Green SC from Switzerland on Craigslist?

I looked at it twice,the owner is as good as they come,but the car is tired,and it suffered a poor quality re paint,something I had a hard time overlooking.

[westcoast911]

Originally Posted by timmy2

LOL, I know exactly where that is, I used to live in Blaine, sail my old 22' beater around the harbor and marvel at how everyone on the other side of the bay was piled up on top of each other compared to the population in Blaine.
Blaine's Fourth of July fireworks were always great!

I spend alot of my free time on the US side. Blaine is a great place to eat,shop,get gas,and have a great meal. I would live there full time if the US government would allow it.....and houses are about 50% of what they are here.

[80-911SC]

Originally Posted by MH911

I find my 87 to be an awesome DD. but I'm biased.

I find your 87 to be awesome also Kipp ....

Steve

Really Kipp's car is well above the "nice" level .. and it takes the twisty's very well ...

[450knotOffice]

I have both types - old school '84 911 and a new school 996. I would strongly suggest the 996. I've driven mine for almost six years as a daily driver and its been one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. It has 133,000 miles on it now (96,000 driven by me in those six years). I replaced the original clutch at 110,000 miles and decided to have the IMS bearing/flange upgraded with the bomb proof LN Engineering version for peace of mind (although mine was fine when my mechanic pulled the original one out). The Rear Main Seal never leaked, but I had that replaced while the clutch was being done as well. The car is squeak and rattle free, the AC works perfectly, and it's FAST!

Take nothing away from the air cooled cars - I love mine - but as a daily driver, you will probably be happier in the 996.

[Josh D]

'80 SC daily driver here, even in Arizona summer heat. Not so much a testement of it's comfort, but more a testement of it's toughness and reliability!!

[yelcab1]

on the wet coast, forget anything before 90. They leak, bad.

[Jerome74911S]

Originally Posted by Canada Kev

Anything 15 years and older is the rule in Canada. It's the US that's 25 years.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I seem to remember that there are two rules in effect in Canada. Fifteen years and older exempts you from federal safety and build rules, but 25 years and older saves you import duty. You just pay sales taxes.

[timmy2]

Originally Posted by Jerome74911S

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I seem to remember that there are two rules in effect in Canada. Fifteen years and older exempts you from federal safety and build rules, but 25 years and older saves you import duty. You just pay sales taxes.

That is what I remembered, but I left Canada 11 years ago so it may have changed.
Like most Canadians I was always aware of ways to not pay tax or duty...

[88911coupe]

I've had an '87 cab and my current '88 coupe which have at various times been my dd. Not really as tolerant of the "quirks" of the model as a daily driver. It can be a real PITA in cold, wet weather with the horrendous tendency to fog the windows which can be mitigated with the a/c...somewhat. You won't care about the lame ass a/c in the PNW but it really gets old here in Dallas with much of the summer temps pushing 100 for weeks/months on end.
My friends who've moved to 996 from older air cooled models say the newer models are MUCH better as DD...I tend to agree.

[tomphot]

I've got an '85 RoW - with no sunroof. At 6'6", I have enough head room without the sunroof. I added a spacer on the steering column and all is well with the knee room as well.

[Paul K]

How about a 993? There are some higher miles cars for decent money- and they have lots of creature comforts. Or an early 997? I know you won't get the tax benefit but they are really nice on a daily basis, esp. in heavy traffic.

[450knotOffice]

I'd agree with either of those. You'll spend more for both though.

[Gustyones]

Your budget is a pretty important part of the decision also. I have a '85 that is mechanically sound but I don't necessarily want to use it as a daily driver in Atlanta traffic - 1.5 hrs each way, no working AC. I'm considering adding a late model 996 to the mix for that purpose though. They seem to be a good value right now.

[450knotOffice]

Gustyones, find a good one and you will be amazed. I'm an air cooled guy all the way, but I've been a huge fan of the new stuff ever since buying my 996 six years ago. AWESOME car. That car has not only been my daily driver, but it's been flogged at the track at least six times, without even the slightest issue.

[davidbir]

Originally Posted by Canada Kev

Anything 15 years and older is the rule in Canada. It's the US that's 25 years.

Not true Kev. I brought in a 2007 Volvo XC70 a month ago and previously brought in a couple of cars from the early 2000s.
The site to check for regulations is Registrar of Imported Vehicles - Vehicle Admissibility (Registrar of Imported Vehicles)

I strongly recommend that the original poster look to the States for a Porsche. I bought mine off Craigs list and had a great experience buying and driving it home from California-we got to know each other really well!

Warning! Do not buy a flood damaged vehicle-it cannot be imported into Canada-no matter how good a deal it is... Salvage vehicles can be.

[westcoast911]

Hmmmm,I am pretty committed to a 78-89 911,the budget is $15-20k,including the obligatory $2500 entry fee for misc repairs and upgrades. I have seen a few 996 cars in that range,but the styling is less than ideal. I am becoming more practical these days,and function has become a larger part of the criteria.

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by davidbir

Not true Kev. I brought in a 2007 Volvo XC70 a month ago and previously brought in a couple of cars from the early 2000s.
The site to check for regulations is Registrar of Imported Vehicles - Vehicle Admissibility (Registrar of Imported Vehicles)

OK, there seems to be a bit of confusion, here. With the 15 year rule, you still may be required to pay Duty. You WILL be required to pay GST on any vehicle you bring in. Both of those "rules" may not be followed exactly, depending on the Customs person. They tend to play a bit free and easy with the interpretation of the regs...

With newer vehicles, if they conform to US regulations and are manufactured for that market, they will almost without exception be permitted to be imported. GST and inspection will be required, and conforming to certain Canadian rules (child seat restraints, DRLs, etc.) will apply.

Vehicles for other markets, ie. Japan, Europe, Estonia, wherever, will fall under the 15 year rule. That's why all the JDM right hand drive cars are legal here once they reach 15 years old. They still require inspection and conformity to federal rules like child seat anchors and LHD headlights (even though this is often overlooked).

Basically ANYTHING over 15 years is allowed and certain other newer vehicles are also permitted. There's undoubtedly other isolated instances with people that got lucky or know the right person to get in their uber rare Zamboni ice cream truck or something...

There's a thread on the Canadian part of this site that goes into a bit more detail on importing from the US into Canada...

Importing a Porsche from the US into Canada

[Ramathorn]

Originally Posted by westcoast911

I saw that car,is it just me,or is that a hell of a deal?

id say a hell of a deal. you wanna buy my 83 sc and ill pick up the 996? lol

[westcoast911]

Originally Posted by Ramathorn

id say a hell of a deal. you wanna buy my 83 sc and ill pick up the 996? lol

I was a bit too far away to view on short notice,and the posting is down so I'm sure he sold it to the first guy that cam. I emailed the owner,sounded like a Legit CA car,$30k in maint history over the last 6 years of his ownership.

good deal

[Gus Berges]

When I set out to get a 911 a few years ago, I wanted a car that I could use as much as I can in the horrible hot and humid climate I live in. Did drive a couple of SCs and Carreras, but at the end of the day, nothing beats a 996 as a "beater daily driver". The performance and comfort is unmatched by any previous model, and at the prices that they are going for these days, a no brainer.

The main achille's heel of that model (IMS bearing) has a known fix (LN Engineering). Looks wise may not rank high, but if what you are truly looking for is a "practical" 911, for the price, you can do no better than the 996.

All this said, I sold it and got myself a Cayenne as the 996 C2 I had was still too impractical.