Bought a sensible used car

[notfarnow]

sunday we left NYC to head up to the NY/Canada border. We had to wait until Monday AM to cross, but figured we'd get the drive out of the way. That was my first time really DRIVING the car on the open road, previous drives were limited by snow or traffic. That's when the clutch started slipping! Ah well, I decided to enjoy the drive (delicately) and just deal with it when we got to Montreal.

On Monday AM, we left Plattsburg and headed fro the border. Saw this when we were leaving the hotel, so I got a picture:



At the border, the importation process took maybe 15 minutes total. Really easy, because the car is over 15 years old so there isn't much to do other than pay duty and taxes.

From there, the drive to Montreal is only about an hour. My dad lives there, so does my brother and his wife, so I had planned on spending a few days there anyway. So, perfect time to get the clutch dealt with. I took it to Ron Campbell at Campbell Lazarr. They were great folks to deal with.


While in Montreal, I ALWAYS go to John Scottie's. He's got an incredible collection of cars.







The car I fell in love with: a 365 2+2... 5 SPEED!


We also stopped by Langevin & Forest, a specialty wood importer in Montreal:




After 2 days, I was VERY anxious to get the car back, and also to get home and see my family. The shop (Cambell Lazarr) were kind enough to work VERY hard to get the car finished on Wednesday evening. We stopped in at 530pm, and they were finishing it up


I was VERY GLAD to have it back. We had the shop mount the 17" 993 wheels with Hankook winter tires... I think these wheels look GREAT on the car:


The next day was a bright, clear day... perfect for the ~600 mile drive home. By the time I got to New Brunswick, I was becoming VERY comfortable in the car, I like it, A LOT

[notfarnow]

Since getting home, I've been using the car as my daily driver. We've had some terrible (fun) weather, which has given me a chance to really test the capabilities of the awd system. Man, it is INCREDIBLE.


Over and over, I hear the 993 system is better, but the locking differentials in the 964 allow this car to drive through INSANE snow. We had two days of snow, and our driveway hadn't been cleared yet... I motored right up, fully expecting to get high-centered once I drove through the hump at the end of the driveway. NOPE... it only bogged down once I let off the gas. I backed up, and on the second pass it just kept going, right up to my garage. It's really amazing, almost like the car slides along on its belly as long as the diffs are locked and you keep on the gas. I'll have to shoot some video.

Anyway, more importantly, the car is getting very "real world" daily driver use. I got the kid seats in it, and have been dropping off my daughter to daycare and then going to work in it every day, doing errands, getting groceries etc. The car is not being pampered, that's for sure... it's not even being parked inside



One thing you "sunday drivers" may not know about the 911: it has a built-in bread and eggs protector for when you load your groceries in the back:

place your eggs & bread on the seat bottom


Then fold the seatback down and pile your groceries on:


More observation to come, as I learn to live with a 964 as a daily driver

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

The car I fell in love with: a 365 2+2... 5 SPEED!

Very cool... I love those also.

And right next to it, in purple, was a _____________________?

[notfarnow]

10k miles since January:


I love this car! Every time I drive it, it's like doing a victory lap. And the more I drive it, the better it seems to work. It was using a quart of oil every 1500 miles or so, but doesn't seem to be drinking any at all anymore. The idle used to hunt a fair bit when I first started in the morning, but that seems to have stopped. I also used to get an AWD/ABS warning when I went over big bumps, or accelerated over bumps, but that's less and less frequent. It really is meant to be driven!

What I really enjoy is the day-to-day stuff that you don't usually think of doing with these cars. Dropping the kids off at daycare, getting a full load of groceries, buying piles of stuff at home depot. (got 8 boxes of ceramic tile in it last week!)

Just a great all-rounder, the more I use it, the more practical it seems

[pete3799]

Still got snow or you just slow about posting updates?
Great picture of your daughter (?)

[speeder]

Fantastic to read about someone actually using one of these cars as intended!!

You make me want to move somewhere snowy and get one.

[VincentVega]

Fantastic to read about someone actually using one of these cars as intended!!

No kidding. Good show.

[notfarnow]

no snow left, but that's my favorite picture of the car in use!

Denis, it really is a great daily-driver... the first couple dents and scratches are hard on the head, but once you get over it you can really enjoy the car.

Waaaaaay out in the sticks... showing a $35k farmhouse on an amazing piece of land


A more recent pic, bird $hit and all...



sorry for the terrible BlackBerry pics, it's almost enough to make me buy an iphone!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Jake it's awesome to see someone actually USING their Porsche. Mine have always been daily drivers in snow, rain, etc. It's really a shame so many people refuse to use their cars, because they are really good all around. I think that's what separates Porsche from many other sports car makers, the ability to reliably and comfortably drive them daily.

I once took my Boxster to the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in central MO, because the roads through the Ozark mountains are fantastic. The "well maintained" gravel road to one stage turned out to be a poorly maintained fire road, complete with a small stream crossing. I doubt many people can claim to have crossed a stream in a Boxster, but that car got me home without issue and with a lot of fun through the mountains.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

It's really a shame so many people refuse to use their cars, because they are really good all around. I think that's what separates Porsche from many other sports car makers, the ability to reliably and comfortably drive them daily.

Agree 100%, they really are an everyday supercar. Having a sports car you car howl past 6000rpms in is great... but doing it with a full load of groceries and 2 kids is fantastic fun.

And the 964 c4 seems to get pegged as a problematic ugly duckling, but this 20 year old car has been great so far. I like it because it has the classic 911 lines, but is VERY easy to drive year round (awd, power steering, g50, etc). Just an amazing car, for used subary money.

My next car will be significantly less practical and reliable

[speeder]

They are great winter cars and everyday work horses. It's the reason that there are no good original ones in Europe and they had the suck all of the dry early 911s and 356s out of California--in Europe people actually drove the cars through sunshine and cow schit. They were all tough as a billy goat until they melted from rust.

The newer galvanised cars like yours would last a loooong time as a dd with maintenance.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by speeder

You make me want to move somewhere snowy and get one.

That's just crazy talk, Denis!

[oldE]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

My next car will be significantly less practical and reliable

This has an ominous, Jaguaresque, sort of note to it!

Glad to see you enjoying the C4 the way the car was meant to be used. When I drove the 924S as a work vehicle, one of the things I really liked was its ability to deliver me to a customer's location almost rejuvenated and bring me home at the end of the day with a smile on my face.

Now, about that Jag...

Best
Les

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by oldE

This has an ominous, Jaguaresque, sort of note to it!

Glad to see you enjoying the C4 the way the car was meant to be used. When I drove the 924S as a work vehicle, one of the things I really liked was its ability to deliver me to a customer's location almost rejuvenated and bring me home at the end of the day with a smile on my face.

Now, about that Jag...

Best
Les

I suggest an XJR.

[notfarnow]

I'm leaning more towards a dodgy e-type coupe. One with a bad cough, and clunks and groans from deep within its bowels

If my reliable, "girl next door" 964 is my wife, then I want a beautiful but tempermental etype for a mistress.

[kaisen]

A client and friend of mine bought one of the first 993 C4s right off the showroom floor in December 1994 (iirc) and drove it home. And drove it every day thereafter. And this is in Minnesota. As far as I know, he's still driving it although not as a daily driver. He has a 997TT for that.

Even regular 911s are great in the snow, but be prepared for hella understeer.... you have to get off the throttle for the front tires to settle in and bite. C4's are pretty unstoppable.

Jake, kudos for using it as a daily!

[Seahawk]

Man do I miss my 964 Targa.

Yours looks haunted, NFN

[Christien]

Add my name to the list of everyday users! I drop off and pick up my daughter from school, use it for errands, grocery shopping, you name it. The only time I don't drive it is when there's salt on the road, or when it's really really hot out, well over 30 degrees. Or when it's not running