What do classic 911 drivers use for daily transportation?

[H20911]

88 toyota corrolla 370,000+ miles and maybe $400.00 dollars extra in basic maint since new. the t/o bearing was whining a bit at 350k so I replaced the clutch While in there and it looked like it had half it's wear left. total cost t/o bearing and clutch kit was 100.00
As For 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited (v8 4 wheel drive)
43k=rear brakes

53k= front end axle carrier bearings $700.00 and front brakes and $150.00

57k= water pump $70.00 (did it Myself.......4 hrs of pain in the ass)

68k=A/C evaporator $700.00 (1 year warr.)

85K= Pot metal power steering pump bracket breaks (car down for 3 days until the dealer can get one $21.00) "we usually stock them because the break all the time" Still made of crappy pot metal.

91K= A/C evaporator again (another 700.00 because out of warr)

the rear end has been making noise and will need to be rebuilt soon. probably about 600+

I like the power and all the toys but will never get another jeep.....ever!

the standard dealer answer for all of these things is "well that happens."

BTW the welds that hold the doors on the cherokee are welded to thin sheet metal and the hinges (doors) can fall off in your hand. I have a welder that has replaced several. I mentioned that to him because it happened to friend of mine and he told me about it.

If you don't think that happens call a dealer and say that it has happened to you and see if he is surprised...........because it happens you know.

toyota clutch disc with 350k on it

[ae1969]

uhmmm I have owned and continue to own a variety of death traps......

I have seen cracked heads on Hondas, fried transmissions on VW's and broken valves on porsches etc.etc.etc.......

To me it boils down to maintenance and how you drive your car. My dad swore buy his 77 plymouth volare (another death trap), drove it for over 400,000 miles....... (crazy) same engine and tranny! The only problem was the eventual rust holes that marked its death.

Maintenance and driving style are the only issues.

If you drive your car like you wish it was a ferrari when its not.... guess what it will break.

The only advantage I see, with all things being equal, domestic parts are a fraction of the price of any import. So if you do regular maintenance it will be cheaper on your domestic on the long run.


**on a side note you can't compare longevity between a corolla and a porsche or a 4x4. Any econo box that is mainained and not driven hard will last forever........ ?? Makes you wonder how long a porsche would last with regular maintenance and NEVER driven hard???? I would venture to guess twice as long............

If you drive your car like you wish it was a ferrari when its not.... guess what it will break.

A Ferrari? I think you ment porsche

[nostatic]

Considering your criteria, I'd run screaming from used Audis...they aren't known for being the most maintenance-free cars out there. I seem to have survived my teen age years driving a '67 Bug. Not particularly safe by today's standards, but it was damn economical and never left me stranded (as long as I could bump start it or hot wire it).

After that I had a '85 Toyota pickup that was great. I could haul my music gear in it, put a shell on with Yakimas for carrying bikes and camping, and it lived trouble-free for 95K. My '96 4-runner has been similarly robust - 115K and nothing other than 2 tune/valve adjusts and new shocks and throwout bearing. You should be able to pick up one below $10K...that should be a pretty safe and reliable daily driver. And it will make you really appreciate the 911...especially if you get a 4-runner with a 4-cylinder engine.

[pwm74]

89 jeep wrangler

another uncomplete project

going to put a 2inch lift and 31x10.50

[David McLaughlin]

Porsche 911T,
Email me if you have any further questions. That private message thing stinks.

I may have played the VR6 to be a bad car, it really isn't. It is a lot of fun, though it's no porsche. It feels about as fast as my friends 83 SC and with the new exhaust and opened intake (stock box) make more power. It's just too bad the motor's in the wrong place (should be in the middle )

[88porsche911]

I have a Saab 9000 Turbo as a daily driver. A lot of room inside and that thing moves. Very nice for extended trips as well. My lady friend has a Jeep Cherokee and it does the job in the winter. I would not get the Audi because the insurance is crazy, I am 30 and it is through the roof, I found out when I thought about trading in my Saab for one. The Jeep is not safe or practical and gets bad gas mileage, but could be a good choice, but not for towing. The VW is the choice I would make out of your three choices, but I would actually look into a used Saab or an Q45. Both have low resale values so you can get a lot for your money.

[vesnyder]

My daily driver is a '96 Toyota Avalon. Good car for a daily beater. If you saw it you would see why I could not drive my Porsche as a daily driver. Dings all over the thing from parking in downtown parking lots and at the airport. If I had gotten one of the 30 + dings that are on the Toyota on my my Porsche I'd be sick!

[partyparty]

Well I have every car imaginable, so your young so I would go with the Jeep. Chicks dig guys in jeeps with the doors off and the top off. it's great for the winter.

[Montara22]

Originally posted by CraigD
Montara22,

Was that you in the black lightning at Thunderhill last month with the Shelby Club? [/B]

Sorry, wasn't me. I used to go to the drag strip off the Jackson highway quite a bit though..

[911nut]

Originally posted by nostatic


The real confusion comes in when you try and decipher that exactly constitutes an "american" car. With Hondas made in Ohio, Nissans made in Tennesee, GMs made in Mexico, etc how do you decide what car is "good for the American economy"?

When the profits stay in this country rather than going overseas.

[wckrause]

The profits go to the shareholders. Shareholders can live anywhere. Anyone can be a shareholder. It's a global economy.

When it comes to automobiles, "Buy American" is as antiquated as "Remember the Maine".

[David Bahr]

The profits go to wherever the shareholders are. Since the U.S. stock market is the safe haven for equity investors from around the world, much of those "American" profits are going somewhere else. To be fair, "foreign" car companies probably have a higher concentration of shareholders in their country than the U.S.

Where a car is "built" must be balanced by where the parts are sourced. Much of U.S. parts are built in Mexico. On the other hand, many of the japanese cars assembled in the U.S. use engines built and shipped from Japan.

The "Made in America" game is so complicated when it comes to cars that it is not a valid argument, in my opinion.

[David Bahr]

Dang, Bill, you beat me to the punch.

[Planter91C2]

i disagree. GM is one of the largest employers in my area. most of these dollars stay in the local economy.

there is still validity in the "buy american" slogan.

wkrause is wrong here, imho.

[wckrause]

And in Marysville Ohio, the Honda plant is the biggest employer. Does a Honda qualify under the "Buy American" mantra?

You missed the point completely. My point was that it's better to buy cars MADE in the USA, then to buy cars made by a company who's headquarters are in the USA.

Lee Iacoca is famous for wrapping himself in the flag and saying things like "Buy North American". What he really meant was "Buy cars from company's run by old white guys". Most of his profits were made on cars built in Canada.

[Billy Burke]

SORRY GUYS: I CANT GET MY USERNAME TO WORK, BUT MUST JUMP IN ON THIS ONE:

Seems as though everyone that I talk to that's got something nasty to say about American cars has either never owned one or last owned one 20 years ago. Usually they are the type of people who would rather let Consumers' Reports do their thinking for them.
Well, here's a news flash: American cars are now as good as any Jap car you can buy. Furthermore, there's an added bonus when you buy an American car - it's good for the Amreican economy and may very likely impact your own financial well-being.

COUNT ME IN WITH THE FREE TRADERS. IF WE DONT BUY PRODUCTS FROM OVERSEAS - WELL HOW THEN ARE THEY GOING TO BUY OUR SOYBEANS AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE?? I DO NOT RANK AUTOWORKERS ABOVE FARMERS AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS...

AS FOR AMERICAN CARS BEING AS GOOD AS ANY JAPANESE CAR, I WOULD SAY MY 12 YEAR OLD TOYOTA COROLLA HAS A BETTER FIT AND FINISH, RELIABILITY, QUALITY OF KNOBS, SWITCHES AND CONTROLS THAN ANY NEW AMERICAN CAR.

EVERYTIME I MUST RENT AN AMERICAN CAR ON A TRIP I AM SHOCKED ON HOW POORLY THEY ARE DESIGNED AND BUILT.

[Planter91C2]

.

[724doorE]

If you want to talk quality or lack of, how about 50's-60's British cars with of course the Prince himself LUCAS!

Sorry boys, but you won't see me purchase or use any auto that is built or has a corporate headquarters in the far east.

Detroit choose the deep 40 year slumber to ignore quality and paid the price. Now the Aisan contingent has taken to attacking all markets with cars that are in many cases more expensive than Detroit counterparts.

Well it took 40 years for americans to wake up and demand more quality than they were getting... hopefully it doesn't take 40 more years for the same crowd to see that the quality gap is gone and they can now drive a Ford for 150,000 miles with no problems.

oh well...

[wckrause]

they can now drive a Ford for 150,000 miles with no problems

Not my Ford you can't. (and that's a fact, not an opinion)