What to do with a low mileage car?( Survey)

romad · romad's Garage

What do you do with a low mileage car? Lets say under 50,000 miles

My 85 had 34000 miles on it .....after 2 months I just put another 1200 on it. probably the most this car has been driven continously for 20 years....many people question my sanity for driving it every day. I seen another car here with 45000 miles.

What do you all say?

Driver it alot,
A little,
or mothball it?

Slam · 10-19-2010, 01:11 PM

Drive it. It's not like these cars are purchased as investments really.

B944 · B944's Garage

If it was a limited edition car, or something of personal value, I would only drive it a little. A 1985 944 though is a drivers car, meant to be driven, it is fun to drive and nice to look at. You could go either way, you could baby it, and be happy with knowing you got a nice 944 in the garage. or you could drive the car and enjoy the 944 to its fullest. All cars need to be driven to keep running, if you turn your car into a garage display, it may look awesome, but you never get to drive it. I would drive it, not too hard, but enough to get fun from the car.

flash968 · 10-19-2010, 01:17 PM

i have 2 low mileage 968s - one is moving up there now and is at about 50k - the other has not yet crossed 20k

philosophy is the same on both - drive the piss out of them

of course, regardless of mileage, they both had to have nearly every rubber part changed, as regardless of outstanding visible condition, they are both 15 years old, and those parts are now way past their life expectancy

racer · 10-19-2010, 01:22 PM

I bought mine last year with 38,xxx miles. I've enjoyed putting another 3500 miles on it since. I have the luxury to not NEED to drive it, except when I WANT to drive it.

Sadly, your car is still 10-20 years away from achieving some kind of high "resale value". Even once adjusted for inflation, its value only might climb back to what it cost new

I say drive it as much as you want and enjoy it. If you "enjoy" it more parked in your garage then do that.. if you enjoy driving it, then do that. imho, if left unmaintained, I don't care how many miles it has.. since it will need BIG $$$ to make it driveable again.

My dads 1970 914-6 he bought new just crossed 60K miles.. in 40 years.. clearly not driven "alot".. but driven enough by his standards and enjoyed the entire time. Its YOUR car..

kdjones2000 · kdjones2000's Garage

Part it!

jcommin · jcommin's Garage

I have 50K on my 83. I'm the original owner. I drive it spring, summer, fall mostly road trips.

I enjoy my car. You should too.

Born2bwild1191 · 10-19-2010, 02:01 PM

My 951 had 49k when I bought it, 54k now. I couldn't park it if I wanted to. A) It's my only "real" car (truck isn't inspected yet and bug is a show car) and B) It's WAYYY too much freakin fun to not drive it on a regular basis. Driving my car ranks up there with some of my favorite things to do

DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!!!

HondaDustR · 10-19-2010, 02:12 PM

Well, at one time in my car's life for a year I was putting 500 miles a week on it. These cars are made to be driven. It's always been my daily driver and I've always been very glad it is. Every trip can be made a blast one way or another. We all are just going to get older, as well as our cars. One of the last things I want is to have wished I drove my car more when I had the chance. Drive, fix, repeat...

James Chimney · James Chimney's Garage

"no one drives a Porsche be cause they have to" I got my 85.5 944 na in May 2010 and have put on over 6000 miles since, what good is having a thoroughbred but never put a saddle on it and ride it?
Drive it, enjoy it, savor it every time some one Ooooos and Aaaahs at it and they still do, I was parked next to a 911 (very nice car and in mint condition) and two guys stopped my after I got out of my car to tell me "we love your car it is our dream car" (mine has quite a few dings and blems in the paint) when I told them I was at this hotel with 31 other Porsche they told me "I know we saw them in the back parking lot" (PCA CVR fall tour to PA this past weekend) there was my buddies 951 (also mint and race set up) and a 928, 924s and the rest varying Porsche's but they liked mine (Beauty is in the eye of the Key holder)

ecostellodo · 10-19-2010, 02:46 PM

Drive it and have fun.

I bought my 83 almost 3 yrs ago with 42K on the clock. I am at 64K now.

No fun in watchin' only fun in doin'

eric

Kiwi944s2 · Kiwi944s2's Garage

Have owned my 91 S2 for a little over 3 years. For the first 2 it only got the odd weekend drive but for last 12 months has been my daily driver. One thing i have learned is it hated sitting in the garage and is much happier and drives a performs better now that it is driven everyday.

PS: anyone in NZ looking for a mint S2 let me know i may be upgrading to a C4S...

rhogg · 10-19-2010, 05:41 PM

I bought an 83 SC with 37,000 miles 18 months ago. It is now at 49,000 and has improved with use. It is a wonderful car and has been trouble free. I like to think that I've now owned it for 25% of its useful life to date

I look forward to that % increasing. It cost me less than a new accord and was bought to enjoy. I enjoy driving it!

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

Drive it, Drive it, Drive it....By the way, did I mention DRIVE IT???

Smack down for Mr Jones lol

951 Scott · 951 Scott's Garage

I bought my 86 951 with 49K on it this past March (2010).....I drive it when it is not raining out....as of this morning I have put 5K on it and the mileage just went over 54K.

I even commute to work in it, which seems to make the commute to work that much more pleasurable!!!!!!!!!!!

Just remember....while it is a Porsche....and I know I might get some flak for saying this......but, "it is only a car.....so drive it !!!!!"

romad · romad's Garage

Part it...... to keep all the other cars that people are actually driving running ......how thats funny stuff.

flash968 · 10-20-2010, 08:32 AM

lol - i actually almost did that with a 6k mile 968 with no damage - the car was red (strike 1), a tiptronic (strike 2), and was being sold so cheap that i would have doubled my money immediately (strike 3)

i just did have the time and space to do it

cjbcpa · 10-20-2010, 09:41 AM

I say if you can't mothball it and are tormented about keeping the mileage low, sell it and buy something you will drive.

I have a low mileage '86 Carrera ~34k that get's only 500 miles a year because "its too nice to beat on". I would sell it in heartbeat but my wife loves the lines as much as I do and won't permit me. Who am I to complain, I have my '51 for the track.

CB

fmartenies · 10-20-2010, 10:53 AM

Cars are made to be driven. Cars are not investments.

Porsches are especially made to be driven. Porsches espeically are not investments.

If the concern is making money, no car post-WWII is going to earn you a positive return when you factor in the costs and the time value of money. Unless there is something unique about you in particular that makes your cars demand a premium. You aren't Jay Leno or Ralph Loren, correct?

If the concern is you get enjoyment out of claiming you have a low mileage vehicle, I am not sure we can ever be friends.

fmartenies · 10-20-2010, 11:05 AM

[QUOTE=fmartenies;5625673]You aren't Jay Leno or Ralph Loren, correct?QUOTE]

Or Rasta Monster or Ideola I shoudl probably add lol.