Daily drivers?

[jeffdon]

What Model and year Porsche would you buy for a daily driver if you had $10k to $15k to spend?

[Macroni]

1978 to 1983 SC; to some the last real porsche.

[ramonesfreak]

you could buy a very nice SC for 15K and it would make a great DD. Im also a big fan of the mid-year 928S, non auto cars. for 15K you can get a very well sorted 928. i think the SC is easier to do routine maintenance on though which is something to consider for a DD. no belts or water pumps to worry about and the gas mileage on the SC is quite good

[mdu968]

There was an article a while back in Excellence that compared three Porsches that
could be purchased for around $15K: early Boxster, 968 and 911 Carrera or SC.
If I remember correctly, the writers favored the 911 which was slightly modded.
I really doubt one could find a 911 like the one in the test for $15k but they seemed to think it hit the profile.


The are all great cars but vastly different in terms of driving and functionality.
I currently own a 1982 911 Targa, 1994 948 coupe and a 1997 Boxster.

For me the 968 is the preferred daily driver of my group. It has great performance, room for golf clubs/bike. good a/c and heat and surprising gas mileage if driven reasonably (not often). It's the Porsche I don't worry about in that its quite reliable but not so nice that another stone chip flips me out. The maintenance is not cheap so make sure you find one with good records and no major needs unless its priced accordingly.

Having said that, my favorite of the bunch is the 911 - it doesn't get driven much but it puts a smile on my face every time. The Boxster is a nice and fun car but a convertible as a daily driver is not for everyone.

[bextreme1]

Maybe a high mileage(over 125k) 911 that's had the engine rebuilt or well taken care of. I have seen the higher mileage ones going for 16-17k.

[richde]

Originally Posted by bextreme1

Maybe a high mileage(over 125k) 911 that's had the engine rebuilt or well taken care of. I have seen the higher mileage ones going for 16-17k.

How is that realistically considered high mileage for a 20+ year old car?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by jeffdon

What Model and year Porsche would you buy for a daily driver if you had $10k to $15k to spend?

I DD my recently bought 80SC. 110K miles, $11K, driver condition (some paint issues, some scratches, etc). I take it everywhere, for any reason.

[Macroni]

I think when any car gets over 100,000 miles there should be the expectation of more in depth maintenance to be required.

[epbrown]

As a daily driver, I vote for the 944 or 968. Fun, well-balanced, good mileage, good heat and ac, excellent cargo room and a better shift action than you'll find in any 911 made before 1987. Also a 944 turbo, 944S2, or 968 will be as fast or faster than a 911 in that price range.

[Robert Adams]

I totally agree with epbrown!
I've driven any number of 80's 911's as daily drivers over the years and they are easy to work on and reasonably comfortable, but as a daily driver in traffic on a rainy or hazy, hot & humid day, like today..I'll take my S2 any day of the week with working AC and a gearing that allows 2nd & 3rd at ridiculously low speeds for those heavy traffic days. It's also not bad in snow either. Plus it gets 26 to 32 mpg every day. I'm coming up on my 3rd year of ownership and about 34k miles. I like the drive feel of the 968, but I don't have any extended first hand experience with one as a daily driver. I would also tend to shy away from a Boxster under the year 2000 which pretty much leaves them out of your price range. Best thing to do is go out a drive a few cars, you'll figure out the right one to pick soon enough. If you do decide to go with an S2 or 968, just make sure it's got lots of service history. They are Porsches after all and Porsches do cost some money to keep on the road as a daily driver, more so than a weekender.
Good luck and let us know what you finally end up with!