3.2 as a DD, Opinions?

[vivaleduc]

After all of this years, I am thinking about going back to an 87-89 911 for a DD. The last time that I drove one of these as a DD was in the early 90's when I was in college. Any of you guys drive one of these as a DD? I don't really have a commute, maybe 2 miles each way but we have snow around here...not crazy but snow nonetheless...I wonder how they handle with snow tires? Any input would be greatly appreciated. I also would want to spend around 20K.

[dferg476]

You would have to be pretty raw. They get a little uncomfortable after a while, and forget about any storage. Mine was fun to drive on weekends and random days during the week, but I would not like it too much as a dd.

[vivaleduc]

I think that the raw part is what I am looking for. I've been in cars for the last 15 years that are just...well, not raw. I want that feeling again damn it . Mid-life crisis anyone?

[Porscheboy16]

If you can keep your AC working, it makes a great DD.

[vivaleduc]

my biggest concern are the AC and the heating systems. that's the main reason that i'll stay away from the earlier cars (plus they will prob have more mechanical issues based on age alone).

[DHinkle]

Depends on commute and climate; I drive my Club Sport almost daily during the summer.

[Pipes]

I guess I don't understand why anyone would be concerned about driving a 3.2 for an everyday driver. I have owned my 87 911 since it landed off the ship in America and I have 219K miles on it. The heater will blast your butt out of the car in the winter and the A/c when properly charged will chill your snot. You must have other issues that concern you than the climate controls....

[vivaleduc]

It is mostly the ergonomics and comfort of the car that are my concern. I think that there is a large difference between driving something during the weekends than "having" to drive a car everyday plus I am now used to fairly comfortable cars. I've started to look...best so far has been a 89 black on grey, 27K miles in what appears to be excellent condition for 30K.

[flatsixnut]

The only concerns I would have is that the car wont even get warmed up in two miles. That will be ok as long as you keep the revs below 4000. Never rev one of these past the 4k mark until the engine has reached normal operating temp. The same goes for checking oil levels...the car has to be warmed up to check the stick acurately.

These cars are hardly too raw to drive as a daily driver. Unless you have too many speed bumps in route. I live in Florida and I never use the AC or the heat or the radio for that matter.

[Pipes]

The car's ride can be as hard or as cushy as you want, depending on the stiffness of your struts and sway bars. I have rally sport struts and extra heavy 930 sway bars on my 911 but it still rides nice on paved roads. I also agree about Flatsix's comments regarding the oil, if you don't get your oil up to normal operating temps, condensation will form in the oil system and that can cause oil foaming and other problems with your engine internals.

[RoadWarrior911]

Mine is a DD with a 20 mile one-way commute. I wouldn't DD a 911 for a 2 mile drive. For me, it's a near perfect car for driving to work if you aren't in bumper to bumper traffic. In all the time I've been commuting with mine, I have yet to see another car I'd rather be in.

[ncseahawk]

Mine was a daily driver for years. Now has 169K and still not opened.

[Turbo G]

I think it would be a great daily driver for an enthusiast. Of course I could drive an Elise as a DD....

[cibergypsy]

Originally Posted by vivaleduc

my biggest concern are the AC and the heating systems. that's the main reason that i'll stay away from the earlier cars (plus they will prob have more mechanical issues based on age alone).

I have a 1987 3.2 Carrera in Grand Prix White with tan interior as a daily driver. I purchased and installed the complete Griffiths A/C upgrade system for the car and have not looked back since. The A/C is super cold and I live in Florida - even in Summer I find myself with the A/C turned down one position from maximum. The system adds an additional two condensers with fan on the rear, driver's side wheel well and has guards to protect it from rocks and other debris.

As I said, I drive this car daily and have put 20k miles in the last year with no issues. The only other concession to comfort I've added is an iPod ready Alpine CD receiver.

If you want a 3.2, buy an '87 or later and stay away from the '84 to '86 cars with the inferior 915 transmission. I used to own a 1984 Targa and will never consider one again that is not G50 equipped and a Coupé - Targas are a nightmare if you live in a rainy area like Florida.

My car is also my track car for DEs. Some of the upgrades I made are: Weltmeister bump steer kit, front and rear sway bars, thicker torsion bars, Pagid brake pads, stainless steel braided DOT brake lines, Fabspeed dual outlet muffler with "Euro" pre-muffler, 930 sized 16" original Fuchs alloy wheels color coded since my car came that way from the factory, sports shocks, Autothority chip and a few other things that I know I missed here. It came from the factory with the front and rear spoilers and with option 220 - limited slip differential. I bought it with 68k miles a year ago and took the engine out to put new seals, sensors, clutch and a fuel line that was old. I installed but later removed the Fabspeed carbon fiber look airbox because it was too noisy and did not add any more power.

I am now looking into putting a Turbo tie rod kit to enhance the steering. By the way, I also own a 2006 X51 Carrera S and, while that is a great car, there is something special about the 3.2's character that cannot be replicated by the newer cars and a sense of intimacy becuase there are many things that can be done by oneself that cannot be done in the newer cars - more of a connection if you can say it that way.

Good luck, buy a good one and do the A/C upgrade first, then worry about the rest. The website is http://www.griffiths.com/porsche/

[cibergypsy]

By the way, vivaleduc, once I sorted the mechanical aspects of the car, i.e. clutch, fuel line and seals a year ago, I haven't had any issues at all! No breakdowns, period! This is a very reliable car and can be driven daily. Just have the yearly maintenance done with the oil change and valve adjustment and you're good to go! I did the seals and other things because I needed to replace the clutch and was going to pull the engine out anyways. Otherwise, I'd say to wait until you need to pull the engine out to do that work. I don't have any oil leaks yet but I am sure they will come, as this is a normal thing for these cars, maybe from the oil return tubes and even that is no big deal when now you can upgrade them to the collapsible ones.