I currently own a BMW 3 series that I love. I always planned on one day putting a toy (Elise) in the garage as a second car. My wife suggested that I just buy a toy car and drive it as my every day car. The practicality exists in that I work a 1/4 mile from my house and currently only put 5000 miles per year on my 3 series. The only hitch would be the toy would have to have a backseat for kids. This leaves me with the M3 and 911. Here is where I need advice.

My favorite 911 is the 993. I definitely prefer the more classic styling and intimate driving experience of an older car over a newer car. I, at times, have thought about trading my E46 for an E30. That said, the 993's are out of my price range. This puts me to the 3.2's, 963, or 996. All of these can be had in great shape for around 20k. I know this particular forum might be biased towards 996, but I don't mind. Here is what I'm looking for.

I want a car that I can DRIVE, not baby. I would prefer the car not to be a garage queen previously, because it won't be with me, but it can't be beat up either. I don't want it to break if I drive it hard.

I want a car that I can work on myself. With the E46 I have done the brakes, cooling system, suspension, sway bars, valve cover gasket, vanos system, etc. with relative ease. I find the satisfaction of DIY is great as well as the money saving.

I want a car that can be a daily driver.

I would like the car to be reliable, if maintained properly of course.

In the past, I have owned an '86 928S that, in 6 years and about 20k miles, never needed anything more than work on the brakes! Of course there was always the potential of a major repair. Then again, this car was VERY sensitive to the atmosphere and ran slow in hot humid air and fast in cold air, but needed to be revved constantly to stop from stalling at red lights when it was cold out.

I want honest opinions (while I'm secretly looking to be sold on the 996 b/c it financially seems to make the most sense, but it isn't what I would run out to buy). Please help me decide which model (and setup) you think would suit me and my situation best. I have read on this board and Rennlist as well as any articles and reviews I can find. Whatever generation, I tend to prefer a naturally aspirated, manual, rear wheel drive car. And, lastly, yes I do plan to go drive them and see what I like driving best, I am more thinking logistically as a decent daily driver.

Thanks in advance

 

A 996 is a good choise because it can be driven daily. They actually do better when driven regularly. Their prices took a bath when the 997s came out. Take advantage of that. Skip the 4s because that's added maintenance expense for little return. Buy one with some miles on it. A garage queen only benefits you with little wear on the seats. The expensive stuff is always more important. Do your homework on IMS issues and such.

 

I daily drove an Elise for a while, before I got the 996. Not the world's best daily driver, but it is doable, assuming you don't need a trunk or 4 seats. My wife still drives the Elise almost daily.

 

I am under the impression that if I can get an '02 or later, or get a car with more than 70k miles (which is likely) that I can avoid the IMS and RMS issues.

Any other issues to look out for?

 

Good read: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...immermann.html

One more: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...ing-guide.html

 

you can definitely use the 996 everyday. but i think that a half mile a day (1/4 each way), might not be enough to get it up to temp and speed.

then again you'll probably be looking for a longer way home and offering to run extra errands!

mine is my only car, but i walk to work. i do however take it out a few times a week for errands and joy rides, plus road trips, skiing, the shore, and where ever else seems moderately appropriate. i've done 36k miles in 18 months.

 

you live 1/4 mile from your work?

I can't even picture that

my mailbox is 1/4 mile from my house

 

If I lived 1/4 mile from work, then I'd walk to work every day!

I have driven my 996 as my primary vehicle for years. It's a wonderful daily driver and it is very reliable. I've had to replace common/known wear items, but nothing other than that. I'm up to 110K miles and still running strong.

I'm a bit biased towards the C4S, even though a previous post said to avoid it. It is regarded by many to be the best looking 996 variant, and it's isn't any less reliable or any more expensive to maintain than any other 996. I wouldn't eliminate it from your list, even though you originally stated that you wanted RWD. The C4S drives like a RWD car in most situations, except at extremes where it's more prone to understeer than oversteer. If you're not going to the track on a regular basis, then there's no reason not to consider the C4S.

 

I'm a bit biased towards the C4S [/quote]


A BIT ?!

 

Just a bit!

I actually like the C2 very much also. I just didn't want the OP to write off the C4S without even considering it!

 

I don't actually drive my car a 1/4 mile and turn it off. I usually have to drop my daughter off at her pre-school, so the car is up to temp. before it is shut down. When I don't, I do take a long route to work. I did used to ride my bike to work.

All of your responses have been great, I bookmarked the links provided and am more and more starting to believe that I will be buying one.

Honestly my biggest set back is that a.) I am 28 years old and b.) I am a teacher. 28 year old teachers shouldn't be able to afford such a car... I don't want to look like a snob, but who could pass up the deals that are out there on the 996!

My second biggest setback is that I don't want to regret waiting and saving more money for a 993. To hopefully solve this, I will be doing some test drives this week, I hope that I actually have a preference for the 996 - my 6'2", 250 lb frame might do that for me!

Any DIY stories? I like to tackle all jobs on my own. The only thing I couldn't fix on my E46 in the past 4 years was a vacuum leak (couldn't find it, needed a smoke test).

 

oh, and any way to view the classifieds on the porsche club of america website without joining? I am a member of BMWCCA and know that such clubs generally list well cared for cars. I may just join in anticipation of owning a porsche.

 

Well, now that 996's can be had for under $20k, I wouldn't be worried about being categorized as a snob. The only people who would do that, don't know too much about cars anyway. A new Scion tC costs more.

 

I don't think you'll regret buying a 996 over a 993, especially as a daily driver. The 993 is beautiful - regarded by many as the best looking 911 ever built. That fact, coupled with the relatively limited production numbers, has the 993 approaching collector status very quickly. I'd have trouble driving a 993 every day for fear of door dings, scratches, etc. I don't really have that fear as much with the 996.

It's also worth considering a few other facts. The 993 is heavier than the 996, and it has a less powerful engine. The has ABS brakes, but it wasn't available with some more modern safety features like PSM. Also, I don't think it has side airbags - somebody correct me if I'm wrong. If I were driving my kids around, I'd like the added safety features of the 996.

I also wouldn't worry about the appearance of being a snob. That comes more from your behavior than your car. Don't worry about what other people think. If you want a 911, then buy one and don't look back.