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I was using my 1977 930 as a Daily driver up until about 12 months ago then bought a fantastic 1998 996 C@ with 3.4 engine with Yellow duco, carbon fibre interior and GT3 bodykit and couldn't be happier, between the two cars they are neck and neck performance wise but I give the edge to the 996 for the excellent Aircon that actually works extremely well during the summer here and will also give it a couple of extra points over the 930 for petrol economy,
Reliability is so far so good Porsche wise but I don't foresee any problems as with the (40yr old) the teenager (17yr old) never misses a beat..
I work as a project manager on civil construction projects, so I drove a pick-up for decades. Finally got sick of lusting after Porsche cars when the drove past me on the freeway and traded in the 2012 Toyota Tundra with 5.7 V8 for a 2002 C4S I found with 50,000 Km on it. Here is what I have found:
1. Fuel economy - Porsche way better than the Tundra. I save $200 per month on fuel!!!
2. My commute never bothers me. Traffic, no traffic, the wife has commented that I alwayse walk in the door with a smile on my face after driving home in my C4S. I used to be miserable after a long commute.
3. Resale value - When a made the trade, both were around the same $$. Now, despite having put 50K on her in 2 years, the C4S is worth more than my Tundra would have been.
4. Maintenance - Porsche definately costs more. I do my own oil every 6K, but I have dropped about 4K in maintenance over 2 years. Primarily changing the clutch, RMS and IMS. Have also had to change both radiators, another weak point in the C4S no one tells you about.
5. Tires - Porsche definately costs more. Tundra ran all seasons, and were rock hard and lasted for 80K kms. Now, I have to swap between summer and winters, so just dropped $1,500 on winters, and had had to put on new Michelin Pilots in the sumer, that cost another $1,500 K. Plan about 30K per set of summer tires. Also, no rotation because sizes are staggered, so no way to extend the life. Just have to live with it. This has been a source of greif from my wife.
6. Speeding Tickets - Ironically, I got more in the Tundra than the Porshe so far. Maybe because I hated driving the slug pick-up all the time I drove like a dick...
7. Other People - Big surprise how other people react. Haters are gonna hate I guess, and you have your fair share when you show up in a Porsche. I actually turned down a job offer because they didn't want me to drive my Porsche to a job site. If people hate me because I drive a Porsche, that's their issue. My current boss supports me 100%, says "that's how we roll". In this day and age, shouldn't matter, but it still does to many.
8. Wear & tear - These cars are worth a lot of money for a reason. Materials and workmanship are way above the average car. You still get some rock chips, cracked my windsheild on the FIRST day I drove to work. But, compared to other cars I have driven, the wear and tear does not show as much. The front of my Tundra had way more rock chips after 2 years than the C4, and I drive them both the same.
9. Family Trips - thats a no go. I have two teenagers, and we need a SUV for all our trips. This has required a larger overall investment in auto's, since I need to pay for a nice SUV for the family (Volvo XC90). Also, need the SUV for things I would have used the PU for, but now my wife has to drive the big vehicle, not me.
I used to trade my pick-ups in every chance I could get, so over years have lost a lot on depreciation. I plan to drive my C4S as long as I can. And when this one dies, I hope my circumstances alow me to get another. Overall, I am very happy with my decision to use the Porsche as a daily driver.
Longnose, this is a very interesting reply and I totally agree. I currently DD my 04 C4S Cab and also own an 08 Toyota Tundra DC Long Bed. Two completely different vehicles owned for entirely differently reasons but I'm enjoying the best of both worlds. As a real estate investor the Tundra is great for hauling roofing shingles, stoves, frigs etc. For real estate meetings and classes I teach, I love to park the Porsche right outside the classroom door, lol. I agree with you and maintenance cost, driving perceptions etc.
996 is your DREAM Car You Don't Have High Expectations do you
Ill say one thing from experience its a helluva a lot more fun driving a 300hp car day to day than a Gt or Turbo why? because you get more FUN out of them because you can use more power, rather than lugging around a high hp car with your valves slowly choking
Ill add side by side I LOVE the Original Headlight Shape only the Early 996's the mk1? have, you know the model when theyre coming.. every other model unless Aircooled all look the same in the rear view mirror
Mistergee, thanks for your positive comments about the headlights. Many people do not know the headlights are homologation to the 1997 and 1998 Gt1 race cars. I love the headlights, I 'll take my fried eggs with a dose of pride.
As a side note, it's rare that I ever see a C4S Cab on my daily 50 mile commute. It's funny when I recently started a new job, everybody in the building was talking about " Who's the owner of that awesome Porsche in the employee parking lot" I said nothing for weeks and then they all saw me driving it. They were amazed it's an 04. Love it!
Porsche 996 has been a daily driver for the past 3 years. Always a treat punching it and blowing past cars. Driving Porsches since my 356 in college and the 996 is the best overall Porsche I have owned. Still have my 964 cab which was daily driver for 10 years. Tried Amg clk55 but sold it because I missed the Porsche feeling-especially the steering.
Last edited by lvc2; 12-28-2015 at 04:32 PM.
Reason: Typo
I lost my job about a year ago, along with my company SUV, my DD. I had been putting ~4K / yr on my 996, driving mostly on weekends and occasionally to the office, down freeways.
It took me about 5 months to find gainful employment, but the new job came without a company vehicle.
I've been driving my '01 996 C4 Cab as a DD ever since and loving it. On nice mornings, I pop the top and get a blast of fresh air on my way into the office. The new office is closer and along nice, treelined roads. It's a real pleasure.
Car just turned 60K so it's just getting broken in. 15-20 min Drives to and from the office are much more enjoyable. I loaded my iPhone with classic rock mostly from the 60's, so I can listen to a Quicksilver Messenger cut in the time it takes me to get to work.
Sure a lot more enjoyment in my life since the 996 became my DD.
Ill say one thing from experience its a helluva a lot more fun driving a 300hp car day to day than a Gt or Turbo why? because you get more FUN out of them because you can use more power, rather than lugging around a high hp car with your valves slowly choking
Ill add side by side I LOVE the Original Headlight Shape only the Early 996's the mk1? have, you know the model when theyre coming.. every other model unless Aircooled all look the same in the rear view mirror
Second that, although the new 911's with paddle shifters seem to do better (I'm told) or with different driving modes.
I wouldn't turn one down, don't get me wrong, but it would be a totally different commute, and way more expensive with gas.
Ill say one thing from experience its a helluva a lot more fun driving a 300hp car day to day than a Gt or Turbo why? because you get more FUN out of them because you can use more power, rather than lugging around a high hp car with your valves slowly choking
I enjoyed driving my turbo more than my c2. LS1 car doesn't even hit the same scale as the others because the fun factor blew away everything else.
996 is your DREAM Car You Don't Have High Expectations do you
Wow. Dickish. I wouldn't say I dreamed of a 996 per se... when I was a kid, I had a 911 poster (a black Ruf GT3, I think). My black aero 996 is consistently voted by me to be the most awesome car in every parking lot...I have not come across a car I want more than my 996.
Disclaimer: Cars out here tend to have the proper number of lug nuts, kids almost always have the proper number of chromosomes, and we have far fewer multi-role relatives (i.e. my father is not my cousin); this may be foreign to some Duck Dynasty land brow-lickers.
You Don't Have High Expectations do you
12-25-2015, 11:19 AM
