deadlyhunter

to all of the people on this board that have told me to get a different car then a 911; i have a question.... i will need to use this car for a daily driver, should i buy a 90's vette or a 79 porsche? which will cost me more in repairs? and how much more? i can find a 90's vette with about 70,000 miles less then the 79 porsche for about the same price. will one last longer or need less fixs? which has better handling, and which is better for the money? thanks for you honest answers

Jeff Curtis

Get the '79 911 SC...it's a better car, while not as fast in a straight line - it'll get you more chicks!

...just kidding...or am I?

As for your other questions, they're pretty subjective. Both cars handle decent, which one has more of a proven "cookbook" for suspension mods?? - you tell me.

As for longevity, problems, etc. the 90s Vette is well known for...well, I'll be nice - let's just say it had it's issues. I've worked on quite a few, they're <okay> when running decent. You just can't beat a well tuned V-8.

Now, for the nice sound of a purring flat six, four seats...just in case you have that "threes company" scenario and for "curb appeal" alone - you can't beat a 911.

It's really up to you...which one floats your boat? Will doing the cost for purchase comparison wind up with you being satisfied??

Now THAT'S a question. Good luck on your search.

A Quiet Boom

Just something I've noticed, the 911 tends to garner more respect than a 'vette. Also as someone who does all of his own mechanical work less engine machining, the 911 is by far a better built car, the tolerances are far more exact andc the engineering clearly superior, to me at least. here's an example, find a 13mm bolt on a metric GM or Ford car and put a 1/2" wrench on it, should fit no problem, no try the same on a Porsche 13mm bolt, the 1/2" wrench won't fit. One inch equals 25.4mm so 1/2 inch equals 12.7mm, Porsche fasteners are much more exact with regards to size than most American fasteners I've come across. It just stands to reason that if a company pays this much attention to it's fasteners one can only imagine how close the internal engine tolerances are. Don't get me wrong, I love the American V8 for shear power and straight line acceleration but in a sportscar I much prefer the smoothness of Porsche's flat six along with it's willingness to rev. You need to ask yourself what you expect from a car and decide accordingly since both of these cars are radically different in their approach to performance.

DKMartin

Had the same dilemna a few years ago: 1993 Corvette convertable 40th anniversary model w/ 21,000 miles vs. 1985 Carrera Targa w/ 39,000 miles. The corvette drove great and was very fast...I wanted the vette! Then I drove the 911 and I couldn't even remember how the vette drove other than it was fast in a straight line and had a loooonnnggggggggg hood! I'm happy with the 911 choice and wouldn't consider a corvette for purchase any longer. I would, however, consider cars other than the Porsche.

deadlyhunter

so how much money am i looking at in repairs for like a 3 year time period? i just dont want to be ove my head in bills once i buy one, also i keep hearing about how expensive oil changes run how much for one?

Kurt V

[quote]Originally posted by deadlyhunter:
<strong>i keep hearing about how expensive oil changes run how much for one?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Who is telling you oil changes are expensive? This is something you can easily do yourself. All you need is one Mahle filter, two new copper crush rings for the drain plugs and 10-11 quarts of your favorite oil. Total cost? Around $20-$30.

Flat Six Addict

Go out to the Vette forums. Talk to some of the gurus there. I'm sure they would know, same as the rennlist members.

I would have to say if you're looking at 1/4 mile times and flat out power, go with the vette. But if you want to cruise and pick up babes, and fly down twisty backroads away from the city life. Then definitely the Porsche.

I don't think either of them would cost you too much in maintanence. I own a 76 Dodge with 188,000 miles on it. It averages $500 a year in maintenance and I do all my own work, most of the $$$ is just in preventative maintenance. Old cars are no more expensive than new ones. Keep up with maintenance and you'll be fine.

Carrera51

1) 90s Vette, that silly digital dash seems like it would cost a fortune to fix. SC with traditional gauges that have numbers and needles. pick: Porsche

2) Long term value: a nice SC is worth more today than a 90s Corvette. pick: Porsche

3) flat six engine note vs. detriot V-8 iron. tie

4) Overall fit and finish, and worksmanship. 911s were built by hand, Corvettes on an assembly line by machines. pick: Porsche

The best Corvettes were the ones produced in the late 50s and 60s (to 67). (my opinion)

Ellsworth Wente

I had an 89 vette for three years. Bought it with
29k miles. Loved it's looks and loved to drive it (when it ran). Which is why I don't have it now. Over those three years, my extended warranty covered $4500 worth of repairs. I replaced about every computer in the car (there were about 7) and had huge electrical problems. Lost all the fuel injectors one morning. They said it was because the prev owner had used fuel injector cleaner and it ate some internal plastic (bosch manufacturing defect)
I do all my own wrench work on my cars, that thing was a b*Tch! I now have an 87 911 targa. I have never taken it to someone else to repair. I do all my maintenance myself, including valve adjustments etc. It's a pleasure to work on the porsche. As mentioned earlier, the build quality is extaordinary compared to any american cars I've worked on. So, I'm sold on the porsches now. I think the only vette I'd ever own would be a `60's
model, since they can at least be worked on.
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Geoffrey

I owned a c4 corvette prior to the Porsche and can give you my experience. Basically, minor things like brakes, suspension, etc are failry easy to fix, unlike most GM junk. However, the body is weak especially the targa top. All leak water inside, especially when parked on uneven surfaces, the shocks leaked after 25k miles (factory bilstiens), the suspension bushings cracked after 8 years and made the car sloppy. Brakes sucked. Brakes really really sucked. Intake manifold leaked. It served me well as a daily driver (no door dings HA!) but I couldn't wait to get rid of it from the moment I bought it. Sold it after 5 years for $1500 less than I paid for it, so I was fairly happy. Does AMAZING burnouts too!

RANDY P

Former owner 90 z51 6 spd -

Assessment: Piece o' junk.

Went thru ecu's and HVAC controls faster than tires, seriously.

Maintenance (that is, what's SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN) all easy, just get a bunch of extensions for the plugs and drop the fender liners.

SBC requires 80K timing chain changes, or say bye- bye to torque and manners. (part of SBC ownership, not really Vette related)

Loved to communicate with me thru the "sys" and "check engine" lights. And the body? in GM tradition, flimsy as a slinky. By my house, there's a bump as you pull into the neighborhood. Pull in and the body would twist enough to dislocate the doors and kick on the interior lights! And the interior looks like it was put together with elmers glue, pieces on the console and panels would curl up when it got hot.

And to top it off, they're not that quick, esp. compared to a properly maintained SC. The car will be pretty much worthless at 130k.
I love building chevys, but never again will I buy a late model GM.

Oh, yes, and it's about as firm as a rotten watermelon in holding resale value. Must've killed the trade when I showed the 3k in repair reciepts during 2 1/2 years of ownership. You do the math..

rjp

PS: If you do choose the Vette, email me, I can get you a good deal on gold rope dookie chains.

RANDY P

Also-

that car is PROOF GM is nothing but a marketing hype machine. They have NO regard for quality. I'll never reward them again with a new purchase, not until they start respecting the intelligence of the motoring public.

Drew Theodore

Had 3 Corvettes. Fun cars to drive but long term wise, get old quick. Miles on a Corvette cause rattles and little things start to fall apart. C5's probably the best built of the corvettes from a finish stand point and are the fastest, even compared to the big block 66 and 67.
Porsche finish cannot be compared to a Corvette. A Porsche does not rattle with miles and does not have the little, nagging, things that fall apart. They are as fun to drive the 1st time you drive as the last.
If you are looking for 0-60 and 1/4 mile speed, go with a Corvette. If you are looking for a car that is fun to drive, go with a Porsche.

gerry100

had a '94 vette now an '86 3.2 coupe.

Good common sense maintenance questions. My '94 had no problems, My Carrerra has required some parts/personal labor. But if you had common sense you'd be driving a Camry.

My 1 year impression is that Porsche is much tighter better designed than the C4. How many 100K miles plus Vettes are for sale around and what are they worth - single digit thousands?.

All else equal I drove my Vette 10K in 4yrs, my Carrera 7K in one year. What does this tell you?

To make the choice between the two dirve them both and decide which on is most fun?

For a daily driver don't by either - get the old camry, by the 911 for weekend and nice days.

Tinton

I honestly believe that almost every 911 owner has one because they love them, not because they were best bang for buck. I would advise someone considering the purchase of a 911 only to buy it if you would not drive anything else and had a bit of money to cover your behind. It dont think it is a car you buy and say "im gonna sell it in a couple of years".

It would be too hard for someone to give you an estimate on how much it would cost for a 911 in repairs. Depends on what you buy and how you drive it. A few guys will tell you what they have spent. If you drive it a 1/4 mile at a time you can run up a huge bill.

If you want a quarter mile car where you simply plant your foot, which is what you want, the corvette would be the better option. If you wanted a fun car which you could drive to its limits after months of ownership, then the 911 is a good option. A few guys said you will get chicks with a porsche, dont be fooled by the image of the car. This shouldnt even come into consideration, you might get an sc and never have luck with women.

Take one for a drive. Price insurance. Ask some other owners what they have spent.