Karl B

I don't want to get any one upset but I have a 2006 997 Carrera S that I love, but it sits in the garage because my daily commute is about 90 miles round trip.
I have come across a very nice original SC non sunroof car for sale for $13000. My idea was to purchase it and use it when the weather is nice for my commute. Am I crazy, is it going to be too much work to maintain it. I do much of my own maintenance so it would be mostly just parts.

ked

the "work to maintain" the SC is an open question - the newest ones are a quarter-century old, so all is generalization w/o specifics on your $13k example. if it is a survivor with solid history & good current condition / in regular use, not TOO much mileage & flying colors on the PPI, the more you drive it the more reliable it should be on a day-to-day basis. so, if you are into maint & repair as a hobby (as well as the driving bit), it might work out fine - you'll be driving the 997 on days the SC is down anyway, right? or, just skip the SC & drive your 4 yr old 997... it's depreciating steadily regardless.

911Dave

I think it makes a lot more sense to commute in the 997. Did you spend all that money so you could look at it, or drive it?

If your logic is that you don't want to put the miles on it because it will lose value, this is flawed. The SC will cost $13k initially plus insurance and maintenance every year. If you commute in the 997 for several years you still will probably be better off, dollar-wise.

Maybe you really just want an aircooled car instead of the 997. I had both until last week. I sold the 997 because the '86 is more fun. In that case, selling your 997 and buying the SC makes a whole lot of sense.

Buying a 911 so that you won't have to drive your other 911 just makes no sense at all.

whalebird

Many hardcore porsche enthusiast contend that you just can't have one Porsche. You get to the point where you need another, then another...usually right after the first few DE/track outings. An SC in proper tune and repair will serve you very well. No comparison to a 997 and you may take the same route as 911dave. Many will say "the older the better" when it comes to 911s - just like a Benz. None of the cars were talking about here have investment quality - arguably the SC will be worth twice your 997 in 10 years. They all should be driven.

Edward

For a commute that is 90 miles round trip I'd take the 997, hands down. I love my SC, without question, and would not hesitate using it as a commuter car ...but for a more "reasonable" commuting distance. The bottom line is that
"rawness" that makes 911s so endearing can wear on you, depending on your tolerance level.

From real HVAC that actually works, to music, to inclement weather, any newer 911 will offer the commuter overall comfort that older 911s just can't attain. Especially when we're talking about typical commutes where mindless expanses of freeway kills most of the joy anyway. So while I love driving the SC on occasion to work (95% track car) for kicks and the sheer love of that raw connection to the sports car heritage that makes 911s so special, I personally wouldn't want to commute everyday with my SC.

If your goal is to mitigate the mileage hit on your 997, then get another 911 for those days where you desire that "pure driving" sensation. I know with me, having my 993 as daily driver and alternating with the SC on occasion makes me appreciate each of them much more! Of course, YMMV.

Edward

thechiropractor

My guess is that you will be spending more to maintain the SC than the 997. My 81' has cost more to maintain than I am happy with, but driving it is a dream...

Carlo_Carrera

I have to agree with the others. You are better off driving your 997 than an SC. Over time a good condition SC will be more value than your 997. Pre-1976 911s are skyrocketing in price, SCs are next. As someone above wrote an SC is very raw and also has a spring loaded clutch that can really give you a workout in traffic.

If you are dead set on an older air-cooled Porsche to drive go for an 89 Carrera. Hydraulic clutch and HVAC that works.

MUSSBERGER

I talked to the owner of that car. It would definitely need a PPI.
Has some rust bubbles on a respray and trouble getting into first gear. And thats all I learned in my brief conversation with him.

Brett San Diego

I would daily drive an SC, but that's me. I have no idea what your tolerance for maintenance is. I daily drove mine for a few months a few years ago, and one thing that struck me was the distinct feeling that when stuck in traffic on the freeway, I was the only one still having a good time.... Just cruising in my classic 911. LOL You can't get that any other way.

Brett

bart1

I may be asking a similar question to the OP at some point. I have a 993 weekend toy and 968 for a daily ~100 mile commute. For the next car I buy, i'm thinking SC or 3.2. Maybe at that point, I need to get a disposable Honda as well, because I think that's too many boring miles for a 911 and the costs will be a lot higher to run. Of course, I might want to shoot myslf for driving a boring car that far daily.

The 968 is great as a GT car in that role, but doesn't inspire the excitement of a 911. Also, mine is really getting up there in miles. They are probably a lot cheaper to run than any air cooled 911, so perhaps an idea for the OP.

911tracker85

as Whalebird said, the more I attended DEs, the more perf upgrades, and the harsher my 911 became on the street.

so got a decent 928S for my semi daily driver almost 2 yrs ago. love it for my commute to/from work. I love the 911 for excitement on the track and an occasional top-off drive in the country.

can you do any of your own wrenching? if so you can get a decent, driver 928S cheap. but will need to plan to do some refresh work then ongoing maintenance to make/keep reliable. I got an 84 as they are not as complex as the later model S4s.

autobonrun

I don't drive my SC everyday, but I've spent less than $1000 including tune ups, tires and oil changes in the last 3 years. But, in the 26 years total I've owned it, it's been around $31k spent. $31k sounds like a lot but it's not that much over a quarter century given a set of tires is $800 and I've bought probably 6 or 8 sets. The unplanned maintenance on the SC has really been very low. Only about $6k of the 31k was unplanned fixes (starters, alternators, fan blowers, clutch, etc.). That averages out to less than $250 per year in unplanned repairs. The vast majority was things I knew in advance would need replacement or were mods (SSI's, Dansk muffler, whale tail, etc.)

It's got 214k miles and I'd still put it on the highway for a long trip. In addition, I'm much more comfortable working on it myself than my 993.

Just find a good SC and a 90 mile commute on nice days is just what she would like. You can drive the SC and not worry about running the mileage up. I think it's a good choice if you find a SC you really like with all the maintenance records. Besides, life's too short to drive a boring car. I would love a 90mile commute on nice days in my SC.

theiceman

the 997 is an everyday commuter car , the 911 is a special occasion sports car ..sorry but that's just the way i sees it ...

autobonrun

I agree. I thought he was trying to keep the miles on the 997 low for resale purposes and he wanted a fun commuter car in addition; but that was an assumption on my part.

abe

Funny, my 83SC has 109k on it and I want to keep the milage down. My 997...well, I don't care how many miles I put on it.
abe