CorsePerVita

Figured i'd ask you 911 guys. I've got a 944 for a daily, I love it. Put a lot of work into it and it is mechanically fit as a fiddle. Wonderful car.

Thing is, I'm putting a lot of time into my 924 for trackdays to get it ready, and the 944 just isn't the same for me, it's fun, but still not a 924, and still not a 911. I like it. Don't get me wrong. But I'd honestly rather trade it for a 924 turbo daily, or a pristine 924, since I know them so well. Or a 911. (i know, to some, that may sound odd.)

However, after buying a 914 and getting a feel for how simple aircooled engines are to work on in comparison... and how fun.... I've had the 911 bug since. I like my 944. Don't get me wrong. But I greatly enjoyed the 911 the few times I've driven them.

At some point, someday, I want a 930 for a toy. However, not for a daily. There are a few 911 SC cars for sale locally. Have a chance to trade + cash and get one for a good price.

A few questions arise:

- It's going to be an all year around car, how are the heaterbox systems in comparison to the older cars? In the winter? Am I going to be freezing my butt off? Or will I be fine? How's defrost? How are they in the winter? Anything to be aware of?

- Driving in the snow, how are they in conditions that require correction in the snow/ice/ etc... I had a close call this winter due to ruts in the road + ice + snow and it took my car into a skid. Strangely, just like a dirt road, chains had created small indents (much like a wavy dirt road) that essentially makes that fun "floating" effect... thankfully I was able to easily correct and responded easily. But I've always found my 944 easy to drive in the snow and in conditions that were otherwise a "pain" in my previous dailies. I understand they handle great, but I have not ever had to drive a 911 in such a condition, therefore, would like feedback if possible in how they do in those conditions.

- Maintenance intervals. In comparison to the frequency of my 944 i'm actually looking forward to going aircooled... anything preventative though I should be doing in the wintertime?

- Any "must haves" (upgrades, modifications, reliability mods, etc) for an early 80s 911 SC?

- Any specialty "must have" tools as well? I do the maintenance on every single vehicle in my fleet myself. I'm picky like that.

Woody

I had an SC in Wyoming and tried not to drive it in the winter. If the heater boxes and ducting are all in good shap it does not do too bad for heat. The defroster is another mater and the snow and ice on the windows will probably get the better of you. Not my first pick for a winter car where winter actualy means winter. Not only that, someone is likely to run into you and unlike the 944 you will need full coverage insurance because of the difference in value.

If you can work on a 944 the SC will not be an issue to work on but they are not simple like the VW engine in a 914. You will have lots of reading and learning to do.
Woody

CorsePerVita

Thanks woody. I do carry full insurance on all my vehicles regardless.

So the defroster is a bit of a pain? The heater boxes on my 914 are good, and the heater system works well but the problem is that in extremely cold weather it'd hardly keep the windows defrosted. Wasn't sure if i'd run into the same. This winter we hit between -11 and -15F. Although I know it gets awfully cold eslewhere, it's normal here.

theiceman

of course a lot will depend on the climate where you live. I used to own a 944S for 8 years i now I drive a 911SC. I can tell you hands down the 944 for me was a better daily driver. the heat and A/C advances alone make it worth while. Of course my 911 has stiffer suspension to . The stereo was nice everything was electric and just an all round better commuter experience, the 50/50 weight ratio made it easier to drive ... but don't get me wrong I live in a harsher environment than most as far as weather goes.

All that said I traded a nice daily driver for a motoring icon.. and i would NEVER go back .. but i will give the 944 it's props in this department for sure ..

just my 2c

CorsePerVita

So what I'm hearing is "944 is a good daily but since i got my 911.... sorry... no way i'd convert again"

How are they in snow? I'm running dunlop sport winters on late model wheels, I believe they are one and the same as 911/boxster wheels. Would they fit the 911? Or would I need spacers? I know the early 944 was a 23mm offset, and the late model was like a 50 offset (so i needed spacers to make them fit) or would these just bolt right up and fit? I figure if they do... i'll just put the originals on the 944 for tradein (i have to get rid of it, no room for another car) and save them for the winter.

They are these exact wheels -

yumyum1667

My 911 for a daily I don't know. It takes effort to drive and I avoid driving in any kind of rush hour traffic here in Atlanta. I have the G50 tranny and it is still a heavy clutch and takes effort in traffic. The lack of power steering would also be a lot of effort in traffic. If it is a smooth commute it could work.

As far as heat my wife told me this morning to turn it down because it was roasting her so no complaints there. The defroster does suck but will work with some wrestling.

No experience in snow but I hear the 964 C4S is great for that.

theiceman

any C4S would work especially a modern one .. .. I wouldn't drive my SC in winter .. just a personal choice .. you have to remember even the newest SC is approaching 30 years old now .. don't know if it is relevant but something to consider.
and by the way your right NEVER go back .. in a trade ..if i get a cheap 944 i might add .. but never trade.

CorsePerVita

Yeah, i can't imagine trading either. Referring to my 944 trade, trade in, as in it's at a dealership.. they said they'd accept trade-in on my 944. The 911s i've driven have been a hell of a lot of fun. As to the personal choice on driving in the winter, is it due to the handling behavior? Or just not wanting to put it through the wear and tear of winter?

CorsePerVita

Alright, drove the car after reviewing the opinions and info. The car's paint is immaculate. He's asking $10k although I have a few concerns:

- The clutch chatters and is at the tail end of the pedal once it's left out. Leading me to believe the clutch has a lot of wear or is badly adjusted. The last 911 i drove the clutch didn't chatter. Although I have no idea if it's got an aftermarket clutch in it. It engaged FIRMLY and felt fine, i felt no slipping.

- The targa top seals nicely, no leaks. Although there was condensation in the rear window, leading me to believe that the window has a break in the seal. Easy fix, however, something to bring up to them.


The good:

- Paint is immaculate
- You could nearly eat off the engine bay
- I went through and looked at grounds and the wiring, it looks great
- Fuel lines have been replaced and are new
- CIS system looks to be in excellent shape, no leaks, no issues, no rust anywhere to be found
- Brakes are... WOW

theiceman

bit of both really ... mostly wear and tear , but not much room for error in a 911 on bad weather..

rosco28

I use my '79sc as my daily, and i love it! Of course the winter over here in Israel isn't very harsh, to say the least. Tonight its in the 40s and the heat, as always, is instant and works great!! I've not had much experience with the defrost...

In the heat of summer lots of traffic can be tough, due to overheating. It's never actually happened to me, but I sit there sweating as my temp needle approaches red (not actually sweating because my Kuehl a/c kicks butt!!). The heavy clutch and lack of power steering don't bother me, in fact they're constant reminders of the machine I'm handling.

I find that the 911 can skid out from under you even in the best driving conditions, so I'd imagine that snow and ice would only exacerbate the effect.

Every day i drive my car and say to myself, "this is the best car in the world" while trying to control the silly grin on my face from making me look like a madman. I can't imagine it getting any better than this


Rosco
1979 911sc coupe, Oak Green Metallic

CorsePerVita

After pricing parts on clutch (and after going through a clutch replacement on my 944... which wasn't fun) I think i'll try and negotiate price a little more with the guy, or see if they'll work on more tradein price with the chattering. Called a buddy of mine locally who had a few 911s and he said the chattering shouldn't be normal. But he said in comparison to my 944 it's a cake walk to replace. So that doesn't worry me other than cost to replace. Then again the clutch was releasing at the tail end of the pedal too, so it could have been that i was compensating too quickly causing the chatter since i'm not used to it. Did engage quite smoothly a few times.

rusnak

The SC from '78 to '83 had a LOT of engine development work. The 78 is therefore very different from the 83.

I have been driving a '78 daily for the past two months, and I thought it was ok when I bought it 10 years ago, but after driving an '84 daily since then, I don't think the '78 is good as a daily driver.

The increased torque from higher compression, addtion of Lambda control, higher gearing, etc make the Carrera much more user friendly. The cams are not as peaky, and the Carrera is just an all around better car. I imagine a C2 or C4 would reflect a higher level of refinement as well. Just my own $0.02

CorsePerVita

This one is an 82'.

rusnak

I believe the '82 had an O2 sensor, did it not? The compression was higher by then, and so was torque. Fuel economy also much better as a result.