To Drive or Not To Drive
08-21-2002, 03:37 PM
#1
To Drive or Not To Drive
Bought an '84 Targa with 65k mi this summer. The thing is in great condition and I love driving it. Originally, I did not purchase this car for a daily driver; however, I love driving so much that I cannot resist. My dilemma: agonizing over the mileage (500/week) vs. the feeling that the car is safe, good on fuel, and fun so why not commute with it? Advice?
08-21-2002, 09:03 PM
#3
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'84 Cabriolet; interestingly enough bought it with the same amount of miles in February.
Drive it. Drive the s**t out of it. You can't buy more smiles per buck.
Drive it. Drive the s**t out of it. You can't buy more smiles per buck.
08-21-2002, 10:01 PM
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Not to be a wet blanket, but there are a couple of concerns that I would have with driving it every day:
(1) You're going to put a lot of mileage on it relatively quickly. This means that your maintenance intervals will come more quickly. This also means that, within a couple of years, you'll have a "high mileage" car (i.e., 100k+), which has somewhat more limited prospects for resale, along with a lower resale price -- I know that 911's last forever, etc., but there is a stigma associated with cars with over 100k miles that will make it harder to sell and depress the resale price, as compared to a car with lower mileage. If you can afford the added maintenance costs and either don't plan on selling it, or don't really care about depressed resale price, this factor isn't really a concern.
(2) The more it's on the road, especially commuting during rush hour, the more it's exposed to the possibility of an accident. Getting into an accident, obviously, is a pain in the *** from an administrative perspective. It's also particularly heart-wrenching to see "your baby" smashed (I speak from experience). In addition, once the car has been hit (even if it's been repaired perfectly), it's resale value will suffer. If you can live with the possibility of it getting hit and aren't overly concerned with the resale value, this factor isn't really a concern.
(3) Depending upon your area, driving it and parking it increases the possibility of theft, especially with it being a "convertible".
All of the above being said, I drive my 1991 C2 cab as much as possible (maintenance bills and resale value be damned!).
Good luck!
(1) You're going to put a lot of mileage on it relatively quickly. This means that your maintenance intervals will come more quickly. This also means that, within a couple of years, you'll have a "high mileage" car (i.e., 100k+), which has somewhat more limited prospects for resale, along with a lower resale price -- I know that 911's last forever, etc., but there is a stigma associated with cars with over 100k miles that will make it harder to sell and depress the resale price, as compared to a car with lower mileage. If you can afford the added maintenance costs and either don't plan on selling it, or don't really care about depressed resale price, this factor isn't really a concern.
(2) The more it's on the road, especially commuting during rush hour, the more it's exposed to the possibility of an accident. Getting into an accident, obviously, is a pain in the *** from an administrative perspective. It's also particularly heart-wrenching to see "your baby" smashed (I speak from experience). In addition, once the car has been hit (even if it's been repaired perfectly), it's resale value will suffer. If you can live with the possibility of it getting hit and aren't overly concerned with the resale value, this factor isn't really a concern.
(3) Depending upon your area, driving it and parking it increases the possibility of theft, especially with it being a "convertible".
All of the above being said, I drive my 1991 C2 cab as much as possible (maintenance bills and resale value be damned!).
Good luck!
08-21-2002, 10:04 PM
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I don't think you are being a wet blanket; just pragmatic. Your points are well made. I drive my car every day and have the associated increase in rock chips, etc. I guess it comes down to how long you want to stretch the miles out for.
08-21-2002, 11:16 PM
#7
Drive it everyday as long as it is fun or special. As soon as you get used to it, I would switch to driving less frequently, to retain the "specialness" of the car.
For me, a big part of the daily drive to work is habit, and I am on autopilot. After the first couple of weeks of driving the 911, I was falling back into the habit mode. I now drive it to work on "Casual" Fridays, and look forward to it greatly.
I would not worry about resale values or maintenance - you bought the car to drive. You do want the drives to be special, and there is some truth to absence makes the heart grow fonder...
My $.02,
David
For me, a big part of the daily drive to work is habit, and I am on autopilot. After the first couple of weeks of driving the 911, I was falling back into the habit mode. I now drive it to work on "Casual" Fridays, and look forward to it greatly.
I would not worry about resale values or maintenance - you bought the car to drive. You do want the drives to be special, and there is some truth to absence makes the heart grow fonder...
My $.02,
David
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08-22-2002, 02:33 AM
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Ditto
Bought my 88 Targa 13 months ago with 57K on it. Now has almost 73K. I still keep it covered and parked in a "safe" place. I agree with David911. My daily driver on "to hot, to wet, etc." days only makes the P-car that much more fun to drive. I wouldn't worry to much about a few more miles - enjoy them.
Bought my 88 Targa 13 months ago with 57K on it. Now has almost 73K. I still keep it covered and parked in a "safe" place. I agree with David911. My daily driver on "to hot, to wet, etc." days only makes the P-car that much more fun to drive. I wouldn't worry to much about a few more miles - enjoy them.
08-22-2002, 01:54 PM
#9
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My 911 driving practice is much like Biotron's, everyday unless really raining out or hotter than hell. (I took out the AC on my '86 Carrera) I find it makes the morning commute much more enjoyable and if I don't drive it every day I start to get 911 withdrawal.
08-22-2002, 02:12 PM
#10
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Drive it as much as possible. I wouldn't drive it everyday if your commute includes sitting in stop and go traffic though. I've found that 911s are like boats. The less they are run, the more little annoying problems creep up. Drive it a few days a week when the weather is nice and enjoy it!
08-22-2002, 05:19 PM
#12
[quote] Drive it. Just watch where you park it. Those soccer moms are hell on your paint. <hr></blockquote>
Yes. Beware of where you park it - never park at fast food places. Moms and tots could give a damn about your car. I parked at an In-And-out one day, and proceeded to walk toward the restaurant. I looked back as I was walking and saw this mom pull into the space next to me (really close to my 930). She then exited her car and walked to the passenger side door to get her rat out of the baby seat. Needless to say, she let the door swing completely open, striking my side mirror. Lucky for me, it struck the black plastic trim only.
Yes. Beware of where you park it - never park at fast food places. Moms and tots could give a damn about your car. I parked at an In-And-out one day, and proceeded to walk toward the restaurant. I looked back as I was walking and saw this mom pull into the space next to me (really close to my 930). She then exited her car and walked to the passenger side door to get her rat out of the baby seat. Needless to say, she let the door swing completely open, striking my side mirror. Lucky for me, it struck the black plastic trim only.
08-22-2002, 07:03 PM
#13
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Drive, drive, drive like there´s no tomorrow!
By the by, I was told by my mechanic (really knowledgeable guy) that 911´s REALLY suffer when they are locked away for a while, seals dry, etc, etc. Cars in best shape are those which are driven...
so drive...
By the by, I was told by my mechanic (really knowledgeable guy) that 911´s REALLY suffer when they are locked away for a while, seals dry, etc, etc. Cars in best shape are those which are driven...
so drive...
08-23-2002, 02:34 AM
#14
...as the former prez of our local PCA once commented to me - "Why save the miles for the NEXT owner?" As David 911 points out,when you get to the point where it's a 'ho-hum' ride, THEN put it away. In the meantime, hopefully it's still some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on!