docmirror

We've had a small vehicular emergency in the fam and are looking at the 92 968 as a DD. It is now in good shape, but not perfect. Commute will be about 11 miles one way, plus after hours use of maybe 200 miles per week.

Specific questions:
1) Will it run ok on 89 octane? I'm thinking yes because it has two knock sensors and can adapt to lower fuel octane.
2) What kind of economy can I expect on a 6sp coupe? Mostly fwy driving.
3) Overheating tendencies? I'm in TX, and it's hot in summer.

If you DD your 968 please provide some expertise.

pontifex4

Doc, I can't speak to the fuel choice or reliability, as I'm new to them, too, but I would suggest that you check your fan wiring and relays if you're concerned about overheating. If you have good low- and high-speed fan behaviour per Clark's Garage, and your cooling system can withstand a pressure test, I think you should go for it.

The only limitation I can think of is that it's a much lower car than the average vehicle on North American roads these days.

odurandina

great daily driver. of course. i daily drive it. transcon daily drive it. use it. abuse it.

most reliable P-car ever. but does require the Rennlist saints to do the preventative wrenching for me.

cuz i won't ever learn me how to mess with the variocam system.

Cloud9...68

How long do you think you'll be using it as a daily driver? How many miles are on you car? If you're planning to keep it indefinitely, I don't see any issues with using it as a daily driver, but if this is going to be a long term proposition, and you think you may sell the car down the road, be aware that once they get much above 100K miles, their value takes a vertigo-inducing nose-dive.

dougs968

Doc, as a DD I say yes. I commute about 25 miles each way to work. Rural roads and/or highway.

I only use 91 octane gas, no ethanol. Our cars have 11 to 1 compression ratio and I believe Porsche recommends no less than 91.

I can't say exactly what kind of fuel economy I'm getting since I (still) haven't gotten my odometer fixed. I would guess high 20s to low 30s.

No issues with over heating but I find myself constantly monitoring the temp gage while in town stuck in traffic. I'm about 200 miles north of you in Norman OK area. I think we are sharing the same heat dome. My AC compressor is dead so extra hot for me. Oh and BTW when the fan motor/motors kick on they pull the temp right on down, even when its 113 degrees.

Doug

pontifex4

Do you know if your low speed fans are operational? I can't even imagine that kind of heat.

dougs968

I presume both are working. I had replaced a blown fuse for one of the fan motors last year or so. I may be wrong but I think one of the fan motors turns on if the AC switch is activated. Anybody know for sure?

Yea, the heat. I'm not sure if anybody gets used to it, you just deal with it. I'm ready for winter.

Doug

rgs944

The best argument I can give for not using a 968 for a DD is the joy you get after not driving the car for a few weeks and then going for a cruise. My attention lately has been going mostly to my newly SuperCharged S4 but tonight I wiped down the 968 and went for a drive. The car was so smooth and fun and a complete joy to drive. If I did it everyday I don't think it would ever be as much fun.

odurandina

i had a chance to buy a near-virgin engine for pennies on the dollar just a few miles from my house.... coulda, woulda have went for it, but for my V8 project.... do all the preventative maintenance plus a spare engine and why wouldn't half a million miles be out of the question ?

rgs944

Damn Odourandina, do you have to make us look at that when you have such a great record of entertaining us. How about a pretty black girl instead of a pretend to be black president?

Dandy_don

The 968 is a great DD. I use it every day 30-35 miles each way in Houston heat and I make the occasional trip up to Dallas 200 plus miles and think nothing of it. I use 89 Octane and it has never pinged on me. And on my old head (pre almost cam seize) the valves and combustion chambers and pistons looked just fine (discounting the 4 bent valves ) with the 30 k miles on them that I did. So, yes it is just fine as a DD, Has never overheated on me and we get some hot and very humid days here. Temp gauge has never cracked the upper white line- fans when they come on do really bring the temp down- one fan is always on when the AC comp is engaged, maybe both, never checked.

mtnspeed

Drive mine in Houston frequently and take regular road trips to San Antonio. No issues. Why not?

docmirror

Interesting. DFW and Houston is where the car will be used mostly. We have already cracked the 100k boundary, and the car is 20 years old after all so I'm not worried about long term value, since I bought it for a steal anyway.

My fans seem to operate correctly. I was driving the other day in +100 weather with the AC on high, and around town, the fans would keep the temp right around the middle of the gauge, clearly below the upper white line. I just bought the rad and fans used but they seem up to the task. Should I have trouble later, I could replace the rad with a larger one I guess but it sounds like by 92 Porsche speced a big enough rad to handle age and heat.

I guess we'll give it a try.

odurandina

have you done the cam chain, pads etc ?..... and true that about cams going bad. very expensive issue when it comes about. other than that, the rod bearings is fairly problematic, because Porsche calls for upgrading to the bigger rods due to the fact that the early rods (not just the bolts) are prone to failures after being torqued a second time.

JDS968

968 makes an excellent daily driver, especially a 6-speed coupe. I daily drive mine here in Florida. Does not overheat in traffic, on the highway at constant high speed, even on the track in the summer. Set the cruise control around 55-60 MPH, it's good for 29-30 MPG. Really difficult for me to do that though, so I get far less...real life MPG seems to be very very dependent on driving style. The KLR should allow you to safely run 89 octane, but it's a bad idea. Will reduce both performance (power and responsiveness) and fuel efficiency at the same time. You'll likely spend more money buying extra 89 compared to what you'd spend buying 91.

Other issues related to use as a daily driver:

- My 968 is a '92, so it has an R12 air conditioning system. It is the coldest A/C of any car I've driven. I love it! If you've got a '92, enjoy it!

- The Achilles heel of the 968 is the delicate synchros. If you're going to be daily driving it, especially in traffic, make sure you're rev matching all shifts and using a "2-step" shift (pull it out of gear and enter the gate you want, pause when you feel resistance, notch it in when you feel it synchronize).

- I don't know about yours, but I've always found the stereo system to be crap. I love the controls (and look) on the CD-2 head unit, but it desperately needs a line-in input, and the amp/speakers are really weak and disappointing. Might want to upgrade something (although I don't know what exactly you'd need to do, as I know nothing about audio).

No such thing. I want his old avatar back...