Carolinacar

I am a former Boxster owner now searching for a 993. Its conceivable that the 993 could end up becoming a daily driver. I have every intention of making that happen. But I work from home and most trips will be limited to shorter errands with the occasional longer 30 minute or so trips. I know these cars are made to be driven and not destined to die a slow death as garage queens but will the shorter duration trips do more harm than good? Can the car be an effective daily driver? My budget allows for a C2 with the 70k mile profile. Thanks

PS. We do have another newer model car that gets the brunt of the road trip abuse. Generally the 993 would get as much use as possible without unnecessarily racking up miles. Rarely snows here. Trips are modest. The car would not be a flat out replacement for a newer model. Conscious of letting her out of the stable for a good run without running up miles. I recall with the Boxster I averaged 3000 miles a year.

craina

Absolutely

notabot

Yes to daily driver. These cars are so fun to drive that you’ll neglect any other car you have so it’ll just assume the role of daily driver whether you want it or not!

Yes to constant short trips “hurting” the car (and any car). Just do some long, spirited driving here and there.

Good luck with your search! This subforum is an ocean of information, and everyone is nice with the occasional ribbing.

pp000830

My 1996 C2 has been a daily driver for the last 100,000 miles no-problemo.
My definition of a daily driver is one where it starts and runs every time I turn the key and is durable enough that any incidental servicing or repair items can be done at my convenience not stopping me from using the car when they arise. Costs for repairs can be very low on a DIY basis. Unfortunately, these cars have been out of warranty for decades and so having others work on your car at $150-hour labor rates and predatory pricing will make servicing these cars expensive but I would offer no more expensive than any modern German car once out of warranty.

In the case of a 70,000-mile example, there may be some sorting out of some "IF" at the get-go:

A clutch replacement if it is causing shifting issues,
Replacing both clutch cylinders and the clutch lever in the peddle cluster, a known failure item, if the clutch actuation system is acting up,
New hydraulic valve lifter cartridges if noisy,
A steering rack rebuild if leaking,
Replacement oxygen sensors if they are original, sound unnecessary but they are used to control fuel/air mixture, evaluate the function of the catalytic converters and the air injector system and if out of specification will throw all sorts of erroneous Onboard Diagnostic codes. and can mislead you in unnecessary expensive repairs down the road. They are $60 ~$80 each if purchased in a BOSCH box and replacing them is a driveway DIY job, and they should be a once in the lifetime of the car replacement item.

https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...anagement.html

Replace the vacuum actuators on the Varioram system and engine compartment heater blower duct as they also do not show outward signs of failure, are a known failure item and will impact engine performance if leaking. These are once in the lifetime of the car replacement items as the new ones' diaphragms are made of significantly more durable material..

https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...r-robbing.html

Replace or update the low-speed cooling fan resistors for the AC condenser and the oil cooler, two parts that fail universally on our cars, and there is no outward indication of their failure and they may contribute if working to the durability of the engine and AC. These are a replacement once in the lifetime of the car items as the originals were made of failure-prone materials.

https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...wer-speed.html

Ignition wires if they are original, plugs if never changed before.
The wires have turned out to be extremely durable and have a service life in some cases far beyond what the replacement interval from the factory suggests. You will likely only replace these once in your ownership.
Small stuff that fails like window switches, the odometer gears, etc

Also to protect the car in the long run the gutter around the windshield and the rear window should be filled with sealant to eliminate body rust and the check straps on the doors should be modified to reduce stress on its hinge point that leads to its almost universal failure.

I would also throw in a new secondary air injector system check valve and most importantly to avoid issues learn the proper way to evaluate if the oil level is correct and not overfilled.

https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...nsumption.html

I guess what I am saying is do you know how many of the above items have been attended to recently on the example you are looking at?
If not go in with your eyes open get your DIY Tools out or be prepared to spend a bit of cash.
The upside is once sorted out these cares are the most reliable models Porsche has ever made, simple in design but with a modern electrical system, AC that works, and a bulletproof engine and driveline if used for daily driver duty.
Hope this helps,
Andy

Carolinacar

Thanks for the great feedback. Early in my search. Thanks

Gbos1

Just be forewarned that operating costs are not cheap. Make sure you have a mechanic that really knows these cars. Good luck.

rk-d

Agree with Gbos1 -If you don't have a quality air cooled mechanic that is local, I would not daily drive a 993.

Chuck W.

Keep in mind you're buying a 22 to 25 year old car. Make sure you get a good Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI). A well sorted and cared for 993 will make a great daily driver.

pp000830

And make sure you have a full understanding of what work is being proposed and why.

Not to say servicing entities that service Porsche, in general, are dishonest, they are not, just that their pricing and imperative to be comprehensive in their work, can result in having the scope of work contemplated to become rather large, expensive and in some cases unnecessary.

Even if you never service your own 993 one should buy a generic OBD Reader and consult Rennlist pages for feedback on what work is being proposed before committing serious resources for a contemplated servicing or repair.

Then again this applies to getting any car repaired or serviced in general as the entire automotive service industry works under the buyer beware rules.
Andy

fatmike

The boxster is a better daily driver. The 993 is a better weekend car / 2nd car.

I drove a Boxster as a daily driver for 6 years and 60K miles. I bought the 993 with the intent to use it as a daily Driver and ended up buying a diesel too.

Here are some reasons why:

- I had a bike rack on the Boxster and didn’t give a crap about scratching it. The rack doesn’t belong on a 993 in the same way.

- Boxster is a comfortable car on the highway in a way the 993 isn’t.

- The Bosxter can take a golf bag on the rear trunk. Golf clubs don’t fit gracefully in a 993.

- In fact the rear trunk of the Boxster is incredibly useful (especially if you need an easy bake oven). 993 frunk = Boxster frunk = basically useless.

- Business Suit fits behind boxster seat. Nowhere to put it in the 993.

- I didn’t care about parking the Boxster in a parking lot. I didn’t care about the road rash on the Boxster.

The 993 is simply too nice to subject to groceries, parking lots, highways, bike racks, etc...

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fatmike

I disagree. I’ve owned both. The 993 is rock solid once you get them sorted.

A Boxster has a very similar cost of ownership with planned maintenance.

If anything the 993 is more reliable than a 986 S (rear main seal, IMS, Air Oil separator, rear window, every plastic button you touch breaks, ignition switches, etc)

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evilfij

Sure. Daily drove mine last month. #fyeahconcrete as the kids on TikTok say. Don’t let them scare you, there is very little you need to do to a 993.

goofballdeluxe

Mine has been my daily driver since 2005. I live in SoCal and work from home, so I only put about 3K a year on mine, but it is a great daily if your lifestyle suits it

Gbos1

and I quote “once you get them sorted” for me it was $50k later in mods / general maintenance all well documented in my thick binder over the last 4 years and I bought the best there was at the time to start with at 27k original miles. To even compare a Boxster to a 993 is an absurd statement. This is a 25 some year old car now. Again you better have a good Air Cooled mechanic that knows these cars well.

TexasPorschelover

I cannot emphasize this enough. I bought a good 964. Top end was done, no damage car that runs strong but it had many small issues to be sorted. To give you one small example of why its important to have a mechanic who knows what they are doing: my clock lights were not working. This was traced back to the under frunk light by my mechanic who knows these cars backwards and forwards. The frunk light was installed backwards which was causing the terminals to contact the hood hinges and shorting it out. The clock lights are on the same circuit. Without this understanding this matter would not have easily been sorted. I had a small oil leak which looked like a valve cover. My mechanic suspected and quickly confirmed a hose on the back of the engine was cracked and the cause of the oil. Its dry as a bone now. My car is now 100% sorted but it could not have been done without a great Porsche mechanic. Once they are properly sorted they are really reliable cars for being 30 years old. I too sorta daily my 964 with a Raptor but it get more time than my 991 GT3 which is more of an event/occasion to drive. Good luck and enjoy!