I live in DC and our 996.2 was our sole car for commuting and road trips for about 4 years, from 65k to 106k miles where it is currently. It's has been pretty dang reliable for an old german car, but it costs money to keep it that way. The only 2 times I needed a tow truck was due to cracked coils and horrible misfires that started overnight, and then later bad gas. That said, I've proactively run through many maintenance items to keep the car this reliable. Clutch, flywheel, RMS, a 2nd replacement IMSB, AOS, catalytic converters, 2 water pumps, alternator, wheel bearing, and various other small things (not including standard consumables). These days I only commute in it about once or twice a week as DC roads are so incredibly atrocious that it really just shakes the car to pieces. It only feels worth driving if I can get out to the countryside/mountains or an autocross or driving event, which I do as often as possible.

If I didn't care about denting wheels, destroying my LCAs, wearing out my Ohlins and just generally beating up the car on rough city roads, I'd still daily it. If I had a more freeway or suburban based commute, I'd still be daily driving it. In my use case, I don't care about adding wear and tear to the car, but I'd want it come from hard driving with a big smile on my face and not a mundane event like surprise pothole at 30mph, so I've confined my use as such. I think your answer might lie in what conditions your specific commute offers you

 

I live in central CT and often go into NYC to see family. I have a C2 as a weekend/ track toy. Honestly with the conditions of 91,95 route 15, route 8 and nyc roads I think getting an appropriately dampened suspension would be an absolute necessity. You could daily it but it’s gonna get old quick dealing with the roads. Maybe get adjustable dampers that you can make softer. The 996 is a really small car as well and I think it’s really best as a toy and ideally you have a second car. FWIW I drove my friends tesla P90d with ludicrous mode and wow. I definitely will get an EV when my daily infiniti sedan ****s the bed but the only way I get rid of my 996 is to upgrade to a 997.2 or 991

 

Nope. Go ahead and get the early 996, but also get a Subaru, Prius C, or Honda for commute duties. By the time you add up your running costs for the 996 DD, it will have paid for a used econobox. Save the 996 for when you want to enjoy driving, not force it.

 

Personally I wouldn't daily drive a 996, or any 911 unless I won the lotto!

Beater cars are cheap and easy to find. Use one of those for a grocery getter and a work car, it will take all the door dings and scratches you can throw at it and you won't care.

 

I love my C4S. I only put about 3K miles on it a year. It has not been a maintenance hog but the numerous little things add up pretty quickly. One of the big things about the C4S is the little thing called the frunk. My standard carry on bag will not fit in the frunk and has to go on the back seats folded down. It is rare I drive it to the airport but the few times my backup became the primary my carry on suitcase and tote filled the backseat shelf. It is not as practical as the C2 on space.

 

Sounds like you need to decide how much you like wrenching on cars. One thing that will definitely help you decide the answer to that question in regards to the 996... go drive a few. I do almost all my own maintenance on all my cars and bikes. And the 996, like most German cars, are diy-able in your own garage.

And you will be working on a 996... regardless of the mileage on the car you buy. They are old complicated cars. And that’s not to say they aren’t relatable, I’d feel fine about jumping in mine and driving it across the country tomorrow.

If if you want an analog 911 as a DE (determined best by driving a few), go for it. Just hang on to the e30... just in case.

 

I purchased my 996 in Sept 2017.
It had 50K on it.
I daily drive it about 1000 miles per month.
It now has 70K on it.
It has been very reliable.

Year 1 maintenance & repair costs were: $1121.31
Year 2 maintenance & repair costs so far are: $2275.30
Year 1 modification costs were: $7405
Year 2 modification costs are so far: $7013

I do all my own work, so that's just parts costs, not labor.

 

I have DD my c4s, generally 4-6 months at a time when school is out for the kids. 25 miles each way. Put 1-2k Miles a month when driving it. It isn't the most comfortable ride but it is fun. Gets 22 mpg for mixed hwy city driving according to the dash monitor. 60k miles on it now, 40k when I bought it. Couple years in there I was deployed and car wasn't driven much.

Change the oil 1-2 per year depending on Miles driven. I hate the CEL because it's generally expensive or a nuisance. Nothing in between. Came on again today for o2 sensors again. This is after replacing all o2's last year, full new exhaust 2 years ago including headers, cross over cats and fabspeed cans. Other stuff just maintenance. Fluid changes (trans, brakes, etc). Next is the IMS service and debating keeping the car or passing along to someone before shelling out the money for it. Tires get expensive. Two sets in 7 years of ownership. $1k per set +/-. I don't have a total spent overall. It is higher than my truck by a good margin. I do my own maintenance mostly but I'll pay someone for the ims service if I keep it.

I live in SW. Hardly rains, rarely snows. 330 sunny days a year. No humidity. Not near the ocean. About as ideal as you can get for sports car DD. I still wouldn't DD it year round. I wouldn't if it was a longer commute. Much longer and I would be getting gas twice a week which is a pain. Better mpg than my truck but requires premium so cost is a wash and truck is much smoother nicer quieter ride.

Can it be DD as a primary car? Sure. Just understand it isn't a Honda Civic. It's alot more fun but can be maddeningly frustrating like when you need an inspection including emmisions and the o2 sensor pops the CEL seemingly when it knows it is due.

Hope this helps.

 

Its cool to see you looking at purchasing the 996 as a daily driver. I have been daily driving my 911s and other sports cars for a while now. I would recommend to have a thorough PPI performed on the car. These cars can hold up really well if maintained for the performance they offer. I will list a few things we see frequently in the shop to look for that affects performance of the cars.

Components frequently replaced

• IMS Bearing (single row every 40,000, dual row 60,000 miles, or life time direct oil fed bearing which doesn’t need replacement.
• Air oil separator (40-80k mile range or every 10-12 years is the pattern I see)
• Rear main seal leaks (depends on if the crank bore is wearing off center, usually only high mileage cars)
• Water Pump (40-80K miles)
• Rear wheel bearings (60-100k miles)
• Shocks (50-80k miles)
• Rubber brake lines (10-15 years old)
• Engine mounts (60-80k miles or around 10-12 years)
• Transmission mount (80,000 miles or 12+ years)
• Expansion tanks (120,000 miles or 15+ years old)
• Coolant Hoses (Similar to above)
• Clutch/flywheel (30k-60k some cases higher if the driver is really good with clutch engagement)
• Top hats at C4 (75k miles or more usually)
• Window Regulators (50,000 miles or so. These tend to vary)
• Oil leaks exc. RMS (70,000 or around 12 years old)

These are just some things I am thinking of off the top of my head and it is quite late for me so I’m sure I missed something. Feel free to PM me or email me if you would like a list, quotes, or want to ask questions!

 

Thank you! Adding this to my research journal as well.

 

Man, I look at that list above, and think about my 2012 Prius C. It's coming up on 200k miles and except for filters and tires and wipers, NONE of that stuff has worn out. I think some folks have a rather obscure definition of "DD". I can't even calculate the number of days the car would be up on blocks, or torn apart each couple years.

 

[QUOTE=docmirror;15889892]Man, I look at that list above, and think about my 2012 Prius C. It's coming up on 200k miles and except for filters and tires and wipers, NONE of that stuff has worn out. /QUOTE]

If you can afford it drive a McLaren. It's all about what you are willing to pay to have fun behind the wheel. Just keep the Prius out of the left lane

 

I kinda think what's going on with some people dabbling in 996 ownership is that they look at the price of entry, and think; 'gee I could buy a decent used Subaru for $18k, or - I could buy this shiny bauble made by Porsche. What to do?' If they buy both, then that's a lot of scratch, but one 996 is the same price as the Subie! So, they want to have a 996, and operate it like a Subaru. Gas, oil, tires, wipers and a timing belt at 100k. Like you said, if one wants to pay the money, and down time, might as well DD a 06 Stanley Steamer. It can be done.

 

I fully agree. How many times in a parking lot do you see a Merc, BMW, or forbid a Porsche with interior all cracked. I keep 20K on standby just in case because I plan on keeping my 996 until my son can afford to keep it up financially and I will get a 991.?

 

A 20 year old Porsche is never a good idea to use as a daily commuter car.