944 daily driver?

[dugsud]

Hi
I usually lurk around the 911 forums as I have an SC, however I have a question to ask of you 944 gurus.

My girlfriend is thinking of buying a 944 as a daily driver for the 50 or so miles per day she does to & from work.
The budget will be 5-6K & the car has to sleep out.
First is it a good idea for a female to rely on a 15+ year old 944, travelling in the dark on country lanes etc etc.
Second will it just rot away stood outside (my sc is garaged & usually only driven at the weekend)
Any advice on the best model to go for (should I only look at S2s?) would be appreciated.

I know Porsche's in general are pretty reliable.
In my own experience my SC (1983) is totally reliable & even did a 2500-mile tour of Europe last summer without a single problem!

Thanks in advance
[]

 

[Fen]

It's a car, not a museum piece. Get a properly looked after one and you can use it every day and park it outside. I've never bothered garaging any of mine and they have all averaged more than 50 miles a day.

£5k to £6k will get a reasonable S2 so long as you don't need it to be a tiny mileage one and it'll probably cost about £1k to sort out initial problems the previous owner just lived with and then about the same every year to maintain.

 

[Diver944]

Totally agree with Fen. Mine lives outside and looks none the worse for it. A 15 year old car will have a few major things wear out at some point but as long as its maintained properly and on time then it won't be breaking down all the time.

Your budget should get you a reasonably good S2, which is easy to drive and comfortable for long distances. If still unsure as to the suitability you could go a few grand less and get a really excellent Lux or S, and then maybe step up to an S2 at a later date

 

[chrisr]

Echo what Fen and Paul have stated , my S2 sits on the drive in awful Northern Weather and is used as a daily driver. Have done a 2000 mile round trip through France and the car has been one of the most reliable Ive ever owned , you will find a decent ish S2 for that - condition and history are IMO far more important than mileage.

 

[Guest]

At 15 or so years old, it may have some minor corrosion inside the sills, so I would have the cavities wax injected for peace of mind. It's not expensive and would preserve it for many more winters sitting outside.

Simon

 

[dugsud]

Thanks for the info,
She was going to buy a 5 year old MX5 [:'(] but I think the slower depreciation of a 944 would just about offset the extra fuel & maintainence costs (I've told her!)

Also MX5s are 10 a penny! []

Will she find an S2 light to drive as she's not impressed with my SC (pre PAS).

Cheers

 

[richthomas]

The powersteering on all 944s is quite heavy (or nicely weighted[]) compared to modern cars, but is a lot easier than a manual rack in slow parking situations. It should be easy for her to get used to, but might feel strange at first.

 

[danmason]

She was going to buy a 5 year old MX5

I would MUCH rather do 50 miles per day in a 15-yr-old S2 that a 5-yr-old MX5, any day of the week. And not just because I'm biased.

 

[Fen]

With your intended use and budget an S2 would be prime suspect. I used one (a cab) for 50,000 miles over 21 months without an issue, just make sure the one you buy is either a good one or there is enough in the kitty to make it right. Cams/chain and rust being the big issues.

 

[Logie]

Well, my step dad who owned my 944 Lux for 15 years before selling it to me had no problems using it as a daily driver, i also use it as a daily driver too and its great.

Somehow he even got 5 adults in his for a trip to Southport and back from Cardiff in comfort! Its the same old. Look after the car and it serves you well

 

[richthomas]

I'll third that.
I've used my S2 as a daily driver for the last 3 and a bit years, doing a similar commute, and use at weekends, trips etc and it's an excellent car.

As said rust is becoming a bigger problem, engines are very good apart from chain and belts as Fen mentioned, but with regular attention no headaches.

Just remember parts are still Porsche prices, so for relativley modest items (eg, calipers can suffer form plate lift - £400 each or there abouts last time I checked for new ones) you can end up with a big bill. I'd factor running costs as similar to a 3.2 if you look after one properly, just the purchase price is lower. Treat one right, sort out old suspension and you'll ove the drive

Rich

-edited for being too ham fisted!

 

[John Sims]

Strangely enough you seem to get less problems with '44s if you drive them regularly. Obviously more mileage means more frequent servicing but constant use avoids things seizing up.

Get one and enjoy it but take heed of the comment regarding the price of replacement parts.

Also note that, if you do have requirement for work over and above normal servicing, replacement parts aren't always available off the shelf so alternative transport might be required.

 

[Diver944]

Hi Les, most guys I know in the Register use their 944s as daily drivers (we do have a few garage queens tho []) and they lap it up. As long as you budget for proper maintenance they will take all sorts of punishment.

I used to say to budget £1000 a year to cover 12,000 miles in an S2 but my own one has had a few big bills this year so I'm revising it up to £1500 now they are getting a bit older

 

[944s2]

Used my S2 for daily commute for 5 years now no major problems Moved office so it sits idle now most days

 

[iainfuller]

I use my S2 as a daily drive and I'd echo what everyone else has said. I've had two major services in the last 18 months and have spent around £1500 each time. That includes a lot of mechanical fettling which should see me into the next decade without much problem. Next job will be the bodwork which has rust in all four acrches and around the rear panel. If it had been any other car I'd have probably given up by now but the fact is it just gets better and better to drive - if your going to have a car like this you want it to be right or what's the point in having it? My advise would be to find yourself a good indy first - he might even know of a car for sale - and have a thorough inspection carried out before you buy - get it fettled and then enjoy! It's the best way I've found of getting to work!

 

[lesworth]

Thanks everyone. I already use an Indy and have seen that there are plenty of cars for sale. My search starts here....

 

[Guest]

The 944 is an excellent all round daily driver. Returns around 35 mpg. You can even get a week's shopping in the hatch. Winner!
I used my last 944 (1985 /1) for fifteen years and stuck 300,000 miles on the clock. Not a trace of oil burning- thanks to regular but reasonably cheap maintenance. Very basic but beautiful design means it's easy to perform even rather involved repairs yourself. I can't envisage owning any other car. I''m currently on my third.

 

[dlknight]

ORIGINAL: Dark Skies

The 944 is an excellent all round daily driver. Returns around 35 mpg.

35 mpg ???? Has your car had an engine transplant at some stage of its life ?

Depending on how heavy your right foot is its more like 20-30 mpg....

Cheers

Dave K.

 

[Guest]

I've always had excellent mpg - I've never had anything as low as 20 mpg- and I'm a reasonably 'enthusiastic' driver. I'll have to fill up and drive till the fuel light comes on to be absolutely sure. However, I've always been very pleased with the mileage. To be continued.

 

[Guest]

well mines up for grabs its on ebay atm i use it as a daily driver never let me down , selling primarily cas i just miss two wheels too much so the car must go , details here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180023980129&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1