Daily Driver

[Terrorv]

Hi all,

Could the 3.2 Carrera still be considered a daily driver? I only travel approx 10 miles per day to work and back and would use the car on the weekends too. So approx 5-6000 miles per year. I like the Targas. My main concern is salt on the roads in winter causing corrosion as my research suggests there cars are prone to it. It's probably a question that has been asked many times before so thanks in advance for your opinions.

 

[chrishak]

One of the foibles of the 911 air-cooled engine is the time taken to get properly warmed up - on a hot summers day ten miles might just about do it but in the winter, not a chance. Due to the (for its time) sophisticated fuel injection and ignition control, driveability won't be an issue on your usage regime of two cold starts followed by short journeys each day, but engine wear will be. The obvious (and most enjoyable) solution will be to, in the words of Supertramp, "take the long way home". This is one of the reasons why some engines need rebuilding at 75,000 miles while others can run up much higher mileages before they even start to burn a drop of oil.

Regarding salted roads - yes, you'll be enjoying excellent rear-engine traction (especially if you source a car with the LSD option), but the salt will eat away at you're underbody unless you fastidiously wash the underside of the car regularly, not always feasible in freezing conditions. You can help your cause by giving the underside a spring clean before the winter, checking the underbody coating (and repairing as necessary) then applying a heavy underbody wax NOT FORGETTING those nooks and crannies that Porsche had the good grace to design into the body. Wheelarch liners from Dom at Specialist Vehicle Preparations will help, but these will need to be removed annually so you can clean the inevitable crud from behind them. DO NOT listen to anybody who tells you that "these cars were galvanised from new, so rust isn't an issue", it is and they will. Personally, wild horses wouldn't get me to use my car on salted roads.

The good news is that using a 3.2 Carrera daily isn't a problem in itself as long as you spend time to get to grips with the heating and ventilation system...I'm sure my good friend 911Targa will step in here at some point as he IS that man who uses his car daily and he can regale you with many and varied stories of his experiences! He'll probably also take great pleasure in berating me for keeping mine tucked up in the garage during the worse weather.

 

[cramond]

I would say you can use it as a daily driver but it needs a good run at least once a week. Like other cars in this respect really.
I try not to use mine in the winter as it steams up easily & the ventilation system on (my) 911 isn't super duper until the engine heats up. The very wide low profile tyres on my car don't grip on ice and snow very well so I tend to garage for the winter, trickle charge, with a fortnightly run.

Some owners are fastidious in their cleaning & care policy which ensures a long and healthy life for these beauties.
Other owners will just run them as a general car.

 

[911 targa]

Yes Chris on both points
Mine is a daily drive as Chris says all year ,but she gets a jet wash every 2 weeks in winter just in case,as for heating mine warms up quite fast[the wife is happy] so every body is happy.
Paul

Heaven and Hell can wait Iam in my Porsche.

 

[oliver]

There's a 911 3.2 'Club Sport' that did over 400,000 miles over 15 years - mainly on a regular commute.

However, IIRC, this was about 50 mls each way, so everything would have got nice and warm and dry.

5 mls each way is a bit too little IMO.

 

[Bertroex]

Many 911 drivers drop the drivers side window an inch, to prevent the interior steaming up. Rain X anti steam treatment might help, but don't count too much on it.


The aforementioned wheel arch liners by Dominic at SVP (specialist Vehicle preparations, Worcs) might help, as well as the "lokari" wheel arch liners which are used in the Nordic countries. It is a bit of a hassle to fit due to the front oil cooler but hey ho.

In my experience, before I restored my car I went everywhere in it, in every weather. Good winter tyres on either fuchs wheels nicely coated with vaseline, or a spare set of wheels, is an essential.

You have the traction, (weight of engine at back), good grip and better predictability as such with winter tyres. I run my 924S on conti's, my various 911 on michelin but Nick Moss had good experience with other brands.

I would ALWAYS buy a car with higher mileage due to long commutes -appropriately maintained, No cost cutting/corners cut in maintenance- than a low mileage concours queen which needs basically every rubber, seal and electrical component going through. In Amsterdam, at Porsche Club NL, there is a 3.2 with 625 000 km that only now needs a top end rebuild. Fastidiously maintained, driven hard when warm and not moddlycuddled. I have seen inner london cars with 51000 miles with more wear on the seats than that thing.

Once your bottom lines are established with regards to the fluids, filters, brakes, tyres, suspension, bushes, gear linkage mechanism, heating flappers and cables, alternator, fan belts, heating blowers under the dashboard and engine compartment, and all the potential rust spots of the car appropriately treated and waxoiled until kingdom come etc etc, you'd find yourself with a car that hardly depreciates, costs relatively peanuts to run (my wife's Golf is dearer to run) and is the envy of a lot of the drivers in their silver blobs on an expensive lease/HP/PCP.

HTH,

Bert

 

[911 targa]

I agree with everyone,mine is not a concours,but is quite respectable.
Back to the original post,I once totally immersed my car in flood water[ask the question of Mr Hak] no probs runs like a train a few electrical hiccups but hyho what does one expect from a 26yr old lady?
Paul

 

[Terrorv]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your comments. Some valuable information there, that I will use. If anyone has anything else to add please do as I am interested in all your opinions. I will let you know what I decide when I have had a chance to mull everything over.