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Train station car

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henry997

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We've recently moved homes which will necessitate a drive to the train station for the daily commute. I'm now trying to convince myself that a well run 911 is the perfect combination of reliable daily / weekend fun car to own. We have a couple of small kids so the 2+2 factor is useful.

I'm now torn whether to invest in something new(ish) say the cheapest used 997 with PDK or go for a well maintained 996 with all the trimmings. Apart from the obvious pleasure derived from weekend driving I do want a car with all the gremlins (RMS etc) sorted out, reliable, can't be precious about car park dings or number of cold starts. I need the most honest 911 out there. On the list are;

996 Turbo
996 C4S
997 plain Carrera
997 with PDK and paddle not button shift

I know it sometimes just comes down to luck on the costs of maintaining a Porsche but I want to give myself the best possible start. Anyone with experience on running a 911 as an abuse-able commuter car? Thanks.

 
A train station carpark car is a old Fiat Panda, not a 911! [&:]

It will just get dented and bird cr*p on surely...
 
Agreed. Not sure how far the train station is from you, but running an M96/97 engine for short trips and not letting it fully warm up (which can take 15-20 mins) is just asking for engine issues due to the poor cooling passages in the block.

Assuming at least a £25K budget, then a good 9964S & shed would be a good choice. Alternatively if you're looking at £40K (as in 997.2 budget), then a 996 Turbo and shed would be a cracking combo.
 
Yes, I had a suspicion that there needed to be some banger-nomics in the equation. I was optimistically hoping to get some posts waxing lyrical on the indestructible nature of the M96/97 lump but so far sense and a limit to high performance engineering seems to prevail. My pet hate is having to live with another set of insurance/service logistics but suspect this will be unavoidable. So - I have a 2 car problem. Perhaps C4S and a Clio RS might scratch a couple of itches.
 

ORIGINAL: henry997

Yes, I had a suspicion that there needed to be some banger-nomics in the equation. I was optimistically hoping to get some posts waxing lyrical on the indestructible nature of the M96/97 lump but so far sense and a limit to high performance engineering seems to prevail. My pet hate is having to live with another set of insurance/service logistics but suspect this will be unavoidable. So - I have a 2 car problem. Perhaps C4S and a Clio RS might scratch a couple of itches.
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They are indestructible relatively, but no one likes the idea of it standing unattended all day in a railway station car park. How about a taxi or a lift to & from - cheaper than a second car and more cash available for the Porsche purchase.

My personal preference would be a C2S - lighter, sharper handling and better turn in, cheaper to run too! [;)]

Regards,

Clive

PS.I used my 911s every day at work for 35 years! [:)]
 
Thanks Lancerlot - I use to own a 04MY 997 C2S and am tempted back though something different - just because - is the reason for its exclusion from the short list above. The station is 4 miles away, a 15 min drive. Perhaps 997 + Warranty on engine and gearbox is a solution. Manual vs. tiptronic vs. PDK now juggling around in my mind.
 
as long as you aren't going to rag it I wouldn't worry about the short distance, I'd be more concerned with the car park dinks

If I didn't already have another car for that purpose I would be getting something really small and easy to park like a mk1 Ka for that distance. It will cost next to nothing
 

ORIGINAL: henry997
The station is 4 miles away, a 15 min drive.
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I can recommend one of these - you could do it in the same time.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/roubaix-compact-2013-road-bike-ec040969?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle&utm_content=mkwid__pcrid_19178765816_kword__match__plid_

No tax, very low maintenance and leave you a lot more money for your 997.2 C2S with PDK!
 
ORIGINAL: henry997

Thanks Lancerlot - I use to own a 04MY 997 C2S and am tempted back though something different - just because - is the reason for its exclusion from the short list above. The station is 4 miles away, a 15 min drive. Perhaps 997 + Warranty on engine and gearbox is a solution. Manual vs. tiptronic vs. PDK now juggling around in my mind.
Click to expand...

Ah well, as you're already experienced in Porsche motoring, that puts a slightly different slant on things.

Personally, I would avoid Tiptronic. It's PDK every time if the budget allows. So how about a C2S PDK or a Turbo manual/pdk or a GTS (if you can spend around £50K). That's the one I would go for. It was one of the best 997 models produced. There's a very nice one that may be coming up for sale soon from one of our regular 97 Register members. [;)]

Regards,

Clive.
 
Have a look on Pistonheads for their shed of the week.... Umm Peugeot 306 S16, Mazda MX-5.... the list goes on and there are heaps of cars that give smiles per mile!
 
Some quality suggestions coming through ..... I think it takes genius (and a bit of luck) to get the shed thing right and obviously it provides great fodder for pub talk. - I do like that 1.1 Saxo. At the other end of the spectrum I did drive the GTS and that's what got me intrigued by the PDK transmission. Problem is the GTS is too high end for my purposes. The manual C2S I had was great but the shift was very sticky in the morning. Never been a tiptronic fan so the way this is evolving it looks like it might be the cheapest 911 with PDK. Presumably its not a huge job to replace button wheel to paddle shift as long as the wheel doesn't have multifunction? As for the push bike? I'd need a tandem - I commute in with the wife!
 
Glad u like the Saxo, it works a treat...no-one dares come near it as I clearly don't care about scratches and dents! All it has cost me so far is some silicone to waterproof the sealed up sunroof, some seat covers, a couple of cheaper than cheap tyres and... A roll of black tank tape to replace the missing black side mouldings on the doors with black tape stripes!

It starts, it goes, it stops....and acts as a weekend "tip van" too!
 
Amusing thought - the aggregate cost of parking at the station will exceed the cost of the Saxo after 17 weeks of commuting.
 
What about a 986 Boxster?

My second car is a 2003 Boxster S which for the money I paid, am far more comfortable leaving at the station. Another alternative could be an Series 1 MX5 which you can pick up very cheaply and easy to maintain.

Simon
 
Yes the Boxster is firmly on the list (had one of those before too) but the missing +2 bit is stalling an otherwise straightforward decision based on economics.
 
ORIGINAL: henry997

Thanks Lancerlot - I use to own a 04MY 997 C2S and am tempted back though something different - just because - is the reason for its exclusion from the short list above. The station is 4 miles away, a 15 min drive. Perhaps 997 + Warranty on engine and gearbox is a solution. Manual vs. tiptronic vs. PDK now juggling around in my mind.
Click to expand...


Well, my 997 C4S is now up for sale, having spent 7 years as my daily driver, adequately doing both the station run and weekend fun drives in all weathers. A perfect car for the scenario you describe!

If comes from one (careful) owner and has a full 19 months of Porshce Warranty remaining....

Full details are in another post on the 997 forum!

:)
Sidicks
 
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