Thinking about a 996 for a daily driver???

I am looking for advice from current 911 owners. I have been a Porsche fan for forever and have driven German cars almost exclusively for the past 20 years. I have had my eye on the 911 since I was a child and would like to get a 996 (I am aware of the IMS issue) as for my daily driver. Is this a crazy idea? I drive less than 5k miles a year. I am also a pretty decent home mechanic and I have a lift in my heated garage. I have replaced engines, transmissions, clutches, etc. My current car is an Audi A8 and before that I had a Range Rover so I feel pretty confident that it I can keep them on the road I could maintain about anything. I would likely drive it year-round and since I live in MI that would mean some snow. I would purchase a second set of rims and snow tires so I think it should do alright. So here are my questions: 1. Could a 996 be a dependable daily driver? 2. Could the majority of the maintenance and repair be performed by an average/slightly above average shade tree mechanic with 20 years of experience, well stocked tool cart, and a 2 post vehicle lift. 3. Are there many specialty tools needed for repair/maintenance? 4. Do they drive alright in the snow with proper snow tires? Not looking to go through 2ft of snow but would need it to handle 3 or 4 inches. 5. Any other thoughts? I am looking for your $.02. Looking for honest feedback.

1) yes 2) yes 3) yes 4) yes 5) Drive my 2004 C2 cabriolet about 26k miles per year in any and all conditions. Hardtop and 4 snows for winter driving. Not great in heavy slush as the tires are probably too wide even sizing down to the recommended 265s on the rear in winter. This car has been as far north as Fort St John, BC in winter (Mar 2015) but regularly travels over mountain winter roads to inland cities. Very predictable and surprisingly good traction except for heavy slush as noted above. Deep snow is a no go but that's what the awd SUV is for.

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Excellent. I am so glad to hear from someone who drives it in the snow. Everyone up here that I know puts them away in the winter. I think it will actually be a blast to drive. My main complaint about my Audi A8 is that it goes too well in the snow. I've also been thinking about going with a cabriolet with a hardtop.

Buy it. Drive it. Similiar story to yours, I bought my 2002 C2 in January and have added 6k miles to the odo, including a nice trip from Sacramento to Reno. Great daily driver that has likely helped my job performance due to vastly improved attitude at commute time. Doing Track night inAmerica at Thunderhill onThursday. Do it!

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That has always been my outlook on them too. These cars are made to be driven and enjoyed! This means enjoy them on a daily basis too. Why not make the commute more enjoyable. That's what I have been telling my wife for a long time now. To her a car's only purpose is to get you from A to B and nothing more.

I've been daily driving mine for past 4 months and I love every second of it. I've manage to put 7K miles during that time. Even with a 35 mile each way commute stuck in bumper to bumper for half of the time, even with a very heavy clutch with dual mass flywheel (installed by previous owner), even with a lowered H&R coilovers running on run flat tires (makes for a stiff ride).... But those open stretch roads that i can let the exhaust scream through the miltek headers through the x-pipe 200 cats through the PSE makes it worth it, those off ramps, those extra stress releaving back road detours, the walk up the back parking lot after work staring at the Porsche saying yes that's all mine. It's the best Daily Driver i've ever had!!!!

My wife was not on board with the 911 either. I was going from a TDI Passat and our other car is a minivan. "Not practical". My thought was it was more practical than a Cayman. I wore her down and now I have one. Still married , too. Only performed basic maint so far but looking forward to water pump, thermostat and brakes in the near future. Dropped the pan to look for debris (it was clean) and changed to spin on oil filter. All very straight forward.

There are still plenty of relative low milage 996 cars out there (50-80k). I think your ideal car would be one with a good maintenance record that has been driven regularily (no garage queen). Be ready to spend up to 5k on maintenance once you get it to set some things straight (RMS, AOS, IMS, waterpump, timing chain tensioners) and give yourself a good start. Get that work done by a good mechanic who can also check the rest of the car with the eye of an experienced mechanic. There are some concerns if your car gets really cold starts but since you've got a heated garage that is pretty much taken care of, at least for that morning start. With 5k there is absolutely no reason why you should not daily drive & enjoy a beautiful 911. I have kept my A6 quattro aside but it looks a bit sad....doesn't see much driving now!

At 5k a year i dont think you will be driving it enough!!! LOL. I drive mine daily.. and by "daily" i mean 21 days a month.

I'm about 15k miles into using a 996 as a daily driver. I recommend having a reliable car or alternative method of transport to fall back on when the 996 needs work. Whether that's a 2nd vehicle or the ability to carpool or use public transit, it's a good idea to have a backup. When issues pop up, you'll want to clean them up and eliminate the risk of harming something more expensive downstream of the initial problem. Issues encountered so far that required a tow: - broken coolant t-fitting ($13 part) that fouled half a set of old coil packs Issues discovered & replaced proactively but didn't prevent driving: - leak in oil cooler line (I forget the cost, it required an engine drop due to routing) - aging battery cable needed replacing ($75) - new starter motor to fix the one that was gradually worn out by the battery cable ($111) - rear engine mounts ($125) - front left headlight with intermittent loss of connection. Wire trim & resolder cured that ($0) - clearcoat starting to break up on the front bumper (tbd, haven't addressed it yet) The OEM plastics used in many of the coolant and SAI system fittings become brittle and break with time. From my experience, the cars are reliable once you set a good baseline for the condition of the car. DIY work saves a lot of money on relatively frequent, minor repairs and can be the difference between being able to enjoy the car vs. stressing constantly about repair bills. Many of the things that go wrong are on the periphery and can be fixed for relatively little money. There are several great resources out there between Pelican Parts, the 101 projects book, and the various forums. I plan to drive mine about 5-10k/yr going forward and don't have a problem with periodic fixes. After all, it's a 15-year-old car that is very hard to replace in terms of performance per dollar spent. It's been said many times before that DIY work can be the arbiter of whether or not the 996 is the right car. Know what you're getting into and let your appreciation of the car balance out the inevitable elbow grease that will be required. Remember that around 75% of the value of the car is in the health of the engine. Inspect potential candidates accordingly and know that there is a lot of supply out there to choose from. Good luck.

If you daily commute is only a few miles, remember to take it out for a long spirited run at least once a week.

1-4 = Yes, yes, yes, yes 5 - I've driven many RWD-only Porsche's in the snow. Tires are key. I run Ultra High Performance All Seasons in Chicago (because avg yearly temps are 50F) and they plow here so snow doesn't get higher than 8" and my car is still fast on the track) You are in great shape because you can DIY and have a lift. I personally think that the early 996s are the way to go (dual row IMS, no VarioCam, cheaper cars). There is always going to be that repair where you say, "how can that tiny part be THAT expensive," but most things are easy to fix on this car.

My '99 C4. Like murphy ^, I also drove it year round on ultra high performance all-seasons. But, in Kansas City, we don't get much snow - on average maybe four times per year snows of about 4" to 6" each time and it melts away in a day or two. BTW, the all-wheel drive in these cars isn't really designed for bad weather traction, so don't let buying one with awd be a big factor in your purchasing decision. You'll do fine with a 2 wheel drive model.

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^This^ is exactly what I was going to say. If you're driving it daily and only putting 5k on it in a year, that means lots of short drives... These engines do best when they get up to full operating temp. (200 deg. F). It seems like the ones that get driven regularly and spiritedly run for a long, long time Good luck

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Trust me, there will be no short supply of spirited runs. Hopefully much more than once a week.

Welcome! Yes, please be sure to check out our book and our free tech articles (posted below). They'll be a great resource to you and your 996. Also, the Bentley Manual may be a good book to have in your collection as well. We are offering 10% off on them right now. Anyways, good luck with the search/purchase. If you ever need anything please do not hesitate to let me know. 101 Projects Book: http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...bkdemp_pg2.htm Tech Articles: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/996_tech.htm Bentley Manual: http://www.pelicanparts.com/promos/1...72017/Porsche/

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Well, some folks live near a train or work from home. You can still drive a car weekly and only put 5,000 miles on it. Even take longer spirited drives.

I'll make a few points. I think it's consensus that you don't need a low mileage example. Save money and get one that's been driven with good records. As a low mileage owner, I feel like I just paid a premium for low mileage without getting any benefits. If you're thinking about the cab, it is great with the top down. With the top up, it's noisy and creaky relative to the coupe - also the rear set is more upright making it even more worthless than the coupe seats (which are not great to begin with). Also make sure all the convertible top apparatus is in good working order (including rear window regulators). I don't know what you consider dependable. I try to do as much as work as possible, I've missed about 3 weeks of driving days in the past year as I was waiting on parts/finding time to work on it. It would probably be less for you as I'm a novice and I've broken things while working on stuff and had to wait for replacement parts.

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I was planning on looking for one in the 50-75K mileage range (seem to be quite a few out there.) What does the group feel is the best value/mileage price point? With proper maintenance, what is typical amount of miles you can get on one of these before they really start to nickle and dime you? I would like to keep this as my primary for 5-7 years and then get something new for my daily and keep this as my toy. I would love a Targa but they are tough to find so I was thinking about a Cab and then just getting a hard top for the winter.

I use my 2001 C4 cab as a daily driver. Just finished my first year, put about 8000 miles on it. The only things I have had to fix were not "commute" retated. I had the 60000 mile service done by the local independent, and replaced 2 window regulators. 1 Front, 1 Rear. Other than that, a couple of oil changes. Nothing better than climbing into the Porsche after a frustrating day at work. Best therapy ever. Top down, ready for a high speed drive home.

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How much did you spend on the rear window regulator? I see that part alone can cost $700-$900(!)

The part was expensive! I found it cheapest from Gaudin Porsche in Vegas (about 720.00 with shipping). I did the work myself, took about 2 hours to remove and replace. I found directions online, a little confusing, but once I figured out what I was supposed to do, not a big deal. Hopefully it will be good for the life of the car now.

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Yeah, I will attempt the repair myself too. Was quoted $1500-$2000 for this by dealer, and only $300 less by Indy.

there's a 996 pricing guide thread somewhere around here, but I can't seem to pull it up in search. From my perspective there are some easy ways to reduce risk when buying a 996: - give it a good, hard drive before buying. Make sure it can perform at a level you expect (once oil is warm). - long term ownership a plus. Avoid cars with brand new IMS work unless documented with either a warranty or work by an LN certified tech. There are too many sob stories of new bearings with only a few miles on them being sold & promptly blowing up. - something as simple as engine mounts can tip you off to deferred maintenance. Even if you just use it as a bargaining chip, figure out a few key areas you'll focus on and don't be afraid to use them to work on a fair price. - Check the inside tread on the rear tires. I didn't spot some cracking there & was quickly in possession of a $700 bill for a new set of rears. From what a mechanic told me, the wear pattern on a properly aligned 996 should be biased towards the insides of the tires. - Check the coolant level & color to make sure it's up to spec (full, no leaks in visible piping, etc.) - A DME report is helpful & can tip you off to a motor with any recent range 2 overrevs (>limiter) this list is far from comprehensive but may give you an extra idea or two to help GL

I think 50-75K miles is fine. That's what I was looking for when I came across my current car. The newest 996's are ~13 years old, they can start nickel and diming (and more) right away. To mitigate chances of a big loss, get thorough PPI. I find the IMS Pre-qualification addresses a lot of the big ticket items http://imsretrofit.com/pre-procedure-qualification/ If the previous owner hasn't had these addressed, you are looking at some time and $ do preventative maintenance - IMS, RMS, waterpump (every 4 yrs) and maybe new coolant tank, and AOS. If you don't want to wait, the Indy will charge $3-5K for this. There may be more if the clutch/flywheel need to changed. Be sure to drive the cab with top up, down, with the hardtop and compare it to driving a coupe before you buy. I don't know that I could live with the cab if the top wasn't open most of the time.

I just bought one as a daily and love it. A C4S in New England was hard to pass up when I found it. The mileage was low, but the service records back to the day it was purchased made me feel a bit better about the maintenance history. I had the IMS and RMS done immediately simply for peace of mind. I drive about 60 miles daily part in traffic but a good portion can be spirited driving, which I suspect will be my daily therapy.

It's a great daily driver. I've only driven mine one winter(it was stored the rest of them) but it was better than almost any other car in the snow(just put a good set of Blizzaks on it). From a repair standpoint, the A8 can't be cheap, so I would not be concerned about the 996.

I wouldn't do it but I like to keep my fun cars and DD separate. I like autos in my DD, but not my fun cars.

Agree with above comments. About 23k over the last year and a half plus a couple dozen autocrosses. Car is DIY friendly (unless you break the oil filler tube ;-) and a hoot to drive on the backroads or in mild traffic. I have other vehicles to drive, so if I just washed it, I may wait 'til tomorrow. If it's already dirty . . . DEW-IT!

I have 2001 coupe as a daily driver. Wouldn't trade it for anything else....cars are meant to be driven (daily).

I'm retired and also a low annual mileage driver...so I just make my short trips a little longer and get the car up to temp. However getting in the car and firing up the engine and then pulling out onto the street...it is just so much nicer in the Porsche. It makes the dullest trip into a sensual pleasure. And isn't pleasure what you should try to fill your life with?

Interesting write up about the Carrera 4: Why Porsche offers the Carrera 4 is that customers demand "I want a four-wheel-drive car". Customers don't care that a 911 does with the mega traction at the rear axle as well as do other cars with 4-wheel-drive (RWD 911s have beated 4WD cars in rallies). Unfortunately, majority of the customers don't care how mechanical engineering works, they just have used to get what they want. And they demand 4WD, even if it is a rear-engined car. To some, the "Carrera 4" might give great hopes on the paper, but on the snow it is rather hard to understand what is going on at the front axle. The reasons: 1. A rear-engined car has a light front end and less weight is less traction. The Carrera 4 has 40% of the weight on the front axle. 2. In normal driving conditions the viscous clutch sends only 5% of the drive power to the front axle and when the rear wheels completely lose grip, up to 40%. Considering the front is light, these number have even less impact than the percentage numbers tell. 3. There is no front differential lock, so the 5...40% that is sent to the front, is distributed between left and right front wheel from 100 to 0 to 100% in a split second. 4. Fourth factor that contributes to smashing the hopes is the Tiptronic. It has a torque converter between the engine and the gearbox and that does not transfer linear power at low rpm. When it is really slippery, then a Carrera 4 Tiptronic is a thing to understand. How can you understand what the system does when the system itself cannot understand that - between the engine and the gearbox is a torque converter (non-linear power transfer), central differential has no lock (non-linear power transfer) and front differential has no lock. You cannot benefit from the front wheel traction in rear-engined car, so why drag around the 54 kg/120 lb extra weight of the 4WD system? You are better off with the real wheel drive manual Carrera - this is the original and the best configuration of the 911. Porsche has actually said "We did not intend the all-wheel drive system as an all-weather traction assistant". And "The focus here, however, is not so much on traction, but rather on supreme driving characteristics and safety to the limit". This is rather complicated wording, but you can read that you should not set hopes on the traction at the front axle. Finally, Porsche calls the 4WD in the 911 as "Drive system of your choice". From Stuttcars.com https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-models/911/996/

You've heard it all, so I'll just add one more voice to the choir. I bought my 996 C4S brand new with 14 miles on the odometer in 2002. It now has 68,000 miles. Have driven it as far north as Montreal, as far south as Hilton Head. Heavily used on the track as well. Excellent daily driver. Although you can get away with using regular tires in the winter, it is still a better idea to have a set of winter tires and wheels. The only issue I have is the Rear Main Seal. Very, very slow drip of oil, maybe one drop a week. It was replaced several times under warranty with several iterations, and twice out of warranty. Still has a slow leak. Not catastrophic, but almost all 996's will have this issue. On that treatise above regarding 2WD vs 4WD, I agree but only in part. I would get the Carrera 2 over the Carrera 4. However, I would definitely get the Carrera 4S over the Carrera 2. It has the better suspension, the bigger brakes, the better wheels/tire, the gorgeous wider hip, and the unique red reflector that goes across the back accentuating the low and wide stance of the wide body. I think the C4S is the best looking 996 out there. One of the reasons I bought it in the first place. On the track, the better suspension, brakes, and tires allows the C4S to dominate the C2.

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same here. I also cannot fit my entire family in my car so it doesn't make a great daily for my lifestyle.

Thank you for all the feedback everyone. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I am not crazy (or at least not alone) in wanting to drive a 15 year old sports car as a daily driver. Now to educate myself on what to look for in a used 996. Time to dig into the forum. I'm in no hurry so I can take my time and find a clean, well documented car.

I would strongly suggest to have a backup car.