Give me real world reasons I shouldnt get a 996 as a daily driver?

Looking at Coupes or Targa for a daily driver and need real world experience from the ones that daily drive the 996. I drove a 911 SC for a while and it was practical and wasn�t at times.

I'll save you some time. There are none! Do it already . I daily drove a Carrera 3.2 for many years back in the day and it was great -- and the 996 is a much better DD than the 3.2.

Why wasn't the 911 SC practical at times? Won't be much of a different story with the 996. If you don't need to carry larger items there is no reason why you shouldn't. I drive mine all year long and it's been my only car for 2 years now.

Daily mine. Between utilizing FCP euro for parts (because of the guarantee policy), and my old man�s garage, I can DIY just about anything. To each their own, but they are great cars. I am biased towards the MKI because I have one, but I would keep your search to a �99, preferably a �98 build date.

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Az heats made the AC not work well and it was a cab...

As long as the AC is in good shape on the 996, it's a fridge. I've had 0 issues this summer in humid 100 degree heat.

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Looking for an Aero in Coupe or Targa...Thats a must...Aware of the early 996s vs later and I honetsly prefer the MK2 look, And yes I did some work on my 911SC, expect the of tuning the valves which I let the indys do that job.

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It's actually "AC" (as in air-cooled) that makes the AC not work well . That was also the case in my 3.2 Carrera -- the AC wasn't great, and that was in the Northeast! The 996 is meat-locker cold. I love the old air-cooled cars for weekend driving, but the 996 just modernized everything about 911 making it excellent for daily use.

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I just bought Variel Automotive headlight covers for mine and they look awesome. Will post pics in the coming days. A lot of it has to do with who does the paint - luckily my guy is pretty good. Many mechanical advantages over the MKI that I would prefer if I were to daily - just my 02

The only thing that should give you pause is deep snow. If you don't face that on any of your trips you are fine. I know AZ isn't known for snow, but maybe you ski or something somewhere. I am not here to judge.

I�ve been daily driving my �99 Aerokit for nearly 8 years. She�s been a champ.

My 99 is a 24 yr-old car, so there�s that. But that�s about it. I�ve had mine for almost 6 years now. Daily driving a 911 is not cheap over the long run. If you have the money, do it.

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The Mk I with the litronic headlight option looks very similar to the Mk II. It doesn't have that dated amber look in front. Keep that in mind when you're looking.

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Ill snowboard more than ski...But yes trips up north Az are usually in fall or spring weather

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This is my desired look and with red interior would be great...Expect those rims as I would prefer to have the Sport Classic II Wheel

For a daily driver, I'd go Targa. The glass roof is great, but the car is made more amazing by the fact it's a hatchback. Plenty of room for all sorts of stuff: groceries, golf clubs, etc etc front and rear. The practical every day sports car is made even more practical.

You can easily use it as a daily driver. Unless you are a wing it guy, you may want to plan on a $15k refresh of engine parts to make sure something silly doesn't disintegrate that could have been replaced. But once you refresh it, it will be like new and dependable. If you buy right, you may be able to find a car that was well serviced and all the right things recently replaced. Just went thru this excercise earlier in the year with my second 10 year refresh. Dropped the sump and scoped it. Dropped engine and went over it with a fine tooth comb. New ims retro, rms, rebuilt Guard lsd, replaced motorsport aos with UAOS Track version, new oil cooler, new MAF, plugs, scoped bores thru plugs, ignition coils, fuel injectors, and a bunch of other things that add up to dependability. Blew thru my budget this year so next year is water and oil cooling, caliper rebuild and UIDS. Suspension and exhaust can wait for the following year. You get the idea. The 996 is a tank if you keep the parts fresh, change the oil often and develop a service routine. Hope you join the club.

Do your due diligence, and get one in good mechanical condition to daily, otherwise being a 20 y/o car, you'll be replacing bits and pieces on a fairly regular basis. I find myself avoiding certain roads/routes because of the poor road conditions in my area, otherwise its been a great experience.

I'm 66 years old and have been daily driving my 99 Coupe ( Sally) for 15 years and can say she is the best daily I have even owned and not very expensive if you are mechanically inclined and can DIY.. The brakes will last 60k+ ( if you stay off the track), but the tires will cost you as they are all soft compounds and don't last very long...

If you can�t DIY, it�s quite possible that it�s ends up being cheaper to just buy a second car as a cheap daily. Like an old Toyota Camry that costs essentially nothing to maintain

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I got an mk2. Awesome car. Consider finding one with an LSD or put one on. It will help you with controlling the back end in the mountains if traction becomes an issue. I used mine in the snow from time to time with a set of snow tires and it handles very well.

I daily drive a 996. However, I work from home and I have other vehicles that I also enjoy driving so it's only a daily driver in that I drive it somewhere most days. I've managed to put over 6k miles on it this year just taking it out for exercise or a weekend/evening cruise. Tbh I think it makes a remarkable "daily" or, rather, "main vehicle" in my case but I shudder to think about making any length of daily commute in my car. The manual transmission would be a pain, the Tiptronic is not a solution, and whether or not you live in fear, the failure rate of the M96 is a known quantity, let's not kid ourselves. Just my opinion, of course.

I wouldn�t daily drive a 20+ year old car.

You can mitigate the failure rate by (1) checking the bores before you buy it, as well as if you own one currently to see what's inside. (2) making sure you have refreshed the important engine parts. We all know what they are and how easy they are to replace. (3) changing your oil frequently to keep it fresh. Imho, engine failure is EASILY preventable if you are willing to take care of the car. Most previous owners have treated their 996 like they will own it for 3-5 years and then sell it. Just like any other run of the mill car. As a result, they pass the service buck onto the next owner. Hence bore scoring and imsb failure. Again, both are EASILY preventable. Just ask the guys that have taken care of their 996s since the beginning of time.

I bought mine back in January as a daily and have put nearly 12k miles on it in the last 9 months. I drove it in Spokane WA through the winter which was very icy, but not much deep snow and it did great. I also drove it through the NOLA summer and never even had to set the AC on max because it would freeze you out even in 100�+ and 90%+ humidity, also zero engine cooling issues. It is a fantastic daily. Easy to drive and pretty cheap, aside from a few big ticket items if you wrench it really isn't any more expensive than any even remotely sporty daily and a lot more fun. I even get pretty good gas mileage, typically 22+ MPG according to the gauge and I rip on it a good bit. My normal commute is 70 miles round trip and I regularly have to travel out of town (275 miles round trip) and the car does great and I have no desire to switch to anything else. The clutch is Honda Civic light if you leave the spring in, but very vague and blah, and even without the spring it is still quite light for a performance car, so traffic isn't bad at all. My tire wear has also been surprising good, aside from a fluke tire failure I am at about 10k on a set of MP4Ss and have plenty of tread. As hinted at above the car also does great in all weather conditions. I have driven through tropical storms, standing water, ice, snow, etc. And have had zero issues or close calls. It is one of the most planted well handling cars I have ever had. Biggest thing is just don't expect to fit any even remotely large rigid items in coupe, especially if you have sport seats, it's just not happening. Also, if you live in a place with bad roads you will likely be cringing a lot and not super comfortable, but I will take performance over comfort any day. Also my car has ROW M030 so it is lower and stiffer.

Daily drive my 2003 C4S for over a year now. Short of a big snowstorm it sees active duty all year round. I concur with the DIY-ers as I find it helps a lot with the running costs. Good luck finding your dream specs, took me a while searching but found mine and couldn't be happier.

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I strongly disagree with your post. You have been lucky. Imsb failure...well it may be easy but it aint cheap. As to bore scoring...your anecdotes about how its so easy to avoid it seem to be not supported by others who treat the car well and still have issues.

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Quad, i spent alot of money and time on my 996 over the last 20 years on service and maintenence to be lucky. You can be lucky too.

Do it if it gives you more miles of smiles. It does for me! The fuel economy isn't great for a daily commuter and the added odometer mileage sometimes gives me pause. /X3

We're over 20 years for some of these cars. While I can't see a mechanical reason not to, I'd be more concerned with the recent uptick in value for the 996. These 911's are becoming more and more desirable, thus more collectible. I personally don't "daily drive" anywhere, since I work from home, but if I did I'd only take my Carrera out on Friday's and the weekends. Just to keep the miles down. Not to mention reducing the risk of some Chevy Cruz owner using your door as a safety stop for theirs.

Value only matters if you plan to insure your car for agreed upon value or plan to sell it in the future for a profit. I don't know of any insurance companies that will do an agreed upon value policy on a daily driver. Porsche built these cars to be driven and it's been proven over and over again that those cars do better long term. IMHO, it's a sad ownership experience where you're afraid to drive it too much because it may cause the value to go down. So go ahead and daily drive the thing! I'm at 21k miles in 2 years with zero regrets. Unless you have some super rare build it shouldn't matter. A local guy drove his F40 to a show while another F430 parked next to him got trailered in. Wonder who had more fun on the way over.

I have a 996 GT3 that does not get driven much. We have a 997 Carrera S that we drive everywhere to the tune of 121000 miles now. Value be damned.

Yep. Many ways to use a 996 and it can handle all of them. 1. Sit it in a garage and rub it with a diaper. 2. Use as daily driver. 3. Drive it for entertainment on the street and track 4. Many other scenarios, your call. Regardless of your scenario, the 996 is an awesome piece of machinery.

I think the main difference in the responses here is what the term "daily driver" means to people these days. To some people it means: A) daily pleasure vehicle B) commute a few times a week, mostly pleasure trips C) decent length commute twice a day D) over half hour stop and go traffic on the freeway twice a day The covid 19 pandemic and global reshuffling has changed the concept of a "daily driver" for many people including myself. If you were more specific about how people use it is a "daily driver" I'm sure answers would be more realistic and useful. I doubt anyone is using it for C or D.

As someone whose DD "fleet" consists of a 964 cab, a 991.2 GT3 and a 996 C4S the answer is any car can be a DD IF it has been maintained very well. There is nothing more annoying than being stuck on the side of the road dealing with some stupid issue you would never experience in a modern car. So you could have a 996 which sat for years barely being driven and it would likely be a horrible DD and you could have another one which was driven every week since it rolled off the factory line and has no deferred maintenance and it'll be stellar. The upside is that 911s of all generations behave much better when they are driven very regularly but they are still old cars and things will go wrong as items age, that's just the reality. If maintained well those things will be fewer in volume but you just need to be okay with accepting that on rare occasion you're gonna have to deal with an issue that pops up while driving to work. And if your 996 is an only car, be prepared to rent something when that thing pops up once every couple years.

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THIS ^^^^^^^^^

I enjoy my 996.2 immensely. I drive with a plan so I get a good amount of time to get temps up. I try to take the car as often as I can, so it’s my airport car unless there’s much snow on the ground. I do have summer and winter wheels and wrench on the car. I love going to the garage to tinker on the P-cars!

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Yes I have a SUV now and it does the same thing, the 996 would be better for this and would get me back into a 911

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Yes read a lot of about the bore scoring, seems to create issue down the road with cold starts. Yup the IMS repair is not cheap becase you have the "might as well do these parts" as the engine is out

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Not kidding when I got my 911SC shipped to me, it was in the shop 6 times for small items going out, the Indy shop was" dont you want to drive your 911?" I am aware of how much money and how the 911 can breakdown.....I have been out for a while know, but still come the forumns to see what other issues members are having and have researched and researched and will still.....Its just time for me to get back into Porsche

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My SC had a LSD in the 915, honestly it was just used for city driving so I didnt experience the benefits of having it

My wife daily drove our first 996 for 5 years. It was a Tip Carrera 4 with winter tires in the winter and she loved it. It rocked in the snow (though doesn't have a ton of ground clearance). That car was under warranty, but maintenance wasn't bad. I think cars that are driven daily are generally much more reliable than cars that sit, so I don't see maintenance worries as long as preventive maintenance (mostly fluids) is done religiously. I've been told that you don't really need AWD for snow in the 996 with winter tires because the weight is over the rear (drive) wheels, but I've never take our current C2 6-speed 996.1 out in snow.

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I use mine for C and D...

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then I'm guessing yours isn't the type of job where you'd face discipline or the company would suffer for you for being late otherwise it seems like unnecessary risk and cost to me. even disregarding catastrophic engine failures it seems like a big risk to be driving a 20 year old car to your job. any 20 year old car.

I Daily my '03, no major issues, Puts a big smile on my face every time i start it. I have other cars i can drive if i need to do maintenance on the 996, and also a AAA card if something bad happens

Don't lose sight of the fact that a car is metal, plastic and rubber. If you refresh the pieces that will deteriorate with age and wear, and keep the appropriate components lubed with fresh lubricant, you have a dependable car. If you don't, the car will break down. Some are willing to pay up to do this. Some are not. The decision is personal. However, for those that don't want to pay up to replace the necessary parts for durability, you can't claim that the 996 lacks durability. The only thing that lacks durability is the owner.

for a daily driver, a 996 makes a lot of sense from a cost perspective. many models before and after [the 996] can break the bank, but the 996 is still affordable. if you want a 911 for a DD, i think a 996 is an ideal choice.

Let's talk catastrophic engine failure and identify the failures and the easy solutions for the street to keep your car humming. 1. Oem imsb - Replace oem imsb with aftermarket solution. 2. Bore scoring & internal failure - Run good oil and change your oil at least 2x a year. Check whats in your filter after every change. Run an oil test once a year. Drop your sump every few years and see whats in there. Scope your bores to see how they are doing. Run fresh fuel injectors with good gas. Use FSI start-up recomendations. Keep your MAF, coils, spark plugs and oxy sensors fresh. If you have bore scoring or oil testing issues, make the appropriate adjustments to prolong engine life. 3. Water pump failure - replace your water pump every 5 years. 4. Intermix - replace your oil cooler and hoses. 5. Aos failure - replace with uaos. If you are smart, you get the uaos track version so you never have to worry about accidentally overfilling the oil. What am i missing? This is a summary list of issues for a 3.6, the 3.4 has a few other issues to be aware of. Feel free to add to it. Seems pretty simple to me. Sure, track driving is another list that revolves around oil starvation, oil pressure and cooling. But we have the solutions for that as well. You get the idea. too many folks are scared of their own 996 shadows. No need to be. You do the right things to the 996 and you have a durable car. Instead, folks would rather focus on radios, wheels, suspensions, exhaust systems and pretty paint, instead of making sure the car is bullet proof and then complain about it once it breaks. I don't get it...

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I dunno man, if anything I think this reads like a list of reasons to not buy a non-Mezger 996. Radios, wheels, suspension, exhaust systems, etc are what makes cars fun. I don't know many people who are jonesing to spend thousands of dollars to make a car bullet proof after they buy it.

not affiliated https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1315632

It is interesting to think about. If I really needed to be somewhere, like in a hypothetical matter of life and death, I would take my wife's 2020 Hyundai Kona out of fear of 3, 4, and 5. It's a risk-reward assessment that would have different factors for everyone, especially the consequences of being late for work.

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Sure there are !! Porsche has this "mystique" about it that everyone wants.......... Porsche is an Engineering Company who happens to build a few sport cars....at least for the most part of history.. Founded in 1931 Porsche Engineering has done many many engineering projects for just about all big companies, car companies ect...They have designed VW Beetle ,tractors, fork-lifts, motorcycles, air plane ****-pits ect... Designed stuff for Mercedes , Volvo, Harley Davidson just name a few.. As an Engineering Company to show their skillz they decided to build a few sports cars, small, light, good handling, and entered them in prestigious races with success. Porsche was a relative newcomer to the automotive world when Ford, Chevrolet, Benz, and slews of other auto manufacturers had been racing for years all the way back to the early 1900's , but Porsche designs were always quite different and always pushing the design envelope.. But the long and unique racing history still doesn't explain the "mystique" that surrounds Porsche, nothing really does,..it is just there... Maybe it's the daring design attitude that is unapologetic even when flaws appear in the designs, they just learn from the mistakes and move on...but there is no denying the daringness of the designs, and the flaws that happen....but there are many many people who like and appreciate/want that........... IF you want an undaring dull design with minimum flaws, then a Toyota Camry is your car... The 996 is perfectly placed in the Porsche History to be very unique. It separates the unique history when the cars are small, light, good handling, daring design , unapologetic in flaws... A time when Porsche still didn't even care for glove-boxes, cup holders, radios, back seats , 4-doors, the things that consumers were increasingly pushing on them........ Porsche resisted all they could !! ....... but eventually caved to consumer demands for glove-box, cup holders, radios with bluetooth ect, SUV's, 4-door sports cars,......... ALL the things the consumer wanted,..... but still make the raw 911 "rear engined" sports cars and daring designs.. Glenn is spot on with his maintenance regime ..I was in the Porsche dealership when 996 997 was new, the 15k mile 996 and 20k mile 997 oil change interval was adhered to by most owners.... Very few would do anual oil changes unless the 15k or 20k miles had been reached in a year and hardly anyone did a 6 month 5k miles oil change... How many here has "proof" that their m96 has had 20+ oil changes ??? I'll bet not many.... The people who buy a 996 and blindly spend ALL their money on wheels, suspension, exhaust, radios, the "fun stuff".......... are not in the real world ....but it's not your fault.....Porsche is partly to blame for pushing the envelope to the edge and sometimes over ..and then recommending 15k-20k miles oil services that MOST people adhered to..

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I have an 02 Targa and daily it all the time. Got the PCCM last year and with everything else in perfect running order it�s like driving any other modern car

Not disputing the prowess of any porsche engineer. just a fun fact my german speaking father shared with me recently: The h.c. in "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche" stands for " honoris causa" which is our equivalent of an honorary degree. He received it from the University of Vienna after he was already managing director at austro-daimler. Prior to joining the SS of course.

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True fact !!!!

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Cars are engineering and design, made out of those mechanical parts. 911's, especially 20+ year old ones, are simply not designed nor engineered to be daily drivers (and they certainly weren't advertised to be). They are not efficient, are not trouble free, don't favor short drives, require frequent maintenance and are expensive when parts fail. These engines turn 3k rpm at 75 mph, not many others are as high strung. How many asian import owners feel the need to replace a multitude of perfectly good parts "while you are in there" and then those parts are two, three, or more times as expensive, then have to wait to get them and then "drop the engine" to install them. Funny how some are presenting reasons how our cars are good daily's (a good daily doesn't require ~$10k a year to keep running) but are really reasons why they are not. Maybe a Ferrari or an Aston is a poorer choice of a daily, but not by much. All aside, if your daily drive matches up with Laguna Seca there's the fun factor and there is a value to that.

Sure. Just have a back up car when something breaks and you are waiting for parts from Germany or even mail order.

Uber, the modern back-up car for classic sports car enthusiasts...

After owning three Porsches, I would not discourage anyone from daily driving their 996 cars. In fact, you may find that it's better for the engine to excise it daily than only drive it once and a while. If I were to name one reason someone might not want to daily drive their Porsche it would be cost of service and repair. While I strongly believe the worst offenders of Porsche engine failure are the garage queens, daily driving any car will experience increased wear and tear. And as owners know to well, service and repair for any Porsche is exponentially more... a lot more! This is probably true for any premium German built cars. They are true to performance, but not cheap on repair. Something to consider. However, independent sources (consumer reports, JD Power, etc.) all list Porsche has a reliable premium brand. (see image)

Back in mid-2000s, a friend drove an 83 SC every day for years, including high desert summers and winters. He kept on top of upkeep. Loved on the car when it needed attention. He had that car from 1990 to 2010. No reason the �right� 996 can�t do the same. But, it wasn�t his only set of wheels. It was the only 911 on base, as I recall. The thought of a 996 as a daily causes a dichotomy. The 996 Porsche was a sports car designed for us to drive as an escape from the mundane, the routine of the Everyman. How do I take that aspirational image and shoe horn it into my reality of limited garage space? My rationale is: Would I go to Trader Joe�s with a super model wife? Yup, if we need to buy food. And, in case no one noticed before, I have a super model wife! Can I wrap my head around the actuality that I have a 996�and now what do I intend to do with it? Yup. I drive it with an attitude of gratitude, giving thanks every time I rev match, trail braking into that set of special corners I try to master every time I drive. And I have a sweet Porsche, in case someone notices. They always do. In the big scheme of things, not many people own 996s. Few, very few, 996 owners drive the car as solo mode transport�not a good money bet. As a daily driver? Why the heck not? Get a car in great shape, keep it that way, have a second set of wheels, mash the pedal down whenever you can. There is no substitute.

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I have an acquaintance who was wrenching in a Ferrari dealership when the Dino first arrived on the scene. They cost a lot less than the other Maranello offerings and were attracting a younger, up-and-coming kind of clientele, the sort that might very well want to daily drive the car. The dealer tried to convince these prospective Dino buyers to purchase a Fiat 128 as well, so they'd have something to drive when the Dino was in the shop. Caveat: I don't daily drive anything so my input is probably not the best for this question. I absolutely adore my targa for running errands! It's small, nimble, comfortable enough, easy to park (although I still tend to park well away from the SUV mob), and more than commodious enough for most runs. Ingress/egress is very good for a sports car, much better than my Z4MC. The frunk is super convenient; I can open it one-handed, plus I keep a trunk organizer in there to hold things in place as I whiz around. Which brings me to the last point, that being me smiling like a kid in a candy shop when I drive it. As some have mentioned I do not use it for super short runs as it is not good for these flat sixes to be driven that way. All that having been said, I don't think I'd use it daily to drive to and from a job. It would serve that duty occasionally, but for the most part I'd use a truly reliable vehicle that I didn't care as much about.

I daily'd mine for about 9 months, even through the winter here. the only concern I have is the engine grenading and leaving me out 30k nbd

You are already in the money 25-30k. You put a 4.3 in that classic in about 5 years, and you will be dailying that million dollar car well into your 90s.

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Good daily doesn't necessarily mean a cheap daily. Also, you may have higher maintenance, but a very low purchase price that helps make up for it. However, while I have no intention to ever sell my 996, I truly believe if I were to sell my car in a say 5 years for even $20k (it'd be a high mileage coupe with a rebuilt engine) and assume $4 average gallon of gas I could get a cost per mile of about $0.35, which is pretty damn good, especially for something fun. But regardless any extra cost over a Honda Civic is easily made up by how much less I hate my commute than if I were driving a boring car. At least for me being in a car you love makes a big difference in enjoyment, even if you are stuck in traffic. I will say I am definitely a bit of an odd bird though. This is my second newest car ever, both in year and age at purchase, but I simply don't like the new stuff and have found that if you take care of your car it'll take care of you. I also almost always have at least 2 driving cars for when I need to take one down for maintenance. Like right now I am fixing a few issues on my '93 F350, so that I can drive it while I replace the brakes and a few odds and ends on the 996. I personally don't see driving an older car as risky, especially financially, so long as you take care of them. They are already depreciated, far easier to wrench on, parts are typically cheaper, and insurance is way cheaper (though you can run into issues of coverage at times and wrecks are a PITA). I have made money on most of my cars instead of losing it and that was without even trying. The newest car I ever bought was the car I got screwed the worst on in just about everyway. I have no desire to buy anything newer than a 996 ever again in my life. But you know we are all different and have different priorities and experiences, so do what you are comfortable with and makes you happy.

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@GC996 what's a 4.3? Thanks!

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FSI

Why not? I daily drive a 32 year old VW, so what do I know.

If you can afford the upkeep and don't mind the wear and tear absolutely go for it. Life is too short to drive boring cars..

To me, the 2000's and early 2010 cars are the "sweet spot" for having all the creature comforts without becoming overly complicated (at least for German cars). New Porsches have become way, way, way too complicated. Our Macan drives amazingly well, but I would take the older Audi Q5 we traded in over the Macan for reliability, even with the high miles it had, just because they were far, far simpler cars in the early 2010s. I think the Japanese and Korean cars haven't gone over the top on complexity, but Porsche has jumped the shark on making cars too complex. A 996 may require more maintenance than a typical car, but I'd still prefer it maintenance-wise over a new Porsche.

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Yes! Too often the maintenance expectations for a "daily driver" are "change the oil and fix what breaks". If you're a honda or toyota driver you may not even do that much. I consider useability, reliability and availability. For many it won't meet all useability needs, especially if you often need more space, so it's great to have another vehicle in the household for that, or at least access to one. Reliability is significantly dependent on effort and commitment. Many people advice against ANY 20 year old car as DD. You replace the parts that wear out or degrade with age. That cuts down on the likelihood of surprises. Then if parts are readily available, that also keeps the downtime to a minimum so the car remains available. Daily a 996? Yes, if you want to.

I’ve used mine as a daily for a couple years now (about 15k mi). It’s easy to drive, runs great and is super comfortable. I did add a couple of things that really brought the car into the modern age 1) changed out the stock nav unit for a unit with wireless android auto/apple car play. Let’s you stream tunes, navigate with waze, and make phone calls/voice texts. 2) got a aftermarket cup holder i change the oil every 6 months. Only major service I had was I replaced the drive shafts (was a pretty easy diy). The plugs and coil packs are due I’m hoping to find time to do them next week.

Simple answer, yes, you can daily the hell out of a 996....it is great "point A to point B" vehicle.. Only exception is if you need a "daily utilitarian vehicle" like a pick-up or SUV to haul stuff.....

I don't daily over the issue of parking. For me daily is an easily paint and dent corrected car. White or non metallic red. All my dailys have ripples down the side or full blown scratches. Stolen centre caps. Parking spots so narrow. Apart from the hatch back crew everyone's in at least a crossover or truck. I bought my Porsche as a Seal grey remote in lock down. My wife rang me on delivery day telling me it was purple. We worked out it was Vesuvio. A hard colour to match. I won't leave my car to the public to vandalise, Limiting yes. I've made sure my plain white dailys are fun.

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In that case get a roof rack� I haul all types on mine 😅

I guess everyone is giving an opinion so I'll throw in mine, here's why I wouldn't daily drive my 996... No matter what you drive daily it will become normalized with time, you'll get used to it and when you drive it on weekends it won't feel as special. I prefer to have a daily that is boring to drive, soft, comfy and practical. Then when I jump in my 996 for a spin it feels more special again, also it doesn't have any daily clutter in it.

Life is to short to own a Porsche and not drive it every chance you get. It brings me much joy! I don't listen to the radio when driving my 996.

Well, you can have 10 for a wifie and never knock the bottom out and only kiss her on weekends, but what fun is that ???/

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What about those that have a weekday girlfriend and a weekend girlfriend? It's 2x the fun, granted 2x the hassle when they inevitably find out about each other.

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And both are 10's?? My hero !!

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i like to kiss my 10 wife in my 911 365 days� with both kids in the back too

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Now that's living it up !!!

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She must have been a 12 in order to end up a 10 after 2 kids.

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Haha, sounds good. Also, First time posting on this site, and looking to getting a 99' 996. i live in California, do you have a recommended Insurance company? im looking for full coverage as well as using it as a daily.

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Eric, the 996 is an awesome car. Consider getting a policy with replacement value. I use Porsche Insurance which does. Hagerty does as well. The guys will mske suggestions as well.

George Carlin never dated a 10, but one night, he had five 2�s.

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Hagerty requires you to have another car to use as your daily. They do insure based on mileage driven per year though, so you might be able to work it.

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Another reason to go with Porsche Insurance.

I have never heard of this Porsche insurance before, so I just looked it up. It seems like a pretty good solution, depending on cost, but coverage is extremely limited with it only being available in 9 states. They do say they have plans to expand, but who knows how fast. Regardless I am sure LA is pretty low on their list, so no Porsche insurance for me for a while. It has been a couple years since I looked hard, but I do not believe any insurance company, except maybe this Porsche insurance, will do agreed value on a DD. As others have said many, like Hagerty, even make sure you have another vehicle that is your DD before insuring you. They also have some pretty strict requirements like must be garaged, mileage limitations, and use limitations (i.e. no towing/hauling if a truck, I think they now make you tell them if you track the car too). This could vary by state and things have changed a lot with insurance in the last few years, so hopefully you can find something.

I looked into Hagerty as well but had to pass for the above mentioned reasons. Kind of funny when their motto is literally "Never Stop Driving". Wonder how the Porsche insurance would work out for those that do a lot of miles annually. 7-10k per year.

With Porsche insurance you are paying by the mile. It may be expensive for a DD. My understanding is that Liberty offers a replacement value.

My car is insured as a normal daily driver with GEICO and it's been concering me, I have to call and get more info. Worst case scenario, totaled, I don't know what they would pay off. Maybe what they consider market value, or would they take my receipts for restoration since purchase and increase the amount? I called them once about it and did not get a proper answer, I think the person answering the phone was new .. grrr yet more things to do.

I'm with Geico as well. I'd be curious what they tell you but ideally I'd ask for someone more senior if possible. I once called asking about track day coverage and the agent was completely clueless.

There is an insurance company in NJ I believe that only covers classic cars. You negotiate with them on what your car's worth in the event that it's stolen or totaled. Obviously the higher the payout, the higher the premium, but everything else is the same (less than 5K/year, pleasure vehicle, etc...). I forget the name of it - my uncle uses them for his '87 Carrera.

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I know American Collectors Insurance is based in NJ and I use them for my 73 Camaro.

im a little late to the party but i daily drove a 996 targa (my first car) for a few years and i thought it was a great all around city car. it was just the right size for parking, maneuvering, and being evasive. always wanted a little more power but the car was very well balanced and extremely easy to drive and shift. i upgraded the sound system, had HREs, and put a turbo front bumper which got rid of the smiley face and made the car looked like it was moving while parked

Only legends daily drive 911's. Especially classic 911's. Are you a legend?

I drove a 99 C2 year round last 2yrs in MN. Blizzaks we�re ok. The wind pushes you around a bit on the highway. A c4 would have been more appropriate. But, it never let me down.

Forgive me if I've missed it. With my eyes it is getting difficult to read through many pages. Insurance has been mentioned adnauseam and of course it is a consideration. If your 996 hasn't been sorted, (IMS, borescoring problems, glued cooling lines, etc), your engine will likely have problems in "no so many miles". Then, repair costs or engine rebuild is EXTREAMLY expensive. You can buy very nice cars for the costs of Porsche repairs, (in some cases, two or three nice cars) Also keep in mind that these are not exactly "comfortable cruising" cars. The ride is stiff and loud. However, if your commute is the Mulholland Highway, you'll have a very expensive Blast! These considerations matter a lot to some and not so much to others.

insurance pinshmurance it's a scam

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With any insurance company you end up negotiating the payout. Adjusters will almost always seek the cheapest way out that they can get away with. In some cases it is best to get a lawyer to represent you if you are unhappy with the payout. NEVER cash the check until you are completely satisfied. Cashing the check signifies you are happy with the terms. Some insurance companies will insist on non-OEM replacement parts, so do your homework. Your rights may vary by state.

True. Geico insists on used, aftermarket, and then OEM last.

Several people have mentioned that for long commutes or trips the 996 is not ideal, but my experience is opposite .. While I admit the ride is not as "air-cushioned" as a Cadillac , I find the drivers room and seating position MORE comfortable in my 996 than my sisters Cadillac ( standard seats , not sport seats) ..or even my other sisters Honda SUV (CRV) ,, or even my sons Dodge Ram 1500 4 door 4x4 Hemi , or any other vehicle I have spent any amount of time in... There my be vehicles out there that are actually more comfortable than my 996 , but I have worked in the dealerships for over 45 years I haven't experienced them.. ( although I have never experienced Bentley or Rolls Royce or maybe you guys know of other models that may be more comfortable ) I have put over 90K miles of seat time on my 996 and can drive for 8 hours a day and get out still feeling refreshed....

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Completely agree. A group of rich dudes is willing to accept the bet, for a fee, that you're not going to get into an accident. You're betting, for a fee, that you will get into an accident. My feeling is that if I need to make that bet with a group of rich dudes, I'm driving a car that is too valuable for my level of affluence. In other words, I should be driving a car that can get totaled and I simply get out and walk away from it without it being the end of the world.

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So...."comfort" is subjective and most on this forum would be willing to put up with a lot of what is truly discomfort in exchange for being in a Porsche on their trip. I know I would. That said, my Boxster seats meet my level of comfort needs for any trip.

Back to the subject of the post. Where I live, Tucson AZ, you hear about hit and runs every day, all day which means that if I were driving a 996 as my daily driver I would have to assume the risk that a clown with no insurance or license was going to run into me someday. I could carry the insurance against that, which is VERY expensive in Tucson AZ or I can accept that risk. I choose to not carry the insurance and drive cars that won't keep me up at night if it's totaled due to a hit and run. I've already been in 1 hit and run and I and another witness were able to select the driver out of a photo lineup. The driver is unlicensed and carries no insurance. My local govt isn't going to pursue the case because it's a misdemeanor since nobody was hurt. I could pursue a civil case but there's no money to be had if I win. Nope, not going to drive a 996 around Tucson.

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I agree with some of that, but not the Ram. I'm not a huge fan of Dodge (but I am Cummins) but I have all the room in the world for my feet and very comfortable driving position. I can drive for days in my Ram and at 6'1" and 240#, I'm a big guy. But that's apples and oranges. I'm fairly comfortable in my 996, especially the seats, but i haven't been on any long trips yet. I do have a complaint about my left foot position though. The ergonomics of the car and the way the panel curves into the foot area of the cockpit is slightly uncomfortable. No big deal though. To me, expense is the primary reason that these don't make great daily commuters.

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I found long drives (hour or two and up) almost completely intolerable until I did the GT3 console delete mod. That helped significantly. I encourage everyone to do it.

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The other half of insurance, and much more important, is injury and loss of life. Cars are just things. People are not.

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I'm 6'2 with long legs, so I installed a set of seat extenders that push the seats back about 2" when they are all the way back. This made a huge difference for me. I can't remember where I got them. Also the GT3 console delete made a big difference too.

My Cruise Control works very well and I use it anytime I am on the Interstate for more than 30min... I am not crazy about my outer right leg resting on the console ( it can get sore if not carefull) and have considered the console delete, but I like the looks/useage of the console so haven't given in to do the delete, I just engage the Cruise Control and reposition my right leg... Like I said I have 90K miles of seat time so post up your seat time for comparison...lol

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I don't know how expensive "expensive" is, but man you are brave. I have personally been hit by 2 uninsured motorists and in the last few years have had at least half a dozen friends/family get hit by uninsured motorists. For my protection I consider this the absolute most important coverage. You are right about them not doing anything it is crazy. A few years back in WA my dad got hit and run by an uninsured, unlicensed drunk driver and was minorly injured and they refused to prosecute the women and she had previous DUI's and hit and runs too. I hear so many people saying this and it really must be a tall thing, which it seems like most of you are. As short guy (5'7") I have no issues with the console interfering with space for my leg and find the console quite handy. I also agree @Porschetech3 , the car is quite comfortable for long drives. I did 3 back to back 16 hour days in mine when I moved down to NOLA, and have done several other 5-12 hour trips.

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Is Porsche still doing Recaro seats? I think my 88 Targa had them. Eight hours in that car felt amazing. And I could nearly go that long, too, with the 22-gallon fuel tank. My current 996 is almost as good on long trips. Better than many other vehicles I�ve had for sure.

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Thank you guys so much for all info and a lot of it is also from the boards and my own research as well from the mentioned above issues. I know I could not do this with my 911 SC, but here are real world scenario with related to the mileage I would used daily driving for the week that has me wondering as I have not experienced the water cooled engine with short trips that I would do. 4 days a week short drives to the gym 2.4 miles roundtrips in 110+ temps for about 3 months and then constant 100 to 110+ days for a month until it gets under 100 degrees Maybe I am overthinking and still stuck in my air-cooled experience.

996�s do not like short drives. The fact is that no cars like them. Even my dad�s CRV broke under the strain. Maybe an EV?

Great insights in here. Lots of knowledge from experienced owners. vetfever

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Yes all 996 seats are made by Recaro....for those who don't know, Recaro got their big break/start from building seats for air-liners, they had to be comfortable as well as durable and light weight...

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recaro Suggest you read up

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Instead of a **** response to somebody who is incredibly helpful on the forum, maybe you could bring us up to date on the situation instead of pointing us to a document that we all have to sort through to know what you are talking about.

My 996 has a Recaro driver's seat, so PT3 is correct

My 2: I wouldn�t daily drive any 20-year old, maintenance - heavy sports car unless you have the wherewithal to replace wear items regularly. Other, newer and more mundane cars fulfill daily driving much better IMHO In any case, to each is own and best of luck! You definitely have support here if you go for it.

As much as I love my 996, driving it in a traffic-heavy tropical city setting can present a challenge if met with constant start-stop conditions that restrains the engine to <2k rpm. It loves to be in the range of >4k rpm, on open roads or attacking fast corners. That said, there is no stopping me from driving it to/from work every single day, with the occasional grocery runs. Just need to keep an eye on those wear and tear parts like a hawk. Let's enjoy our ride while we can!

I keep driving mine a couple times a week, although sometimes it snows unexpectedly.

^ foam cannons are addictive!

Thankfully the cost is about $10/minute which keeps my usage to a minimum.

Done exactly that in January, bought my first Porsche a black 2002 c4s, have put 3k on it already. Took my time and found one with most of the main issues already tackled. use it every day, school runs, work, gym, just driving for the sake of it. Amazing machine and life�s to short to worry about what ifs, if you want it do it

I posted a thread here in 2019 on Smiles per Miles$$$ after I had my 1999 Coupe for 12 years and 75k miles seat time and calculated the "Smiles per Miles $$ " at 14.7 cents...That's a pretty good reason to Daily Drive a 996... The calculation included the entry free and failures/repairs only...No maintenance, no Upgrades ( unless required by failure) no labor since I DIY everything....just Smiles per Miles $$$ =purchase price+ repairs / Smiles 4 years later I'm at 90k seat time since my health is not as good, and I'm sure my Smiles per Miles $$$ has gone up some, but I'm betting it is still way under $1...no wait, under 50cents...no under 25 cents... The more you drive the better your "Smiles per Miles $$" average is......it's a FACT....

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Hahahaha