996 As A daily?

I'm sure some of you drive your 996's as daily driver. I picked up my '99 996 C2 Cabrio 6 speed a few weeks ago and am enjoying it on the occasional drive. We just made a change at my work and they are offering me $600/month plus gas card if I drive one of my own vehicles (I have a company truck now). I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited that I will use most of the time and would like to drive the Porsche occasionally but a manual trans in LA traffic is not going to be a fun experience. So I thought maybe I'd pick up another one for work. I just found a '99 C4 coupe with Tiptronic, 113K miles, blue with grey interior, IMS done at 102K miles, looks pretty clean and asking only $16.5K. My commute is 106 miles round trip now but we are looking to relocate the office and will then only be about 50 round trip. I figure if I can get the price down to $15K my vehicle allowance will pay for it in a couple years. If we don't move I'm racking up about 26K miles a year (if I drive it every day) and if we do move (most likely) then only 13K per year. I'm sure I'll be driving the Jeep in bad weather or if I need to haul a bunch of stuff si miles will be less. How do you think this will hold up as a DD? Any issues I should worry about?

Does your vehicle allowance have stipulations on what vehicles it will cover? If not why not spring for a newer less high mileage car. I can't see a high mileage 996 as a practical car for those kind of yearly miles. I can however see the reasoning on wanting to add another Porsche to the stable. Most allowances I've dealt with have year and mileage stipulations. I'd look into leasing if I were you.

I daily drive mine and track it on the weekends. These cars are made for those types of trips!

A lot of people do DD these to some ridiculous mileage, ,totally doable. Sounds like the major concerns have already been addressed, and getting a higher mileage 996 you can put tons more miles on it without worry. Just get a good PPI if you're not comfortable looking over the car yourself. As stout as these cars seem to be, if an engine does need to be taken apart it is pretty expensive.

Will that car allowance cover loan payments plus maintenance?

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It's $600/mo to do what ever I like with. I'd be paying cash so no loan payments. No fuel costs either as I have a company gas card. So say I have 150K miles on it after a couple years and the allowance has pretty much paid for the car. Would the car be worthless then or still be a decent vehicle that is basically free at that point? I'm also thinking about a Corvette (I've owned quite a few of them) and LSX motors can go 200 + K miles with no problem.

That's a lot of miles to put on any high performance vehicle, much less a 17 year old one. It's bad enough that if the engine goes, you are out 10-25k, but the tips seem to add another level of mystery to the financial equation that you don't get with an MT (see current thread "Help! My 996 can just broke down..."). Despite numerous attempts, I have not figured out how to own a German sportscar (M, AMG, 911) without spending $.80-$1.30/mile, not including fuel. If you are going to put 78k miles on a 996 over the next 3 years, I think $600/mo is probably a good number just cover you maintenance and repairs. Your two biggest variables will be whether the engine blows (these aren't Corollas) and whether you do the recommended maintenance (especially AOS and water pump) and basic repairs yourself or have to pay $150/hr to have it done for you. One other thing is to consider what the resale value will be in 3 years with 190k miles on it. If it was me, I'd take the allowance, drive my Cherokee on Mon-Thu, and my existing cab MT on Fri, Sat and Sun. . But that's just my 2 cents, and it's probably overpriced at that.

Totally do-able. If I can do it in NY, NV should be no problem =)

There are dozens of OTHER cars better suited for DD chores. But no doubt you can rationalize why it has to be another 996. Yup, lots out there that are CHEAP TO BUY...just remember to factor in the COST TO OWN.

I have put 25,000 miles on my 996 in the 15 months I have owned it as a DD. No complaints and it is a manual.

Just a heads up, you're almost in 996TT (EDIT: 997S) territory. $600 Month, $0 Down, 4% APR, 72 Months = $33,500 - $36,000 Sticker Price. Just saying.

The cars were made to be daily drivers. But LA can certainly turn it into a chore. Beat up the Jeep, use the 996 you own whenever the fancy strikes you, and pocket the $600 a month as a war chest for whatever you may want to do with it at some future date.

Congrats on the new ride! I got mine recently, as well. If you're driving the I-15 (as your location suggests) during peak traffic hours, which is very slow moving, being in something with a low seat height makes for poor visibility of conditions ahead. The Corvette will be the same in that regard in that it's difficult to see beyond the car immediately ahead. Heavy, slow traffic takes the fun out of driving a car with such a fun right pedal. The other factor is after slugging it out in traffic everyday in a 996, are you really going to be looking forward to jumping into your other 996 for fun on the weekends or weekday evenings to blast around in as you would if you were in something else?

Also: (I am not a FA in anyway shape or form) Traditional IRA: $458 per month, $5500 Contribution per Year in Trad IRA @ 5% Return over 5 years = $35,697 with Tax Savings Roth IRA: $458 per month, $5500 Contribution per Year in Roth IRA @ 5% Return over 5 years = $31,911 So, you could have a 996TT, a 997S, or a quick start on retirement. Pick One?

996 is a good car. it will surely hold up if you maintain it properly. i commuted 45 miles each day on my 996c2, putting 50k miles over the years. i love driving it and stiill take it to work occasionally. you'll have tires, gas, oil changes, brakes, and all the usual consumables. the plastic interior starts to wear a bit and it's not as fun to drive in heavy stop and go. a bad relay left me stranded on the 60 east with 70 mph traffic swerving to avoid me. even 18 wheelers honked at my stalled 996 on the #2 lane. other than that, i changed the ignition switch myself and did other normal scheduled maintenance including rms, ims bearings. of course i also have a ton of factory mods.

On the one hand, I don't see why not. It does fine in traffic, though I'm not sure I'd do a 30+ mile commute regularly with the manual. The automatic one should be totally livable in the day-to-day, nothing about the 997 Tip I drove suggested it would be harder to daily than, say, a 3 series. This is just me personally, but if I were to buy another car, I'd want something relatively different from what I already had. (Which is how I ended up with a 996 instead of an E39 M5). With that said, I know a lot of people that have multiples of the car they love, and if the 996 is that car for you, then you should do it. The most convincing argument I can see against is the fatigue factor. If you already own a 996, would spending commuting hours in a 996 lessen your enjoyment of it? If you think Cab/RWD/6MT vs Coupe/AWD/5AT is enough of a form factor difference to render that a non-factor, then that's your answer.

I DD my 996.2 C2 6MT. Bought it with 97XXX on the odometer and I've just turned over 107XXX this week. So far I've done nothing more than gas and oil changes in terms of maintenance costs. (And a sidemarker bulb I think.) I've found it to be both comfortable and practical as an all purpose car thus far. It's also great for breaking up the monotony of the commute itself, since every interaction I have with the car makes me pretty happy. For me, the joy of driving doesn't only involve going fast; it is also about the simple actions of operating the vehicle and performing the rudimentary tasks. Finally, I would also say, there's a sense of freedom that comes from operating a high-mileage 996. You know it's not going to be worth much anyway and it remains one of the best driving experiences that's affordable to the common folks. Why not take advantage of that and turn your daily commute into something more than just a chore?

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Porsche, Corvette, etc as commuter vehicles, huh?. Why short change yourself?... go all the way and get a Bugatti Veyron, LaFerrari, Lamborghini Aventador, or Porsche 918. Just tell the boss it's too insure you'll be on time for work.

I've used mine as a DD for about 15 months now and the only complaint I have is that I get tired of the 6 speed manual in rush hour traffic. It's just more work and not relaxing. Couple of times I've thought about selling for that reason, but have never moved on it.

Well, thanks for all the great advice (I think!). So conflicting opinions here but I understand a lot of the reasoning. A second beater DD 996 takes away from the freshness of driving my super nice Cabriolet weekend car. And, it's not necessarily the best financial decision although, I'm set up pretty well in that area so it's not like I really need the money. On the other hand, I didn't get this way by being foolish and extra funds in my retirement account certainly doesn't hurt anything. While the $600 could be applied towards an auto loan, I am completely debt free and would kind of like to stay that way. I think for now I'll just roll in my GC and drive the Porsche I have now on weekends. That way every time I drive it (like I did last night) it will be like driving it for the first time and will continue to put a smile on my face.

Absolutely... drive beat up cheap cars for daily drivers and save the Porsche for those special drives and dates and such... you'll appreciate it more. Don't wanna wear out a good thang!

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+1

That's the great thing about RL. You can get a wide variety of opinions, maybe even some angles you hadn't thought of, then just go with the ones that resonate most with you.

my 996 gets driven 4-5 days a week, but I am also running into a lot of little maintenance issues as I approach 75,000 miles. I feel like once I spend another couple grand fixing odd and ends it is going to run forever.... atleast it feels like it is going to run forever

I've driven mine everyday since buying it. Have some updates and maintenance done, more on the way and a full inspection downtown next week. Going to get it right and monitor carefully, maybe a performance mod or two along the way . Really like the 18" 5stars, Brembos and drilled rotors. It's such a clean look I can't help but drive it. Smoother than anything else I've driven at speed. The reason I think it will get potentially 10k mi/yr is road trips. It's a wonderful car for a day's drive imo, already did one long weekend and it was a pleasure. Those type of trips will be more than a short work commute.

$ investment vs enjoyment Seems like such a simple equation.. Each persons result will vary

@Gordon9898 - Investment? I understand the broader dynamic of 993 / 964 / 930 / etc. values, just curious if you're anticipating 996 appreciation, what's the angle? Installed the 997 shifter tonight. Awe some.

I daily drive in L.A. with my manual and I love it. It depends on the person.

I dd mine spring through late fall (typically Apr-Nov) in Michigan, aside from our HORRIBLE road's (pot holes everywhere and speed bumps, for lack of a better turn in the middle of the road pretty much everywhere) it has been great. I now have a e90 x-drive for winter months and dread driving that, not sure if I'm spoiled from dd'ing such a great handling, light weight & light steering car (BMW is so hard to parallel park due to the overly heavy steering) - I actually hate that car. I sold a CTT for the 3 just to save gas in the winter months, although it gets 25+ I do not think I've disliked a car as much as that Pos. So in shorten form, I love DD'ing the 996 and hope to get a 997 to do the same in a couple of years once the 996 gets higher mileage (120 ish), then do something very fun to it. As far as the 997 goes, it has to be a 6 sp only with factory aero and sport seats are a must. - Yes I drive in rush hour.

Michigan style pot holes....

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At 50 miles RT per work day he'd be way over the mileage allowance on any lease agreement I've ever seen.