who has gone from air-ccooled to water?

i am sure this has been talked about,but please indulge me..i am about to make some big life changes,and i feel that my 87 911 is going to be tough as my daily driver.i could keep it and buy a cpo bmw OR sell the 87 and buy a 02-03 996..i even thought of a 993 but thats like keeping the 87 in a lot of ways..thanks guys

Yes I did. 993 is actually nothing like the 3.2. Much more modern and easier to drive. You will not be disappointed. In terms of water cooled, yup, the ultimate daily driver, very very easy to use. All the other comments about character and looks are subjective and have been discussed to death so I wont dig them up here. Suffice to say if you need a daily driver, getting a 996 is a great choice as well (more so if tip). And you get to enjoy it every day compared with if you still run the 3.2, then you have to wait till weekends to get your p-car fix.

joey c the poster above, Harold makes some xlnt points. i went from a 87 to my current 99 c2 tip as a daily driver.. i also own a e46 bmw coupe, while a great car....the 996 for me can not be beat. Power, smooth, ac that actually works ! It is a porsche lovers dream car. My commute is long and i did it for a year in my 87, it was hard. gas mileage was worse as well.

I went from a 86 Cab to a 930 to a 2001 996. Take the water cooled much nicer to drive. Mike

joey c - My 2004 C2 is available at a killer price. 2004 C2 Lapis Blue PM me if you have any questions.

Last Porsche was a 79' 911SC. It was lighter, noisier and always had an oil aroma inside the car, and it's handling was quite nimble. Very reliable as well. My 99' 996 is better by leaps and bounds. Handles great, no oil smell and a bit more refined, and better power across the board. Honestly, I prefer the look of the 79', but would be unwilling to trade todays technology and evolutionary improvements with my 996. Couldn't be happier!(unless I was driving a GT3).

As always, Porsche 911's are an evolutionary performance vehicle. The 993 is a spectacularly good car, the 996 is more so. Every step along the way has made these cars that much better. Just like many others before you, Mr. Seinfeld included....go drive a 996, you WILL be impressed. Cheers, Chad

Ditto the above comments. Hold out for an '03 or newer. In addition to vario-cam, they have drink holders. You'll appreciate both features, often at the same time.

I came from air, too. No afraid of water, though.

GT 1 was water cooled. That was enough for me to make a decision. One of the previous posters brought up the oil smell in the cockpit. Yeah, I always used to notice that too in my other 911's. Must be from the way the ventilation system was designed. The water cooling really helped Porsche deal with all the heat these more powerful motors were producing. Even Motocross bikes are watercooled now.and have been for some time. Water is just so much more efficient. An air cooled 911 will make it's way back into my garage alongside my TT at some point. Just something about those cars....... tw

tdub----I always experienced the 'burnt' oil smell as noted with my 911SC. Also used to ride various air cooled Husky 250WR dirt bikes and they were all air cooled.

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Did not Variocam and the useless drinkholders come in 02?? anyways, have both Aircooled and Water, Could not imagine using the 86 as a DD but I could easily imagine driving the 996 or my ex-986S every day.

Had an '82 Targa before - I miss the burnt oil smell and the electrical glitches.

I have one of each. I really like the ride and comfort of the 996 but its also fun to hop in the 964 when you want the small wrap around clattery, oil smell, **** poor air conditioning old school ride. For a DD it would definatly be a water cooled 911 of some variant. For a weekend bum around town car the air cooled cab is more fun, sounds better and I am less paranoid to take it to a store parking lot. Have one of each

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Yes, the 3.6 motor with upgraded Variocam came in '02, together with the almost-useless drinks holders. The big change for '03 was the MOST audio system, which is relatively hard to upgrade or replace as it's based on an optical bus. I've driven a 993 and I liked it, but I'm very happy with my 996 as daily driver.

Had a '96 993 Cab, my first Porsche. Drove it every weekend when it wasn't raining. I loved it. Then I bought a new '05 987 Boxster S. After six months in the 987, the 993 felt like an antique. It broke my heart that I had ruined my experience and relationship with the 993 but it was too late. The newer cars are just such better vehicles it's hard to argue thier value as daily transportation. I miss the little things about the 993; the startup sound, the sound of all that cold oil glopping around behind the back seats, the pedals, the shifter -- plus it was just beautiful, but sadly I don't miss driving it -- the newer cars are just so much more satisfying and capable. Many, many people will disagree with my feelings, but you asked for opinions. It was very difficult for me to sell the 993 last year but only for sentimental reasons. You will not regret getting or driving a 996, but you will have little moments when you see an A/C car -- but they will pass. It is better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all. There are plenty of great 911's out there if you change your mind in the future. I won't be going back.

I still have my 79' S/C, but the 996 is superior in everyway. It is much more powerful, stable and has far better brakes. It has a real A/C system that can the car comfortably even the hottest days in TX and a heater that can keep you warm the cold days in NY. All the controls are where you can find them and none of the gauges are blocked by the steering wheel. It is comfortable to drive everyday and a terror at the track. Last, it does all this reliably without all the maintenance of the old S/C. There are no valvetrain adjustments and cleaning the front radiators is no harder than cleaning a front-mount oil cooler. The only downside (I am not sure if it reallyu is a downside) is it just doesn't have that loose-steering tight-turn feel of an older 911. Over the limit, you use your right foot just like an old 911. It just doesn't have that choppiness you get used to when driving an old 911 fast. A 993 is a middle-ground compromise between the 2. You have better A/C, but no as good as a 996. The heater is like all air-cooled 911, inadequate at anything below 40 degrees. The steering feel is very similar between the 993 and the 996, just the weighting is a little different. You get basically the same anchient interior as an old 911, but the addition of airbags and a few extra lights. The 993 was the first 911 to get hydraulic valvetrain, so there is less maintance. The downside is a lesser suspension, brakes and power to a 996. Keep in mind that Porsche never made a 4-valve head that wasn't water cooled. To get the performance of a 4-valve, there is too much heat for air cooling to be sufficient. Even the legendary 969 and 962 racer cars were water cooled. Water cooling was simply the direction they had to go to get better performance. Since you are looking at an 02'-03', they have a few advantages over the earlier cars. The engine isn't only larger, the newer Variocam Plus system has added variable valve timing on the exhaust cam and variable lift on the intake cam. Hence, not only does it make more power and torque; the torque curve is significantly larger. There is a nice kick you feel in your back when the torque ramps up between 2500 and 3000 rpms that is absent in the earlier 3.4l Variocam engines. There is additional chassis stiffening in the front and rear, including reinforced front strut towers. The body improvements are more than just bumpers, the front fenders and rear quarters were redesigned to reduce lift 40% in front and 25% out back. The cup holders actually work pretty good. Although they won't hold a big gulp, they are perfectly sized for a Starbuck's Grande Latte or Frappe. The new bi-xenon headlights are brighter, have HID hi-beams and an improved beam pattern from the previous litronics. Best advice is to drive several cars before making a decision.

I waffle on the idea

A 993 looks nicer, but is not nearly as comfortable as a 996. For a daily driver the 996 wins hands down. The 996 feels much faster and handles better. My last 911 before the 993 was a '74 and that was the most tempermental thing around. I don't want to ever go back.

Great comments. I had an '85 up until last week. Ended up selling it without really trying. I now have an '02 C4S....which was not really intended to be my DD. Well....it is...in every single way. I even put my kids in the back. I had a 3 series that went off lease in September, and I never replaced it. Never thought I'd get snow setup on a Porsche, but I did just that. While I miss the '85, I certainly don't miss the "issues". Yes, an '02 will have issues too, but not nearly as many at this stage. The AWD is fantastic for snow (at least that's what I've heard! Can't wait!). So...I've gone from 3 cars....to one...and the truth is, for now....it is ALL I need. I am very happy, and drove my other cars a total of 50 miles b/w June and November. best of luck, J

I traded my stripped lightweight and tuned 1978 for a 2002 996 without PSM earlier this year and have not looked back. I daily drive the 996, which was not at all practical in the 911. I also took the 996 to the track, and it's just as fast (if not faster) in stock trim. Give it some suspension and some tires and the 996 would anihilate the 911. I was just thinking today actually how the 996 I own truly is an evolution of the 911. It was not all that expensive, it handles great, has high specific output engine, it looks great, has usable back seats for the kids. Just like the 911 back in the day. 911 are fantastic *old* cars. History in metal. I will treasure the time I had with mine forever, and maybe will even own another one someday....but for daily driving you need a modern car. Back in the 70's that was the 911. Here in the 00's, it's a 996 (or 997).