944s2 as daily drive ?

[gav_sw20]

Am getting bored of my e46 323 coupe and want something a bit more fun to drive to work.

I do about 15miles a day to and from work and was wondering if a 944 is recomended as a daily drive ?

I'd have about 5k to spend but concerned that alot of the cars on the net are pretty high milers. On the other hand I don't want to get one with 70k on the clock that has sat in a garage and has all of it's components seized.

I'd like a newer model as possible and don't mind a turbo but would assume these would be a bit more to run, plus trouble of replacing the turbo should it go pop (I cant imagine much change from a grand for this job).

Would like to get peoples thoughts and opinions.

I could theoretically get one as a 2nd car however I don't have access to a garage and dont fancy leaving in outside all the time.

 

[Peter Empson]

Welcome Gavin.
All 944's make great commuting cars, so you should have no worries there, plus they seem to thrive on regular use. It's best to ignore the mileage, buy on condition and its recent service history. Make sure you have the car checked out by a pro and read up about belts and chains on this forum so you'll be well prepared.

The turbo is probably less suited to shorter commutes and will cost a bit more to maintain and in fuel (depending upon your driving style). Given your budget I'd suggest an S2 would be ideal, just make sure you've got a little put aside just in case.

 

[gav_sw20]

I really must learn to search - http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=382473&mpage=1&key=daily&#383369

 

[Pastry]

I bought a lowish mileage lux (66k). Since put 3k on it since christmas with no problems (yet). Dont use it every day but it gets a run 3-4 times a week. Picked a lux as they seemed statistically overall to be the most reliable and trouble-free.

I'd its a lucky dip, but theyre certaunly tough old buggers compared to pretty much anything else on the market of that age.

I considered an E46 when i was buying the 944 (After owning a E34 525). Got to remember the 944 agewise is more akin to an E30 or E36. Youll sacrifice a bit of refinement, and I miss the short and smooth shift of the BMWs gearbox, but the engines are pretty comparable, both revvy and smooth and like being kept around 4-5k rpm. Obviously a s2 will give you more ooomph.

Got ot admit the fact i dont see a 944 in every other driveway added to the appeal

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: Pastry
I miss the short and smooth shift of the BMWs gearbox,

It's well worth checking over your linkage and even adding a short shift kit, it comes as a culture shock when I get into the standard 944S after driving the modified car, it makes a huge difference and is pretty cheap too.

 

[barrysmith]

I have had the S2 17 month, mileage now 61.000 done 11.000 miles and its brillant, average out at 28/30 mpg and no faults, the 944 era ,its when Porsche built cars to last forever and don't forget they were nearly 40K .

Should you choose one have it looked at, there can be a problem with rust on the sills.

 

[Copperman05]

The trick is finding one that has already had the belts done, new clutch recently and perhaps cam chain, higher milage cars that have been well looked after are probably more likely to have had this work done, so another reason not to be too worried about mileage, these cars are good for 250,000 Miles before an engine rebuild.

The gearboxs all tend to whine a little but dont buy one that has excessive noise. The general rule is to have about £1000 ready sorting out things in the first year.

You'll probably just end up buying one you like the look of, and forget the belts, clutch, etc, I did![]

Edd

 

[mr brightside]

I bought a 924s (944 lux engine) as a daily driver, i know it's not a valver like the s2 but as a daily driver it's superb. I spent over a grand on it in the first year but most of that will never need doing again as long as the car's running, my gearbox whines badly but puts up with a lot of hammer without getting worse.

 

[sawood12]

I think any 944 is a great daily driver. Plenty of boot space for those day's when you have to go home via Sainsbury's (or whatever your flavour of supermarket), some token rear seats that can house a couple of adults for journey's no more than 5 mins in duration, but ultimately a very civilised and comfortable cruiser. £5k should get you a decent S2 or other model, though if a turbo tickles your fancy then £5k might be a bit risky if you don't fancy getting your hands dirty (or paying someone else to). I'd actually go a step further and say that if the car is primarily for commuting with the odd country road blast then you might very well get away with not specifically targetting an S2. A Lux or good 2.7 will make superb commuters and £5k will (or should) buy you a better Lux than an S2. Try to get one with A/C if you can. These things are like mobile Eden Project bubbles if you get stuck in traffic on a sunny day.

 

[jasonp]

yes for sure as a daily driver, my s2 had new clutch,gearbox rebuild, belts,fluids, etc all done in the last few thousand miles before i took her home, totally agree with other users that you should keep a £1000 or £2000 even better aside for those "little things",even with all the above sorted, i have spent £400 on paint [laquer issues] and now the rest of paintwork looks slightly faded,so that will add another £700 to match faded paintwork, all this is my choice as i intend to spend what it takes to make my baby mint,luckily all the fundamentals are spot on and my spending will mainly be on cosmetic bits, everything works including my clock, not forgetting the joy of driving her, my babys done nearly 164,000 and i am told drives like shes done 60,000, i have every mot and stamped history/bills, please go for it you will not be disapppointed!!!

 

[edh]

I don't understand why commuting will make the car rusty? dirty maybe...

If you don't want your car to get dirty or rusty, leave it in the garage (and don't ever, ever think about taking it on a racetrack...)

A good S2 will make a good commuting car - even driving these cars slowly is a pleasure.

You don't have much chance of finding an S2 with a/c (or even a turbo with working a/c) but I find that's only a big issue for a couple of weeks a year - the ventilation from the sunroof is pretty good.

 

[Copperman05]

ORIGINAL: sc0tty

If you are happy with a poor to average ruster, then proceed with using it everyday.

With respect Scotty I think that is a little unfair, my S2 is now 20 years old and really only has a very small amount of corrosion at the bottom of the front wings, a common spot on these cars, it really is not that severe and I certainly wont be worrying about it for a while.

I think that as long as you are aware of these cars weak points and put in the nesessary precautions then there is little really to worry about, certainly these cars fair much much better than equivelent cars from the same period.

Edd

 

[evoboy69]

I'm sure my S2 would make my drive to work much more enjoyable!

 

[AntB]

my 1989 2.7 lux with aircon [] gets driven as a daily driver and loves it!!... Personally - for 5K - you can get a near mint 2.7 or a mint 2.5 lux and put some cash to one side for the first years running...

to give you an example - I paid 3.5K for my 78K 2.7 lux with ice cold a/c and immaculate body etc etc that had full service history well over and above the required spec - plus it had already had the sills treated etc etc.... All I have paid out os for the belts to be done... a £300 job.

Another tip is to find a GOOD local specialist that can be on hand when things do go wrong.. This can make a huge difference in repair bills alone...

Good luck

 

[sawood12]

My '87 turbo is used all year round come rain, snow, hail or hurricane,on salty roads during the winter and muddy roads during the wet summers we now enjoy and it thrives on use. Also I probably wash my car about 5 times a year and my car is totally rust free and the only body work i've had done is for minor stone chips that have shown signs of potentially going bad. No signs of rust in the sills, bottom of the wings or any of the usual areas. These cars are as robust as any modern car. The only rule I use is whenever the car gets wet (either through rain or when I do wash it) I take it out for a good blast when things dry up to get air moving around the car and dry out moisture in all the nooks and crannys. There are rust buckets out there (just as there are with any old car), but if previous owners have taken reasonable due care and attention then there is no reason why you should expect not to find a decent rust free car. There are not many 80's cars you can use all year round without them dissolving away in front of your eye's.

The only way to enjoy these cars is to drive them. I derive absolutely no pleasure whatsoever for being a Porsche 944 owner when my car is sat in the garage doing nothing.

 

[Copperman05]

Your lucky you have a garage...

Edd

 

[MRGT]

I have owned my 86 'S' (the model everyone seems to hate [&o] ) since last October and have covered just under 12,0000 completely trouble free miles in her. She had no rust when I bought her (ok, a tiny bit where the rear number plate lights are) and has none now despite being regularly driven on salt encrusted roads last winter and at one point being completely buried under 18 inches of snow (photos available on request [] ) There is no doubt in my mind that they benefit from being driven on a daily basis.

Edit: She sits outside all the time as I too dont have a garage.

 

[dirtydirtyharry]

I bought my 944 lux a few months back to use it as my only car and this includes approx 35 miles a day commuting to work. The commute is mainly a-roads and it is a pleasure driving to work in her. I would probably not recommend a 944 for commuting in, say, the heart of london but anything else is fine. 944's are well put together and therefore I would just get one as your everyday car if i was you. Spend up to 4k on the car (altho you can get a great one for less) and reserve a grand for any necessary work. Also remember to look at the tyre tread on the car! It turns out that the tread was an advisory in the cars last MOT so I will shortly have to stump up for new ones which is not cheap.

 

[Peter Empson]

I don't believe that a well looked after daily driven car should rust away in front of your eyes (keep on top of stone chips, dinitrol it etc), but even if we pretend it is an issue then I'd argue that a couple of grand spent on the bodywork every 10 years would still be a cheap price to pay for the enjoyment these cars can bring every day and it's still a fraction of the depreciation a newer car would face over the same period.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

ORIGINAL: sc0tty

If you are happy with a poor to average ruster, then proceed with using it everyday.

With respect Scotty I think that is a little unfair, my S2 is now 20 years old and really only has a very small amount of corrosion at the bottom of the front wings, a common spot on these cars, it really is not that severe and I certainly wont be worrying about it for a while.

I think that as long as you are aware of these cars weak points and put in the nesessary precautions then there is little really to worry about, certainly these cars fair much much better than equivelent cars from the same period.

Edd

There is no reason why a regularly-used 944 should rust, if you look after it. If you leave it covered in salt for weeks on end then you will experience problems, but the solution to that is no further away than a hosepipe when it gets salty and a good anti-rust treatment once a year. Do this and you will have no problems. The worst thing you can do to a car is put it in a garage damp, for a week or so at a time - regular use gets the air moving through the body cavities, drying them out. This is good for the car.

Sc0tty may be saying that it would be a shame to use an immaculate, low-milage car for the daily grind as you will be racking lots of miles onto it and risking stonechips, car-park dings and whatnot. This may be true, but cars that are used are always much better mechanically than garage queens.

To the original poster: my S2 does around 15k miles a year on all roads and in all conditions. I can't think what I would ever replace it with. They are simply superb cars for this sort of use.


Oli.