Daily driving a G50 3.2 Carrera?
Discussion
I've run 2 x 3.2 Carrera Coupes as daily drivers. 1st for 2 years and 2nd for 7 years.
They're comfortable, you get used to the heavier steering when moving off but as soon as you're moving it's fine. the 6(F)+7(R)x16" Fuchs wheels actually make it a light car to drive compared with the upgrade to 7(F)+9(R)x16".
They take the miles well. As long as the heater blowers are working well they demist the screen quickly in colder weather (if they don't check the heater). The clutch can be heavy in traffic and the standard clutch is better than uprated clutches which tend to last longer but are heavier still.
They're fast enough to make progress when required.
The only time either let me down was when the battery died on the M25, my fault as the light came on the evening before and I thought it was a fault and didn't think it could be a failed alternator.
I'd have a 3rd silver 3.2 Carrera coupe in an instant if I could find a good RHD example!
They're comfortable, you get used to the heavier steering when moving off but as soon as you're moving it's fine. the 6(F)+7(R)x16" Fuchs wheels actually make it a light car to drive compared with the upgrade to 7(F)+9(R)x16".
They take the miles well. As long as the heater blowers are working well they demist the screen quickly in colder weather (if they don't check the heater). The clutch can be heavy in traffic and the standard clutch is better than uprated clutches which tend to last longer but are heavier still.
They're fast enough to make progress when required.
The only time either let me down was when the battery died on the M25, my fault as the light came on the evening before and I thought it was a fault and didn't think it could be a failed alternator.
I'd have a 3rd silver 3.2 Carrera coupe in an instant if I could find a good RHD example!
graemel said:
I think Wozy68 summed it all up very nicely.
The G50 has a nicer shift than the 915 gearbox but a properly set up 915 is still a joy to use.
When I ran a 3.2 as a daily driver years ago I probably spent maybe £1200 a year on it but it was a very good one. That in truth is the key. Buy the best out there and enjoy cheap 911 motoring.
I bought one that had been fully restored for years previosuly, the washer jets stopped working (now 3rd time) drivers seat fram snapped (presumably under my 18 stone bulk), handbrake needed sorting, battery need replacing, oil pressure sender just gone, seat pulls broke, remote locking failed, got a few rust bubbles now showing (I used it through the winter and in snow) and a good service was required. Doesnt sound alot but it cost a fair bit to sort in comparison to my Lotus Esprit Turbo which is a much nicer car to drive daily or the TVR Chimaera which has had zero faults in the last two years. The G50 has a nicer shift than the 915 gearbox but a properly set up 915 is still a joy to use.
When I ran a 3.2 as a daily driver years ago I probably spent maybe £1200 a year on it but it was a very good one. That in truth is the key. Buy the best out there and enjoy cheap 911 motoring.
In summary even a very good one is going to cost a few quid to run and maintain, especially as a daily driver. The plus side though is that the car is very good on fuel and has a large fuel tank which means even as a daily I dont fill it that often and the insurance is a pittance. (I was paying 165 quid a year for a joint policy with the Lotus, 924 and the 911)
drmark said:
james280779 said:
I use my '85 3.2 as a daily, however I prefered my Chimaera for ease of use, comfort, noise and performance. Also the upkeep was a fraction of the 911. I will be going back to the Chimaera once I have sold my 911. (I prefer the 915 gearbox to the G50, just seems to have that little more push - think it has something to do with additional weight of the G50)
All 12kg!Go later box everytime if commuting - if ony for the lighter clutch (as in pedal effort, not mass!)
SS7
I did it for 3 years without a single breakdown. (89 3.2)
Running costs were reasonable (as any other mid range performance car) and I would still be doing it now if I had not written the car off when an old lady pulled out of a junction without looking.
I made a nice tidy sum when the insurance paid out.
I now run a 993 C2s as a daily, but would not hesitate to use a 3.2 again.
Running costs were reasonable (as any other mid range performance car) and I would still be doing it now if I had not written the car off when an old lady pulled out of a junction without looking.
I made a nice tidy sum when the insurance paid out.
I now run a 993 C2s as a daily, but would not hesitate to use a 3.2 again.
AlvinSultana said:
I did it for 3 years without a single breakdown. (89 3.2)
Running costs were reasonable (as any other mid range performance car) and I would still be doing it now if I had not written the car off when an old lady pulled out of a junction without looking.
I made a nice tidy sum when the insurance paid out.
I now run a 993 C2s as a daily, but would not hesitate to use a 3.2 again.
As you ran them as dailies I'm fascinated to know your thoughts comparing the two?Running costs were reasonable (as any other mid range performance car) and I would still be doing it now if I had not written the car off when an old lady pulled out of a junction without looking.
I made a nice tidy sum when the insurance paid out.
I now run a 993 C2s as a daily, but would not hesitate to use a 3.2 again.
Plus does using them daily detract from the 'specialness'? Age old question I appreciate.
Cheers
I used to use mine as a daily driver for about 5 years, school runs (3 kids), shopping, lots of long or short stop start journeys didn't seem to bother it.
The only hiccup I had was a poorly fitted Cat 1 alarm which decided to kill several batteries, and as mentioned above somewhere - the clutch is quite heavy for stop start traffic jam type moments.
Otherwise, they are a pleasure to live with, still look good after all this time and don't disgrace themselves amongst modern traffic, and even with a few miles on the clock are unlikely to lose too much value if maintained!
Cruising for long periods is a little tiring as there's no cruise control. But, the fun you can have when you get into the twisty bits or just hooning off roundabouts and letting the flat 6 sing makes up for it! (The seats I find the most comfortable of all the cars Ive owned despite the slight pedal offset in RHD cars and with me being 6'3 in a relatively small car).
I don't get to use mine nearly enough now, but wouldnt hesitate to recommend one as a daily driver, track slag, weekend blatter...etc!
JFDI
The only hiccup I had was a poorly fitted Cat 1 alarm which decided to kill several batteries, and as mentioned above somewhere - the clutch is quite heavy for stop start traffic jam type moments.
Otherwise, they are a pleasure to live with, still look good after all this time and don't disgrace themselves amongst modern traffic, and even with a few miles on the clock are unlikely to lose too much value if maintained!
Cruising for long periods is a little tiring as there's no cruise control. But, the fun you can have when you get into the twisty bits or just hooning off roundabouts and letting the flat 6 sing makes up for it! (The seats I find the most comfortable of all the cars Ive owned despite the slight pedal offset in RHD cars and with me being 6'3 in a relatively small car).
I don't get to use mine nearly enough now, but wouldnt hesitate to recommend one as a daily driver, track slag, weekend blatter...etc!
JFDI
acme said:
As you ran them as dailies I'm fascinated to know your thoughts comparing the two?
Plus does using them daily detract from the 'specialness'? Age old question I appreciate.
Cheers
The 993 is slightly easier to live with as the controls are lighter, improved heating etc.Plus does using them daily detract from the 'specialness'? Age old question I appreciate.
Cheers
Also ABS and air bags are comforting.
The specialness can be an issue. As another poster suggested, sometimes you just want to get home and ALL air cooled 911s demand your attention.
Given a choice I am keeping the 993, but would be more than happy in the older car.
AlvinSultana said:
The 993 is slightly easier to live with as the controls are lighter, improved heating etc.
Also ABS and air bags are comforting.
The specialness can be an issue. As another poster suggested, sometimes you just want to get home and ALL air cooled 911s demand your attention.
Given a choice I am keeping the 993, but would be more than happy in the older car.
Cheers for the reply. Five years into 993 ownership I've occasionally used mine to commute in but even after all these years it's still special to get into, which I assume would be much less so if it had to do dull duties as well. Good on you for commuting in one.Also ABS and air bags are comforting.
The specialness can be an issue. As another poster suggested, sometimes you just want to get home and ALL air cooled 911s demand your attention.
Given a choice I am keeping the 993, but would be more than happy in the older car.
I had an '86 with the 915 for two years as a daily driver, now 12 years after I sold it I've seen it for sale again and I'm surprised to find myself considering buying it back to do it all again! It was such a great car and despite having over 120k miles when I bought it originally, only required minimal maintenance was required and it was completely reliable. The main negatives I remember were the brakes that weren't as good as a modern car and I would agree with andy102, without driver aids including ABS you really have to pay attention 100% of the time.
Skyedriver said:
Hi
What sort of price would you expect to pay for a decent reliable car?
Is the targa as good?
(No I'm not a hairdresser, just like "drop tops" even if I think the coupe looks better...)
I reckon 18-20k plus for something that has had recent suspension, brakes and decent bodywork.What sort of price would you expect to pay for a decent reliable car?
Is the targa as good?
(No I'm not a hairdresser, just like "drop tops" even if I think the coupe looks better...)
If I had to, I'd have no hesitation using my G50 3.2 as a DD and I'd enjoy every journey. These cars just get better and better the more they're driven, while long periods of storage do them no favours at all. The reason I don't use it daily is because my job precludes it so it's on limited mileage insurance to reduce cost. However, every year I get dangerously close to my 5,000 mile limit because I can't get enough of the thing and it's abilities still astound me after four years of ownership. They get right under you're skin!
These cars do RUST so try to avoid using it when the roads have been salted and if you can't, keep a hose handy for washing the underside. Get it cavity waxed professionally and maybe fit wheelarch liners from Dom at SVP.
These cars do RUST so try to avoid using it when the roads have been salted and if you can't, keep a hose handy for washing the underside. Get it cavity waxed professionally and maybe fit wheelarch liners from Dom at SVP.
Without doubt you can, but really why would you unless its an issue of space to keep the car? 911s can do it all, but othere cars are miles better at some bits of DD motoring. If you run it alongside a £500 golf of similar but have a car you don't care about to do all the boring miles, the wet and snowy trips etc etc.
I've done it both ways with a 964 and found it much, much better to have something else to rely on when I just needed to get there and back, and then the 964 was always there for when I actually wanted to drive. This is very different from a DD + weekend arrangement which doesn't work for me as weekends are always too busy with family stuff.
Some weeks I drove the 911 every day, some weeks only a couple of days as I never saw the joy is clocking up 600 motorway miles or driving round central London.
When I had the Porsche as a DD not,only did it begin to loose its sparkle, I bean to ask my wife if I could take her car for some trips.
I also things its considerably cheaper to run an older Porsche this way. Insurance service costs, general wear and even fuel become so much less you'll even pay for the Golf (I ran a cheap Jag, which was fantastic) with the money saved.
Good luck whichever route you take
I've done it both ways with a 964 and found it much, much better to have something else to rely on when I just needed to get there and back, and then the 964 was always there for when I actually wanted to drive. This is very different from a DD + weekend arrangement which doesn't work for me as weekends are always too busy with family stuff.
Some weeks I drove the 911 every day, some weeks only a couple of days as I never saw the joy is clocking up 600 motorway miles or driving round central London.
When I had the Porsche as a DD not,only did it begin to loose its sparkle, I bean to ask my wife if I could take her car for some trips.
I also things its considerably cheaper to run an older Porsche this way. Insurance service costs, general wear and even fuel become so much less you'll even pay for the Golf (I ran a cheap Jag, which was fantastic) with the money saved.
Good luck whichever route you take
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