Reunited - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

NickCats · 03-10-2008, 06:55 PM

After 3 long months, I finally pulled my car out of the garage Saturday. I only went for a short trip ( about 30 miles ) but I have to say it put a smile on my face for the rest of the weekend. It was almost like the day I picked up the car from the dealer. Looks like tomorrow will be a decent day here in Chicago, so everything has been transferred from the winter car and I am ready for the morning ride to work. Hope the snow is finally over up here !

Nick

hjkim550 · 03-10-2008, 07:12 PM

Hey Nick,

You drove it in the snow?

I think you are being way too optimistic. I was trapped at work all day today (still here 12 hours strong) and still do not know what the weather is like outside.

However, supposedly, the temps will be in the 50's tomorrow and I do not work tomorrow.... I am taking it out for a ride also. Then, it is going back in.... I think there is much more snow to come

Hyung

03-11-2008, 07:31 AM

Nick, you are making me jealous! I hope to get out the last Saturday of March.

NickCats · 03-11-2008, 07:43 AM

Bill,

Why wait ? Time to take out that white beauty !

Forecast looks good for the week, roads are dry and salt free ( just watch out for the potholes ) :

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/60156?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared

The ride to work this morning reminded me what the hell I am working for in the first place

Nick

Pilot2519j · 03-11-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickCats

After 3 long months, I finally pulled my car out of the garage Saturday. I only went for a short trip ( about 30 miles ) but I have to say it put a smile on my face for the rest of the weekend. It was almost like the day I picked up the car from the dealer. Looks like tomorrow will be a decent day here in Chicago, so everything has been transferred from the winter car and I am ready for the morning ride to work. Hope the snow is finally over up here !

Nick

The concept of not driving the car in the winter and placing in it hibernation is not in my mind set. I bought a car for all year, not a summer car. As far as I know I've seen plenty of pictures of Porsche's being tested in snow in Finland, the Artic Circle and so forth. Porsche designs the vehicles to be driven in all types of weather why on earth you deprive yourself from enjoying the car in the winter is beyond me. Use it everyday and it will put a smile on. Today I went out at lunch time top down felt nice to have the sun on your head. It's therapeutic!

cbenitah · 03-11-2008, 10:01 AM

Looks like it will be a nice day tomorrow as well down here

Look Here

blue2000s · 03-11-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilot2519j

The concept of not driving the car in the winter and placing in it hibernation is not in my mind set. I bought a car for all year, not a summer car. As far as I know I've seen plenty of pictures of Porsche's being tested in snow in Finland, the Artic Circle and so forth. Porsche designs the vehicles to be driven in all types of weather why on earth you deprive yourself from enjoying the car in the winter is beyond me. Use it everyday and it will put a smile on. Today I went out at lunch time top down felt nice to have the sun on your head. It's therapeutic!

It's a matter of preservation. If someone enjoys driving their particular car, plans to keep it for a very long period of time, and maybe doesn't feel the need to bare the expense of depreciation over and over on a newer car, then they will take care to not drive the vehicle in harsh salty conditions or risk the chance of damage from an accident.

I personally have no desire to drive my Boxster through salty, wet roads or in icy conditions when I have much more expendable cars that I'd rather take the punishment. If you've seen the difference in the bottom side of a car that's been driven in the winter and one that hasn't, you know what I mean.

There's also an appreciable savings in insurance for a vehicle that is stored over the Winter.

Allen K. Littlefield · 03-11-2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

It's a matter of preservation.
I personally have no desire to drive my Boxster through salty, wet roads or in icy conditions when I have much more expendable cars that I'd rather take the punishment. If you've seen the difference in the bottom side of a car that's been driven in the winter and one that hasn't, you know what I mean.

Blue sums it up nicely. I also hate to see that mess build up in the fender wells and I enjoy polishing it a bit when the weather is bad. However, your car do what you will with it. I have been out in mine two days ago and manage to get out when I can in the winter. Now I am waiting for the melt down to stop as sections of the roads around here have streams running across them from hillside snow melt. Don't forget the Equinox is on the 20th of this month so more daylight then not and the angle of the sun heats things up faster so can top down weather be far behind?

AKL :dance:

NickCats · 03-11-2008, 10:16 AM

Pilot,

While I agree I could drive the Boxster year round and it would probably do quite well due to the mid engine / rear wheel drive configuration, I could not drive my car in the winter with my current summer tires.

So, my reasoning was that I would need to by another set of tires, and then for ease of switching them out I might as well buy another set of wheels. Now, I don't want to drive a dirty car all winter, and there's no way I will run my beloved convertible through a car wash, so I would need to buy a hardtop to protect the top. So, when I added up the expense of tires, wheels, and top I figured I would be better off buying another car for the winter.

Nick

PS - cbenitah, you're killing me ( I grew up in El Cajon ) !

cbenitah · 03-11-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickCats

PS - cbenitah, you're killing me ( I grew up in El Cajon ) !

I just thought I would add in our weather forecast down here. I grew up in Sweden so I do not miss the cold and the slush at all.. But I like reading about it. If I move home I would be in the same situation so its nice to see what people say about their cars and snow. (slush mostly in Sweden)

djomlas · 03-11-2008, 03:48 PM

finally Nick

Sammy · 03-11-2008, 04:02 PM

Every time I open the door to the garage the song "Endless Love" starts playing...

I would get Nicole out this weekend but I have finals next week and really don't need the distraction.

Pilot2519j · 03-11-2008, 04:20 PM

When anyone buys this car you can expect a big hit as soon as you leave the parking lot and that's the reality. Not to use the car because it depreciates is wrong since the car will depreciate normally whether it has one mile or a thousand miles. Granted at different rates but like gravity it goes down. Hence the reason to have the car is to enjoy it daily rain, sleet or snow. I drive it 20 miles a day making the drive to work immersed in melodious engine music. No matter how bad the day was there is always the drive home listening to the Porsche symphony.
With that I agree to disagree with the rest. No changing this old dog, time is running short so I choose to enjoy it as much as possible

hjkim550 · 03-11-2008, 07:08 PM

Hey Nick,

I took the Boxster out today with my oldest boy in the passenger seat. He wanted to put the top down; and with the seat heaters and the window raised.... very nice indeed. We had nowhere to go and no agenda. Just the sun on our heads and the beckoning road ahead. Too bad there are no decent twisties around here. I do hope that the weather stays nice but I am not too optimistic.
Looking forward to meeting you, Sammy and the rest of the Chicago crew at the April 20th autocross.

Pilot,

Like I posted elsewhere, to each his own. Like Nick, I choose to keep my car garaged in the winter. I have a very, very short commute and I do not work every day.... about 12 - 14 days per month. I do not have any delusions that by keeping my car garaged, I am going to have less depreciation.... it is going to continually depreciate. I know this. But, these infrequent tiny short drives in the winter would be hard on the engine and I rather beat on my Mazda than buy a whole new set of winter tires and winter rims for my Boxster. I would hate to continually wash my Boxster by hand in the winter.... not worth it. I rather wait for nicer weather and properly stretch out the Boxster.

To each his own.

blue2000s · 03-11-2008, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilot2519j

When anyone buys this car you can expect a big hit as soon as you leave the parking lot and that's the reality. Not to use the car because it depreciates is wrong since the car will depreciate normally whether it has one mile or a thousand miles. Granted at different rates but like gravity it goes down. Hence the reason to have the car is to enjoy it daily rain, sleet or snow. I drive it 20 miles a day making the drive to work immersed in melodious engine music. No matter how bad the day was there is always the drive home listening to the Porsche symphony.
With that I agree to disagree with the rest. No changing this old dog, time is running short so I choose to enjoy it as much as possible

I'm not talking about depreciation, I'm talking about loss of value or loss of property due to mechanical decay or damage, it's a very different thing. You can abuse a car and replace them often, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, or you can hold onto the car that you enjoy for many years (I've owned my Rx-7 for over 20 years because I can't find a car that I like better) but you have to be more careful with it. In the years that I've owned sports cars, I've become convinced that car's aren't getting better or more fun, they're getting heavier and safer with each successive year.

It's up to the owner, no one's right, just different. You won't be able to convince me to drive my cars in winter and I won't be able to convince you of the opposite and there's nothing wrong with that. But I can confidently say that my Boxster will last longer than yours in the long run.

Lil bastard · 03-11-2008, 07:59 PM

Either way it's a matter of personal preference.

But, I live in the Great White North where it takes several minutes for the oil to flow sufficiently to float the crank when your avg. winter temp is 10°-20°. Running it in winter would certainly accelerate engine wear. I agree, not an issue if your ownership plans are short term (mine aren't).

But maybe the greatest factor in my hibernating the car each winter is that it just cannot be driven to it's limits in cold weather - if all I'm doing is using it as a means of conveyance, what's the point?

I didn't buy the Boxster for this - a Honda/Toyota/Hyundai/Subaru, etc. does a much better job of that. It takes a lot of miles to heat up the tires sufficiently to perform as designed, and there's always that unknown icy patch just ahead, not to mention the inability of other drivers raising the potential of a collision in the bleak weather.

+1 to Blue2000 - the winter can take a terrible toll on the underside. Aside from the looks, it can make the car harder to service when all the fasteners on the underside sieze from rust. ++1 that Sports Cars have increasingly become less fun, heavier, more complex and more difficult to repair/maintain. Winter use (IMO) just compounds the issues.

And, avoiding Winter Driving does preserve the car. Last fall, I was on a cruise and stopped at a scenic overlook - potty stop/ leg stretcher. A mid-aged guy and his wife on a Harley pulled in and asked if the car was new. I told them it was 10 yrs. old - a '99 and they said they couldn't believe it, that it looked showroom new. Probably not possible had I run it the past 10 winters.

I don't have any regrets cocooning the Boxster for 5 mos./ yr. Aside from making the car worth more in years to come, it heightens my appreciation of it for the other 7 mos. of the year. It's one of the Rights of Spring.

True, I'm Jones'n for it right now, but we just passed Daylight Savings, so the end is nye - YEA!!

NickCats · 03-12-2008, 06:53 AM

Hyung,

That's another one of the disadvatages of not having a glass rear window like your 2004. Couldn't put the top down yesterday with fear of cracking the plastic

Nick

03-12-2008, 07:49 AM

Well, I bought my car to drive it with the top down. If I can't lower the top, I don't take it out.

I don't drive it during the winter, mainly because I don't have too. I have other safer, 4X4 vehicles to drive.

From April-October I drive the Boxster about 1 day per week. Usually for more than 300 miles that one day. I probably drive my car more than most of you owners that use the Boxster as a daily-driver.

CT986S · 03-12-2008, 09:39 AM

Like bmussatti, March 29th is the day for me. Can't wait. I do drive mine a time or two per month in Winter as weather permits. I discovered when I bought this car (01 S) that it wants to be driven, which requires leaving the burbs and I don't usually have that big a time window. I drive the Boxster like my gone, but not forgotten S/C Miata. The way I look at it, if I don't have tire dust on the rear fenders I'm not driving it right, and I can't do that with sand around every corner...
Besides, I just found out the production date for my tires was 2600!

Gotta go troll the tire threads!

Kevin

986911 · 03-12-2008, 02:32 PM

I also dont drive my Pcar in the winter. Last year I covered her in the garage from Dec-Apr. This year I didnt cover her, but drove her a few times because of our mild winter here in NY. Took her out the other day & my CEL came on. Shes back in the garage awaiting fix.