Go Back   986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners > Porsche Boxster & Cayman Forums > Boxster General Discussions

Post Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-12-2010, 05:55 PM   #1
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 74
This might be a really dumb question...

But why does nobody drive their boxsters in the winter? Are they more prone to break down? Or is it just because convertables are "fair weather cares"?

DerrickCaracter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2010, 06:10 PM   #2
Registered User
 
9eighty6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: South FL
Posts: 253
Dude,

I drove my car through 3 Buffalo, NY winters. If I hadn't moved south I'd be doing it again. I know that others on here do the same. The cars handle just fine (and are actually quite fun) on a dedicated set of snows!
__________________
1984 - 944 - The first one.
1984 - 928S - The loudest one.
2001 - Boxster - The best one.
9eighty6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2010, 06:11 PM   #3
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 7,243
Snow = salted roads
Salted roads = rust

Plus, people slide around on slick roads and Porsches are usually totaled with very little damage done to them compared to many other cars involved in fender benders.

There are lots of boxster owners who drive them all winter. However, given the garage space and an extra car, most would not if they had the choice.
RandallNeighbour is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2010, 06:37 PM   #4
Carnut
 
AndyA6's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 775
I'd drive mine in the winter. Luckily I have an Audi Quattro for the cold days. It is just more practical...

Earlier I used to drive my 911 in the winter with wintertires, fun and no problem!
__________________
'14 Boxster
AndyA6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2010, 06:51 PM   #5
Registered User
 
Jaxonalden's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,209
Garage
I think the reason for storage is some people don't use their cars as daily drivers. I for one don't, and because I don't my car stays cleaned, waxed, gassed, and ready to rock my world when I call (unlike my wife ).

I detail and work on my car during winter, nice to have the down time to fix long lead tasks (rework and paint on all four rims, total brake job[rotors, pads, lines, fluid], etc.) Boys and their toys.
__________________
Sadly on the outside looking in.
"Drive it like the Doctor ordered"
Jaxonalden is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2010, 07:09 PM   #6
Registered User
 
Idaho Red Rocket 3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nampa, ID.
Posts: 488
My wifes '98 is a daily driver. 127K trouble free miles so far. On snowy days I take it to work since my job is only 2 miles from the house and all side roads. On those snowy days, my wife takes the Explorer because she has to drive 15 miles each way and use the freeway. :chicken:
Idaho Red Rocket 3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 01:14 AM   #7
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 64
My car is a daily commute and I have no problem with it during the winter. I live up in Seattle, WA. As well as the snow we've had some pretty dreadful rain. I recently had some Pilot Sport A/S Plus fitted on the car and it's been nothing but a dream to drive this winter. I'm yet to lose the rear end and I drive pretty spritedly. I hope these perform as well during the summer. As for cleaning the car, I seem to be washing it every week!
__________________
2001 Porsche Boxster 2.7 L
BMAN_986 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:35 AM   #8
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,656
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour
Snow = salted roads
Salted roads = rust
Our cars use galvanized steel, as long as you spray the salt off on a regular basis there'll be zero rust.
ekam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:27 PM   #9
Registered User
 
Steve Tinker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 1,522
I agree about the body being galvanised, but have you seen what the salt does to the underside bolts, hangers, clips, brake calipers / pistons etc. If you do your own maintenance, I found that you spent more time trying to release frozen & broken bolts than anything else

I saw an article in one of the UK Porsche magazines last month where there was a step by step procedure on how to replace the fuel lines that had rusted through...
And some other poor guy was asking where he could get the pipework for his rusted out power steering connection pieces! Now thats the downside of driving in winter.
When I worked in the UK, I found it was cheaper to buy an old clunker and lock your good car away 'till Spring is sprung.
__________________
2001 Boxster S (triple black). Sleeping easier with LN Engineering/Flat 6 IMS upgrade, low temp thermostat & underspeed pulley.
2001 MV Agusta F4.

Last edited by Steve Tinker; 12-13-2010 at 02:35 PM.
Steve Tinker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:34 PM   #10
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Winnipeg MB
Posts: 2,486
Salt is part of the reason I don't drive on snow and ice. The main reason is that I don't want to get creamed by some stupid cow in a minivan.
__________________
'99 black 986
Mark_T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:38 PM   #11
Registered User
 
Steve Tinker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 1,522
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark_T
Salt is part of the reason I don't drive on snow and ice. The main reason is that I don't want to get creamed by some stupid cow in a minivan.
Cows driving minivans eh. Is that legal in your part of the world??
__________________
2001 Boxster S (triple black). Sleeping easier with LN Engineering/Flat 6 IMS upgrade, low temp thermostat & underspeed pulley.
2001 MV Agusta F4.
Steve Tinker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:40 PM   #12
Registered User
 
Johnny Danger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,810
Garage
I'd sooner resort to hitchhiking, cross country skis or sled dogs for that matter, before I would subject my "garage princess" to any kind of snow or salt .
__________________
Don't worry … I've got the microfilm.

Last edited by Johnny Danger; 12-13-2010 at 02:42 PM.
Johnny Danger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 02:44 PM   #13
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Winnipeg MB
Posts: 2,486
"Cows driving minivans eh. Is that legal in your part of the world??"


Apparently, sadly, and unfortunately. They can frequently be spotted driving in heavy traffic while talking on their cell phones.
__________________
'99 black 986
Mark_T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2010, 06:36 PM   #14
Carnut
 
AndyA6's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 775
.........cell phones, putting on make up, talk to unruly kids, eat, drink...............
__________________
'14 Boxster
AndyA6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 01:59 AM   #15
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Use 2B NW Ohio, now NE Ohio
Posts: 563
Why no winter driving? No winter tires and 24" of snow in the last 48 hours. Correction... I have winter tires.... their on the DD.
__________________
My Porsche mechanic drives a Saturn.
'98 Artic Silver w/ Tip
vath2001 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 03:55 AM   #16
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 86
I am in Melbourne, Australia.

I drive my car daily all year.

We don't really make much distinction between winter and summer tires, or winter or summer oil here.
__________________
--1989 Mazda MX6 GT
--1997 Porsche Boxster
--2005 Lexus RX330
--2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT
Jinster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 04:37 AM   #17
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,656
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Tinker
I agree about the body being galvanised, but have you seen what the salt does to the underside bolts, hangers, clips, brake calipers / pistons etc. If you do your own maintenance, I found that you spent more time trying to release frozen & broken bolts than anything else

I saw an article in one of the UK Porsche magazines last month where there was a step by step procedure on how to replace the fuel lines that had rusted through...
And some other poor guy was asking where he could get the pipework for his rusted out power steering connection pieces! Now thats the downside of driving in winter.
When I worked in the UK, I found it was cheaper to buy an old clunker and lock your good car away 'till Spring is sprung.
I had no issue removing my stock exhaust 2 years ago after one winter season. In fact my friend was so surprised there were no rusted bolts and everything came off like butter.

Porsches older than 1988 do not use galvanized steel bodies.

Re: rusted fuel lines... hence why I said you need to spray the car & underbody as often as you can if you decide to drive it in the winter.

Last edited by ekam; 12-14-2010 at 04:40 AM.
ekam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 07:37 AM   #18
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: edmonton,alberta,canada
Posts: 104
Garage
+1 on the cows
I wouldn't want to leave it to chance that someone else
didn't put winter tires on their car. ..then slide into the boxster

#1 reason for me. --> ROCK CHIPS

I see the odd 911 or boxster on milder days but
up here. ..its truck territory during winter
__________________
Living one calculated risk @ a time

Last edited by chris97boxster; 12-14-2010 at 08:03 AM. Reason: spelling
chris97boxster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 07:46 AM   #19
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 7,243
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark_T
"Cows driving minivans eh. Is that legal in your part of the world??"
It sure is legal in India

On the galvanized body panels comment, I have a couple of rust spots on my 97 box about the size of a dime and a quarter. I've been meaning to do something about them but didn't want a hideous patch of whatever there that would be more noticeable. It's growing though.

I mention this because boxsters do rust. My car was originally a DD driven around in Salt Lake City, according to the title search I did before I purchased the car.
RandallNeighbour is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2010, 09:49 AM   #20
Certified Boxster Addict
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 7,669
I don't understand the thinking behind owning a great car and not driving it everyday? Why on earth would someone own a Porsche and leave it in the garage to drive some other POS?

I bought my Boxster to drive every minute of every hour of everyday that is humanly possible. And when it wears out, I'll buy another one and do the same ad infinitum.

A Boxster isn't an appreciating asset. Driving a Boxster less might preserve some of the original value of the car (because Boxsters depreciate more on miles than years) but the value is still going down every year regardless of how many miles driven. For example, the difference between a 2000 Boxster with 100,000 miles ($10K) and a 2000 Boxster with 40,000 miles ($16K) is only about $6K - which is almost nothing compared to the original $48,000 price.

__________________
1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
thstone is offline   Reply With Quote
Post Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page