Extreme Winter Storage

[Mark_T]

Last summer I insulated and heated my garage. I kept it at 5-7C over the winter when I wasn't actually working out there, in which case I would take it up to about 17C. That sure made the viewing times more comfortable and will probably be easier on the car in the long term.

[Teddyonine]

Ok- I'm sure this a stupid question, but I've been known to ask those occasionally.... Why store these cars at all? Mine is in the garage all winter just as it is the rest of the year. While it isn't my daily driver, I do take it out at least a couple days a week even in our cold snowy WVA winters? I drive my Jeep every day, so why is my Porsche any different? Just curious.....

[Giller]

Originally Posted by Teddyonine

Ok- I'm sure this a stupid question, but I've been known to ask those occasionally.... Why store these cars at all? Mine is in the garage all winter just as it is the rest of the year. While it isn't my daily driver, I do take it out at least a couple days a week even in our cold snowy WVA winters? I drive my Jeep every day, so why is my Porsche any different? Just curious.....

My reason - I bought the car to drive as a convertible. Can't do that in the winter, so park it, save the KM's and the car will last longer for me, as a convertible.

Others are scared of salt. Pffft.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by Teddyonine

Ok- I'm sure this a stupid question, but I've been known to ask those occasionally.... Why store these cars at all? Mine is in the garage all winter just as it is the rest of the year. While it isn't my daily driver, I do take it out at least a couple days a week even in our cold snowy WVA winters? I drive my Jeep every day, so why is my Porsche any different? Just curious.....

LOL! And when was the last time you woke up in the morning to find the mercury at -40 and half your vehicle buried in a snow drift? I bet your vehicles aren't even equipped with block heaters.

Up here we can have 6 - 8 weeks straight when the temp never gets warmer than -20. The snow never melts so accumulations can hit a few feet by mid-winter. The depth of the ice ruts in my back alley can exceed the ground clearance of the car. On top of that, the city spreads thousands of pounds of highly corrosive salted sand on the roads to aid traction. This is no environment for my beloved Boxster. I put it away at first snowfall, usually around the end of October, and it doesn't come out until the street sweepers have done their work in the spring, which can be late April to early May.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

LOL! And when was the last time you woke up in the morning to find the mercury at -40 and half your vehicle buried in a snow drift?

It's been a few years, but if I recall correctly, when it gets down to -40 degrees it did not snow very much.

I will have to deal with some huge swings in temperatures soon (next three months), 68 to 78.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by Jager

It's been a few years, but if I recall correctly, when it gets down to -40 degrees it did not snow very much.

True, but that's when you get the high winds so instead of light fluffy snowfall you now have deep, hard-packed drifts. Even my 8hp snowblower struggles with a 4' drift.

[rexcramer]

This is why my family moved to So Cal from Buffalo years ago. No salt, snow drifts, black ice, shoveling, exposed flesh warnings, etc. O sure it was over 100 degrees today, yesterday and probably tomorrow. And everything was/is/will be on fire in the local mountains. But you can drive the Box everyday with the top down.

Go Bills :dance:

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by Teddyonine

Ok- I'm sure this a stupid question, but I've been known to ask those occasionally.... Why store these cars at all?.....

Mine is a sunny day toy. One or two dyas per week. And I still drive about 12,000 miles year. From March/April till mid October. I have other hobbies/interests/toys for the winter months.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Last summer I insulated and heated my garage. I kept it at 5-7C over the winter when I wasn't actually working out there, in which case I would take it up to about 17C. That sure made the viewing times more comfortable and will probably be easier on the car in the long term.

It will definitely be easier on the car. We keep our customer winter storage facility at 55F during the winter months, and I keep my personal shop at my home at the same temp if I am not actually working there. At that temp, the humidity tends to stay in a good range, and the cars equipped with plastic rear windows hold up better as well.

In this part of the world, "hibernation season" tends to run from late October until mid to late March, some cars longer because their owners have migrated south like the birds.