LOL, my "other" car is an '87 e30 with more rust than you could even imagine. You're damn right I don't care about it as much as I do my Boxster. I paid $600 for the car.

Yeah, it's just a car, but it's also one of my most treasured posessions. I don't feel the need to drive it in the winter because I have other alternatives that wont damage the vehicle, just like I choose to drive with the top up in the rain. Hell, the interior is JUST an interior, it's not an investment...but why put it through **************** it doesn't need to go through? Besides, I beat on her during the summer at autocrosses, the least I can do is treat her a little nicer during the winter.

You can "test" a car in all the extremes, but that doesn't address the main issue. Salt is -bad- for the car, no matter how you cut it. I don't know about your Boxster, but mine wasn't built to withstand the chemical reactions of salt.

I agree, mine is a daily driver and treated as such, it is well taken care of but a couple rock nicks wont bring my world crashing down as a car is not an investment, it is a hole where we throw money hoping that the hole will get filled and we will be able someday to recover some of the cash. ;)

... which is why I'll just buy a new car in a few years. Of course, I'm not sure of your timeline -- when salt will eat through the paint and/or metal or heat will cause permanent(?) damage. I don't recall either happening to the oldsmobiles my family drove while growing up in CT nor the cars I had in Ithaca, nor permanent damage resulting from living on the Gulf (New Orleans and Galveston). Likewise, it stands to reason all of the above would happen to a "beater" car which would require additional expense in order to keep it running -- assuming you want to do that, right? My opinion is (contrary to some, I'm sure) that the boxster is simply... a car. So it goes.

Hey, you don't have to believe me, but it's simple physics and (to me) common sense. Take care of the nice things in your life so that they last longer.

I bought a beater for $600, used it over the winter, didn't care about washing it because it's, again, a beater, and just sold it last night for $500 to someone who is going to use it for the same thing next year.

A $100 loss versus unnecessary (and un-fun, really... don't care about having a sports car/convertable in the winter) wear and tear on my most prized possession is a simple choice for me.

I'll go ahead and end it as that, as saying it over and over again is pointless.

I really don't care (that much) to do any research on the physical properties of salt and the breakdown of metals nor thermodynamics of heat. I'm sure if either of us cared to wait long enough MNBoxster will have some longwinded reply with lots of words in italics or bold supporting your notions. Not that I' m disputing your claims, but face it we live different lives and value different things. You can take a $100 dollar loss on a beater that provided you service and be happy and I'll buy a new car in a few years and be happy. As for [z0ne], I suggest s/he just decide where s/he falls in the spectrum -- since that was the purpose of her/his thread, right? Asking people their opinions? As for common sense regarding cars -- my own bit of common sense: make more money and buy nicer things to replace the older ones.

My new car pic
 

Thanks guys for all your suggestions! I think all season tires would do the trick for me since I don't get snow where I live. I do have another question. I was considering getting a new set of wheels with the all season tires. I have 19" wheels right now. If I go get a new set of 18" wheels, would that be a problem? I assume that a simple wheel alignment will take care of the problem.

BTW, I can't get my pic to load. Let me know and I will post my pic of my car.

Thanks!

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...57_23_full.jpg

^ my last car was ten years old (when pic was taken)
Never garage kept, driven year round 110K miles.
Never a full repaint. Only the hood when I added the aero kit.
Sold it for twice the blue book value.

Salt is not a big deal if you prep the paint well with each season change.
Actualy acid rain is the bigger culprit. A good post wash sealant or dressing will guard against that. A paint decontamination kit will do wonders for paint that is more than five years old.

My new car pic
 

Let's see if this works or not.

Seal Grey with manual sport seats and a matching hardtop.
[IMG]IMG_0906-low-res.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_0907-low-res.jpg[/IMG]

Good looking Box, n4. :cheers:

Beautiful!

Boxster color
 

Thanks guys. I do like the seal grey and understand that Porsche is discontinuing the color starting on 2007. I think it is a pitty because it is the best look grey for the boxster! :)

Don't worry.. I am sure it will be available as an option for even more $$$ ;) - maybe even a "special wishes" color.

It doesn't snow that badly in Jersey. You will be fine.


I DD mine btw but it's a 987

^ what? when it comes to snow either way get it in a big way or we don't get it all. Last year we had 4 feet in two days.
see when it comes to traffic in Jersey we basically have more cars than people, and that's saying something because we are the most densely populated state in the country. toss in some snow and its just way too much evertyhing is already at capacity.

n4...that's a nice looking boxster! it's one of my favorite color..nice, very nice :D

pm me if you are interested to know local events in the bay area. We just did a PCH 1 overnight tour and most of the members are from Redwood City and Hayward

God I miss PCH... only times I ever drove on it when I lived in Cali was before I could even drive, and it was always in a regular sedan. I would KILL to get my Boxster out there!

I am interested in why you felt the need to take a shot at MNBoxster in this post? What was gained by this, other than you feeling kind of clever for a minute or two?

:mad:

The PCH is the BOMB. I get to drive it daily if I want.

That is a beautiful car.

The salt is really more of an issue with the undercarriage of the car, and for rust that works from the inside of the car to the out.

The Northeast is brutal that way, which is why I used to buy all my Porsche's from SOCAL owners.

I don't see it is a shot, just an observation. So you know, I really don't feel any need to be "witty", especially on an internet forum -- just check my post count and my posts/threads not that many for the length of time I've been here. As I said, it is an observation -- much like the observation of someone questioning my level of "common sense" regarding salt and physics or someone who purchases an older 911 as a "project car" without conducting a PPI as "...learning nothing here." Hmm... no comments from you on those "shots"... "who watches the watchmen?" :confused: Oh well, there is a need for some people in the world to give Tim Duncan two technicals, I guess. Maintains the status quo. There. That was an attempt at being "witty". Huh. I guess I do feel clever. ;)