Winter Ride Questions

[AFRay007]

Hey guys, I just found out that Uncle Sam is sending me to Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota. I get there this coming August and I really want to keep my Boxster but I'm wondering if it is worth winterizing her. Several people have told me that in January and February the temperature can stay a constant -30 degrees. The area is real flat and snow clearing is usually good, except the occasional heavy blizzard. My commute wouldnt be more than 20 minutes.

I understand that I'll have to get winter tires and a hardtop but will the winter wear down hard on the internals of the car? I'm worried I might suddenly encounter a lot of maintence issues. My car is an 03 and its been great so far. There is a dealership 70 miles from where I am but I cant find any independent places that work on Porsches so far. I'm already hesitant of the place because of the ridiculous prices they are overcharging their cars by:
http://valley-imports.porschedealer.com/preowned_cars/search.php

Any good advice would reeeealy be appreciated. I really want to keep her but right now it does not seem very practical

[SigmaPi]

Oh my god, you poor bastard. I'm at Schriever but I only drive the Boxster on nice days. Right now, I am still a tab bit hesitant to take her out because of all the gravel on the road. I have a 97 Lexus for my daily driver. I would highly recommend a high mileage Toyota or Lexus that is front wheel drive. Mine has been great and I've been able to plow through quite a bit of snow. Being "mission essential" allows me the opportunity to traverse all kinds of weather. Or you could just stick a plow on the front along with a set of Blizzack's and call it a day.

[djomlas]

i drive my all year long, on summer tires mind you, and its been fun actually on those bad days hehe

so u should be fine if you get some winter tires, hardtop you dont really need.

good luck, keep the thing.
my box is a daily, is awesome to drive around year round

[NickCats]

AFRay007,

When I bought my Boxster last year I had the same problem ( although I'm sure that winters in North Dakota are much worse than here in Chicago ).

I thought about buying winter tires & wheels and a hard top, but I decided to just buy a winter car instead.

Figure about $1000 for wheels and winter tires and $3000 for a hard top - you could probably find a nice 4x4 for $4000.

Not sure about North Dakota, but there are some awesome roads in South Dakota !

That dealer does look scary, though. $35k for a 1999 Boxster with 38k miles - $50k for a 2000 S with 23k miles

Good luck...

Nick

[Jonesy08054]

I'm at McGuire myself....sorry to hear about the Forks. I agree with SigmaPi, get something cheap and reliable for the heavy snow days. I have an 04 Audi A4 as my beater (quattro is nice too for the snow and ice), and only drive the Boxster on nicer days. Jersey salts the crap out of their roads, so I havent' been driving the Boxster that much.

[Chills]

I agree with Nick, buy a winter car. I bought my Boxster in October 2006 and originally planned on driving it during the winter... just being careful. Well, this winter in Chicago has sucked, so in December I bought my fiance a new Honda Civic EX and she gave me her Hyundai Elantra. So now I have a winter car and I am SOOO glad I do.

[Brucelee]

Seriously, a nice used Subaru with a 0-30 synthetic oil and seat and block heaters is in order.

Oh, yes and a garage.

Best of luck in ND and thanks for serving our country!

Originally Posted by AFRay007

Hey guys, I just found out that Uncle Sam is sending me to Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota. I get there this coming August and I really want to keep my Boxster but I'm wondering if it is worth winterizing her. Several people have told me that in January and February the temperature can stay a constant -30 degrees. The area is real flat and snow clearing is usually good, except the occasional heavy blizzard. My commute wouldnt be more than 20 minutes.

I understand that I'll have to get winter tires and a hardtop but will the winter wear down hard on the internals of the car? I'm worried I might suddenly encounter a lot of maintence issues. My car is an 03 and its been great so far. There is a dealership 70 miles from where I am but I cant find any independent places that work on Porsches so far. I'm already hesitant of the place because of the ridiculous prices they are overcharging their cars by:
http://valley-imports.porschedealer.com/preowned_cars/search.php

Any good advice would reeeealy be appreciated. I really want to keep her but right now it does not seem very practical