Am I mad!

[Guest]

I really am beginning to wonder if I'm going round the twist. Last week my neighbour saw me backing the porker out of my garage and he said "you're not taking that out in this are you? Well it was raining, so I said well yes actually I am, this car is equipped with windscreen wipers and a roof and I don't think it will dissolve so it should be ok. He drives one of the 'red' cars and informed me that his baby will definitley not be venturing out of its bubble until May or June plus "you don't want to put too many miles on the clock do you"
Well actually I like driving my car, to me thats the whole point of owning it, not putting it in the garage and only taking it round the block once every six months.
I drive my 993 all through the year just as I did my 3.2 before it and I had that for ten years until I traded it in for the 993. Interestingly I got exactly what I paid for the 3.2 when I traded it in for my current 911 which was £13,000. How about that, a car with zero depreciation! So if I hang on to the 993 for 10 years can I expect to get roughly what I paid for it? I suppose I'll have to wait and see (unless I suddenly find myself with enough surplus funds to make the jump to a 993 TT!

Anyways happy Christmas guys, have a good one!

Glenn

 

[ubertub]

Not at all! Cars are meant to be driven... unless they're the red sort in which case they're meant to be "wiped with a diper"* in the fear that they will break as soon as they are treated as a tool, as opposed to an ornament.
Congrats on having the good grace to enjoy your car. I use my 993 every day, but I must admit I'm a bit worried about road salt...

* some sort of Ferris Bueller reference.

 

[clyde]

I drive mine all year round, including in this week's horible icy, foggy conditions. As Glenn says, that's why they've got wipers, heaters and other other such things. If all I wanted was a car to look nice I would have bought a model one.

 

[Guest]

I reckon that they need a good hot run every 3 weeks or so at least. If you don't do this, you risk condensation in the engine doing damage and seals drying out. There's no reason why you shouldn't take a 993 out on the roads at this time of year - they have much better rustproofing than the older 911s. Having said that, they will be more at risk of rust in the known areas unless you take precautions. Lots on this forum on that issue.

Why not compromise - I have a cheapie car for work (Polo with a lawnmower engine) & take the 993 out on nice dry bright winter days...in the peak district...happy days! []

 

[John Maddox]

I use mine all year round but try to avoid the worst of the salted roads if I can. It was dry and sunny yesterday afternoon and I took it for a 20 mile run to keep it happy. My daily driver is a BMW 320d and I must clean the salt off it before the Xmas break !!

Happy Holiday everyone.

 

[Guest]

I couldn't agree more roddy, no point in not using it as it was intended. Laying your pride and joy up for three months can really be detrimental to its health. Doesn't mean you have to take it out in blizzards for the sake of it , but having said that my 3.2 targa was fitted with a Porsche ski rack (not all year round!) and made many alpine excursions. It really was very good in the snow due to all that weight over the rear axle, never got stuck once (much touching of wood!) I haven't tried my Carrera 4 yet in those conditions but I can only assume that it will be even better.

I'd just like to add that I hadn't been able to access the forum (or any part of the members area) for over 18 months since I tried to update my details from my 3.2 to my 993. I kept being told that I was not a member, but I just haven't had time to sort it out until now so its been a bit frustrating not being able to read the various threads. Iv'e had to re-register even though I joined PCGB over 10 years ago.
Anyway its nice to be able to communicate with like minded people. (There aren't any at home and I don't work with any either and I was beggining to think that perhaps I'm totally alone, but my confidence is now restored in my fellow petrol heads.

As I'm feeling so upbeat (I'm trying to not think of the cost of Christmas) how about a little quote? can't remember the writer.

My girlfriend always laughs during sex - no matter what she's reading.

 

[Johnny C]

I drove my 3.2 80 miles every day to work and back and I drive my 993 the same. Up here in the grim north there is a lot of salt on the raods, the car looked like it was covered in ice until the last wash. The car isn't garaged, and gets the winds off the Irish sea (the coast is about 4 miles away), and survives quite happily. The only problem I had with corrosion on the 3.2 was the heater intakes, they needed replacing every two years, and the starter motor went after a conductive salt crust formed between connections.

I've had the 993 for 3 winters now and touch wood, no salt-related problems so far. In fact the external bits seem the most reliable!

Just had the squirters fail, it needed a new switch on the stem on the steering wheel. This is the worst time of year for that to happen due to the salt on the motorways, after 10 miles the windscreen is completely obscured. So I've been hanging a coke bottle filled with water out the sunroof and squirting a load onto the windscreen to clean it. It was fine below 40, a bit tricky above that but over 80 the whole lot blew back in onto my head. Anyway it's fixed now.

The reason I chose a porker in the first place was that I wanted a 'supercar' that could be driven every day. I would like to say that they've not let me down, but there have been a few occasions... failed alternator, failed dizzie, crank sensor, dodgy batteries, the starter motor. But to be honest, given that the cars have been between 9 and 18 years old, with between 70 and 200K on the clock (the 993 has 120K on it now) and that I do about 20K miles a year, that's not bad going. At least there's been nothing serious that couldn't be fixed in a day or two.

 

[angry]

Agree with all of you,there are many on here that dont though[8|]and i think that is sad.
Dan

 

[sawood12]

I feel sorry for pampered cars that hardly see the light of day. I've always thought these people to be car enthusiasts rather than driving enthusiasts. I run mine every day in all weathers - though sometimes share the slog to and from work with the wife in the Focus, and enjoy every mile. Yes it picks up the odd stone chips but that's what Chipsaway is for.

I say ban Concourse competitions unless the car does at least 5k miles a year and has been driven to and from the event.

 

[pse_SC]

I feel sorry for pampered cars that hardly see the light of day. I've always thought these people to be car enthusiasts rather than driving enthusiasts.

Yes - this is usually seen in conjunction with the strange obsession for the car's value[8|]. If you have any passion for driving, don't buy a car for an investment (unless you're fortunate enough to keep a stable of great cars that you can use on a rotation basis - in which case, you don't need the £ anyway[8D]!).

Take care of the car, but enjoy driving it too[]! Especially if you're lucky enough to have a Porsche.

 

[drummerboytom]

Some of us are slightly madder than others , i think !

 

[wblackw9]

When a car was originally designed no matter how old it is. It was surely designed to be driven at any time of year. Dont let them sit in the garage. mine is out at every chance no matter what the weather is!

 

[Mark Elder]

It's really great to be part of a club of members that thinks this way ("get out and use it").

Respect to the owners of cars from the pre-zinc-dip days who probably want to operate differently, but also respect to Porsche for tackling this issue when they did. That's why I think the mid-years 911s are such great cars: Admire them and use them.

 

[angry]

On Thursday my 1995 C2[&:] goes to Germany for the New year break,straight into the snow and ice forecast...lets just hope i can keep it in a straight line!
Dan

 

[sue11sam]

Tend to use mine in the summer more and during the winter on sunny days , cos its a cab and great to have the lid down , even on those sunny winter days , with the heater on full !! dont tend to use it when its wet or salty in the winter as I try to put it away dry and thats not so easy this time of year .

 

[edelschmetterling]

You probably are mad, but I am not qualified to comment; thinking about it not knowing you doesn't help much either. ;-)
However, with regards to using your car when you want, whenever you want and how you want. Where is the madness in that?

Clearly the words "˜every day car' springs to mind for a reason. That by implication includes Winter and other less favourable seasonal related weather conditions.

Boxing Day, bright and early, I was out in the mild weather cleaning my 993 after weeks of glum & damp. I had forgotten how pretty she can actually look. Many Winters & many Winter joys of usage. "" I do not recall having ever read anything in the Porsche Drivers Manual about the subject of 'the garage'"¦ ;-)

As for Pampering, she gets everything she needs, as and when she needs it, all year round & I get the thrills. Not a bad exchange...

 

[Porker993]

I drive mine all summer and winter too. When it needs fixing, I fix it. I've had it five years.

I used to take the landrover in the winter, but how dull is that. Somehow when I have the choice of two (or three) cars, the 993 always gets chosen.

I find it's happier being driven all year round. When (if) it wears out, I'll buy another one.

 

[AlexG]

I rarely take mine out during the winter, if the roads are clear of salt and reasonably dry then I will take it out for a run (which normally means once every 3-4 weeks). And I avoid driving it in wet weather during the summer.

I don't think there is anything wrong with running a 993 the way I do. I do however think it is a shame that some people feel the need to be negative about those of us who chose to run them this way...

 

[Dylan1]

its your car you paid for it-do as you like(imo)

 

[angry]

ORIGINAL: AlexG

I rarely take mine out during the winter, if the roads are clear of salt and reasonably dry then I will take it out for a run (which normally means once every 3-4 weeks). And I avoid driving it in wet weather during the summer.

I don't think there is anything wrong with running a 993 the way I do. I do however think it is a shame that some people feel the need to be negative about those of us who chose to run them this way...

I dont think it was Negative,i think we were just saying that using a car all year round will do it no harm,(for those who thought it would)apart from a little more depreciation on the exterior finish.
When looking over the years i have found that pampered summer use cars have had more major engine work done,earlier in thier lives.Ive seen some pristine 993s that have had rebuilds at 80000 miles because of engine seals/bearings having given up through becoming brittle or lack of use.
The all year round used variants seem to do 150000-200000 before major work is carried out.
My 1995 C2 has been used in all weathers(inc snow/salt) been thrashed round the Nurburgring several times a year,on trackdays and used for shopping for the last 5 years.It is now running better,more economical and quieter than it did at 65000 miles when i bought it.It has had no Engine work done other than a clutch,starter motor and general service work.
Admitidely it could benifit from a respray and a new screen,but i will leave it for another couple of years.
Dan