Alpine 88

Ferry wasn't thinking about the preservation of 20-40 year old cars. And he also was thinking about German winters, which are generally pretty civilized except up on the North Sea. Moreover, the heating systems were antiquated for their time, but not as relatively antiquated as they are today--we've become soft. Yes, these cars will handle well in snow, as the Finnish police demonstrated in their 912s, but still, there are far more sensible cars for the upper Midwestern winter.

Daniel Dudley

Subies are fun cars in the snow. They can come with heated wiper blades, and you know what that is worth. The wife has an XC volvo. A tank with a turbo, that handles surprisingly well in the dry. Shockingly well.

I used to drive the air cooled beetles in the winter. Very capable in the snow. I would in fact love to drive some of my cars in the snow for fun, but snow equals salt around here, and in industrial quantities.

I hate salt. I love my cars. I drive a GMC truck. I carry a tow strap, and alternate pulling people out of ditches with going to car washes.

Old Man Neri did a winter drive across Canada last year. It made for a good thread.

chipkent

I have a few cars (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Crossfire SRT-6) to drive in the nice weather so the Porsche would be my beater for sacrifice to the salt and cold. It drives me nuts to park my fun cars all winter so I wanted to pick something up to have fun with on most days during the 6 months of cold. Unfortunately, I don't find a camry very fun.

Also, I've already checked into the studded tire option, and I can't use them in MN.

chipkent

If you have ideas on attractive cars for the winter that are fun to drive with a manual transmission, minimum depreciation, and at least enough room for 2 small kids in the back, I'm all ears.

rbuswell

As Perry Mason would say, "Your Honor, I've just been handed new evidence. If it please the court ..."

I spent most of my youth in northwest IA, not too unlike MN weatherwise, and frankly there isn't much fun to be had driving in IA or MN this time of year. The highway scenes from the movie "Fargo" are right on. Given what you've said, if I were you, I'd skip the 911 altogether and drive the Crossfire with Blizzaks or Alpins and a big bag of sand in the trunk (if they have one). You'd have a heater, better salt protection and probably more fun than with an innocent 911 (that deserves more respect than you're showing it). If you wreck the Crossfire, you can get another one. They probably made more of those in a week than they did all model year when Porsche was building SCs. Or my idea of a beater Camry works too. Unless you're buying a rusted out clap-trap 911 that probably should be parted out anyway, it does not meet the definition of a "beater" under any other scenario IMHO.

You may be on the wrong forum to get a lot of sympathy on this one, I'm afraid.

whalebird

Look into a late model Ford F250/350 4x4. Lots of guilt-free fun to be had in one of those belive it or not.

Ed Hughes

I drive my Carrera Targa with its top off quite often in the winter. It does quite well.

chipkent

They actually only made about 1000 of the SRT-6 version so they aren't that common.

rbuswell

That may well be, but the bottom line is that if you view a 911 or 993 as a candidate for being your "beater" while saving a Chrysler for the summer you may not be a Porsche kind of guy. Or maybe you should at least limit your choices to a newer, more mass produced Porsche like a Cayenne.

old man neri

Ya, I did. It was a good time. The 911 does quite well in the snow provided you have a good set of winter tires. I never go stuck once.

But there are certain issues. The cold for one, I never quite figured out how to make it run hotter. The engine never really got hot when it was cold out. Even after hours and hours of driving on the high way. They take a long time to even get to that temp.

Other issues was the heat, ya I had to drive with a coat and gloves on, you never notice just how drafty a 911 is until it is cold out.

That being said I still drive my 911 in the winter but only when it is -10C or less. Anything colder than that I try not to. I have a POS 10 yr old honda for that.

Do they use salt in MN?

Here is the thread for more insight, perhaps.

https://rennlist.com/forums/911-foru...the-911-a.html

Jay H

I'm on my second winter using Boxsters for winter duty. I keep my 1984 911 in the garage when the salt is out. However, I have run 911's in single digit temps in the snow.

The Boxster is amazing in the snow with winter tires. I've tried all season tires and that just doesn't work. You must have winter tires. Mid engine set up is well balanced in the snow. Check out some older 986 Boxster models. A decent one that has been driven is well under $15k and they made too many of them so you don't have to feel bad for slopping one through the snow. It beats driving a Camry or other boring car all winter.

911's are drafty. They run good in single temps, but as others have mentioned, don't really warm up fully in really cold weather. My '86 which was a "winter beater" would set my feet on fire and melt the windshield from the heat output on days where the temps were above zero.

But, I also agree that most 911's are special enough and now too old to warranty daily driving winter duty. I'd go after an aging Boxster first with it's more modern features.

Winter tires are mandatory!!!

Jay
08 987
90 911
84 911

Ed Hughes

Boxsters don't work well of you're tall-too cramped.

whalebird

Convertables suck in extreme temperatures. Boxter is as good as any convertable, but still has the roof cut off and replaced with fabric.

vtrich

I think a Boxster would be a good idea and they are available with a hard top,...but,..I think you'd have a tough time getting a couple of kids in there with you.

I agree a suggestion above,...a Subie WRX,..they are rugged, really fun to drive in crummy weather,...definately not a Camry. Sound really funky,.but hey,..it's only for 5 months.

Good Luck
Rich

Scott Lenger

Great car for the winter - you just live in the wrong place for it :-)