GT6ixer

This winter we are going to be in temporary housing and I won't be able to keep the 928 indoors. I could do my normal winterizing (pump up tires, fuel additive, remove battery and place it on a smart charger) and put it under a cover. Or I can leave it uncovered and daily drive it. Seattle winter's are mild with essentially no snow and no salt on the roads.

So curious to hear what people think is best for the car. Under a cover outside or left uncovered and driven everyday?

dr bob

A cover outside is not a good option, IMO. "Weatherproof" covers tend to gather moisture underneath, which then "fogs" the paint when the sun comes out and any moisture under the cover turns to vapor. Covers also scratch the car when the wind moves them. Bottom line: I'd drive it, unless you can find covered storage.


Winter here in the high desert of central Oregon has temps already down in the single digits overnight. There's mag chloride deicer on the highways, and people forgetting what winter driving conditions require. They must all be tourists or newbs. Chuck Darwin once predicted that they will sort themselves out. Meanwhile, the 928 has a few moving pads artistically placed on top of a single-layer sun and dust cover. It still needs to be elevated to sit on storage stands, probably sometime in the next week or so. Add mothballs and some tape over critical openings, a couple bucket traps and maybe an ultrasonic unit for livestock management, and things will be fine for the next five or six months of hibernation.

Wisconsin Joe

If you don't have to worry about salt, or idiots sliding into you on slippery roads, then drive it.

If you are going to see temps below 40F, I would strongly suggest not driving on high performance "summer" tires.

And, Dr Bob:

It isn't just 'tourists & newbs' that can't drive on snow. The "Darwin Candidates" have forgotten that when the white stuff is on the road, traction disappears.

It happens EVERY year. Idiots & fools go out in the first snow of the year and drive like the pavement is clean and dry. And end up sliding into all sorts of things. We had a good snowstorm during the morning commute around here a couple weeks ago. First good one of the year. Traffic was horrible. Hundreds of accidents called in (seriously, something like 300 between 7 & 9 AM up in Green Bay). The snow wasn't all that much. Just enough to cover the roads and show the morons how important 'friction' is for driving.

uraniummetallurgist

Hi GT6ixer:
I have a newly restored 1992 MB 500E that has to sleep outside as the 1993 GTS gets the garage. After a lot of research I bought a Budge A A3 Protector IV for 500e and have been very happy with it so far. We have very similar weather here and high wind too so I have attached a bungee cord (the cover has two grommets mid lengths for this). the cover is waterproof, perforated and has a very soft non-scratch interior layer like brushed cotton.

The cover is water proof and has an elasticized hem and adjustable nylon straps with quick release clips front and rear making it quick and easy to remove for those days when it's time to go for a drive. The only concern is that the local feral cat likes to sun himself on top and sometimes scratches the fabric. Fortunately it catches his claws and he is learning that it's not a good idea to scratch.

Oliver the Bengal cat





All the best,


Joe

GT6ixer

Thanks for the advice Bob. I definitely leaning toward jait driving it.

Good suggestion on the tires. I have a spare set of manholes that I can have winter tires mounted on.

Thanks Joel! If I have to cover it this winter I'll look into that Budge cover.

Dark shark

Last year I drove the 84 all year whenever I could. Before mine was hit a couple of weeks ago I was planning to do the same. I think it is better for the car to be driven if you can, fluids get where they are supposed to and fuel gets burned up etc. Just my 2 cents. or in porsche terms $200.00

Heinz

jchasty

The weather's getting cold here - snow forecast next week - my '90 S4 has to live outside for a few months (long, boring story re my RS4) - I installed a new battery today and what a difference! I've never heard the starter motor spin so fast!

Alan

Move to Phoenix - drive all winter! (though in mid summer you do question whether driving it somewhere else for 4 months would be a better idea?).

Seriously - generally 928's fare better when driven - as long as conditions allow that safely..

Alan

chart928s4

I firmly believe people get too obsessive about covers. A winter under a decent new cover with a clean car will not damage the paint. Before my garage was emptied of junk my car spent a Massachusetts winter in the driveway using an Oxgord 7 layer breathable cover from Amazon, with some extra grommets and snugging cord to ensure a tight fit. I uncovered it off and on during the winter and it was always dry as a bone underneath, and after a spring wax it looked beautiful. No scratches, fogging or any other noticable issues.

Adk46

I think the main trouble with keeping things outside may be the daily dew cycle. Moisture can get into places, cause rust or mold, and may or may not later escape.

I have no evidence to support the idea, but I'd consider putting a small source of heat under the car, like a 100 watt lightbulb. If parked on gravel, dirt or grass, a plastic sheet on the ground would be a good idea. Keeping the car even just a few degrees warmer than ambient ought to discourage condensation.

But if there's no salt, I might drive my car year-round. Still have sand and frost-heaves, so not much fun here, but in Seattle - sure. Do they sell Rain-X in quart bottles?

markmich

Where I live there is no option to keep the car inside and unfortunately the only place I can park the car it is in the sun - not so bad during the winter months but during the summer the sun is intense. There is some wind in Florida (excluding heavy storms) and I'm not sure if it makes more sense to get a good quality cover with a soft lining or just leave the car outside unprotected.

dr bob

I use a car cover whenever the car isn't being driven for more than a few days, even in the garage. It gets to sit outside in the daytime a few times a year when the garage is busy with other projects, and is always covered while outside, with sun shields in all the windows. The cover I have is a rather generic 2-layer cover that was cheap at Costco 20+ years ago. Has straps that go underneath at either end, plus grommets in the middle that get a bungy cord if there's a chance of wind moving the cover. If the car has to sit out in the rain (very seldom...) I'd rather have the cover off. Since it's a dust-and-sun cover, any dust on the outside of the cover ends up on the inside with rain, so I end up washing the car right away anyway. The cover "washes" easily on the car, then gets immediately 'strung up' between garage door ceiling rails to dry off the car. It will barely survive machine washing on gentle cycle, three rinses, then strung up to dry. So-called all-weather covers demand a larger commercial machine due to size/thickness, and any waterproof layer on the outside will suffer (crack) from the machine's agitation. Better to wash it on the car in the shade with your favorite car wash soap then immediately hang it to dry. In my limited experience.

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I very recently moved a few vintage British sports cars on to new caretakers. They were stored in dry light-less climate-stable SoCal garage space for over 25 years now, under weatherproof covers. Paint was sealed and waxed prior to storage and protected with the covers. They looked as good as they day they were covered as they were loaded for transport. Two others, with well-waxed aluminum skins and still in original shipping crates, looked similarly brand new. Major mechanical parts were pickled in Kerosene and bagged. The buyer was elated to get them, as I was to see them go. Storage and insurance costs alone easily exceeded their "growth" in value over the decades. Cars generally suck as long-term investments when ALL the costs are considered. As much as these are a period snapshot of engineering as an art form, hiding them away isn't their best use. Drive and enjoy them.