D6lc

Hi All,

I am new to the list and as yet don’t have my Porsche, came very close this year but regret that I didn’t go for it. I have been reading with interest the discussions on them being used as daily drivers and want some feedback on what my situation is.
I moved to MN from the UK this summer. So my situation is, I live 5 miles from work and cycle most of the year and will drive probably Nov-Mar, will use the car for a few weekend trips ect, so around 5k miles a year, my questions are:

Is only a 5 mile trip in MN winter in issue for a 964, interspersed with the odd longer drive?
Is driving a 964 daily in MN winter going to be an issue?
I would fit winter tires ect and probably go for a C4.

So my question is am I being realistic, I love the line of a 964 vs. say a 996, but is a 20yr old car a poor choice and will have problems?

Cheers

Ross

993c2cab

If it's a c4, then yes....

993c2cab

just make sure the car isn't lowered tooooo much! I miss that car!

tbennett017

I have in the past used my C4 as a daily all winter. The system works great in the slippery stuff... and I have every confidence in my car in ice/snow with dedicated snow tires. My only problem is that I lowered the car to RS ride height, which doesn't allow much clearance in deep snow. That would be my only issue driving it (that, and the worry about being plowed into by someone else on the road... hate to subject my Pcar to that kind of risk nowadays)

Also, if you are going to take this engine on short trips, you'll want to change the oil more often. It collects moisture, and if you dont' get it really hot regularly you'll end up with water in the oil.. which isn't so cool. Be sure to get it fully warmed up at least once a week. IMHO

elbeee964

Would rather seeing such seasonally-salted-road treatment put upon a 996.
Or, Maxima, or Camry...

(Personally, just hate seeing a 964 subjected to rust bubble roulette. Though, otherwise, dropping a C4 in that MN soup would seem the bee's knees.)

dfinnegan

I've driven mine year round in NY. Works great with snow tires.

altarchsa

C4's only!

Lil bastard

I live in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and on and off, I've spent 20+ winters here.

I wouldn't even think of driving my 964 through the winter, not even our mildest ones.

First, you would literally watch it rot away from all the salt and other chemicals used on the road. Either that, or you'd spend a fortune on daily Car Washes, even then, the chemicals would take a great toll. The Bonnet would need a repaint and the Windscreen replaced annually from the SandBlasting they'd endure (a mix of Salt and Sand is used on the roads).

Second, if you live here, you'll remember the flash ice storm we got two saturdays ago. The State Patrol received reports of 400+ crashes in 5 hrs. in the Twin Citties alone. My wife and I happened to be at a concert, it started before the rains came. When we left, the roads were Skating Rinks like I've rarely seen, so bad (even in our all-wheel Jaguar) that I took side streets the 6 miles home - and at 15MPH. I cannot imagine my C4 being as good. Plus, it's the other guys you need to watch out for - they're the ones which will get you.

If this is your first winter here, to date, you haven't seen anything yet. In fact, the past 45 days have been unseasonally mild, but we average about 84" of snow annually (and unfortunately it's not usually from 4 or 5 bad storms, it accumulates from 3 or 4 inch deep snowfalls weekly) and avg. daytime temps of below freezing mid-Nov. - mid-Apr, much colder at night.

Finally, I doubt that on our typical sub-zero January mornings, you'd get your air-cooled engine anywhere near operating temperature on a 5-mile drive majorly accelerating engine wear. Not only that, but I doubt you'd have adequate heat to keep from frosting the inside glass.

In the end, your car, your money, your skin.

At the very least, as others have mentioned, get a rat honda or toyota and get through your first winter here and then decide.

I suspect, like me, on some of our more horrendous days, you'll be happy it's tucked away in a nice dry garage under the cover. I mean, if you can't drive a Porsche like a Porsche, what's the point?

Cheers!

darth

I drove my C2 a few hundred km's weekly between Toronto and Niagara (i.e. lake effect snow) for the first few years with all season tires and I'd still be driving it (i.e. probably would have bought a good set of snow tires) if I hadn't bought a truck. With the engine in the rear, traction is great and stops just as well as the truck on ice. Make sure the AC works as it is needed to defrost the windows.

hawk911

the ride height will be a factor for sure, and you absolutely need snow tires.

campoj2

The Lil Bastard from MN is your Subject Matter Expert - listen to him

frankvan

I drove my previous c4 for 5 winters in Alberta. It did have rust issues at the rear where metal meets the plastic bumper and the bottom corners of the windshield. And there was surface corrosion on brake lines and sway bars. The rest of the car was fine (or as expected of a 20 year old car).

The hvac and heat exchangers put good heat into the cabin but you have to be sure that the system is working properly. One of my flex tubes in the rear wheel well came discnonnected and i had almost no heat and half a foggy windshield (drivers side unfortunately). Same thing happened when one of the front blowers died.

Ride height wasn't an issue except after big snowstorms or if you plan on offroading. It was a blast to drive but it won't be in any sort of concours condition afterwards: Snow tires + AWD + PDAS = fun in the snow.

tbennett017

They don't salt in Oregon, so rust isn't as bad a threat as rocks, and other drivers. I also think short trips in very cold weather takes its toll too.

Baltic964Cab

Agree with the comments above....born and raised in Minneapolis - spent 24 winters there. Simply put, they DESTROY your car - if that is what you want, then enjoy. But for dealing with daily snow, frost, ice, salt, etc. get a modern commuter.

mdowell

I live in MN and I agree with Lil bastard, it's not that the Porsche couldn't handle it, it's just that you would cut its life in half. Mine has been washed, tended, and tucked away since Oct 31st. (look up the Halloween Storm of '91)