Baked Ziti

I just started to prep and purchase all my winter storage gear for my 981 CS. This will be its first winter in my garage and I'm looking for suggestions and advice on covering and storing the vehicle in a 2 car garage that will still be opened and used daily. It'll be parked next to my wife's daily SUV that will likely accumulate dirty/salty wheel well snowpack, and then melt next to the Porsche. I'm looking for a car cover and other suggestions to protect the vehicle for the winter.

Car Cover: Before I spend the $300 and get the Suncoast interior car cover, I wanted to get a quick discussion going about what others have used. Do you have any aftermarket suggestions that will do just as well protecting the vehicle, without a Porsche logo? [The car will be freshly washed before covering]

Trickle Charger: I just purchased the CTEK 40-206 MXS 5.0 charger on Amazon. I added the comfort connect cig charger and extension cable to the package. My one big question is if I can use the cig charger with the door closed? In other words, can I gently close the door over the small cable or will that compromise the cable or weather stripping? Anyone have any suggestions/tricks/experiences to share with CTEK chargers?

Tire protection: I don't intend to jack the vehicle off the ground. I have 4 old squares of carpet I fashed from excess I had in my basement. I planned to just roll the car onto the carpet squares to avoid flat spots. Does this actually work or am I wasting my time?

Other: I intend to place dryer sheets beneath the car and under the seats. I have steel wool for the tailpipes. I purchased a silica jell canister to control the interior moisture and I added seafoam motor treatment to my last fillup, which I understand to be an adequate fuel stabilizer.

Are there any other tips, comments, suggestions you'd take to store a vehicle that may not be started/uncovered/driven from December to April?

Thank you!

Pep!RRRR

Increase your tire pressures to ~45psi. I connect the charger directly to the battery and chassis ground (located near the master cylinder). You can route the wires up through the wiper recess. I also have some ultrasonic rodent repellers plugged in around the garage. Don’t know whether they do any good but I haven’t had any problems.

rdboxster

Cover: been using covercraft Dustop for years. Great cover and really protects the car. Your conditions with opening the door are different than where mine is stored. It is sealed once the cars are in. You may want to tie the cover to prevent it from blowing in the wind while the door is open.

rodents: the dryer sheets is what boaters have used for years. I did and never had a mouse issue which is why I still put them in the car during storage. Do they work...beats me since I have never stored a vehicle or boat without. To be on the safe side a few old fashion mouse traps under the car and in the garage is a good plan. I do now since we had a bunch of mice find their way in this summer

LexVan

Call your insurance agent. Cancel most coverages. Save some $$. Secure car keys.

TEF

Put my Boxster S in storage on Monday. Did not think of the carpet or dryer sheets, but did change the oil and fill the tank with ethanol-free gas and Stabil. While this is my first year for the Boxster, I have stored a 2004 350z each winter for years without mouse problems .

Four Ring Circus

Or put some good all seasons on and drive it every snow- free weekend as I plan on doing in my first winter with my Cayman.
Seriously, good advice though from the OP.

KrisA

I run the tender cable under the door towards the front fender on my 987, works well, not sure if that will work on the 981 or not though.

The only other thing I can add is regarding storing the car next to a filth mobile in the winter. I find bringing in salty filth with rust lots of components on the adjacent car, I notice this when my usually clean VW is parked next to my wifes usually dirty VW in the winter and I noticed this back in the day when I stored my MR2 Turbo at home next to our daily. What I did with the MR2 that worked well was as follows:

1) park the car on a large blue tarp
2) jack the car and install garbage bags over the brakes, reinstall wheels over the garbage bags
3) place indoor cover on the car
4) pull up the blue tarp to wrap the car so no salty garbage can get to it.

After do this I had zero rusting of the iron brakes, before doing this the brakes would be solid rust by spring. I store my 987 at a heated car storage place, so I don't have to do this rigamarole any more.

Regular stuff, pump up the tires to the maximum PSI, fill the tank, I've never bothered with stabilizer for a 6 month sitting, never noticed any thing negative when I burn the tank quickly the next spring. I change the old every spring, Porsche says the car is good with annual oil changes so I see no reason to think the car has to go into storage with fresh oil. That said, I only drive my 987 a couple of thousand KM a year, so the oil is never that filthy/diluted.

txbdan

Jesus, it's a car not a faberge egg.

85Gold

What’s this snow and ice you speak of.

Peter

badabing

I know the cigarette lighter works or my 987. Just run the cable over the door sill and shut the door. No issue.

On the 981 I think there is an issue that after the car sits for a period, the power to the cig lighter is cut and therefore the charger connection to the battery.

Suggest you install the charger harness that connects direct to the battery. My 993 is installed that way. I close the hood right on the cable. No issues for a decade.

Ale_72

Similar to what I did. Since I am lazy I bought this and connected it directly to the battery + and -.




LOL. In my case they are pretty similar. They are washed with the same regularity. Close to never.

sfrt

This was a helpful thread for me as I’m in the same boat you were in a year ago when you wrote this.

I’d like to ask - what would you do differently this year, what worked well/didn’t etc? I’m especially interested in how it went being parked next to a daily driven car in the winter. I’ll be in the exact same situation.

Ale_72

Use more the car. Since she will last longer than me, even if abused. Too funny not to do it.

Kitc2246

Your Owners Manual says 50 psi tire pressure for storage. I think the time out issues with accessory and cigarette lighter ports is on much newer models that can be changed in PIWIS. My 2013 BS ports stay own

Don't be tempted to start and idle the car in the garage. If weather permits take a 20 minute drive to get everything up to temperature. Don't worry about deflating the tires.

I watch for rodents in the garage and trap/bait if I see any evidence.

Use to live near an Ethanol free Gulf station that I'd run the tank near empty and fill for the winter. Stopped worrying about adding Stabil since I drive several times during the winter.

I have an indoor car cover which breaths well. Long term moisture can be an issue under the car cover.

Dave in Chicago

+1. P-cars are actually quite nice winter cars if one just adds winter tires.