syzygetic

I no longer commute to the office and and soon will no longer have indoor parking for my 2015 981. This all adds up to me driving way, way less than I used to drive. In fact, sometimes I go weeks without touching my car now. I love it, but weeks without touching a car parked in a climate controlled concrete garage is different than weeks parked outside near my house. So I guess this is a car-life-advice thread. I simply won't ever buy a nice car again without indoor parking, but, with this existing car, a 2015 981 at 39,000 miles, would you:

1. Sell it now, while it's really nice, get the money, and do without a car, or buy a function-only car (like a used civic or something) which can sit outside without harm,

or

2. Keep the 981 and drive it into the ground and park it outdoors, then when it finally is valueless or broken, do without a car or buy something else function-only.

I'm leaning toward #2 because honestly, the cheapest car is the car you already have and know you like, and both options end in this being the last nice car I'll own for the indefinite future so why not enjoy it while it lasts, but I'm curious what others would do.

Titanium5150

Personally, not even a question. #1.

I daily drive an old Civic Si that sits outside and would never have a car of this caliber sitting outside.

TMc993

You will be amazed at how fast a rarely driven car parked outdoors will deteriorate.

Schwinn

My take is that I love my car, and can't imagine not having it. If you sell it now, you may not get it (or a similar one) back. That would be my concern.

On the other hand, if you do want to sell, now is certainly a GREAT time to do that, since values are so inflated.

I agree, keeping the car will let it deteriorate... maybe you can store it in a storage unit or something? Throw a cover on it? I'd keep it, and do what I could to protect it. Heck, you can get one of those temporary garage things as well. These will help, but don't solve the issue, of course... but it's better than nothing. Remember, this isn't a delicate flower... it's a car, and a well designed one at that (Germany has snow too, and these cars were made to survive that). Cars will survive the weather for the most part. I've never had much appreciation for "trailer queens" anyway, so I see nothing wrong with weather on a car... I figure you might be the same, since you were using it for a commute (which is blasphemy to some already).

That's how I'd lean... #1, but that's just my opinion...

Bxstr

Option 1. Sell now. When you have a place with a garage again, buy another.

My daily driver sits outside during the summer. The rain alone causes the brakes to get rusty, the entire car is covered in pollen. Bird poo gets on it and etches the paint. While my daily driver is a nice car, you almost have to not care about it. I couldn’t not care about a Cayman, I’d be washing it weekly and wanting to drive it at least weekly to keep things moving on it and to get the rust off the rotors.

Funny that a Civic SI was mentioned, that’s exactly what I was thinking.

frenn

I have to differ with others here, I'd go with #2.
I live outside Seattle, so we don't have real winters, but very few people keep even new cars in garages because they tend to be full of crap.
We purchased our VW Eurovan brand new in 2003 and it's never been in a garage in it's life except at the airport. No, it does not look perfect, but so what?
If you have a safe place to park it where it won't get vandalized, etc, buy a good cover, and call it a day. Or look for a less expensive storage option, like a private garage bay that can be rented. Things it takes to keep a car in decent shape, - not a building, but a battery charger, a cover, and some way to manage humidity inside the cabin. A cover helps manage the heat cycling and condensation too. Cars are not afraid of water, and little surface rust on rotors is gone in a days driving in the city.
Another factor to consider is the cost of churn. Just to pay taxes and register a beater which WILL depreciate to nothing will cover a lot of storage or car covers. And this car is not going to depreciate THAT much just because it's not a garage queen. Into the ground? Just look at old 914 prices, those should be worth the value of the steel but nope. You sell it you'll miss it, and if you decide to replace it in 2 years when remote work goes away or whatever, just the taxes to buy it back will make you wish you still had it. If you have the means, savor it I say, and look forward to fall drives. Drive it and don't worry about it. It's not some rare collector car, it was built to go down the road. If you are really anxious about it's storage condition, find an affordable storage option outside of town and zip car or Lyft to get there when you want to get some 981 time! You'll sleep happier knowing it's waiting for you!

dav9515

I was trying to weigh the options here and think about the decision at hand, not sure it matters to others but feel like it may matter if i had to make the decision - Is your cayman a base or an S and is it PDK or manual? Also what options does it have? I ask because if this car is the spec you really wanted no compromises that would certainly influence me here and would also make replacing it in the future that much more difficult with tough to find or rare options. Would also affect the current market value of the car...seems like a simple question but the fact we care so much and struggle over it (when it's not even my car to have to decide on lol) is a testament to how good the 981 is.

Cyclman

If you’re not enjoying it but rarely, sell. If the less often drive is a special “event” you look forward to, that would be lost if you replace it with a beater.

BondJ

^^^^^100% Unlesd you’re well-heeled and don’t give a toss, sell it

syzygetic

So this was indeed part of the calculus. I've spent some time and money on this car getting it to exactly what I want. Nothing crazy, but it's not stock, and in the ways which matter to me (and aren't available as options, in many cases, so I'd be modding another car in the future, if it were a similar car).

6MT / Numeric Shifter / Stiff Transmission Mount / Sport Headers / X73 suspension, etc. It's a 2.7L base.

Diamond Dave

Sell it #1

nhnguy12

Oh man. I couldn't imagine selling my Cayman. That being said I'm putting ~20k miles on her per year.

PS if you plan to return to stock before selling, I'd be interested in your upgraded calipers haha.

Chrismalberts

Ooh, that's a nice setup. Assume you also have softronic or similar ECU tune also. That's far too nice of a car to let deteriorate outside. I think your priorities should be to preserve the car (and its value) and to preserve your enjoyment of the car. You won't enjoy it if the paint is etched with tree sap and bird ****. Do you have any friends outside the city with garages/carports who could hold the car? If not, in your position, I'd pay for storage somewhere that you get to via public transport pretty easily.

One thing none of us know is how and when our lives can turn on a dime. You may live in DC now, and this probably doesn't seem likely (and is just a fictitious scenario, obv) but you could get a fantastic job offer next week to go live in Utah, or your situation could change in many other ways. As you say, the car you own is the cheapest option, and while covered parking somewhere will cost money, it's still cheaper than other alternatives.

Not trying to divert the thread, but I also have a 2015 Base with softronic ecu tune, GT4 short shifter and in my position I'm considering whether headers, X73 etc. would be the way to go, or to get a 202X 718 Cayman T (plus tune and later downpipe). Care to share (PM is fine) your thoughts about the headers and X73 particularly?

9eight7

My emotional part would say option 2, however the calculated part would say option 1 which is what I use when it comes time to sell. With this current market, you can likely get back all the money for the car, invest it, and get a new toy when the opportunity presents itself. If it were a collectable then I would do my best to preserve it.

KBell

#1