cab&coupe

I'm considering an `06 C2S that spent some time in the Chicago area and was driven during the winter. Should I be concerned about rust issues?

Edgy01

Yes. Although the cars have zinc galvanized bodies, the use of regular steel is found throughout the engine and body in the way of fasteners. (Cadmium plating went away some time back). There are parts of the exhaust system that are already rusted on that car, trust me.

If you have a choice (and today, there are dozens of 997 choices), go outside the Rust Belt. They don't call it that for nothing.

cab&coupe

Thanks for your quick reply Dan,

I bought my 993 which was an original car from Barriers in Seattle out of Peoria without issues. But my sense is a car driven in the winter would suffer from the exact issues you noted in your post.

JW911

C'mon Edgy I call Bull on that.

So he shouldn't buy a great car at a great price because the exhaust system bolts have some surface rust? Come one gimme a break. If you are looking to maintain a concours car then yes. If you want a driver, then that it over the top conservative.

Yes I drive my car in the New England winter. Short of some immaterial discoloration of some fasteners on the under carraige, it is perfect. Porsche invented galvanized automotive sheet metal in 1976 and arguably has the best in the business. When's the last time you saw a rusty Porsche? You would have to park the car in seawater for the exhaust or other fasteners to actually rust away.

p-cardriver

Agree with JW911. Mine is a daily driver about to enter its third winter. Its in/on salt (wet and dry) for several months, and I can't/don't wash it daily (maybe weekly) in winter. In other words, lots of salt exposure.
I regularly look under the car and throughout the engine because it gets frequent track use, as does my mechanic. We see nothing of concern and really not much cosmetic.
If salt was a big issue, I would be much more concerned about any car from a coastal area (Florida, CA coast, etc) than the rust belt.
Better advice would be to get a ppi and include a look at the body, etc for not only rust but other damage from accidents, rock chips, etc. If its there, move on or discount. If not, buy with confidence.

cab&coupe

[QUOTE=JW911;6945310]When's the last time you saw a rusty Porsche? QUOTE]

Good feedback guys. Would like to hear more from Chicagoland P-car owners about your experiences.

sws1

More than likely you'll sell the car long before any rust shows up, even if it did.

cfjan

For those of you who have experience (many above seem do!), what do you do to take care of the car during the winter? My wife plans to drive her Cayman S during the winter (New England area).. we will get snow tires, of course, but what else do we need to do? Wash the undercarriage of the car w/ waterhose weekly? (hmm, how do I get water out onto the driveway.. hmm.. I am guessing the garden hose outlet would all be frozen by then.. ha!)

JW911

I wash it weekly and I really don't wash the undercarraige very often. With a car this low to the ground, to do it justice you really need to get down on your hands and knees. I'm not inclined to do that until the temp gets into the 40s. Honestly it is no big deal. Put the snow tires on it, and drive it. That's what it was made for!

Hockeyman11385

You may be able to find a touchless car wash bay in your area. Usually those have an undercarriage spray option. Obviously it's not the ideal choice because who knows what kind of soap they put in there but it should be fine. I agree with everyone else. The car should be just fine in the winter.

Graygoose997

You have to laugh at some of the fears we project on our cars.
I had someone comment that I was brave to have driven my car to an event in the rain.

I mentioned that the German's have made great advances in paint technology....the paint is waterproof.

ELUSIVE

I agree with Edgy...I'd stay away from it.
After growing up in New England I've seen what it can do to cars. Granted they are better these days...but with all of the inventory out there, i'd say it's a skip.

InTheAir

I agree with JW911 and p-cardriver--it's not a big deal.

Like p-cardriver, I drive my 997TT daily and year round. He and I both live in Michigan, which uses salt on the roads. Yes, fasteners can get rusty, but no other issues.

I say drive it, enjoy it, and don't dwell on such minutia. JMO.

John NY-Naples

I live in NY where we do get snow. I will drive the car on dry winter days. After 3 winters, I've not noticed any rust or issues. I actually do look at the bottom of the car when it's on the lift. I agree with above that most people will replace their car long before it begins to rust.

Edgy01

I've lived all over the world in all climates and with a myriad of Porsches, most built since 1976. Don't kid yourself on what that stuff can do ultimately to the parts on the car. From a maintenance perspective it's a potential nightmare,--have you ever dealt with a frozen (rusted) fastener? I'm not talking surface rust at all. It will greatly complicate the serviceability of the car over time. I have to credit Porsche for addressing much of this over the decades, but the system is not fool proof. The plastic underliners are quite good in the wheelwells but they also have the ability to hide salts. A good thorough cleaning is necessary periodically. One of my other cars which I drove daily in the Boston area required the complete replacement of the exhaust system after 6 years in New England weathers.

Given the option of a car outside the rust belt to one in the rust belt, do you really think you would want to go for the latter?