hazmanT4s

Hello . I live in Montreal , Canada winter is coming and I really don't feel like putting my baby away, and I was thinking of just putting winter tires and drive it , but people around says that am stupid to do so , I have a 997 targa4s , any thoughts plz , is it ok to drive it , I won't ruin the car , it's get very cold in here
Thx

stefang

You know, Porsche doesn't do cold weather testing just for the fun of it. It'll be fine. Many on this board, me included, run it through the winter.

rotesAuto

I have a 4S Targa also(2007): and plan on driving it all winter: granted I don't live in Montreal.....was born there though........
what year and color do you have?

enjoy!

AM993

I live in Toronto and have been driving my Porsches through winters for 7 years. A set of good quality snow tires and you are good to go

hazmanT4s

I have targa 4s 07 guards red wrapped in matte black 3m , do I have to rust proof the car or no

AM993

Not a fan of rust proofing. As a precaution though, I take my car to the car wash once a week and give it a good rinse (especially the under carriage). No sign of rust anywhere yet.

Asquared

Put snow tires on and drive it all winter. My Targa was my daily driver through a couple of Chicago winters, and I drove through some of our biggest rush hour snow storms with no problems, though you always worry about the other guy, not you.

All porsches come with adequate rust-proofing, even the GT3.

You may take a hit a on resale, but did you buy the car for you or the next guy? I bought my cars for me and I want to get every dollars worth out of them by driving them as much as I can.

hazmanT4s

I bought the car for me , It was my 30th birthday gift to my self , an I already put 20000km since April , it's not a garage queen , it's my queen , I really don't care about the next person

Hammer911

here's what I posted yesterday in the "06 C4s as daily driver?" thread yesterday...


I've been driving C4S as daily driver for the last few years (first an 08, now 2011.)
Second set of wheels with snow tires for winter.

It's been awesome driving it everyday rather than walking past it as it sits in the garage! Snow has only been an issue when neighborhood roads haven't been plowed yet...factory aerokit exacerbates the issue. AWD works great in winter conditions...you'll be fine in the hills of Omaha (I did ten years' time there.)

Almost invariably, when I'm filling up at the gas station, people see the ski rack during the winter and they will comment "that's so cool that you actually drive your car!"

You also have to think about the logistics of your daily life, running to Home Depot and stuff like that, and if the car will not be too inconvenient for you in certain situations. And don't forget, the rear seats are useless for humans except very small ones, and even that doesn't work all that well if you are fairly tall and have your driver seat adjusted toward the back. Back seats are good for packages, briefcase (and two sets of golf clubs WILL fit!)

In my avatar pic, you'll see my winter setup...slightly narrower 18's with spacers and Pirelli Winter Performance. Don't try to run summer tires through the winter: harsh ride and paralyzing if it snows or you get that Omaha freezing rain.

Anyway, C4S works for me on a daily basis, and I think it's the best way to get to know, love and enjoy your car. Good luck!

rotesAuto

sounds very cool, would love to see some pix....
my Targa is also Guards......

currently have my 550 wrapped in flat orange lol

Macster

The car already has excellent corrosion protection present straight from the factory.

Feel the under side of the body, the sheet metal. It is painted with a very durable enamel paint.

Couple of things to keep in mind though...

While the enamel paint is very durable it can't take the wear/tear from an unprotected lift or jack. Whenever the car is lifted rubber pads must be used to keep the metal lift pads from crushing/cracking this paint.

Many many indy tire shops, repair shops, do *not* use any protection on the lift pads of their jacks or car lifts so over time the car's lift points paint coating gets degraded which can be a place for corrosion to gain a foothold.

The body has a 10 year corrosion warranty but the car must be subjected to an annual inspection for this to remain in force. Read the warranty booklet that came with the car to confirm the requirements to keep the corrosion warranty in effect.

hazmanT4s

Some photos of my targa

Rhody

On a related note, what do others do for car washes in the winter with a daily driver? I live in New England, so my house hose is put away and my outdoor faucet turned off to avoid frozen pipes. I was considering a touchless car wash with undercarriage wash, but i have a feeling that heavy-duty soap will strip the wax that i just put on. I could do a coin-op DIY car wash and just use the water and not the soap, but it's tough to get the undercarriage. I could bring my own soap, wash mitt and towels too, but i'm looking for just a rinse off. What do others do?

Jake951

I wait for a day when the temperatures are at least a few degrees above freezing and I turn on the outside water so I can wash the car in the driveway. Sometimes you have to wait a while, but unless you live in far northern New England, the warmer days do come around. I don't go near car washes.

jwins

I live in a condo in NYC, so access to a hose in the winter is a challenge. I use Optimum No Rinse car wash, two buckets, and a garden sprayer for the wheels and undercarriage. Works fine but requires a little patience.