Mudcat

A job change requires me to move from Orange County California to East Cleveland Ohio. Wife says the Porsche needs to go do to the weather. Daily driver, C4S with Tip. I would stay in SoCal if it meant parting with my love (C4s not the wife). What say you my cold weather friends? Is a DD Porsche C4S reasonable in Cleveland? Is it more appropriate to get a third vehicle? If so, what would you recommend for about $25k? I'm a SoCal born and raised guy and scared silly by the cold wet slippery stuff.

chrismmm

of a course a wife would say that. keep your C4S. It makes you happy. plenty of people should be chiming in with support here...

Robocop305

I hear you. You can get a VW R32. They are four wheel drive and you can find them under $25. Good luck!

wheeler

It's not the snow so much as the $hit they put on the roads to melt snow. It will destroy your car...make no mistake. I bought a very low mile 2 year old Town & Country van from Cleveland a few years. It looked like a 20 year old vehicle underneath. It's not much better where we're at in KC as far as salt and chemicals but we typically don't get near the amount of snow they do there. Still, I would never drive my 997 in the snow here.

jfoxny

I DD my C2 (2 not 4) Cabriolet (cab not coupe) year round in Upstate New York on separate sets of wheels and tires - one with Michelin Super Sports - one with Michelin Alpins. Search around and you'll see that you'll be fine. Porsche everyday.

TommyV44

My experience for 15 years with the C4S as a daily driver is you'll have absolutely no problem.....couldn't imagine putting it away for the winter in fact if I could only drive her in good weather I wouldn't have a Porsche.

You don't need another car; you have the perfect 911 for whatever mother nature has in store for you.



Tom

rglbegl

Living in the snow you will want an AWD car. . . .. . .. . Oh, wait, you HAVE an AWD car.

Drive it. Get the wife what she wants to keep her happy, but i see no reason to let your car go.

USMC_DS1

I live in TX so no real need for AWD year round but I still kept my 21 yrs old 4Runner 4x4 for rough weather - the rare snow/ice weather days, t-storm days(happens often enough), airport runs/parking, hunting, hailing lumber from Home Depot, etc... It's the best of both DD extremes. "Use the right tool for the job." A used 4x4 would do the trick and since you're new to driving in snow... your wife won't be able to give you as much grief if you happen to wreck a used 4x4 vs. the Porsche. Try not to give the wife an opportunity to say "I told you so" especially when it comes to your C4S. GL.

ogun228

Had a 996 C4S for 4 years as a DD with winter wheels and tires. Now have a C2s already fitted with winter setup. Can't think of not driving my Porsche for a whole 6 months. Go ahead and enjoy it as a DD properly shod.

Redline911

You must be getting a 200%+ salary bump to leave OC for Cleveland! Just put the C4S in storage here because you'll be back in a year!

Chaos

Leave the wife, take the car and get four mounted snows. Post pic of wife!

dc7

my c4s had no problems in colorado's snow and ice, even with summer tires (michelin ps2s). i daily drove mine all winter regardless of what the rockies threw at me. i may do an all season tire this winter, though.

BIG smoke

Four snow tires, you'll be fine until the snow start pilling up to you bumper height. Don't worry about it, its just a car. For the really bad days, I take my truck, or my STi.

CamsPorsche

I don't get the concern with driving this car in the snow. My winters are on and I can't wait...I could be dead tomorrow but my 911 would be fine in the garage for whoever takes it next...I just don't get keeping a car for someone else?

An acquaintance has daily driven his 1991 Acura NSX here in Canada for years and there's been little to no corrosion on the car (bolts only). Just wash your damn car and garage it!!!

The minivans or other decomposing cars are those of my father-in-law types that have NEVER washed their vehicle over the winter, keep it outside (I thought garages were for cars) and wonder why their car is rusting out.

Bruce In Philly

I have driven Porsches all year, all weather for 14 years in Philadelphia. I also lived in Cleveland and while they do get more snow there, I can't think of a reason the experience would be different. Especially since I drive my Porsche to Western PA (near Youngstown) for holidays and sometimes is bad snow weather. They ain't Faberge Eggs. The issue is simply putting on snow tires. That is it.

Salt and corrosion: BS.... no issues. I drove a Boxster S for 12-13 years to 197K miles. The only corrosion issue I had was with some heat shields rotting - and they seem to go without salt on higher mileage cars anyway. You know they go as they start to buzz and vibrate... first when cold until the system heats up, then all the time. Just get them replaced. I had no other issues. Period.

Handling: It is all about the tires. I purchased a set of 2nd hand rims and put a set of good snow tires on them. The cost to do this is only the rims as the tire cost is neutral... either way you will be burning rubber from driving... now your summers will just last longer. I swap my tires around Thanksgiving and pull them off around March 15.

Safety: Folks say they are not worried about driving in the snow, but the other guy... the dope who can't drive. Well, the stats are clear: the most dangerous months of the year for accidents are summer months and safest deep winter months. Go figure.

The thing that finally got me into Porsche besides the usual stuff, was an ad in some magazine or website that showed some Porsche blasting up a snow covered road in the Alps with a loaded ski rack on the roof..... snow flying everywhere.... SOLD! Always was my all year, all weather driver.

4W - Always good to have all wheel drive in the snow, but I never got stuck (although my Pirelli snows were pretty awful and scary). My Porsches were always 2 wheel drive.

By the way, is the Euclid Tavern still there? Blues, beer, fall down.... I know the floor there well.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Click here for some crazy snow pictures:
http//mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/temp/carsalt1.JPG
http//mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/temp/carsnow1.JPG
[IMG]http//mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/temp/carsnow1.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http//mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/temp/carsalt1.JPG[/IMG]

(I can't get these darn pics to show! just double click on them and they should work.)