Re: Anyone in the great white north or similar region have a 911 as a daily driver?

Contemplating something rear engined and german as my daily driver, but I live in CT so I'm wondering about winter driving. I would definitely do a set of dedicated snow tires for winter and all seasons for the rest of the year. I was thinking a 996 C4S or Turbo, but the prices of regular 911's are so much better on the wallet! I do sometimes have to drive in snow to get to work so I can't have something that won't get me where I need to go.
Thanks guys!

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

Quote
986rgt
Contemplating something rear engined and german as my daily driver, but I live in CT so I'm wondering about winter driving. I would definitely do a set of dedicated snow tires for winter and all seasons for the rest of the year. I was thinking a 996 C4S or Turbo, but the prices of regular 911's are so much better on the wallet! I do sometimes have to drive in snow to get to work so I can't have something that won't get me where I need to go.
Thanks guys!

Based on my research a plain RWD 996 should be just fine with proper snow tires. The only real problem is ground clearance. If the snow is too deep...

Unless you want a C4S or a Turbo for other reasons other than their AWD feature my advice is to stay away from these models. The AWD is not going to add anything of value in the snow and in fact just brings with it extra weight, more to go wrong, and extra complexity in the fuel tank system.

You can search out YouTube videos of AWD 996 models in the snow and observe for yourself how while the rear tires are spinning like mad the fronts aren't spinning at all and in fact are in some cases stationary. All that is happening is the viscous fluid in the viscous coupling is getting severely overheated which can destroy the coupling or the front diff in which it is a part of. A new front diff is thousands of dollars and a number of owners when faced with this cost elect to remove the front diff, cardan shaft, the axles and sometimes replace the standard front spindles/hubs with I think the ones from the GT3 (though expensive) and convert the car to just plain old RWD.

Because of the front diff the fuel tank is split into two sections two basins. Becauses they are not connected each needs its own fuel pick up a siphon jet. If a hose breaks and this can happen the fuel can't be pulled out of one basin and the car runs out of gas at around half a tank. Because there is no easy way to track the actual fuel level once the fuel level drops below around the halfway mark the OBC calculates the fuel leveling based on fuel usage and the fuel gage needle from about the half tank fuel level point is controlled by the computer. This works ok in my experience -- I have a 2003 996 Turbo -- but can make one doubt his sanity if he doesn't fill up the tank when it gets low and then wonders where the gas went when the fuel gage reading doesn't reflect the added gasoline. I always fill up the tank completely but some owners who don't run into this.

Have you every put snows on yours?

I like the Dunlop Wintersports. They are still decent tires, while providing snow ability. Another good choice is the NOKIAN WR.

How are my headlights? :-)

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Life has become so much more hectic now that I'm a single dad working full time shift work. I will tell you, I am cleaning out the garage this weekend with my little helpers and I PROMISE I will get you some pictures.
I've never done snows on the boxster and don't intend to, way too much time money and heart invested in it to let some soccer mom doing 90 in her SUV in the snow destroy it and probably me! The 911 thought is to maybe replace my family car Subaru with a 911. Being single makes it impossible to really have too many chances to take either of the kids in the boxster, so the 911 would allow me to get them out for some Porsche fun as a family.
I'll get back to you over the weekend on the lights! PROMISE!!!

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

As noted above, the big issue is clearance. I think, especially a C4, will be fine in the snow.

As usual - go as narrow as possible -- narrower tires cut through stuff much, much better, and shed snow better and give much better feel in low friction circumstances.

I'm inferring, yes, but i do this on my boxster and it works better than you would think.

One more drawback is that they are light - whcih in the snow is NOT an advantage.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

A 911 is like a front-wheel drive sedan in the snow, but in reality, it's all about the tires. I live in DC and we do not get enough snow, nor does what we get stay on the ground long enough, to justify snow tires. So, my daily driver doesn't get driven for maybe two weeks total out of the year. I tried driving my 911 once in when there was probably less than a 1/2 inch on the roads. It was a white knuckle ride.

Having grown up in Buffalo, but now in DC, I can say that driving in deep snow at really cold temperatures is a piece of cake compared to driving in ½" of snow at 30 degrees (as we have in the DC area). The road itself is not frozen, so you get a layer of water between your tires and the pavement. Not good! I have Pirelli Sottozero (N0) on my '05 for the winter, but I am more interested in some grip at low temperatures on clean roads. The SUV and tractor can deal with snow.

I can recall several snows in both MD and NOVA suburbs of 12 inches or more. One snow where the drifts covered our attached garage roof and that was probably 18 feet at the roof's peak.

While I had the Boxster there, I recall several 8" snows that had to be scraped off the car cover. I had a 4WD CRV for those days.

It can be icy too, that cost me one of my Alfas..eerie feeling to hear someone sliding towards your rear and you know there is going to be contact...all you can do is release the brake and put it in neutral and try to minimize the damage

Lived there (Wood Acres, Chevy Chase, SW DC, Vienna, Oakton) for probably 60 years.

One of the nice things about moving to NC was selling the snow blower.

Oh, yeah, no doubt. I've been in DC for 30 years. We can get dumped on from time to time, but generally, it doesn't stay on the ground for long periods of time. At least in my mind to justify buying/storing rims and tire for winter.

Hey Steve, I would keep the newer Subie sedan for the bad snow and salt days/errand runs, sell the 986 (you got good use out of it), and get a plain 996 cab to take the kids out during nicer days. If you only have a Boxster and a 996, you won't feel comfortable parking either car anywhere without any worries of folks opening their doors on you. It's weird. My other cars (Audi and Benz SUV are newer, but I don't care if someone dings them in a parking lot. Something about Porsches I guess. I've driven my Boxster with dedicated snows before, but in reality, the car is still low and has little clearance for NorthEast winters. Plus, folks in SUVs drive crazy in the snow, and you don't want to get hit by a big SUV in a Porsche.

that "At least in my mind to justify buying/storing rims and tire for winter." approach cost me my first Boxster. And it wasn't snow. Just overnight freezing and a layer of black ice even at 36 degree air temp and the sun at an angle I didn't see it. Which was why for my second Boxster I had a 4WD with aggressive all-seasons and used it when there was any doubt.

Is one of the reasons that I have four mounted, serious snows for both my Audi and my Porsche.
Not the track car, i may be crazy, but there are limits even to insanity.

I bet that they at minimum save me their costly in minor cosmetic damage.

I'll also point out that over their life i expect they save me one set of summer tires (not rims) in deferred wear.

G

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Said another way, snow tires are free. The cost is only in the rims and if you get them from a "take off" rim/tire shop like I do such as Sports Car Tire in WIlmington DE, or buy a set used from the Porsche boards or Craigs list, they can be inexpensive.

Either way, with or without snow tires, you burn up rubber. With snows, your summers last longer..... snow tires are free.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

All about the tires.....

I had a 2000 Boxster S as a daily driver with snows for 13 years and 197K miles, and now a 2009 C2S (997.2 911) also with snows. No issues at all in Philadelphia snow. The newer 911s are more buttuned up underneath than my older Boxster was... more of those plastic under-plates.

Regarding corrosion, I had heat shields rot out.... I think they were around the cats but that was it..... Grant now owns my Boxster and he can weigh in if there are other salt corrosion issues.

Snow tires vary greatly in my experience ... I now have settled on Michelin Alpins best all around (only good in snow, not best).... Dunlops are some of the best but wore quickly ... Blizzaks were the absolute best but were mushy, noisy and would never wear out .... worst were Pirellis both in snow performance, wear, and noise... Continentals were just eh..... For my next set I will most likely stick with Michelins but getting sizes for 911s is starting to be really bizzare.... long story. Oh, and I really don't care about the N rating anymore.

BTW, I have become pretty much a fan of Michelin tires over all now.

Peace
Bruce in Philly



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2016 09:48AM by Bruce In Philly (2000 S Boxster, now '09 C2S). (view changes)