A week of winter preparation, and storage for sports cars
Discussion
For most people including my neighbourhood, this is Hallowe'en week and it looks like this:
For me it marks the beginning of the potential for snow, when the street may look like this:
The only car that requires no winter prep is the Smart Fortwo diesel, ( bought new Dec 2004). It lives outside since new and just keeps going. There are no parts available since smart withdrew from North America, so at some stage it will have a fatal failure and go off to the scrapper:
.
The Porsches are an entirely different matter.
For me it marks the beginning of the potential for snow, when the street may look like this:
The only car that requires no winter prep is the Smart Fortwo diesel, ( bought new Dec 2004). It lives outside since new and just keeps going. There are no parts available since smart withdrew from North America, so at some stage it will have a fatal failure and go off to the scrapper:
The Porsches are an entirely different matter.
First car up is the Cayenne GTS ( delivered April 2022). This has been a bullletproof car basically apart from one mistake when I specced it out. Heated windshield. This seemed like a great idea at the time given the winter here. However it is very vulnerable to stone chips. Normally these can be filled and repaired in they are not too deep. Not this one though. A slight ship immediately resulted in a massive crack from top to bottom and a full replacement. Way more expensive than the regular version and not worth it. This is a working car and driven year round.
Still, has been driven fairly hard in multiple weathers and climates:
\
I have two sets of rims for it, the winters being a bit smaller, and I use full snows. This was an expensive service as it induced the extended warranty work, but there were zero problems:
Next up was the Panamera ST Turbo, bought Feb 18. It has been driven through Europe and North America in very varied conditions and even tracked at the Ring and Spa.
It has a recurring problem that seems to be very difficult to isolate. The start/stop occasionally cuts out at very low speeds in traffic and I have to restart that car. Only happens a time or two in a month, but quite dangerous of the person behind is close to me. Also, if has been parked for a while it will send a massage saying " no reverse gear" which can be cancelled by turning off the ignition.
For this visit the car was reprogrammed, battery replaced and full service carried out, as well as proper winter rims and snow tires refitted as it is also used during winter. Too early yet to know if the problem is solved.
Still, has been driven fairly hard in multiple weathers and climates:
I have two sets of rims for it, the winters being a bit smaller, and I use full snows. This was an expensive service as it induced the extended warranty work, but there were zero problems:
Next up was the Panamera ST Turbo, bought Feb 18. It has been driven through Europe and North America in very varied conditions and even tracked at the Ring and Spa.
It has a recurring problem that seems to be very difficult to isolate. The start/stop occasionally cuts out at very low speeds in traffic and I have to restart that car. Only happens a time or two in a month, but quite dangerous of the person behind is close to me. Also, if has been parked for a while it will send a massage saying " no reverse gear" which can be cancelled by turning off the ignition.
For this visit the car was reprogrammed, battery replaced and full service carried out, as well as proper winter rims and snow tires refitted as it is also used during winter. Too early yet to know if the problem is solved.
The GT cars are of course useless in very cold or snowy weather so will be stored from now on. I schedule the major service for this week just before storage, so fresh oils and fluids etc and any glitches can be addressed.
997.1 RS:
(Delivered October 2007) so almost 20 years old. Pic below is on delivery day with my sales rep who has done every car since:
.
Has 46,000km on it and have been rock solid reliable. One clutch, five front splitters. Back then there was option for a front lift so it scrapes the splitter every time I drive into the underground garage. Has become a wearable part. Overall it is in good shape, though the Alcantara steering wheel needs to be replaced. Porsche did some up with a factory retrofit of a modern PCM system with bluetooth and AppleTalk etc. Seamless replacement and beings the car into current usability. Can't live without Waze.
991.1 RS(Factory delivered Sep 2015)
Car has been very reliable, no horror stories, brilliant on track here and in Europe. I fitted 18-way seats in this car and am glad I did as it is easy to drive on the road and comfortable. I prefer the 991 interior to the 992 personally. This was just a full annual service apart from a torn door seal which was replaced:
992 RS delivered May 2023
This is of course a highly impractical car and a huge distance from being any kind of DD. No luggage space, non-folding buckets, very track-focused and brilliant at that task. It has 7047km on it and has been driving in Europe as well as here.
It has not however been completely trouble free. First recall was for improperly installed glass- not a huge deal. Secondly it started a slight oil leak. Improperly installed gasket a big engine-out job. Thirdly , after shipping it back for Europe the small amount of fuel in the car separated due to missing the boat and being stuck in cold storage. This needed a clear out of the engine, new spark plugs and some other stuff. Finally the glass is lightweight and the panels behind the B pilar crack if pressed very lightly. The car is getting this panel replaced fro the second time on this visit.
Again,a routine service apart from the glass item, as well as the bluetooth cutting out intermittently.
Next phase will be to put these cars away next week for the season. Later I will have to go to Arizona to recommission the cars there that have entirely different challenges as they live in extreme heat which does a lot of bad things. There is always an unpleasant item or two.
997.1 RS:
(Delivered October 2007) so almost 20 years old. Pic below is on delivery day with my sales rep who has done every car since:
.
Has 46,000km on it and have been rock solid reliable. One clutch, five front splitters. Back then there was option for a front lift so it scrapes the splitter every time I drive into the underground garage. Has become a wearable part. Overall it is in good shape, though the Alcantara steering wheel needs to be replaced. Porsche did some up with a factory retrofit of a modern PCM system with bluetooth and AppleTalk etc. Seamless replacement and beings the car into current usability. Can't live without Waze.
991.1 RS(Factory delivered Sep 2015)
Car has been very reliable, no horror stories, brilliant on track here and in Europe. I fitted 18-way seats in this car and am glad I did as it is easy to drive on the road and comfortable. I prefer the 991 interior to the 992 personally. This was just a full annual service apart from a torn door seal which was replaced:
992 RS delivered May 2023
This is of course a highly impractical car and a huge distance from being any kind of DD. No luggage space, non-folding buckets, very track-focused and brilliant at that task. It has 7047km on it and has been driving in Europe as well as here.
It has not however been completely trouble free. First recall was for improperly installed glass- not a huge deal. Secondly it started a slight oil leak. Improperly installed gasket a big engine-out job. Thirdly , after shipping it back for Europe the small amount of fuel in the car separated due to missing the boat and being stuck in cold storage. This needed a clear out of the engine, new spark plugs and some other stuff. Finally the glass is lightweight and the panels behind the B pilar crack if pressed very lightly. The car is getting this panel replaced fro the second time on this visit.
Again,a routine service apart from the glass item, as well as the bluetooth cutting out intermittently.
Next phase will be to put these cars away next week for the season. Later I will have to go to Arizona to recommission the cars there that have entirely different challenges as they live in extreme heat which does a lot of bad things. There is always an unpleasant item or two.
Different-they each have their strengths. As a road car I much prefer the 991 as it is much less compromised , the 997 is my iy manual so fun on back roads but the 992 is really only a track car. Zero luggage space means that any weekend away is a solo trip in the 992.
Of the others the Cayenne is superior in snow but the Pans is wonderful for long distance -driving is around Europe and across the US. Silky smooth and impeccable handling.
Still a little work left now - the replacement glass for the 992 was the wrong part so will be done tomorrow and have to fuel up and put some stabilizer in, then put them in various storage locations.
Not looking forward to recommissioning the cars in AZ as very long storage period . 9 months in temps up to 120f is going to result in some issues with the SL I expect, though the Jeep is a simple thing and is built for it, Going down Dec 9 to sort them out.
Of the others the Cayenne is superior in snow but the Pans is wonderful for long distance -driving is around Europe and across the US. Silky smooth and impeccable handling.
Still a little work left now - the replacement glass for the 992 was the wrong part so will be done tomorrow and have to fuel up and put some stabilizer in, then put them in various storage locations.
Not looking forward to recommissioning the cars in AZ as very long storage period . 9 months in temps up to 120f is going to result in some issues with the SL I expect, though the Jeep is a simple thing and is built for it, Going down Dec 9 to sort them out.
christurbo said:
Great post and lovely collection.
- Are you relocating to Arizona hence why the cars are moving?
- Do you regularly ship your cars to EU, how long does that journey take?
I have a winter place in Arizona (Scottsdale) and keep a couple of car locally, an old SL and a Jeep. Next task in December is recommission those cars for winter. Doubtless there will be something wrong.- Are you relocating to Arizona hence why the cars are moving?
- Do you regularly ship your cars to EU, how long does that journey take?
I have shipped a few cars and the time varies. I like to do door-to-door and it takes 6-8 weeks. The car is picked up on my street in Toronto and delivered to my hotel in Europe.Last one was picked up July 16 and delivered September 10 or so. It can be complicated to you need a shipper who does all of the paperwork, transit insurance,customs clearance etc. No cheap. It is possible to airship fairly easily but really expensive and I am not typically in a hurry.
Pickup on my street:
delivery to my hotel near Munich
It froze here last night so time is getting tight.
I do not have a nice garage and cars are scattered in various places. I keep some parking spaces at my condo downtown ( condo is just for office use), but it has no power.
The 997 its a very simple car with not much in the way of electronics,, so I simply disconnected the battery for the winter and threw a cover on it. It til usually hold a charge until April and if not I can boost it. Just reset the clock and ready to roll.
The 991 is more complex and definitely does not want its battery disconnected, so I put it away today, plugged in the trusty old CTEK, some stabilizer in the fuel tank and filled it up. Generally not a problem in the Spring.
The 992 is yet to some back from service; they had properly ordered the new glass and it arrived in the right box, but was for the wrong side. Hopefully tomorrow will be done. Because of the lithium battery it cannot be allowed to run down and the battery cannot be recharged if its flat. It does to a commercial storage location with score of other cars and it will be properly plugged in and charged. You cannot charges the lithium battery through the cigarette lighter. Must be direct.
The 992 goes North of the city for storage and I am hopefulyl there will be no winter weather as it is just hopeless in the snow. I had it in the Austrian Alps with Cup 2s on it when the weather suddenly turned. It was completely undriveable and I had to get it back to the hotel. Flashers all the way, zero grip and about 20 km/h. Unnerving. With a bit of luck I will get it up there in one piece.
I do not have a nice garage and cars are scattered in various places. I keep some parking spaces at my condo downtown ( condo is just for office use), but it has no power.
The 997 its a very simple car with not much in the way of electronics,, so I simply disconnected the battery for the winter and threw a cover on it. It til usually hold a charge until April and if not I can boost it. Just reset the clock and ready to roll.
The 991 is more complex and definitely does not want its battery disconnected, so I put it away today, plugged in the trusty old CTEK, some stabilizer in the fuel tank and filled it up. Generally not a problem in the Spring.
The 992 is yet to some back from service; they had properly ordered the new glass and it arrived in the right box, but was for the wrong side. Hopefully tomorrow will be done. Because of the lithium battery it cannot be allowed to run down and the battery cannot be recharged if its flat. It does to a commercial storage location with score of other cars and it will be properly plugged in and charged. You cannot charges the lithium battery through the cigarette lighter. Must be direct.
The 992 goes North of the city for storage and I am hopefulyl there will be no winter weather as it is just hopeless in the snow. I had it in the Austrian Alps with Cup 2s on it when the weather suddenly turned. It was completely undriveable and I had to get it back to the hotel. Flashers all the way, zero grip and about 20 km/h. Unnerving. With a bit of luck I will get it up there in one piece.
Really interesting to see how a setup like this works thanks for starting the thread. I have a couple of non car questions to throw in if I may, but it's up to you if you wish to entertain them.
May I ask are you British or...? How are you able to be based in Canada but then live part of the year in the US?
How can you run your business from multiple locations do you have to fly back up a lot?
Great selection of cars, I always had a thing for the green GT3.
I saw someone on Misha channel with a grey 911 like yours shipped over, could that have been you?
Who's signatures are on the cars?
Many thanks
May I ask are you British or...? How are you able to be based in Canada but then live part of the year in the US?
How can you run your business from multiple locations do you have to fly back up a lot?
Great selection of cars, I always had a thing for the green GT3.
I saw someone on Misha channel with a grey 911 like yours shipped over, could that have been you?
Who's signatures are on the cars?
Many thanks
Edited by White-Noise on Sunday 2nd November 18:16
White-Noise said:
Really interesting to see how a setup like this works thanks for starting the thread. I have a couple of non car questions to throw in if I may, but it's up to you if you wish to entertain them.
May I ask are you British or...? How are you able to be based in Canada but then live part of the year in the US?
How can you run your business from multiple locations do you have to fly back up a lot?
Great selection of cars, I always had a thing for the green GT3.
I saw someone on Misha channel with a grey 911 like yours shipped over, could that have been you?
Many thanks
Actually Irish, Canadian citizen; no problem having a place the US as I never stay for more than a month or so at a time. OH is American. Now 77 and retired though I worked till I was 74 doing board of directors stuff sorting out companies that had business challenges, so could work from anywhere and just fly into the location. Yep, lots of air miles.May I ask are you British or...? How are you able to be based in Canada but then live part of the year in the US?
How can you run your business from multiple locations do you have to fly back up a lot?
Great selection of cars, I always had a thing for the green GT3.
I saw someone on Misha channel with a grey 911 like yours shipped over, could that have been you?
Many thanks
Yes, that was I and my son (who lives in Malta) with Misha, great guy and he did stretch my RS properly on the Nürburgring. I did not drive it so hard as he did, but still was able to get it to the point where the aero was effective. I am not very possessive about cars and if someone competent drives one that is fine with me. It just about the experience, not the ownership.
Misha with my car:
Edited by RDMcG on Sunday 2nd November 18:18
White-Noise said:
Thanks for the reply and info.
Who's signatures are on them?
The 997 was signed by Vic Elford and Hurley Haywood, wonderful guys. Sadly Vic has passed away since. He was quite ill when he signed the car.Who's signatures are on them?
The 991 was signed by Dr Wolfgang Porsche at his house in Zell Am See Austria just after I picked it up.
They all have histories.
RDMcG said:
I have a winter place in Arizona (Scottsdale) and keep a couple of car locally, an old SL and a Jeep. Next task in December is recommission those cars for winter. Doubtless there will be something wrong.
I have shipped a few cars and the time varies. I like to do door-to-door and it takes 6-8 weeks. The car is picked up on my street in Toronto and delivered to my hotel in Europe.Last one was picked up July 16 and delivered September 10 or so. It can be complicated to you need a shipper who does all of the paperwork, transit insurance,customs clearance etc. No cheap. It is possible to airship fairly easily but really expensive and I am not typically in a hurry.
Pickup on my street:
delivery to my hotel near Munich
I love how dedicated you are. Fair play sir. I have shipped a few cars and the time varies. I like to do door-to-door and it takes 6-8 weeks. The car is picked up on my street in Toronto and delivered to my hotel in Europe.Last one was picked up July 16 and delivered September 10 or so. It can be complicated to you need a shipper who does all of the paperwork, transit insurance,customs clearance etc. No cheap. It is possible to airship fairly easily but really expensive and I am not typically in a hurry.
Pickup on my street:
delivery to my hotel near Munich
RDMcG said:
The only car that requires no winter prep is the Smart Fortwo diesel, ( bought new Dec 2004). It lives outside since new and just keeps going. There are no parts available since smart withdrew from North America, so at some stage it will have a fatal failure and go off to the scrapper:
.
Another enjoyable update. Care to share the story behind the US stickers?acer12 said:
Another enjoyable update. Care to share the story behind the US stickers?
OH is American and an active Democrat; there are many Americans resident in Canada who have the right to vote, ands she has had leadership positions in the organization that encourages them to vote. It does tend to get attention!............and final drive for the last car. The dealer has one outstanding issue with the 992. The bluetooth cuts out frequently. Known even with the model and fixed in later production cars, but they do not have a fix yet. Since it is going into storage anyway, it can wait. The storage vault has 450 cars in it, lines of Porsches and Ferraris ,McLarens and older cars etc,in an unnamed locations, you name it. I will pick it up in the Spring. Of course , at 77 there is always the possibly I will not
,........
Snow flurries expected by Monday.
,........Snow flurries expected by Monday.
RDMcG said:
OH is American and an active Democrat; there are many Americans resident in Canada who have the right to vote, ands she has had leadership positions in the organization that encourages them to vote. It does tend to get attention!..........
It does stand out on the street of grey and black compact SUVs!Lets hope the snow holds off. I am not ready for it.
gregs656 said:
It does stand out on the street of grey and black compact SUVs!
Lets hope the snow holds off. I am not ready for it.
The problem is that parts are very hard to get here since they withdrew from the market and none to the really small cars are marketed here. The Smart is the best car for parking in a congested city. That's why it has been with us since 2004. Eventually it will die and sadly head for the scrapyard.Lets hope the snow holds off. I am not ready for it.
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