Will 996 suffer from rust issues if stored outside

I am thinking of buying a 2000 996 cab - i see it as a long term purchase weekend car and I am going to pay up for a low mileage base model. My time to drive it will be a bit limited as just had new baby but I drove a friends and I am keen to have a stick shift convertible 2 plus 2 for posterity or at least 10 years. Only problem is that I don�t have indoor storage so it will sit out on my driveway in the New York City suburbs for a long time in all weathers. I would plan to buy a cover for it and avoid driving it in rain or snow. is it dumb to buy a 25 year old car if I don�t have a garage for storage? Are 996 prone to rust in this type of situation. Will a cover help much? thanks

Any 25 year old car, especially a convertible, sitting outside for a decade, covered or not, is not going to respond favorably. I would reconsider. **Edit** And I think rust would be the least of your concerns.

Quotes source posts: 19371602, 19371602, 19371602

IMHO, this is the #1 reason you should NOT purchase a 25 year old Porsche at the moment. Concentrate your time and energy (and funds) with supporting your wife during the adjustment of having a new baby in the family. Then, once things level out, then start looking for a Porsche to enjoy on the weekends. Do you have other children? While these cars are marketed as 2+2 seating, the back seats don't work well for normal sized humans. Once my children reached middle school age, they couldn't fit comfortably in the back seat. 25 year old Porsches especially Cabriolets do not store well outside in the elements for long periods of time. Personally, they need to be stored inside and driven often. If stored outside where water ingress could be a risk, you might wanna think about an alternate solution like putting it in a storage facility that can be accessed relatively easy. You see, the brains at Stuttgart thought it was perfectly fine to put the immobilizer under the seat and when water finds a way inside, it's kills the module making the car impossible to start and costly to repair. Is it dumb? Anytime a car like a Porsche is parked outside, not only are there risks from exposure to weather, but also theft and vandalism. Therefore, not the best solution, but people do it all the time. These cars are not anymore prone to rusting than any other car. Rain and snow is one thing, but driving it on roads with the sand/salt mixture is another... that is what will eat these cars.

Quotes source post: 19371602

I park my beater cab outside with a quality cover. It�s been fine, but that�s because I don�t worry about depreciation due to condition. It�s not going to get water inside with a good cover, but there are other valid concerns. Also it is hard to get specialty insurance without a garage (Hagerty being the exception in my experience). I agree with the other guys, if you want to park it outside it probably should start off being a little rough. If the plan is to have the kids eventually ride in it, trust me, starting off with a less-than-mint car has advantages in terms of your stress level. If you want a cherry example, a garage is a good idea.

I would worry more about mice and vermin eating their way through your wiring than rust...just saying.

I live in NYC and my cars are stored outside from the first salt truck spread in December till snow ends in spring usually February the cars are covered in heavy rain I’ve been doing this for 37 years everything from Alfa gtv to my newest acquisition 997.2 turbo S I’ve had zero rust from this more from faulty paint repair and debris buildup in my drains

These cars are built in Germany and it snows a lot there so take it for what it is

Quotes source post: 19372101

Hagerty required my vehicles to be stored indoors here in PA. Might be location dependent.

Quotes source post: 19372025

Agree 100%. I have kids, 10 and 12, but when I had a new baby, I sold my M5 and got a beater Mini Cooper S instead. I got my 911 after my kids were closer to 3 and 5, which is MUCH easier than having young babies.

Quotes source post: 19372737

I've had Hagerty for going on 20 years and they've always required a garage here too. They stopped asking for any sort of proof years ago though.

I agree with EVOMMM about the made in Germany thing. Plus, I have a 2001 C4 Cab with a hardtop that may be coming up for sale shortly. It's also a shameless selfish plug, I know, but I am trying to convince the wife that 2 911's are better than one.

911's rusted quickly, with humidity alone, until they started zinc coating the bodies around 1976-77 and the fully galvanized with the 911 SC in 1978. After that, rust is far less of a concern. Driving it on salted roads in winter is more likely to have more impact than parking it outside. I agree with the others -- it makes little sense to buy a low mileage car and store it outside. I'd also not do cab for outside parking, but if having a convertible is your primary desire, I guess that's not negotiable. You can apply Salt-Away ( Amazon Amazon ) to the undercarriage with a foam gun, and that will help remove salt and prevent corrosion. I think it's doable to park outside, just don't buy a pristine low-mile car. Instead, get a good car that has been very well maintained. If you don't drive it in snow, I don't think storing it outside will result in rust issues. Use Salt Away underneath, and use car polishes and cab roof protection with sunscreen built in. For the body, using Optimum Spray Wax (ideally on top of something like Opti-Seal or other more permanent sealant) after car washes to give the paint UV protection. Not sure what UV protection exists for tops -- but I'd find it and use it.

You�d more likely have rodent and mold/mildew issues than rust. A good cover can be helpful but does nothing to stop rodents (may even encourage them). I use a �Car Capsule� to store mine in the winter, and it�s been great.

If I was looking for a fun 2+2 to leave outside while also dealing with a new baby I'd go buy a FRS, gt86 etc. Small, fun handling cars and easily molded without hassle of a 25yr old German sports car. Likely safer too if you get the little on in a rear facing car seat.