Cabriolet outside in winter?

What is the general consensus of storing a cabriolet outside in winter? We do get snow and sleet here in Maryland and I don't have a garage. Will a cabriolet top hold up winter, or should I expect leaks?

I would cover it.

Using a product like RaggTopp each year will help. Although a few years of the 996 came with hard tops, older & newer cars (about 2005 onward) didn't come with them; same top material as far as I know. No official factory notes about needing to store cabs inside. But, common sense says that you may have to replace the top sooner than someone with a garage. I haven't heard of them leaking because they were left out. I'm not a fan of car covers, outside, in poor weather. I will put a soft cotton cover on my car, if it's clean & it's going to sit in the open sun all day at work. But in off season, covers have done more harm to my cars than good (trap moisture, grind dirt against the paint, etc.). But --a lot of people swear by them. Your choice.

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My first 2 years I didn't have garage. I put a cover on it when I didn't drive it but mainly did so to keep direct sunlight UV from fading the top.

Guy down the street from me has his Boxster S out all winter, and has for years -- looks and works perfectly. No issues whatsoever.

I would invest the $500 for a hard top (if storing outside for the winter). The hardtop overhangs most of the drains. Only problem is you need a place to store a hard top in the summer.

500 for the hard top dream on they are 1500.00 in this part of town..

Why? You can buy a carport for $599-$799. No need to let it rot in the sun. The snow is not the problem, look at the bodies still intact on Everest.

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Guess I got lucky, bought one for $500 with cover and stand. Acutally saw quiet a few listed for $500 or less on Craigslist (where is where I found mine). Cheapest one I've seen so far: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...771192861.html

I bought my matching hardtop for $150 on ebay. Except it cost $400 for s/h.

Try to buy a used hard top (if you have storage for it when you want the top off). A lot of people have them that don't want them. I put mine on in October and take it off in May. I love having the hard top. Although I do not drive the pcar in the snow. I will drive it in the rain and cold weather, I want to keep the road salt off it.

Speaking from experience - my cab has NO hard top, and been through SEVERAL winters sitting outside in an uncovered spot. once a year I treat the top to Raggtop sealant but other than that no maintenance whatsoever and there are absolutely no leaks or extra wear.

There are usually 2-30 hardtops on eBay at any one time. Here is a link for today. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...All-Categories And they don't sell real fast so make an offer. Also, the interior pieces can be dyed if you find matching color paint with a different color interior. My buddy bought one for his car that was ocean blue with savannah beige interior, hd the interior dyed gray and you can't tell it was not always grey. If you live in an area with cold, snow and ice the hardtops are great, quieter, warmer and impervious to the weather. It used to be that many dealers had lots of them sitting around and would sell them cheap. From 1999 until 2001 or 2002 they were standard with Cabs unless you ordered the delete option. Since they made them an option there are fewer at the dealers and they may have gotten rid of all the ones that owners left at the dealers.

I used to keep my Z3 and TT outside during the winter (in Connecticut) and neither was worse for wear because of it. I used to apply Tequipment convertible top protector on them each summer to keep them protected. I don't know if it was the material or my diligence in keeping them clean but they never stained and always looked new. Car covers make me nervous. Have you ever peeled a once wet cover off of a car after it dried in the sun? It's like pulling a band-aid off of skin. I can't imagine that's any better for the paint/top than the rain/snow. Most advertise how they're breathable and water resistant...which just means that, ultimately, they let water through the fabric, seams, etc. I don't which is the lesser of all of the evils. -Eric

Another vote for a hardtop here. They're available insanely cheap, I believe because they were standard for some years and many people don't like to mess with them.

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If the top doesn't leak now it should be ok. I've stored my Boxster outside in all kinds of weather and the top is still water tight and looks reasonably good. I never use any top dressings either. I do keep the top spotlessly clean avoiding exposing the top (car) to tree sap and bird mess and clean the car as soon as possible when I see any on the car. Store the car away from trees/bushes. I saw a Cab that had been stored outside under some trees for just a few *dry* months and the bird mess, leaves/trash that the car had collected made the car look like it spent its time in a nasty old barn. Also, a limb can fall and damage the car. Be concerned about rodents invading the car. I do not know how to prevent this, but you need to know. You want to be sure you select a method that prevent it, not one that makes its unlikely it will happen. The brakes will rust. You might be able to fit some clear heavy plastic sheeting around/over the tires/wheels that keep the wind from blowing water against the rotors and brake hardware. But the rotors will rust anyway, just not as bad as if the plastic wasn't there. When you first drive the car use the brakes lightly to scrub away any rust. Do this as soon as possible. If you have to make a hard stop with rusty brakes this can cause the brakes to develop a pulse afterwards. You really should invest in a high quality outside cover. I have one for my Boxster (Porsche brand cover) and the few times I've had to leave it for a week or more I've covered the car with the cover. Or if you do not want to buy a full size outside car cover, there are companies that make auto tarps. They are partial covers, covering the top, windows side and front and back, keeping the weather and sun off the top. The tarp can have elastic hold downs that keep it in place in high winds. My preference would be a high quality outside car cover though. Sincerely, Macster.

I picked up my hard top several years ago from a fellow R/L member in Atlanta for $100, including a hoist and cover, just had to drive there to get it. Perfect inside and out. Be paitent, the deals are out there.

I would also recommend a hardtop, or cover it, so the dirt cant get into the pores of the top.