Storing a 997 GT3 for winter... - Page 5 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Any tips? Is it really necessary to have it plugged into a CTEK charger even if it will be driven at least once a month over the four months it will be stored? Cheers in advance for the replies

A timely topic. I’ve just laid up my 997.2 GT3RS for Winter. It won’t now be driven now at all until next Spring… I have overinflated the tyres (to approximately 45psi) and will move the car a couple of feet backwards and forwards every three weeks or so to prevent ‘flat spots’ on the tyres – handbrake off and wheels chocked, gears in neutral. I have connected the car to a battery conditioner (via the cigarette lighter) and left the petrol tank near empty (to be topped up with fresh fuel before I take it out of hibernation). I don’t intend to run the car at all - as I was led to believe static running of the engine does the car no good – and the car is now under a couple of dust sheets in a de-humidified garage. Have I missed anything? Anyone want to offer any additional advice or tips?

Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really...

People will debate the pros and cons of various storage activities, but a battery charger is a must and way cheaper thsn a new battery.

Slickhillsy said: Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really... OK I’ll bite – you are on a roll what with this and all your other ‘helpful’ advice. Here’s another CRAZY idea – I do what I wish to with my car when I want to... What makes the car so special to me is the fact it’s not used all the time. I don’t mind driving it in the wet – as you say this presents its' own challenges – but I’m not a particular fan of cold temperatures in the wet (or salted and potholed roads).

If the garage is safe, you could leave the trunk open, so that if the battery fails (can happen even with drip charger), you have access...

I never put any sports car I owned in hibernation but living in Italy (albeit the quite cold and sometimes snowy Turin) things are a bit different, in every season you don't have to wait several days before a sunny and dry day shows up and when it happens I usually take it out for a drive...

RAPID66 said: If the garage is safe, you could leave the trunk open, so that if the battery fails (can happen even with drip charger), you have access... Isn't it easier to lock it up and use a jump starter if it goes flat?

Have done the same with mine. Into an air chamber, ctek on and brimmed the tank with some POR15 fuel preserver.

TheDeadPrussian said: Slickhillsy said: Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really... OK I’ll bite – you are on a roll what with this and all your other ‘helpful’ advice. Here’s another CRAZY idea – I do what I wish to with my car when I want to... What makes the car so special to me is the fact it’s not used all the time. I don’t mind driving it in the wet – as you say this presents its' own challenges – but I’m not a particular fan of cold temperatures in the wet (or salted and potholed roads). Didn't need to bite Mark - was just an another option being suggested. Glad to see my good advice is helping others

Alpinestars said: Isn't it easier to lock it up and use a jump starter if it goes flat? It's just that it can be a hassle trying to open doors trunk when battery flat... Edited by RAPID66 on Tuesday 22 October 16:07 Edited by RAPID66 on Tuesday 22 October 16:07

I'd put it on trickle charge. You'll likely find that a few weeks non-use combined with colder temps will soon duff the battery.

maximtaylor said: I'd put it on trickle charge. You'll likely find that a few weeks non-use combined with colder temps will soon duff the battery. Yes especially if its a Porsche moll battery, they dont seem to need much of an excuse to go down, and never charge up again afterwards, they seem to just last to the end of the two year warranty, then your on borrowed time!

maximtaylor said: I'd put it on trickle charge. You'll likely find that a few weeks non-use combined with colder temps will soon duff the battery. Yes especially if its a Porsche moll battery, they dont seem to need much of an excuse to go down, and never charge up again afterwards, they seem to just last to the end of the two year warranty, then your on borrowed time!

Normal to store with a full tank and stabiliser to avoid condensation in tank. But a few months in a newish car shouldn't make a dfference either way.

[/quote]Is it really necessary to have it plugged into a CTEK charger even if it will be driven at least once a month over the four months it will be stored? Cheers in advance for the replies [/quote] Hello Kul Definitely a CTEK charger, just saves the bother of complicated jump starting via the fuse box, and then recharging of battery. Don't do it myself, but if not driven at all for 4-5 months, full tank and fuel conditioner would be a good idea, but best is as you say try to get out on a dry road every few weeks, to avoid putting away wet. Then if you can, dehumidifier in garage, one that works at minus degrees though, many don't. Keep it clean and well polished. well it's something to do waiting for spring. ... and do all the little jobs you've been promising to do but haven't had time to, due to blasting around Europe, Wales etc. Must admit to around 9000 this year in the RS umm... maybe it will start to slow down a bit now.

V8KSN said: Any tips? Save yourself a whole lot of worry and effort and let me store it for you in my garage. Come spring, it will be all ready to rock for you.

RAPID66 said: If the garage is safe, you could leave the trunk open, so that if the battery fails (can happen even with drip charger), you have access... Trunk?? Is that the same as the boot? If so and you do, do this, remember to take the light buld out.

TheDeadPrussian said: A timely topic. I’ve just laid up my 997.2 GT3RS for Winter. It won’t now be driven now at all until next Spring… I have overinflated the tyres (to approximately 45psi) and will move the car a couple of feet backwards and forwards every three weeks or so to prevent ‘flat spots’ on the tyres – handbrake off and wheels chocked, gears in neutral. I have connected the car to a battery conditioner (via the cigarette lighter) and left the petrol tank near empty (to be topped up with fresh fuel before I take it out of hibernation). I don’t intend to run the car at all - as I was led to believe static running of the engine does the car no good – and the car is now under a couple of dust sheets in a de-humidified garage. Have I missed anything? Anyone want to offer any additional advice or tips? I leave the tank full with a bit of stabilizer and use foam tire cradles ..never move or start the car at all. Have done this with many cars, no problems.

tonto1 said: Trunk?? Is that the same as the boot? If so and you do, do this, remember to take the light buld out. It goes off after a while on its own I think. When I put the charger on mine, I leave the boot open a little. The lights are on inside but come back a few hours later and its all spooky dark in there...

I would stick it in a Carcoon, rather than under covers, as the covers can scratch the paint. Carcoons also come with a battery trickle charger.

I've read mixed reviews of carcoons. Anyone have qualified good/bad experiences of them? I'm not convinced they can offer any real prevention of condensation / humidity issues as they're not 100% isolated. I could be wrong though.

A friend uses one , he says if he leaves the car in the garage the discs get a light rust coating , this does not happen in the tent.

There is a bit somewhere in the door rubber to allow you to have a wire going into the cabin while it is closed and locked if you are connecting a conditioner via the lighter socket. You will need a battery conditioner to lay it up - the Moll Kamina will likely not make it to 3 weeks before being flat (even if new) and good grief those things are overpriced. As to people advising to drive it. Mine has always been used through winter to a limited extent, but being on cups it isn't a lot of fun when the temperature gets really cold (it isn't just snow and ice that we are talking about - they are pretty terrible when it is simply really cold). You could of course fit winters, but you then have to have another set of wheels just for those (the widest winters are not wide enough to be a correct fit for the 12j rears) so Supersports or Corsas (yes - for the first time in a while there are actually consistent supplies of them in the market at the moment) are probably what you'll want to put on it. I just use the other car when the weather gets silly though, so the GT3 often goes weeks at a time unused in winter. Which is why this thread does actually make sense. If you SORN it for 3 months you even save over a hundred quid on tax too.....

arcamalpha said: I've read mixed reviews of carcoons. Anyone have qualified good/bad experiences of them? I'm not convinced they can offer any real prevention of condensation / humidity issues as they're not 100% isolated. I could be wrong though. My father has 4 Caroons and a couple of Carcapsules. They really are excellent, the best storage system out there by far.

RAPID66 said: It's just that it can be a hassle trying to open doors trunk when battery flat... Edited by RAPID66 on Tuesday 22 October 16:07 Edited by RAPID66 on Tuesday 22 October 16:07 Surely it's better locking the car. The extra "hassle" if the battery does go flat is as simple as plugging a jump onto the fuse in the driver footwell. Given you'd have to jump the car anyway, I'd far rather lock up and face 30 seconds of additional inconvenience.

Waitforme said: A friend uses one , he says if he leaves the car in the garage the discs get a light rust coating , this does not happen in the tent. NBTBRV8 said: My father has 4 Caroons and a couple of Carcapsules. They really are excellent, the best storage system out there by far. Cheers both.

Hi guys, thanks for all your replies So it seems like the CTEK charger is a must to avoid a flat battery, I'll get one ordered. I am not planning on leaving the car in the garage untouched for months so I don't think a solution like a carcoon would work for me. The car will be in the garage when the weather is grim and there is snow on the road so I will plug it into the charger and over inflate the tyres and just make sure I take it out occasionally (probably any chance I get when the roads are dry) and make sure it's dry before parking up again. Hi Andy Hope you are well buddy, what are you thinking tour wise next year? Alpine or Norway?

I was told that the rear main seal partly works through a vacuum, and that if you leave the car standing for a long period of time the vacuum slowly dissipates. You would therefore be more likely to develop an oil leak. So I have a self imposed rule that I have to drive the car at least once a fortnight in winter, no matter what the weather or roads are like!

IainF said: I was told that the rear main seal partly works through a vacuum, and that if you leave the car standing for a long period of time the vacuum slowly dissipates...........so I have a self imposed rule that I have to drive the car at least once a fortnight in winter, no matter what the weather or roads are like! Sounds like a great excuse

I wont be storring my during the winter. Obviousley wont be driving in the snow, but we get some lovely bright sunny days in the winter

I have a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and use it sparingly (obviously) but Im not a great fan of leaving in untouched for the winter months. I leave it in a heated garage under cover with a dehumidifier running and connected to a CTEK charger. On a good sunny day - even in winter (but without any traces of salt on the road) I take it out on a 1 hour+ drive. With a big grin on my face I put it back in the garage until the next sunny day. Edited by hornbaek on Sunday 27th October 06:50

V8KSN said: Hi guys, thanks for all your replies So it seems like the CTEK charger is a must to avoid a flat battery, I'll get one ordered. I am not planning on leaving the car in the garage untouched for months so I don't think a solution like a carcoon would work for me. The car will be in the garage when the weather is grim and there is snow on the road so I will plug it into the charger and over inflate the tyres and just make sure I take it out occasionally (probably any chance I get when the roads are dry) and make sure it's dry before parking up again. Hi Andy Hope you are well buddy, what are you thinking tour wise next year? Alpine or Norway? If you have room get a Carcoon Veloce which has the frame inside. So you drive it in and zip it up. Takes about 1 minute. It also comes with its own battery charger. It also protects your car from people rubbing up the side of it and scratching it inadvertently. https://www.carcoon.com/carcoon-indoor-veloce Edited by NBTBRV8 on Sunday 27th October 08:02

hornbaek said: I have a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and use it sparingly (obviously) but Im not a great fan of leaving in untouched for the winter months. I leave it in a heated garage under cover with a dehumidifier running and connected to a CTEK charger. On a good sunny day - even in winter (but without any traces of salt on the road) I take it out on a 1 hour+ drive. With a big grin on my face I put it back in the garage until the next sunny day. Edited by hornbaek on Sunday 27th October 06:50 Yeah I can't imagine my car will stay stationary any longer than 2 or 3 weeks at a time but if for any reason I can't drive it and it has to stay parked for longer then the CTEK makes sense. I am not sure what I would do if I had a 4.0 RS. On the one hand I would want to drive it at any and every opportunity but at the same time I would want to be like you and store it away and not put too many miles on it. Still, it's a dilemma I would love to have

mollytherocker said: Not bad i suupose.

hornbaek said: I have a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and use it sparingly (obviously) but Im not a great fan of leaving in untouched for the winter months. I leave it in a heated garage under cover with a dehumidifier running and connected to a CTEK charger. On a good sunny day - even in winter (but without any traces of salt on the road) I take it out on a 1 hour+ drive. With a big grin on my face I put it back in the garage until the next sunny day. Edited by hornbaek on Sunday 27th October 06:50 Not bad i suppose. Edited by mollytherocker on Sunday 27th October 10:52

hornbaek said: I have a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and use it sparingly (obviously) but Im not a great fan of leaving in untouched for the winter months. I leave it in a heated garage under cover with a dehumidifier running and connected to a CTEK charger. On a good sunny day - even in winter (but without any traces of salt on the road) I take it out on a 1 hour+ drive. With a big grin on my face I put it back in the garage until the next sunny day. Edited by hornbaek on Sunday 27th October 06:50 Lovely, cars and garage. Rich but not rich enough eh? If I was rich as opposed to well off I would not hesitate to rack up the miles on a RS 4.0. It is like having a beautiful wife and not taking her out. Mind you I suppose it could all be on the 'never never'. Incidentally letting a battery completely discharge a couple of times will ruin it and mean you will have to buy another. Maintenance charger or disconnect. Simple. Pip

Wash & wax before you stow it. Take it out for a quick blast to take it up to working temp & brake hard a few times to get some heat into the brakes to cook off any moisture in the disks & calipers. Garage it with tyre pressures up a bit to avoid flat spotting. Look up the Airchambers, I'm sure they are cheaper than Carcoon & defo don't cause condensation. battery hooked up to a Ctek or Optimate battery conditioner. Failing that, disconnect the battery. Not sure about the GT3, but most have a connection in the fuse box to allow a 12v connection in order to open the bonnet in the event of a dead battery. (Surprising how few people, especially owners actually know about this)

Pip1968 said: Lovely, cars and garage. Rich but not rich enough eh? If I was rich as opposed to well off I would not hesitate to rack up the miles on a RS 4.0. It is like having a beautiful wife and not taking her out. Mind you I suppose it could all be on the 'never never'. Incidentally letting a battery completely discharge a couple of times will ruin it and mean you will have to buy another. Maintenance charger or disconnect. Simple. Pip Don't really get the connection between level of wealth and racking up mileage in a RS 4.0 or any other desirable car for that matter. Its rather like "horses for courses" as you wouldn't take a track focussed car on your daily supermarket run or winter commute.

Pip1968 said: Lovely, cars and garage. Rich but not rich enough eh? If I was rich as opposed to well off I would not hesitate to rack up the miles on a RS 4.0. It is like having a beautiful wife and not taking her out. Mind you I suppose it could all be on the 'never never'. Pip What a strange and odd thing to say.

hornbaek said: Don't really get the connection between level of wealth and racking up mileage in a RS 4.0 or any other desirable car for that matter. Its rather like "horses for courses" as you wouldn't take a track focussed car on your daily supermarket run or winter commute. The comment was made because these cars are mileage sensitive ie depreciate with high miles. If I were rich, depreciation would not worry me and I assume most people who were rich. So do you only keep the car for track (occasional sunny drives aside as posted)? Track focussed it may be but it is still a fairly practical road going car ie you can get two people in it and the shopping and drive it (more)comfortably in the rain unlike a Caterham or such like. I do not really understand why you would buy such a fantastic car and not use it "use it sparingly (obviously)" - ????? I suppose it was use of the word "obviously". Pip

Depreciation and hence mileage sensitivity is only an issue if you intend to sell it at some point. Obviously referred to the fact that we are approaching winter and especially during winter a GT3 RS on its cup tyres is not a great companion on greasy cold salty roads. On the odd sunny day you can take it but if it is merely to cover a distance from A to B I have other alternatives that do a better job. The cabin is very noisy, the bucket seats are supportive but uncomfortable during longer journeys, rearward vision is next to zero, the clutch is heavy and 1st to 2nd gear when cold is quite botchy. Everything else is pure delight. The 4.0 is a fantastic machine but you need to apply all your senses in order to enjoy it fully - and then nothing else beats it.

Pip1968 said: Lovely, cars and garage. Rich but not rich enough eh? If I was rich as opposed to well off I would not hesitate to rack up the miles on a RS 4.0. It is like having a beautiful wife and not taking her out. Mind you I suppose it could all be on the 'never never'. Incidentally letting a battery completely discharge a couple of times will ruin it and mean you will have to buy another. Maintenance charger or disconnect. Simple. Pip What a nasty comment.

Maxio said: What a nasty comment. Certainly a strange comment, not sure it was meant to be nasty though?

Maxio said: What a nasty comment. Not meant to be nasty at all. Stop being such a metrosexual. And as if Hornbaek gives two hoots what someone he has never met thinks. It was just related to the fact that I thought Hornbaek was not using his RS 4.0 as he was worried about depreciation. Opportunity cost is different for everyone according to their means. I suggest that if you are super rich you would not be worried about a car depreciating. On top of that it is always a great shame when a beautiful and rare car is not used. I am not a big fan of those that just get pleasure from ownership as opposed to use. I am sure/hope that Hornbaek is not one of those. He has two beautiful cars and I hope that he drives them often (as in frequently not one who has lost his parents) and regularly. Pip

I plan on taking my GT3 to the supermarket tomorrow. I'll also use the 991 GT3 for the odd winter commute when it arrives. Horses for courses, but to me they are there to be driven. The more the better. I'd rather have driven the most miles than be the guy who has done the least....but I appreciate others are different and there are lots of factors.

pistolp said: I plan on taking my GT3 to the supermarket tomorrow. I'll also use the 991 GT3 for the odd winter commute when it arrives. Horses for courses, but to me they are there to be driven. The more the better. I'd rather have driven the most miles than be the guy who has done the least....but I appreciate others are different and there are lots of factors. I would dearly love to drive it every day and for the past few months I have been (even commuting to work in traffic) but I have come to realise that driving it in stop start traffic and on motorways is a very boring way of putting mileage and wear on tear on the car. Instead, I have decided to store it over the colder months (taking it out occasionally when the weather permits) then bringing it out in the spring and summer for European trips and weekends away. It's taken me many many years of saving to buy this car, I wish to enjoy driving it and to keep those occasions special for many years to come.

I completely respect that. In no way was my post supposed to be taken as incendiary! You sound to me like the perfect balance of someone that loves their car fully but respects the financial implications of ownership too. A happy motorist is to be celebrated. I've got a 330d for motorways, no way would I use a 997 GT3 for that. Not only does the clutch sometimes hurt my back but you just can't beat a motorised automatic sofa for those long drives

Pip, don't you worry about the GT3 RS 4.0 not being used.

Excellent I can sleep soundly at night at last . Now I am just sorry that I will never own one. Keep the British(German)end up. Pip

hornbaek said: I have a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and use it sparingly (obviously) but Im not a great fan of leaving in untouched for the winter months. I leave it in a heated garage under cover with a dehumidifier running and connected to a CTEK charger. On a good sunny day - even in winter (but without any traces of salt on the road) I take it out on a 1 hour+ drive. With a big grin on my face I put it back in the garage until the next sunny day. Edited by hornbaek on Sunday 27th October 06:50 Great cars Hornbaek.

arcamalpha said: I've read mixed reviews of carcoons. Anyone have qualified good/bad experiences of them? I'm not convinced they can offer any real prevention of condensation / humidity issues as they're not 100% isolated. I could be wrong though. The science behind Carcoon/Airchamber is irrefutable. Before I bought Airchambers I occasionally noticed light condensation on my cars, and a slightly damp 'feel' inside them. Furthermore a few surface rust areas appeared. Since the Airchambers installed all of the previously mentioned issues have gone.

roygarth said: The science behind Carcoon/Airchamber is irrefutable. Before I bought Airchambers I occasionally noticed light condensation on my cars, and a slightly damp 'feel' inside them. Furthermore a few surface rust areas appeared. Since the Airchambers installed all of the previously mentioned issues have gone. Humidity is the same inside a Carcoon as out and you can occasionally get condensation inside them depending on conditions. I used a dehumidifier in mine to keep my 2.2s in perfect nick. And yes I did drive it in the rain

hornbaek said: Pip, don't you worry about the GT3 RS 4.0 not being used. Looks like a game of my spoiler is bigger than yours

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced dehumidifier

GRBF430F1 said: Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced dehumidifier I have one of these in my garage. Its keeps the relative humidity around 50% on low setting no problem. http://www.dehumidifiersuk.com/p/5052426/meaco-dd8...

I use these one's in my garages - work a treat. http://www.dehumidifiersuk.com/p/1202023/eco-air-d...

Thanks guys. Does the garage need to be sealed tight for the humidifier to work or is best to still have ventilation. I have 2 electric up and over doors and there is probably a 1cm gap between the doors and frames and the floor. Despite having a freezer in the garage it doesn't particularly suffer with damp or condensation but for a couple of hundred quid and negligible running cost I rather protect the £200k of cars inside

Meaco above is excellent machine. Avoid condenser types as they are inefficient at low temps - go for dessicant type. The better sealed the garage the better. 55% is ideal if your car has leather upholstery. Once you have used one you will never go back.

drmark said: Meaco above is excellent machine. Avoid condenser types as they are inefficient at low temps - go for dessicant type. The better sealed the garage the better. 55% is ideal if your car has leather upholstery. Once you have used one you will never go back. Totally - go for dessicant and make sure you use the hose so the thing doesn't switch itself off all the time...

drmark said: roygarth said: The science behind Carcoon/Airchamber is irrefutable. Before I bought Airchambers I occasionally noticed light condensation on my cars, and a slightly damp 'feel' inside them. Furthermore a few surface rust areas appeared. Since the Airchambers installed all of the previously mentioned issues have gone. Humidity is the same inside a Carcoon as out and you can occasionally get condensation inside them depending on conditions. I used a dehumidifier in mine to keep my 2.2s in perfect nick. And yes I did drive it in the rain Condensation is caused by rapid temperature change - hence you get more of it on your pint glass of lager in Magaluf than in Manchester - cold glass hits warm air etc. If a rapid temperature change occurs in your garage (usually only caused by opening garage door) you will get condensation on your car whether or not it is in an Airchamber. But the flow of air caused by the 2 fans inside the Aichamber will rapidly evaporate the condensation. That's been my experience and therefore I have not bought a dehumidifier.

If I get one of my house radiators plumbed into the garage and the doors replaced with a sealed (or better sealed than the up and over!) would a heated garage be as good as a carcoon? Stevie

[quote=hornbaek]Pip, don't you worry about the GT3 RS 4.0 not being used. [/quote That cup nice...that was in fearsport ..??

Slickhillsy said: Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really... No, this is the most sensible thing to do. Put the car on winters and drive it every day

Steviebeee said: If I get one of my house radiators plumbed into the garage and the doors replaced with a sealed (or better sealed than the up and over!) would a heated garage be as good as a carcoon? Stevie Forget the radiator - spend the money on a dessicant dehumidifier. Low humidity is much better for your car than warm humid conditions.

drmark said: Steviebeee said: If I get one of my house radiators plumbed into the garage and the doors replaced with a sealed (or better sealed than the up and over!) would a heated garage be as good as a carcoon? Stevie Forget the radiator - spend the money on a dessicant dehumidifier. Low humidity is much better for your car than warm humid conditions. But how airtight must a garage be for a DD to be able to cope? Surely just because the DD is filling up with water it doesn't mean it is taking all the humidity out of the garage? How can you tell?

Dr S said: Slickhillsy said: Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really... No, this is the most sensible thing to do. Put the car on winters and drive it every day +1

steve singh said: Dr S said: Slickhillsy said: Or... Here's a CRAZY idea... Please bear with me... You could just drive it! Take it out, it gets wet (ok maybe not if the dreaded salt Grinch has been out to play) - you clean it. That way you get to do more than 200 miles a year in the car and enjoy it in all conditions. I actually enjoy driving mine in the rain as it presents it's own challenges / experience. Simples really... No, this is the most sensible thing to do. Put the car on winters and drive it every day +1 I drive the car in rain all the time, it's just when the roads are a little frosty and icy I leave it in the garage. Like I stated above, driving it everyday in stop start traffic and on motorways is a very boring way of putting mileage and wear on tear on the car. It's taken me many many years of saving to buy this car, I wish to enjoy driving it and to keep those occasions special for many years to come! Gratuitous pic

V8KSN said: I drive the car in rain all the time, it's just when the roads are a little frosty and icy I leave it in the garage. Like I stated above, driving it everyday in stop start traffic and on motorways is a very boring way of putting mileage and wear on tear on the car. It's taken me many many years of saving to buy this car, I wish to enjoy driving it and to keep those occasions special for many years to come! Gratuitous pic Gorgeous fella. Truly mega.

mollytherocker said: V8KSN said: I drive the car in rain all the time, it's just when the roads are a little frosty and icy I leave it in the garage. Like I stated above, driving it everyday in stop start traffic and on motorways is a very boring way of putting mileage and wear on tear on the car. It's taken me many many years of saving to buy this car, I wish to enjoy driving it and to keep those occasions special for many years to come! Gratuitous pic Gorgeous fella. Truly mega. Cheers Molly

I'm with V8 on this one about driving in bad conditions over the winter. I'm doin a half way between the two approach. I have a CTEK 5.0 on order, and as weather looking good for this weekend, I will be out in the car. Then the CTEK will go on until the next good weekend when it will be out again. In between it will be cleaned, dry and covered in my Dads garage. I do think, that a good 100mile blast every couple weeks (if weather permits) is a good idea, and the turbos love the cold air!

Just received my Meaco dehumidifier yesterday and am very impressed so thanks for the recommendations. It came with a free mini weather station. Turned it on at 8pm with the weather station showing 68% relative humidity. By the morning it was at 50% and the tray was half full of water :-) Now just need to get a longer hose to drain the water outside.

arcamalpha said: Now just need to get a longer hose to drain the water outside. B&Q sell differing gauges of silicon hose very cheaply – just attach to the existing hose. Buy the length you need and then route to a drain outside. You might also want to insulate it to stop freezing in cold temperatures – standard slip-on pipe lagging works well. This is exactly the route I took and it has worked really well for two winters – no more emptying trays or buckets of water daily…

My GT3 goes in to the garage every winter and the only things I do are: 1. Battery float charger so it doesnt go flat, 2. De-humidifer on, 3. Cover on to stop it getting dusty. It always starts first time come spring time and I have never had an issue with wheels getting flat spots or fuel degredation in the last 4 years of following this approach. GT porsche's dont get the underbody rust protection of the standard cars, its a part of the weight saving measures. In discussions with my local specialist it appears many fairly young cars suffer with corrosion. Its not really the wet that does it but the salt that gets sprayed all over the roads. So its OK for someone to post "drive it all year" - but the GT3/RS doesnt have the corrosion protection for winter driving in the UK.

F40GT346 said: GT porsche's dont get the underbody rust protection of the standard cars, its a part of the weight saving measures. In discussions with my local specialist it appears many fairly young cars suffer with corrosion. Its not really the wet that does it but the salt that gets sprayed all over the roads. So its OK for someone to post "drive it all year" - but the GT3/RS doesnt have the corrosion protection for winter driving in the UK. but the whole underbody (except for the engine) is covered in plastic anyway ..

The older ones less so, though, I think! http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-gt2-gt3-... SFO said: but the whole underbody (except for the engine) is covered in plastic anyway ..

SFO said: but the whole underbody (except for the engine) is covered in plastic anyway .. No they're not.

Guys, which Cetek for a 7.2 RS? Too many to choose from on their website... Thanks PF

Fitted my winter wheels and tyres a few weeks ago, what a difference they make in heavy rain, last year i was tip toeing around in the rain with the cup tyres,the day they were fitted it started to rain very heavy on the motorway, on the cups i would be doing 40 mph in the inside lane clentching my butt cheeks, this time i was in the outside lane with the biggest rooster tal of spray coming out the back. All clean and ready for the snow......

PorkaFly said: Guys, which Cetek for a 7.2 RS? Too many to choose from on their website... Thanks PF Msx 3.8 upwards would work.

Having read this thread ive ordered a dehumidifier, what is the perfect humidity? Can you go too low? Cheers

Alpinestars said: PorkaFly said: Guys, which Cetek for a 7.2 RS? Too many to choose from on their website... Thanks PF Msx 3.8 upwards would work. Thanks mate...saw your old Aqua/Red RS the other weekend...Roobyio keeps it looking good! PF

Drillrep said: Fitted my winter wheels and tyres a few weeks ago, what a difference they make in heavy rain, last year i was tip toeing around in the rain with the cup tyres,the day they were fitted it started to rain very heavy on the motorway, on the cups i would be doing 40 mph in the inside lane clentching my butt cheeks, this time i was in the outside lane with the biggest rooster tal of spray coming out the back. All clean and ready for the snow...... Inspiration. Me thinks I be heading in the same direction. Sod this hibernating [email removed] GT3 RS will be wearing winters.

Just given mine a little clean and tucked away on trickle charge under the cover, though if we have a nice bright dry day over the festive period I will get her out for a nice little blast around the back roads. Edited by pete a on Wednesday 18th December 18:16 Edited by pete a on Wednesday 18th December 18:16

Drool drool drool... That red one is gorgeous.. you lucky man.

benny 61 said: Having read this thread ive ordered a dehumidifier, what is the perfect humidity? Can you go too low? Cheers No idea for a car but I wouldn't recommend going below 45RH for the sake of your garage, the building fabric will become too dry internally and will cause any timber to shrink. You may well create leaks and defeat what you're trying to achieve.

What polish are you using Pete pete a said: Just given mine a little clean and tucked away on trickle charge under the cover, though if we have a nice bright dry day over the festive period I will get her out for a nice little blast around the back roads. Edited by pete a on Wednesday 18th December 18:16 Edited by pete a on Wednesday 18th December 18:16