Winter Hibernation

[fxm911]

Most of us would rather carry on driving our cars over the winter months but winter happens and with it comes wet weather, icy roads and most importantly salt and grit. Hibernating your pride and joy may therefore seem like the only safe option till fair weather is back again but leaving a car standing for long periods of time can actually also prove very damaging for it. Here is a little article I have put together with some tips should you choose to store your car over the winter :
https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/registers/classic/911-sc/resources/winter-hibernation-tips

This is in no way a comprehensive article, please feel free to add your own tips on here and it is open to healthy debate should you have different views (please just keep in mind that personal choices and circumstances may force some owners to store their cars over the winter).

 

[geedee]

Franc, many thanks for your Winter Porsche preservation hints and tips, while unfortunately I am no longer the custodian of an air cooled Porsche I do have an old mid 80`s carb fed V8 hiding in a corner of my garage, and while I have been messing about with old cars over decades, I was pleased to find some modern updates to my own thinking on lay-up procedures in your contribution...THANKS.
The fuel issue is one that would seem to be of concern, perhaps even for the owners of modern Porsches...? I am thinking along the lines of the effect of modern bio-fuels possible degradation and which you mention in your list of considerations... My concerns were perhaps more related to tales of separation of components in the chemical make-up of fuel perhaps creating a form of sludge that can gather in the tank with the chance of blocking fuel filters etc when finally fired up after lay-up...?
I note that you mention semi-regular use as opposed to lay-up as being worthwhile, which would also stir up the fuel in the tank to hopefully avoid the possible sludging effect. My old V8 being a light car and SORN`d I tend to grab a rear tyre and give the car a good shake every few weeks to hopefully cause the fuel to be swilled around a bit in the tank.
I also note that you suggest firing the engine up to keep oil circulating which is something I have done over the years too. Living in a rather damp part of the country, I think of valve springs compressed for months on end and open intake vale perhaps allowing slight corrosion build up on the faces of both it and the cyl head, not to mention the bore it exposes to condensation... But that is perhaps thinking too deeply..(-:
Another aspect of semi-regular running on fuel injected engines with two pipe fuel systems may be that the over-pressure return to tank fuel, may also create a degree of disturbance within the tank to inhibit the possible sludge issue..? It seems modern Porsches may have a single pipe system with no return to tank, so assuming sludging might be an issue, running the engine seems to be of no help on that score.
GREAT pic of the Red 911 in the snow..(-:
Just thinking in type and I could have it all wrong.

 

[fxm911]

Thank you for your post. Winter is always a catch 22 as far as I am concerned. Don't want salt and grit on your car to prevent potential corrosion (or the headache of having to then clean it and dry it thoroughly) but need to run it to avoid other issues.
I personally don't really like just running the car ''static'' for too long either as yes it will make the oil and fuel circuits run which is good but I believe that it creates other issues (unwanted condensation for one in certain areas, the fuel tank gauge misting up is a classic example of that - and there are more - and it is actually only when you drive that it clears it away).
So what do you do ???? Lay it up, run it once in a while, drive it ? I guess there is no right or wrong answer, just some steps that can be taken to lessen the worst evils perhaps ...

 

[geedee]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Franc..
Avoiding driving when there is salt on the roads seems well worth while. Catch 22 for sure.
If Winter driving is thought to be best to keep the car alive and salt has been used from time to time, I wait till we get a few days of rain then if/when we get a fair weather break that seems like a reasonable time head out for a run round the block or even a bit further..? (-:
Condensation has ever been a killer corroding cars from the inside out when it gathers in closed box sections in places perhaps such as where the hot air pipework passes through the sills, fortunately SC`s were all Galvanised which was a big advantage over the earlier 911`s.
My SC was exposed to Winter on occasion.. (-: