Why not drive your P-car in the rain?

[marksearls]

So I have always wondered why people on this forum say things like "hardly driven in the rain". Am I missing something here as I love driving mine in all weather and I have had an SC, a longhood and now a 964. All have been driven hard and as often as possible.
Thanks!

[MrBonus]

In the great scheme of things, it isn't a big deal however many of our cars are old which means rubber seals are old and likely many haven't been replaced. As a result, water can conceivably get trapped in places you wouldn't want it (like beneath the windshield) leading to corrosion.

Secondly, I don't really enjoy driving sports cars in the rain on public roads anyway.

[GH85Carrera]

For the folks that are really into the car show or concours scene it does make a difference. You will see cars that are driven on pretty days only. The inner fenders are as clean and shiny as the outer fenders. The suspension looks pretty and clean.

My car gets driven cross country every year. I have yet to make a trip and not encountered heavy rain.



I have pictures of my car with cow crap on it from driving through open range roads in Utah. It has driven through snow and sleet in Colorado mountain passes. The car with windshield wipers as a factory standard feature.

For the folks that want to have a garage queen, it is their car. They can not drive it if they want. I prefer to drive my car.

[JT912]

Some of us also have cars with ungalvanized metal, 50 year old undercoating, and potentially leaky seals. I see no reason to accellerate the inevitable. I live in the reasonably rainy PNW and choose to very selectively introduce my car to the rain.

[Scbrindley]

I've driven my Targa in the rain several times....it actually doesn't leak much! The cars always clean up after getting dirty, just takes time.

The real reason I see not to drive them in the rain is safety.

My dad and I frequently drive our newer Porsches in the rain, they are daily drivers. However, I'd still rather be in a larger car when the storms get really bad.....especially in Texas where everybody drives tanks.

Getting blindsided by a massive SUV/Truck in a Porsche, regardless of age, would really suck.

[javadog]

A 911 doesn't brake all that well in conditions that offer low traction; wet roads, sandy roads, down hill grades, etc. It's not a big deal, but it's true. They hydroplane easily, especially the later cars. Tires make a difference but I can remember running as slow as 55mph/90kph on wet autobahns in a brand new 911 fitted with Pirelli P7 tires. The tires I prefer to run now are optimised for warm, dry roads and don't much like cold, wet ones.

Then there is the corrosion issue. Forget the notion of galvanised steel. That just slows the corrosion process down, it doesn't prevent it. Porsche did a lousy job of rustproofing the cars. There are places that haven't even got a decent coat of primer on them, let alone paint or undercoating. Get a 911 wet enough times, whether from rain driving or just washing it and you'll see rust start to form. You don't see it until it gets bad, unless you disassemble the car, but it will be there.

As others have noted, the original rubber seals don't last forever and after a while, the undercoating/stone guard can lose adhesion in places and actuall trap moisture, accelerating corrosion.

There are some other, more obscure issues. I can look at a pedal cluster and tell how often that car got driven in wet conditions. I also suspect that cars that were driven daily in such weather, or were not garaged, suffered from more dilaver stud problems than those that were always dry.

Plus, they get absolutely filthy when used in the rain very often. Some rain is inevitable on trips but I prefer to hop into a quattro if I know it's going to rain and leave the Porsches parked.

JR

[tirwin]

I was talking to some folks the other day and I said I hadn't been driving the 911 much lately because it was raining and afterwards I thought I probably sounded like an idiot. It's not that I won't drive it in the rain, it's that it's just not much fun and I drive the 911 for enjoyment. I don't know what it is about Atlanta, but the minute a little liquid water starts falling, the average driver's IQ drops about 50 points. We drove 45 minutes last night in a good rain to meet my in-laws for a movie and it was just miserable. Saw two accidents on the way there and one on the way back. People follow too closely these days and reaction time is cut way down.

Anyway, for me it's not a garage queen thing as much as it is that I don't want to take chances because there is nothing better than a drive up through the north Georgia twisties on a sunny spring day!

[dfhtrhjn]

^+1 on lack of traction and easy hydroplaning. Also people drive like idiots in the rain. I just checked on some HW statistics in my area; for 2012 it looks like 893 crashes for the HW that I use to get to work.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I don't trust any windshield seal I haven't installed.

[ted]

My least enjoyable drives in my 911 have been in the rain so I avoid it.
Defroster cant keep up, wide tires/light car hydroplane too easy too often.
In the rain I cant experience the 911 grip, brakes or precision steering.
So I take the Passat or an SUV in the rain.

[tirwin]

If anyone finds the defroster setting between OFF and FIRE CLAY POTTERY please let me know!

[sacoffee]

mine is a daily driver and sees plety of aciton in the rain - I've not experienced any handling issues, but then again I invest in good tires. I've also replaced all the seals on the car.

[jeffbottman]

I live in Seattle, and often bet dry on the '30% chance of rain" type days (and lose), thus dousing my car.

My question ... are the late '80s cars generally no trouble with rain, relative to mid-year and prior cars? I understand the earlier cars are a lot more susceptable due to lack of rust-proofing.

[Tidybuoy]

I like to wash my car before driving in the rain so it always looks its best! I also like to practice working on my drifting skills in the rain.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by jeffbottman

... are the late '80s cars generally no trouble with rain, relative to mid-year and prior cars? I understand the earlier cars are a lot more susceptable due to lack of rust-proofing.

Cars built prior to 1976 fare worse, as the older you get, the less galvanizing there was. Prior to the early 70's, there were no galvanised panels at all. They were progressively introduced until, by 1977, all the structure was made from galvanized steel. Plus, the older the car, the older everything is (seals, undercoating, etc.), the more miles it will have accumulated, etc.

Where Porsche screwed up, and this is true of all the impact bumper cars, is they partially assembled the car before painting it. Certain areas, like the inner fender/cowl joint had been put together before the stoneguard, primer and paint was applied. So, there's nothing in that joint, save for some putty. When the painters did apply the undercoats and topcoats, they sprayed the car from a position standing next to it. There are lots of areas that didn't get good coverage at all.

There are lots of plastic "seals" between parts, like the cowl joints, quarter panel to quarter extension joints, etc. where the "seal" doesn't actually prevent water from ingressing but it does keep the joint wet longer.

Then there are all of the areas that trap dirt, which gets wet and stays wet for a long time, thus helping the corrosion process. Look under a fender at the oil lines, A/C lines, filler hose for the windshield washer tank, etc. The look at the oil tank, tail light housings, etc.

In addition to all of this, the aluminum parts and plated fasteners take a beating when exposed to the elements.

It all adds up over time.
JR

[Cajundaddy]

I do drive mine in the rain but... my car is pretty low with wide tires that encourage early liftoff into hydroplane. I live in an area with hills and ravines and it doesn't take much rain to create a lot of fast moving water crossings at intersections. About 3" of water depth will transform my car into a surfboard. It has been carefully developed over the years to make the most of warm, dry days carving the canyons and playing on racetracks. For these reasons I choose my rain days carefully. I don't want to be this guy:

[ClickClickBoom]

The true art of the Porsche is when they are in motion, wet, dry and in between. I want to thank all you guys who only drive my future cars when it's dry and nice. Please be careful with the revs, and do change the oil more frequently. I am gonna enjoy the next one and the one after that!

[ted]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

It has been carefully developed over the years to make the most of warm, dry days carving the canyons and playing on racetracks.

mine too.
If I wanted a P car for the rain it would have all wheel drive.

[Tsunamiboy]

I sold my pickup and bought a 1997 Boxster as my daily driver. Not a collectable car with excellent corrosion resistant construction.

* installed hard top
* rubber floor mats
* falken euro winter tires
* regularly wash with pressure wand at car wash.

NO BIG DEAL

[gearya]

Originally Posted by javadog

A 911 doesn't brake all that well in conditions that offer low traction; wet roads, sandy roads, down hill grades, etc. It's not a big deal, but it's true.

JR

What causes that?