2nd car to preserve the 'stang?

[xcm77]

It's been a little over 3y since I purchased my Mustang and I've already managed to rack up 60.000km. For the past year or so I was contemplating a 2nd car, a convertible (still undecided between Porsche Boxster 981, Carrera S 991.1, BMW Z4 G29 or something else). There are a few reasons I'm attracted to the idea: 1) it would allow me to use the Mustang less since the convertible would become my DD and the Mustang my weekend/racetrack car, thus reducing the total nr of km I'd rack up on it; 2) my current garage is damp for about 70% of the year and parking it somewhere else would further help preserve it; 3) the convertible will be an automatic so it will be a lot more comfortable to drive in city traffic; 4) I like the idea of just cruising with the top down.

I realize I'm putting the Mustang up on a pedestal and that a car is meant to be driven but still.



Has anyone else had similar thoughts and actually acted on them? If so, what did you learn from the experience? Any regrets? Are convertibles overrated?

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[shogun32]

Simple, 2020+ Mustang. Vert if you must. Parts work on both cars so no duplicated bits.
GTI is cheap and plentiful.

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

Have you dailied a convertible before? Depending on your climate and commute it can be.. not fun.

 

[radar]

My solution

 

[RazzaRossa]

Get a dehumidifier for the garage, put it on a timer and run it for 4 hours a day. 2nd car? I like Mazda MX5's, looks like a little XKE, but dependable, modern.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Well, it wouldn’t make any financial sense to buy a newer low mileage car (which will depreciate faster) to preserve the value on an older car. The mustang isnt a collectable.

I was expecting “truck” or other cheap used beater daily driver, not another new sports car.

 

[Joshinator99]

If you’re going to “preserve” a car and make it a garage queen, you have to start new in my humble opinion. I bought my 2017 Camaro new and it still looks showroom fresh since I daily my ‘21 Expedition. I bought my wife’s 2022 Mustang GT Premium new and since she has another car for winter or inclement weather, the stang looks better today than when it was delivered too. Definitely need a humidity controlled environment too. My setup might be overkill but I can vouch it works lol

 

[Joshinator99]

Get a dehumidifier for the garage, put it on a timer and run it for 4 hours a day. 2nd car? I like Mazda MX5's, looks like a little XKE, but dependable, modern.

Have to leave it on and set to <50% relative humidity for it to do its job correctly IMO. Really should address why the garage is damp to begin with.

 

[TrueBlue22]

Careful what you wish for with a convertible.

Summer during the day with the sun out? Too hot.

Any time the temperature drops below 50F and there’s no sunshine? Too cold.

Threat of rain? Leave it at home.

Winter? Sorry, it’s in storage for 5-6 months.

Springtime pollen? Time to bust out the lint roller to clean the roof.

You have to be really, really committed to the roofless life to make a convertible worth it. If that’s you, there’s nothing better.

Source: me, 14 year original owner of a 2011 GT convertible that was retired from DD duty in 2016 and only managed to get driven 1,100 miles last year. Because I live in Michigan and the weather usually sucks.

 

[tosha]

Buying a 911 to preserve old mustang is a bit unexpected tbh . But I guess such is life in Germany. Bullitt is probably a lot more special car there than yet another beetle.

 

[Crew4991]

Oh come on. Just drive the fucker and enjoy it.

I have not one but two S550 mustang convertibles that I drive in rain, snow, sleet or shine here in Colorado. If you live in a decent climate drive the car.

My spouse and I have some exotic cars that kind of force me to use the mustangs more but I love it. They are my trusty steeds, unlike the other prancing horse in the garage that is a fragile little b*tch. A mustang convertible is certainly a fantastic and practical daily car. Please learn how to drive it responsibly in bad weather though, don’t be an idiot.

 

[Balr14]

I recently sold my 997.2 C2 cabriolet. The 9A1 engine has the potential for bore scoring which is very expensive to fix. It has an open deck design, so the bores are not rigid and there are no cylinder liners. A replacement used engine is about $20k, but the risk is still there. A real fix can cost $40k and take over a year. Although the risk is pretty low, it isn't one I was willing to take. There is a distance limit switch in the PDK, that is also a potential $20 - $25k repair and has somewhat higher risk. Again, not worth it to me.

I like the way the 991 looks a lot better than the 997. But, the 991.1 has the same 9A1 engine. Although some changes to the PDK internal cooling have reduced the potential failure, there is still some risk. So, I started looking for a 2018 991.2 S Cabriolet, which has a 9A2 engine that has closed deck for more rigid cylinders and sprayed liners, so bore scoring should be eliminated. However, prices went nuts and haven't shown any signs of coming back down.

So, I went looking for something else. The Z4 M40i fit my budget, the B58 engine is bullet-proof and the ZF 8 speed auto is as good as the PDK and has a long track record for being reliable and strong. It's stronger performing than my 997.2 (or a 991.1) and handles nearly as well. It's a lot easier to live with, as it doesn't need nearly as much attention and wheels and tires are a lot easier to find.

If I could afford a 991.2 GTS or Turbo Cabriolet, I'd probably have that instead. Otherwise, the Z4 M40i was a great choice.

One more thing that I would have done if I could have afforded it was buy a 991.1 turbo cabriolet. It would have cost the same as a 991.1S cabriolet if I had to pay to fix bore scoring, but would have been worth a lot more in resale. The turbo engine has a closed deck and cylinder liners.

 

[WildHorse]

Get 4-season Mercedes-AMG G63 .

 

[Hack]

I would drive the Mustang while there's still gasoline available. Having said that, I have a Camaro for winter duty. Mostly it's because the Mustang has big holes in the hood and coolers to try to help with track day cooling. So do what I say, not what I do.

Assuming that nothing changes in the ICE world, I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to preserve a car. I always tried my best to preserve my 70 Mustang convertible. And choosing something like a Mustang to preserve is not a bad way to go. Enough are built that you should be able to maintain/repair it for quite a while.

I think if Porsches are a dime a dozen where you are, that would make sense as a daily. I'd have to have a manual in anything I drive a lot, but I'm jealous if you have cheap Porsches available locally.

 

[xcm77]

Have you dailied a convertible before? Depending on your climate and commute it can be.. not fun.

No I haven't but we don't really have snow over here. Mostly rain and maybe 2 weeks of below freezing, maybe...

My solution

Buying a 911 to preserve old mustang is a bit unexpected tbh . But I guess such is life in Germany. Bullitt is probably a lot more special car there than yet another beetle.

It has crossed my mind tbh. Maybe even a convertible echo$hit for DD. It would be nice to have 2 different brands tho.

Get a dehumidifier for the garage, put it on a timer and run it for 4 hours a day. 2nd car? I like Mazda MX5's, looks like a little XKE, but dependable, modern.

A dehumidifier wouldn't work since it's a big ass, 6 floor, private garage.

Well, it wouldn’t make any financial sense to buy a newer low mileage car (which will depreciate faster) to preserve the value on an older car. The mustang isnt a collectable.

I was expecting “truck” or other cheap used beater daily driver, not another new sports car.

I'd absolutely love a truck but I in Europe and it's extremely tricky to drive one around town.

If you’re going to “preserve” a car and make it a garage queen, you have to start new in my humble opinion. I bought my 2017 Camaro new and it still looks showroom fresh since I daily my ‘21 Expedition. I bought my wife’s 2022 Mustang GT Premium new and since she has another car for winter or inclement weather, the stang looks better today than when it was delivered too. Definitely need a humidity controlled environment too. My setup might be overkill but I can vouch it works lol

I'd love to have your setup but there's just no way in hell I can afford an apartment, let alone a house (with a garage). A house and a house with a garage are 2 very different things where I live.

Careful what you wish for with a convertible.

Summer during the day with the sun out? Too hot.

Any time the temperature drops below 50F and there’s no sunshine? Too cold.

Threat of rain? Leave it at home.

Winter? Sorry, it’s in storage for 5-6 months.

Springtime pollen? Time to bust out the lint roller to clean the roof.

You have to be really, really committed to the roofless life to make a convertible worth it. If that’s you, there’s nothing better.

Yeah, this is the part that I still need to figure out. I'll probably rent some cheap ass convertible to try out for a month, see how that lifestyle fits.

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