Air-Cooled 911 in the Height of Summer

We have several cars at home (lol), but since our driveway only fits two, we rent parking spots nearby and near my husband’s office. So, he often says things like, “I want to drive the air-cooled 911 (964C2) this weekend, so I need to swap the cars at home and at the office,” or “I haven’t driven the Boxster lately, so I’ll go to work in the other car and come home in the Boxster.”

Just the other day, he said,

“I swapped the Boxster I had at the office with the 964. I’m not driving the 964 for a while, so I turned off the battery.”

and came home in the Boxster. When I asked, “Why aren’t you driving the air-cooled for a while?,” he replied,

Because I don’t want to drive the 964 in 35-degree heat stuck in traffic. Well, it’s fine if there’s no traffic, but that’s not usually the case on Japanese roads.

That makes sense—air-cooled cars are old, and it seems better not to run them under scorching sun. But I didn’t quite understand why, so I asked, “Why shouldn’t you drive an air-cooled in summer? (Such a newbie question!)”

Because it’s “air-cooled.” In traffic under blazing sun, the airflow can’t cool the engine, so heat builds up inside.

Ah, I see… When I said, “Even Porsches from back then can break down from that kind of thing, huh?,” he said,

No, I think the 964 is pretty reliable, and since it has an oil cooler up front, the oil temperature doesn’t just keep rising… but the engine still takes a hit. I don’t want to put unnecessary stress on the car, so I avoid driving it in summer.

I realized again that air-cooled engines rely on airflow to stay cool. When I added, “Also, air-cooled cars probably don’t have very effective air conditioning in summer, right?,” he said,

The AC works, but it’s okay up to about 31 or 32 degrees. At 35 degrees, I think the AC just can’t keep up.

So I said, “Considering all that, it’s probably best not to drive the air-cooled in summer if you can avoid it,” and he replied,

Suga from WRP, where I bought the 964, also said, “Modern Japanese heatwaves weren’t even imagined when this car was released, so it’s better not to drive it in midsummer if possible. Though I don’t think it will break.”

I see…

Turning Off the 964’s Battery

I thought, “Wow, there’s a lot to consider.” Then I suddenly asked, “Where do you turn off the battery? Is there a switch?”

My 964 came with a battery switch from the 964RS already installed. So I just turn that to cut the battery.

my husband said. By the way, that battery switch is this one.

*Image source: Battery main switch for Porsche 964 and 993

I see—things you don’t usually have to think about with modern water-cooled 911s are important with air-cooled 911s. If I ever mistakenly bought an air-cooled myself, I feel like I’d probably damage the car quickly due to lack of knowledge… (-_-)

It really makes me realize that owning a car requires at least a minimum of correct knowledge these days.