Bringing a car out of storage?
Discussion
Looking for some advice from the PH collective:
Currently in the household we have 1 car and 1 campervan both in regular daily use. Following a family bereavement I’ve been offered a 2011 Corsa 1.4 petrol to use as a daily and keep some miles off the campervan
I’ve done the maths and factoring in the additional insurance, tax, mot, services etc it’d break even on fuel savings vs costs for using the car to commute and saving the van for trips. That doesn’t factor in the increased residual value on the van with less miles being piled onto it
Commuting is always out of peak hours and an easy trundle down a 70mph road so there’s no congestion charges or DPF issues to consider. The vans got a solar panel on the roof which trickle charges the leisure and engine battery and would get used a minimum of every 3 weeks year round so there’s no concerns over storage issues there.
The question for PH is what would you do to get this car back on the road?
It’s a 2011 corsa bought new by the deceased owner, it’s only covered 11,000 miles it’s 13 years due to health complications etc.
It’s been religiously garaged since day 1 and serviced by main dealer for 5 years, then a mix of me and a local garage for a few years after that. It’s sat in the garage covering about 20 miles a year for a run out before the MOT and no servicing for the last 4 years. No specific preparation was done prior to storage it was just parked up and forgotten about as priorities changed due to health complications.
Tyres are original equipment, plenty of tread and don’t show any signs of UV degradation but will obviously be long past their best.
It’s a chain driven engine so there’s no belt to worry about.
What would you personally do to this car to get it back on the road?
Obviously gold standard would be to replace all the consumables filters and fluids with a set of new tyres or would you just MOT it and drive it?
The other option is to just sell the car but it would be a handy thing to keep as a “spare” to be used by the family as a whole when needed and it has a small amount of sentimental value so keeping it is the preferred choice
Currently in the household we have 1 car and 1 campervan both in regular daily use. Following a family bereavement I’ve been offered a 2011 Corsa 1.4 petrol to use as a daily and keep some miles off the campervan
I’ve done the maths and factoring in the additional insurance, tax, mot, services etc it’d break even on fuel savings vs costs for using the car to commute and saving the van for trips. That doesn’t factor in the increased residual value on the van with less miles being piled onto it
Commuting is always out of peak hours and an easy trundle down a 70mph road so there’s no congestion charges or DPF issues to consider. The vans got a solar panel on the roof which trickle charges the leisure and engine battery and would get used a minimum of every 3 weeks year round so there’s no concerns over storage issues there.
The question for PH is what would you do to get this car back on the road?
It’s a 2011 corsa bought new by the deceased owner, it’s only covered 11,000 miles it’s 13 years due to health complications etc.
It’s been religiously garaged since day 1 and serviced by main dealer for 5 years, then a mix of me and a local garage for a few years after that. It’s sat in the garage covering about 20 miles a year for a run out before the MOT and no servicing for the last 4 years. No specific preparation was done prior to storage it was just parked up and forgotten about as priorities changed due to health complications.
Tyres are original equipment, plenty of tread and don’t show any signs of UV degradation but will obviously be long past their best.
It’s a chain driven engine so there’s no belt to worry about.
What would you personally do to this car to get it back on the road?
Obviously gold standard would be to replace all the consumables filters and fluids with a set of new tyres or would you just MOT it and drive it?
The other option is to just sell the car but it would be a handy thing to keep as a “spare” to be used by the family as a whole when needed and it has a small amount of sentimental value so keeping it is the preferred choice
Check:
1) Tyres: the age of the tyres is a concern. Tyre rubber degrades over time, which can lead to reduced grip and increased risk of failure. Replacing the tyres would be a wise precaution if they are more than 5 years old.
2) Fluids and Filters: Replace all fluids (engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.) and filters. Fluids can degrade or become contaminated over time, even if the car hasn’t been driven much.
3) Battery: Check the battery's condition. Even though it's been receiving a trickle charge, it's worth testing to ensure it holds a charge and functions reliably.
4) Brakes: Inspect the brake system thoroughly, including pads, discs, and fluid. Brakes can seize if a car hasn’t been used for a long period.
1) Tyres: the age of the tyres is a concern. Tyre rubber degrades over time, which can lead to reduced grip and increased risk of failure. Replacing the tyres would be a wise precaution if they are more than 5 years old.
2) Fluids and Filters: Replace all fluids (engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.) and filters. Fluids can degrade or become contaminated over time, even if the car hasn’t been driven much.
3) Battery: Check the battery's condition. Even though it's been receiving a trickle charge, it's worth testing to ensure it holds a charge and functions reliably.
4) Brakes: Inspect the brake system thoroughly, including pads, discs, and fluid. Brakes can seize if a car hasn’t been used for a long period.
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