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LordBretSinclair
Original Poster
2,031 posts
46 months
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From posts on various threads there seem to be a number of classic car PHers who "tuck their cars away for winter". Seems strange to me - I expect a lot of the cars are tax exempt so there's no benefit in taking the car off the road, insurance is relatively cheap for a full year so again little financial gain. I can think of nothing more enjoyable than a crisp cold sunny winters day and a drive (on relatively quiet roads) with the hood down. I suspect it is the worry of inclement weather and maybe salt laden roads but cars can be cleaned and hosed down and they should (IMHO) be used. So perhaps we could have a rough "straw pool" into how many people tuck their cars away and why? 
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mph
1,151 posts
151 months
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LordBretSinclair said: I can think of nothing more enjoyable than a crisp cold sunny winters day and a drive (on relatively quiet roads) with the hood down.  Neither can I but I'm still waiting for one  The problem where I live in the North East is that the roads are seldom dry in the winter months and the salt residues make a mess of the underside of the car.
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Rob Dicky
95 posts
92 months
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All taxed and tested for 12 months for use at any time, helps to lift the winter blues with a nice drive out in the winter sunshine.  Even the X1/9 used on good days if not much salt about. They have been known to disolve in the rain!!!!!!!!!!! 
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AtticusFinch
1,829 posts
52 months
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No point in "tucking away" 1 yr for one reason or another I unintentionaly didn't use my Midget for 4 months. Just drove it into the Garage and drove out the following March with nothing more than lights, levels and tyre checks. No ill effects.
Just keep using.
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Coco H
3,996 posts
106 months
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Mine mostly stay in over the winter. Generally the Jag is a pest on ungritted roads. Besides its a good time to rebuild the engines, faff around with the back axle on the Jag which has always been a problem.
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sunbeam alpine
2,041 posts
57 months
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I don't tuck my classics (Sunbeam Alpine, Alfa Spider, Bertone GTV, proper Mini Cooper) away - they are taxed and insured year-round.
I'll get one out any day the sun's shining. Once they start spreading salt I tend not to get them out, although after the snow has melted I tend to think that the salt will have been washed away, so again, if the sun's shining, I'll take one of the oldies out.
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dartissimus
206 posts
43 months
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Mine's out all the year round, although I'm starting to need a hat in the winter. I still struggle to do my allotted 3000 miles a year
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Alfachick
1,557 posts
66 months
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The Alfa remains taxed, tested and insured for 12 months of the year. She does however go "off the road" between October and March/April. There are a few reasons for this as I will outline below: 1/ 1970's Italian build quality vs salted roads. I know that if you wash the car after it has been for a run on salty roads you will minimise the damage that the salt is likely to do to the car. Unfortunately you can not stop the rusting process totally. So leading on from this I just do not have the money for body work repairs to be carried out to her every 3 years or so. She got bad enough in 3 years with me just using her in the summer! 2/ 1970's brakes and general safety features. I might be able to drive competently in the snow, ice, frost etc (or not see BMW cira winter 2010 oops (was being an idiot)) but I sure as hell do not trust the other drivers on the road. If the worst was to happen and I was in an accident in that car then I would come off much worse. No inertia reel seat belts, no ABS, minimum crumple zone, no roll over protection what so ever and a metal and wood steering wheel certainly focus the mind on how vunerable you are in the car. 3/ Lights. They are s  t, end of. 4/ Money. The car barely manages to make it through one summers limited use (~2-4000 miles) without a major breakdown. I unfortunately do not have a bottomless pit of money to throw at the car for repairs and maintenance. Its nice to get a financial break from her for a few months in the winter and give me a chance to save up for a big job to be done, e.g new hood. That about covers it. I would be interested to see where the people who use their cars all year round live. In an ideal world it would be great to run a classic all year, but it just is not practical where I live, north east Scotland. I want to be able to enjoy my car, she is a toy and I do not intend to trash my best toy buy using her in the winter months. Feel free to judge me, I fully expect the usual "a car is there to be used" brigade to come out. But it is my car not yours and I make my choices about how I use her, and occasionally abuse her based on MY circumstances. Just my 2p worth.  to those who use their classic all year round, you are braver/richer/better at spannering than me.
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Ian Wegg
57 posts
9 months
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I keep mine taxed and insured all year round, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get out on New Year's Day.
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jamieandthemagic
254 posts
61 months
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I tuck mine away.
My house only has a 3/4 covered car port, so it's not ideal for old Italian metal over a damp English winter. So the junior goes into a council lockup from about oct to march. The council garage I rent isn't ideal, with no power. I had to line the ceiling with polythene sheeting to prevent the condensation constantly dripping on the car. I also drilled some extra holes in the base of the garage door and increased the holes in the air bricks at the back of the garage to help increase air flow.
When tucking away for the winter, it gets a decent top up of antifreeze and sub zero in the washer bottle. And an inline battery isolater helps ensure the battery over the winter months. I also pop in the car 3x 1kg bags of silica gel to keep the moisture level inside the car to a minimum.
Can of damp start and a jumper pack is kept down at the garage for those crisp winter days when it does get an occasional winter outing..............road salt free days !
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velocemitch
1,352 posts
89 months
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Ordinarily mine gets used all year round, but I'm making an exception this year and my 2000 GTV going to hide a in friends garage through the worst of the winter, as my garage is full of my 1750 GTV, which is being restored.
It will stay taxed and insured and will probably come out to play when I feel like it.
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wibble cb
612 posts
76 months
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nope....gets as much use as it can all year round... 
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AtticusFinch
1,829 posts
52 months
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wibble cb said: nope....gets as much use as it can all year round...  Lovely photo. Good effort.
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slomax
3,595 posts
61 months
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 NAH!! galvanized chassis, plastic body, skinny tires, just what you need!! It's interesting when the back wheel is in the snow around corners due to tram lines caused by all the 4 wheel cars out there  flying jacket, sheepskin hat, leather gloves, flying goggles and scarf are mandatory.....
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LordBretSinclair
Original Poster
2,031 posts
46 months
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Great reponses guys, perhaps we have better weather than most down here in barmy Deb'n - mind you its been peeing down all day today, better than last February though  
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LewG
106 posts
15 months
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Sadly my '82 Supra has been tucked away for now under various covers in the shed, I only bother buying 6 months tax for her because it's too extortionate! The Landy will still get used but only for various jobs around the farm, on really cold days in a basic Series III it can be truly miserable even with the asthmatic heater giving its best. The military vehicles still get taken out on nice days, bitterly cold but not exactly like they're going to rot away, and with free road tax and no MOT all year round it's easy to keep them on the road.
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RichB
24,232 posts
153 months
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No, the Aston and Healey stay taxed all year and this year for the first time for a few years I taxed the TVR for the winter too... I love those cold, blue winter days with the roof down.
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Monza Phil
134 posts
93 months
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Nope, the old cars need to be enjoyed all year round, mind you, mine all have heaters and windows and roofs so I'm not exactly roughing it.
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slomax
3,595 posts
61 months
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Monza Phil said: Nope, the old cars need to be enjoyed all year round, mind you, mine all have heaters and windows and roofs so I'm not exactly roughing it. none of those mod cons here!! Mine has doors though, which in Lomax terms is Luxury! I have only ever seen 4 others with doors!! 
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Aar0sc
279 posts
26 months
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 That'd be a no, then...!
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