Do you tuck yours away??

Author
Discussion

joesnow

1,533 posts

226 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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I try to avoid frost and salt, but feel that life's too short not to enjoy the car in the wet. Its already got a few under paint bubbles showing, so attention isn't too far away.
I garage my 105 Alfa in a well ventilated garage at my folks house when its not in use - it always starts whatever time of year - well once the engine has pumped fuel from the tank again!

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Good weather and the urge to go for a drive can happen all year round, why deny yourself the pleasure by taking your classic off the road for half the year?

griffter

3,981 posts

254 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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In favour of tucking away, it's the time of year to get the big jobs done, and these days I have to do them in dribs and drabs. It's not unknown for it to take all winter for me to do the 'annual detail'!
Dare I admit it, there's something rather relaxing about knowing I can't use the car even if I want to. Instead of trying to 'create' opportunities, I seem to spend more time with the family in the winter...
Having said that, this year I have taxed it for 12 months because I agree - an early run on a cold, clear morning is hard to beat (while the family are still in bed).

waxaholic

374 posts

198 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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After a few years of being tucked away, the car is staying on the road just for the early morning drives, like the one i had this morning.


woodytype S

691 posts

236 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Mine has been known to come out in the winter months,but not to offten in the last 20 years.Last year I rebult the engine/gearbox/fornt suspention,took and easy 5mths.This year its already tucked away with a nice new car cover.
PS a 1961 Mk2 MGA

vpr

3,701 posts

237 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Not a chance that I'll use a classic in the salt....too much damage.

I used a car last year in the dry but salt dust covered roads only to discover that the ally nose cone had erupted under the paint.

I love to see classics covered in road dirt etc but I just couldn't bring myself to do it

Sad I know and when I'm on my death bed I know I'd have wished I had enjoyed them more

mikey77

707 posts

187 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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The Jaguar goes out all year round - but in this remote part of France they only salt the autoroute and a few other major roads.

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Do I tuck it away? I believe Danny la Rue did.

kamilb1998

2,220 posts

176 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Does this count as a classic? If so, then no it doesn't get tucked away. I use it all-year round.


Alfachick

1,639 posts

196 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Kamlib I just love how awesome it is that you even have one of those let alone use it. thumbup

I am very jellous of it

lowdrag

12,869 posts

212 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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To continue the theme:-




Flatinfourth

591 posts

137 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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My own E28 BMW in the pic has been mostly in storage since 2004, apart from doing the Pomeroy Trophy in 2009. I stored it in a lock-up expecing to leave it there for a little while... Three years later it emerged, and despite it going in there quite healthy, I had a monumental amount of welding to the floor and inner sills to do thanks to leaving it much longer than i'd ever wished to in a concrete garage with an asbestos roof. Now the car is in a brick garage with wooden doors with a much more airy construction, so now its not in a rust incubator! Mercedes and no doubt BMW too do an engine bay wax that coats everything to protect from road salt on German roads, for my clients cars and my own I use a particular product in the workshop for this purpose, and a superb black wax for the underside. good preparation enables use all year round, but the owner has to accept that a car that is prepped for winter will have to have the wax cleaned off for Summer.

Flatinfourth

591 posts

137 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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That'll be the E28 in this pic... Doh!

GTIAlex

1,935 posts

165 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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P1030124

Narrow winter wheels and raised suspension = sorted.

Watching the salt dissolve the metal through the winter isn't much fun thou.

Rob Dicky

206 posts

222 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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GTIAlex said:

P1030124

Narrow winter wheels and raised suspension = sorted.

Watching the salt dissolve the metal through the winter isn't much fun thou.
Nice pic

Old Merc

3,486 posts

166 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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I`m a "tuck away".Every winter its stored all wrapped up in a secure dry barn from October to April.Its a 1964 Pininfarina cabriolet and only comes out to play in the summer,the warmer and dryer the better.Driving in the sunshine with the hood down to country shows,steam rallies,w/end rallies etc.I can not see the point in driving in cold wet muddy country lanes as I`m paranoid about getting it wet or dirty.It also leaks all over the place in the rain.My main objective in buying it was to work on it and get it into the condition it is now and I intend to keep it that way.
I also have a SL320 which is a regular driver and is used all year.The Hard top is stored during the summer in the same place the 404 is stored in the winter.So its park the 404 and fit the hard top October and vice verse April.



Edited by Old Merc on Sunday 14th October 18:23


Edited by Old Merc on Sunday 14th October 18:29

Old Merc

3,486 posts

166 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Alfa Al

49 posts

187 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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I think it depends what you have got to some degree. I am in to old Italian stuff and we all know how they can disolve at the slightest hint of salt.

I run an Alfetta GTV6 as my daily driver, she lives outside all year round and does about 8k a year. However she was and is never going to be a mint condition car, hence I can live with the fact that the odd spot of rust comes up and every couple of years I have to have a bit of paintwork or maybe do a bit of welding.

However, I also have a mint GTV6 that I have converted to a 3.5 engine and prepared to a standard far better than new including all the suspension being shot blasted and powder coated and the nuts, bolts etc being new or replated in the original finish. You only have to take this out once in the salt to ruin it, I speak from experience here, so while I leave this car taxed all year in case of the odd perfect day, once the gritter is out she won't leave her heated garage until we have had a good 2 or 3 days heavy rain to wash it away even if that means I don't get to drive her for 3 or 4 months. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy her, indeed I have just got back from a 5 day trip to the Nurburgring and Spa which included some torrential rain, but I did 1400 miles driving of which 280 were being caned around the 'Ring with another 240 odd at Spa. I then enjoy the several days wheels of clean that follows just as much as the driving itself, and it doesn't bother me if I spend a few weekends doing this while she sits in the garage as I have been getting some proper use out of her too.

Consequently I don't think it is fair to say either way whether it is right or wrong to lay up a car for the winter as it is simply a matter of what you have and your ability and financial well being to maintain it in the condition you want.

LordBretSinclair

Original Poster:

4,285 posts

176 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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Alfa Al said:
Consequently I don't think it is fair to say either way whether it is right or wrong to lay up a car for the winter as it is simply a matter of what you have and your ability and financial well being to maintain it in the condition you want.
I agree and each to his own. Apologies, I wasn't meaning to be judgmental into what is right or wrong, just an interest in other PHers decisions into whether to "tuck away" or not smile

Alfa Al

49 posts

187 months

Sunday 14th October 2012
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No apologies required Your Lordship, this forum is here for us to chat all and debate about matters auntomotive, it's an interesting question and I was just adding my twopeneth!