To lay up, or not to lay up
Discussion
Parked my spotlessly clean 7GTS in the garage today under its indoor cover and started mulling over whether to lay up or not. I’ve never done it before as I always waited for that odd day in winter when conditions were right and taken my ‘toy’ cars out for a spin but this is often only 3 or 4 times between November and March. So wondering whether it’s worth laying it up and SORNing it. What do you do you recommend and if laying up, what should I do for a modern car. The car is on a CTEK most of the time already BTW.
RankAmateur said:
DRIVE her. Rain or shine.
I do when I get the chance. Most of the reason for limited use is not preservation, it’s time. My job is crazy busy, the house is mid renovation and the little that’s left is spent doing family stuff. A winter drive is great, but my OCD means that becasue hate putting a filthy car away in the garage, I have to then clean it, and take it for another quick spin to dry the brakes and everything else out. And that all take more precious time (even though I enjoy the process)!I took mine out of the garage yesterday afternoon so I could hoover up all the old leaves that creep in under the door. Let it warm up and then took the missus for a few laps around the block. Her first passenger ride in it since I bought the car last December. Then spent a little time cleaning off any minor bits of mess around the four wheel arches etc. Unless we have an unusually mild winter that will be it till the good weather arrives.
The Dangerous Elk said:
With the increased use of salt brine spreading on Uk roads, lay it up.
The last few years of mild winters has produced the odd day (say once every 2 or 3 weeks) of winter where the salt has been rained off the roads and you can get out for a drive without too much of an issue. By not laying up, i give myself the choice of going out vs no option. After nearly 4 years of using it all year the car is clean and corrosion free. On those salt free days if it gets dirty I rinse it (including underneath) and drive it to get everything hot before putting it away again. After the lovely weather yesterday I am going to retain the option, but keep the tank topped up with fuel just in case we have a bad one this year. If it looks like its gonna be off the road for a while, I can then just pump the tyres up and the only extra cost will be a couple of months roadtax that I could avold. My mileage is so pathetic at the moment that I do need to grab every opportunity! I'm still minded not to SORN my car, but when I last used it, I did notice there was a fair bit of salt on the roads. Ironically, I was on the way to get the car its Gyeon 5 year ceramic coating.
I'm trying to find a set of low profile scissor lifts for the car. Useful for the odd DIY oil or brake pad change, but also for taking the weight off the tyres and wheels for those extended periods of inactivity. Can't seem to find any low enough and cannot be arsed with a jack and stands - a real PITA - so may need to dig out the garage floor...
I'm trying to find a set of low profile scissor lifts for the car. Useful for the odd DIY oil or brake pad change, but also for taking the weight off the tyres and wheels for those extended periods of inactivity. Can't seem to find any low enough and cannot be arsed with a jack and stands - a real PITA - so may need to dig out the garage floor...
I don't lay up my C4S, or store it for winter. It's not a race car, without a heater, on slicks. My cars are for driving. I think the 4S makes a great winter car, with proper winter tyres, lots of screenwash and an engine block heater. It does get filthy, especially along the sides and the rear, but I just wait 'til there's a mild day and I can get the Karcher out. The muck comes off the ceramic coating pretty easily.
To add to my simple post above
http://ctcandassociates.com/work-samples/saltimpac...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/salt-rust-w...
A "quick assesmnt" of other links draws me to conculde the increased use of brines is a increasing problem over that of salt/grit applications.
http://ctcandassociates.com/work-samples/saltimpac...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/salt-rust-w...
A "quick assesmnt" of other links draws me to conculde the increased use of brines is a increasing problem over that of salt/grit applications.
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