Mothballing for at least a year
Discussion
Hi.
Apologies if this has been covered (I expect it has...)
My brother has just heard he's getting posted to foreign lands, and wants to mothball his TR6. It'll be stood for at least a year, highly unlikely it'll get turned over during that time, but will be stored in a dry garage, but, the garage door doesn't make a perfect seal, we're often finding piles of leaves etc on the inside which have blown or found their way under the door (it's an up and over Henderson,approx .5 cm gap at the bottom).
Now, do we do the following?:
1. Drain fuel Tank
2. Place car up on Axle Stands
3. Drain coolant or replace with brand new?.
4. Leave (new) oil in or drain the Engine completely (I wouldn't, for fear of condensation inside causing rust).
5. Do we wrap the car with plastic (again concern about condensation and mould on the hood) and then add the cover, or just cover it?.
6. One concern is Mice or Rats getting in and doing damage, is there any way to prevent this?.
Thats essentially a preliminary list. The Car is also a PI Version, and he's expressed concerns about the metering pump gasket deteriorating and mixing fuel in the oil, which has happened before. Not sure how we could prepare for this instance though.
I'd be grateful as to perhaps some advice as to whether to try and restrict or seal the garage door and stop the airflow or to leave it as is. Any other advice is also welcome and appreciated.
TIA.
Apologies if this has been covered (I expect it has...)
My brother has just heard he's getting posted to foreign lands, and wants to mothball his TR6. It'll be stood for at least a year, highly unlikely it'll get turned over during that time, but will be stored in a dry garage, but, the garage door doesn't make a perfect seal, we're often finding piles of leaves etc on the inside which have blown or found their way under the door (it's an up and over Henderson,approx .5 cm gap at the bottom).
Now, do we do the following?:
1. Drain fuel Tank
2. Place car up on Axle Stands
3. Drain coolant or replace with brand new?.
4. Leave (new) oil in or drain the Engine completely (I wouldn't, for fear of condensation inside causing rust).
5. Do we wrap the car with plastic (again concern about condensation and mould on the hood) and then add the cover, or just cover it?.
6. One concern is Mice or Rats getting in and doing damage, is there any way to prevent this?.
Thats essentially a preliminary list. The Car is also a PI Version, and he's expressed concerns about the metering pump gasket deteriorating and mixing fuel in the oil, which has happened before. Not sure how we could prepare for this instance though.
I'd be grateful as to perhaps some advice as to whether to try and restrict or seal the garage door and stop the airflow or to leave it as is. Any other advice is also welcome and appreciated.
TIA.
Airflow is good and moisture is bad, there lies the dilemma.
I'd be tempted to invest in an Airchamber/Carcoon if someone can check on it periodically.
As for the other bits, I'd be tempted to brim the petrol tank, oil and coolant to avoid rust. A year isn't that long but it would ease my wprry a bit.
As for little critters, relatively easy to hust put poison around the doorways to an air chamber etc.
If it has a mild steel exhaust I'd avoid starting it monthly too as it causes condensation in there.
I'd be tempted to invest in an Airchamber/Carcoon if someone can check on it periodically.
As for the other bits, I'd be tempted to brim the petrol tank, oil and coolant to avoid rust. A year isn't that long but it would ease my wprry a bit.
As for little critters, relatively easy to hust put poison around the doorways to an air chamber etc.
If it has a mild steel exhaust I'd avoid starting it monthly too as it causes condensation in there.
+1 on the Carcoon. I bought one last year and the car came out of it in the spring exactly as it went in, despite temperatures form -17C, humidity, and the rest. I'd also go with filling the tank and changing the oil before wintering. I don't think axle standds are necessary if you pump up the tyres to about 10psi over the recommended limit; they won't form flat spots that way but don't foget to let them down before driving!
The Carcoon will avoid all humidity problems since the fans gently circulate air over the car all winter and being filtered will also keep the dust out.
The Carcoon will avoid all humidity problems since the fans gently circulate air over the car all winter and being filtered will also keep the dust out.
The MGB gets parked 6 months of the year. I pump the tyres up to nominal +5psi and keep them there then I roll the car a few inches either way once or twice , operate the clutch every week and turn the period radio on and off to keep the caps formed put a battery conditioner on it and thats it. When you turn the key in March or April it fires second try after the fuel pumps through. It does have;
Electronic ignition
ditto SU fuel pump
Stainless exhaust
ditto fuel tsnk.
Petrol should survive a year it does turn to jelly eventually after decades if there is not a lot in the tank you can always buy 2 fresh gallons in cans when you start up. I would not leave a car with a chassis on axle stands for a year, I would be concerned about twisting it. good luck to your brother while he is away.
Electronic ignition
ditto SU fuel pump
Stainless exhaust
ditto fuel tsnk.
Petrol should survive a year it does turn to jelly eventually after decades if there is not a lot in the tank you can always buy 2 fresh gallons in cans when you start up. I would not leave a car with a chassis on axle stands for a year, I would be concerned about twisting it. good luck to your brother while he is away.
benjj said:
I'd be tempted to brim the petrol tank, oil and coolant to avoid rust.
I don't think I'd want to 'brim' the oil and coolant 
Petrol does go off over time but as benjj says, ideally you want a full tank for corrosion protection. After only a year, assuming the filler cap fits correctly and the tank isn't already contaminated with water, the car will probably start and run reasonably happily on year old petrol.
Rower said:
I would go for the battrey conditoner and the Car-Coon or similar , however these are both dependant on an Electricty suply , if the garage is in a 'Block' it might not have any .
Good point, forgot about the battery! I use an 'Optimate' but you could just remove the fully charged battery from the car and keep it indoors. They don't like parasitic loads or being cold. A note or two on Carcoons/Airchambers:
Essentially they offer two benefits:
1) Airflow - keeping air moving over and around the car by using a couple of fans at each end of the unit.
2) Temperature control - obviously it is just a bit of plastic but what it does do is stop quick swings in temperature. This in turn avoids condensation.
One of my classics lives year round in an Airchamber (see pic below). As it is secure I elect to leave the windows cracked an inch and the boot propped open with a couple of sponges. As Lowdrag says above, it comes out the way it went in.
A few other things I've been considering during quiet moments:
The draw of power by the fans on an Airchamber is miniscule. I'd imagine that a car battery hooked up (and insulated properly from the ground) would last for months before needing a recharge.
Likewise it would be relatively simple to mock up a solar panel to the fan(s) which could potentially be left for a very long time again as the power draw is so low.
Essentially they offer two benefits:
1) Airflow - keeping air moving over and around the car by using a couple of fans at each end of the unit.
2) Temperature control - obviously it is just a bit of plastic but what it does do is stop quick swings in temperature. This in turn avoids condensation.
One of my classics lives year round in an Airchamber (see pic below). As it is secure I elect to leave the windows cracked an inch and the boot propped open with a couple of sponges. As Lowdrag says above, it comes out the way it went in.
A few other things I've been considering during quiet moments:
The draw of power by the fans on an Airchamber is miniscule. I'd imagine that a car battery hooked up (and insulated properly from the ground) would last for months before needing a recharge.
Likewise it would be relatively simple to mock up a solar panel to the fan(s) which could potentially be left for a very long time again as the power draw is so low.
Sorry Benjj but the Carcoon site indicates that a normal car battery will last at mnaximum one week before going flat. I'm not sure that a photovoltaic panel will provide enough juice in winter - and anyway, if it is a garage block it'd probably get nicked! But like you say, there ain't nothing like a Carcoon for keeping the old girl in perfect condition with not one more speck of dust thereon when you get her out in the spring that when you put her in at the onset of winter.
Hi, and many thanks for all the suggestions and advice so far.
Unfortunately the garage is in a block, so no power supply. The car will also be untouched for a year, which tbh I'm a bit reticent about. I have advised him to seek perhaps a Car storage company and get a quote, as it may well be the case that the cost of a whole years storage will outweigh possible remedial work needed if kept in a normal garage. I'd say that even at £40 pcm it would represent good value, especially considering the damage an errant mouse could do...
Should he decide to put it in the garage anyway,(which I think he may well do) I'll print this thread off so we at least have some pointers.
In an ideal world I'd look after it for him, but if anything happened I'd never be able to forgive myself, besides, driving a TR6 all the way from the top end of Scotland to Suffolk in the middle of winter is perhaps a bit of a task........not that I'd refuse it though.....
Unfortunately the garage is in a block, so no power supply. The car will also be untouched for a year, which tbh I'm a bit reticent about. I have advised him to seek perhaps a Car storage company and get a quote, as it may well be the case that the cost of a whole years storage will outweigh possible remedial work needed if kept in a normal garage. I'd say that even at £40 pcm it would represent good value, especially considering the damage an errant mouse could do...
Should he decide to put it in the garage anyway,(which I think he may well do) I'll print this thread off so we at least have some pointers.
In an ideal world I'd look after it for him, but if anything happened I'd never be able to forgive myself, besides, driving a TR6 all the way from the top end of Scotland to Suffolk in the middle of winter is perhaps a bit of a task........not that I'd refuse it though.....
Are the tyres good? It may be cheaper to get some scrap ones on and let them go flat over the year. A few squirts of thick oil down the bores wont do any harm either. I have never managed to keep the mice out, A few unintentionally sacrificial clothes like Car Club baseball caps have been chewed over the years. maybe while they are chomping on thoose the carpets are left alone? Some people put an interior use only car cover on. But a wash when you wheel it out works fine.edit, dont forget to leave it in gear, handbrake off
Edited by SMGB on Monday 12th November 18:39
Try Permabag, no power supply needed for humidity controlled storage.
I use it and rate it highly (declare no interest in permabag)
http://www.autopyjama.com/
I use it and rate it highly (declare no interest in permabag)
http://www.autopyjama.com/
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