Chim mothballing

[Lighterfuel]

Can any of you fine fellows give any advice on mothballing my Chim HC for a few years? I'm relocating to the USA through work and would really prefer not to sell the old girl. I have a private lock-up garage, but has no power supply - so can't attempt any sort of climate control. I'm sure the process will be a tad more complicated than shovering her up on axle stands and disconnecting the battery.

The good news is that my new squeeze will be a Mustang GT: cannot resist the growl of a V8!
Cheers
Phil

[s p a c e m a n]

A few things that I would think of doing is to get the fuel tank as low as possible, as 2 year old fuel won't work. Give the car a bit of ventilation by leaving the windows cracked, try and condition the rubber door/roof/boot seals with something as most of the old Ford stuff I've had fell apart if you left it alone too long. Try and think of a way to diminish the chance of little furry things making it their home and eating things

[estutjaweh]

Strange...I would do the complete opposite. A full fuel tank leaves less metal open to corrosion from penetrated moisture. I've had several friends who's tanks have started to rust/corrode on the inside due to condensation building up when left empty over a winter.

[s p a c e m a n]

Thought we had aluminum tanks, admittedly I haven't got around to that end of my car yet as there's too much at the front end to sort first

[ackbullchang]

If you are worried about damp, stick some of those silica bags inside the cockpit. I think you can get them from classic car sites, or dare I say it, caravan web stores.

[zed4]

We recommend you leave the fuel tank full with the boats at work. Stick some fuel conditioner in there too. I would also get the caravan boat dehumidifier crystals as mentioned.

[Lighterfuel]

Just got word from a work pal in the USA who spend 4 years in Oz and layed up his '94 Mustang. He regrets using silica bags (they lasted about a year and then mould set in and apparently made a big mess). He recommends the following: proper wash & wax, cover her up, full tank of fuel to limit air space, squirt a little light oil on bare metal parts to reduce rust potential, crack windows open. He did not put her up on blocks as he intended to change the tyres anway.

I have a pal who will check up on her from time to time.

SWMBO is scared of my Tiv and wants me to sell her, so might give it a half hearted attempt. Booooo!

[Loach1]

If it was me, I'd take it to the States for the maximum period of 12 months, enjoy having the coolest car wherever you go. When finished, take a road trip to Canada and (assuming it is more than 15 yrs old), sell it for a pretty penny.

Yes, it will cost £700 or so to ship to the east coast, insurance will be a challenge, but possible. RHD is only an issue for people that haven't tried it. Theoretically it could be mildly annoying, but in reality it's a hoot and has insignificant drawbacks.

I'm envious!

David in North Carolina

[QBee]

Sell it now - it's peak season for convertibles and the sun is actually looking like shining.
Buy another when you come back in November 2016, as you will have the choice of the market off season and about £2000 cheaper.

[More Steam]

I'd buy it back off you if I had the room in the garage.