Very long term car storage
Discussion
Basically currently in the process of buying a small garage its about 40 miles from my house but was dirt cheap as its just and i mean just big enough to fit my car in will have to push it in as there will be about an inch clearance either side. I will soon be buying another car and I want to keep my first car in the condition that its in dents and all as I cant bring myself to sell it.
BFG TERRANO said:
grkify said:
I always thought brim it to avoid rust inside fuel tank.
Fuel deteriorates very quickly. If you brim it be prepared to have to dump it and flush the system when you next want to use the carAncient fuel is still good enough for lawnmowers etc. Mine has been running happily on the ~6 year old stuff drained from my Capri last year!
Jonny_ said:
If it's going to be stored for several years, my preference would be to waste a tank of fuel rather than deal with a rusty tank.
Ancient fuel is still good enough for lawnmowers etc. Mine has been running happily on the ~6 year old stuff drained from my Capri last year!
What car is it? If it's not a classic it will probably have a plastic tank anyway.Ancient fuel is still good enough for lawnmowers etc. Mine has been running happily on the ~6 year old stuff drained from my Capri last year!
I remember when I worked on post war Bentleys, there was a section in the workshop manual about long term storage. I can't remember much of it now, but it contained all manner of things I would never think of such as draining the fuel and running the engine until there was none left in the carbs, then putting half a gallon of paraffin in the tank and drawing it through until the float bowls were full. It did amuse me the detail it went into, it also had a section on preparing the vehicle for shipping.
grkify said:
How would you guys go about storing a car for a long period talking years without touching it.
Remove battery
Brim with fuel
clean and detail
crack a window
remove wheels
put up on axle stands
support suspension in neutral position.
anything else you can think of?
Leave it in a car park in BirminghamRemove battery
Brim with fuel
clean and detail
crack a window
remove wheels
put up on axle stands
support suspension in neutral position.
anything else you can think of?
Best thing to do is to drive it.
If you put a car into storage and don't use it, lots of bad things start to happen. Rubber will break down, cables will seize, electronic connections will corrode, metal will rust. Within a couple of years it'll need some serious work to get back into running condition.
If you really want to keep it, then you need to make sure that the garage is as dry as possible. You need maximum airflow through it without letting water in, and a dehumidifier if you can manage it - battery operated ones are available, maybe you can hook them up to some solar panels?
It's going to be an expensive business to do it properly.
If you put a car into storage and don't use it, lots of bad things start to happen. Rubber will break down, cables will seize, electronic connections will corrode, metal will rust. Within a couple of years it'll need some serious work to get back into running condition.
If you really want to keep it, then you need to make sure that the garage is as dry as possible. You need maximum airflow through it without letting water in, and a dehumidifier if you can manage it - battery operated ones are available, maybe you can hook them up to some solar panels?
It's going to be an expensive business to do it properly.
Nobody's commented on your point about keeping the car on axle stands, but don't do this. Cars are, of course, designed to support their own weight and if you leave them not doing that for a long period you'll get all sorts of weirdness like bushes deforming into incorrect shapes. Leave it on the ground, if only for a few months overinflate the tyres by 5-10psi, if for longer you'll either want to roll it back and forth periodically or be prepared to bin the tyres.
I'm of the school that leaving the tank empty and filling it from a jerrycan before first start is the best way, but then my cars have plastic tanks. It would be very easy to find out rather than guess, just take a look under the back of the car.
Unless you're actually going to drive it a decent distance - ten miles or more - don't start it. By far the most engine wear is caused by cold starting and heat cycles, and turning it over just for the sake of it will do more harm than good. If you're really worried about seizing then turning the crank by hand with the plugs out, as suggested above, is a better way to deal with it. With a modern engine I wouldn't expect to need to do this.
I'm of the school that leaving the tank empty and filling it from a jerrycan before first start is the best way, but then my cars have plastic tanks. It would be very easy to find out rather than guess, just take a look under the back of the car.
Unless you're actually going to drive it a decent distance - ten miles or more - don't start it. By far the most engine wear is caused by cold starting and heat cycles, and turning it over just for the sake of it will do more harm than good. If you're really worried about seizing then turning the crank by hand with the plugs out, as suggested above, is a better way to deal with it. With a modern engine I wouldn't expect to need to do this.
Hmm Ill have to have a look. Already spent about 10 times what the cars worth to get to this point might as well go the whole hog now. The garage is bone dry think ill have to look in to getting electric to it and a dehumidifier. As for driving it was going to keep it MOTed. Starting to dawn on me what this is actually going to cost me but would feel even worse if I left it outside to rot away. Genuinely very attached to the car hope I dont feel like this about the next one or its going to get very expensive. Will need an aircraft hangar by the time i make it to 30
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff