How to best look after your GT3 during lockdown

[Yil]

Lockdown will make the car be sat in the garage a little longer than it normally would between being driven. Its on a maintainance charger. Should I run it or leave it. What is the best way to look after it?

[Twinfan]

Drive it.

[anonymous-user]

Absolutely, fantastic conditions now on lockdown roads. Just have your carrier bag / essential supermarket purchases ready as a good excuse reason for leaving your house... I'm sure I nearly covered 100 miles last week going to my "local" store...

[anonymous-user]

drive it

[Orangecurry]

Yil said:

Lockdown will make the car be sat in the garage a little longer than it normally would between being driven. Its on a maintainance charger. Should I run it or leave it. What is the best way to look after it?

I'll buck the PH trend and answer the question.

If you can't drive it, put it away not wet, i.e. with dry brakes, ideally after a longish drive to have got the engine properly up to temp to burn off byproducts from engine and exhaust system, pump up (i.e. overinflate) the tyres (look on the interweb for a suitable figure), handbrake off if level and in gear, and do not run the engine. If in a proper garage I would leave the windows open a crack, and keep the battery charged.

Or I can look after it for you for a very reasonable rate.

[Nuttcase]

Orangecurry said:

Or I can look after it for you for a very reasonable rate.

you would charge for that?

[LPAK]

Nuttcase said:

you would charge for that?

[Billy_Whizzzz]

I’d never drive my 911 again in winter. Admittedly its a 997.2 but having seen what several winters did to the underside, and after an expensive underbody refurb, mine is tucked up except for the odd dry day which corresponds with the roads having been washed of salt and then I’ll exercise it a little. They’re as vulnerable as every other car to corrosion.

[Digga]

This:

Orangecurry said:

I'll buck the PH trend and answer the question.

If you can't drive it, put it away not wet, i.e. with dry brakes, ideally after a longish drive to have got the engine properly up to temp to burn off byproducts from engine and exhaust system, pump up (i.e. overinflate) the tyres (look on the interweb for a suitable figure), handbrake off if level and in gear, and do not run the engine. If in a proper garage I would leave the windows open a crack, and keep the battery charged.

Or I can look after it for you for a very reasonable rate.

And this:

Billy_Whizzzz said:

I’d never drive my 911 again in winter. Admittedly its a 997.2 but having seen what several winters did to the underside, and after an expensive underbody refurb, mine is tucked up except for the odd dry day which corresponds with the roads having been washed of salt and then I’ll exercise it a little. They’re as vulnerable as every other car to corrosion.

To the above I would add, for the garage:

• buy a dehumidifier, run occasionally
• buy an electronic rodent scarer

Regarding the tyres, I bunged about an extra 10 psi in all round. Leave handbrake off and, if there's space, you can shunt it back and forth a little to further help prevent flat spots.

One thing I've been told, repeatedly, by people who know (indies etc.) is DO NOT start the car and idle it. the Mezger does not like this at all and you'll do more harm than good.

As soon as the roads are salt-free. get out and drive!

[anonymous-user]

Careful, don't get the car out too early in the spring or late summer due to all the potential fly splats. I'd recommend only using it between 3.30pm on Tuesday 22nd April until 9am on May 28th when the sunlight will then become too strong and could damage the paintwork...

[D.no]

Any recommendations for dehumidifiers? My second Meaco DD8 has just failed. On average they last me 3 years when left on automatic with an external drain. I guess given the cost they're reasonably consumable, but 3 years seems short. If anyone has one that has lasted longer please let us know...

[Digga]

D.no said:

Any recommendations for dehumidifiers? My second Meaco DD8 has just failed. On average they last me 3 years when left on automatic with an external drain. I guess given the cost they're reasonably consumable, but 3 years seems short. If anyone has one that has lasted longer please let us know...

Currently using an EcoAir DD1 Classic Mk5.

I really only use it if car was washed then put away or when I do likewise with the mountain bikes that share the other half of the double garage with the car. Dehumidifiers don't like being run when it's too cold, so you need some sort of heat in there at times too.

[D.no]

Digga said:

Dehumidifiers don't like being run when it's too cold, so you need some sort of heat in there at times too.

Ah. Thanks.

I basically connect the hose and route it outside through the hole I drilled, switch the unit on, and then leave it until it eventually doesn't work anymore!

Occasionally, I clean the filter.

By the sounds of it I'm lucky they last me 3 years

[Digga]

IIRC the bit about the dehumidifier not liking low temps was in the destructions.

We've got an overspill freezer and also a (totally essential) beer fridge in the garage too and I know they don't like the temperatures getting too low either.