To lay up, or not to lay up

[c4sman]

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.

[c4sman]

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)!

[c4sman]

You’re making me feel bad now, maybe I will give it another layer of wax and keep it running!

[c4sman]

Thanks for the reality check. Been out in it most of today and loved it. It’s stayin in action all year!

[c4sman]

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!

[c4sman]

If they’re approved for use in the UK were doomed, but still not laying up, just have to pick my days.