Laying up for the Winter - what to do?

[Edin Dundee]

Hi All,

My newly acquired Dolomite 1850 is taxed until November, I can see it being put to bed in the unheated but dry lock-up style garage way before then.
I bought it in early June, it's been in all weathers since then, but now only comes out to play when there's no chance of rain.
However the (poor) touch-up and paint jobs the car has seen before I owned it have come to light (no bad thing - I can see where the problems are). I hope to be able to tackle a lot of these jobs over the winter, with advice from my car mechanic brother on what's too far gone to bother with. (He'll have the job of welding next summer!!).

But...
What's the best way to lie a car up for winter? I will have the ability to start the car if necessary/advisable, and even run the car for a few hundred feet up and down the car park (maybe even round the estate? ).
The only power in the garage is when I run a 240v extension cable from the house across the common car park. (I hope to be able to run a strip light from a couple of batteries and an inverter).

Any and all advice gratefully received.

Bill.

[DavePoth]

If you really really do want to lay the car up, Drain the coolant and replace it with 50% antifreeze mix (I'm guessing it can get pretty chilly where you are) take the battery out and bring it inside the house if you can, only putting it back on the car to run it as the clock will run the battery down quite fast.

Get the car off the ground if you won't be driving it regularly (this will avoid flatspotting the tyres) and try to make sure that all linkgages and pivot points are lubricated, and any electrical connectors covered with vaseline, so that they won't seize from rust and cold. If you are really not intending to use the car over the winter fill the engine right up (two gallons at least) with cheap oil, which will help to avoid anything in the motor seizing up.

However, the best thing you can do is to go for a decent length drive (at least half an hour) every week. Obviously avoid the roads when they have just been salted, and give the car a good wash afterwards. I know this sounds annoying because you don't want to pay for the tax over the winter, but it's the best way of making sure you don't have any issues when you come back to the car in the spring.

[JPB]

Can't add anything to the laying up advice but are the roads over there really salted in the Winter? Along this part of the coast we've been on ash for ages, filthy but it won't rot your car away.

Edinburgh is further West than many people realise so does get some warmth, it's out East that gets the cold.

[Edin Dundee]

Yes, they use salt here. But it's perpetually wet too! The cold isn't as bad as people think mostly.
Daylight - dead of winter if it's not too bad weather, you're lucky to see 6 hours of the stuff.
There is no way I can manage to run the car for 30 minutes once per week - not in the dry anyway, and I don't want to put a wet car in a garage.

[DoloWIGHTY]

Ventilation for the garage is a consideration, as you say you don't want to keep it in a damp environment, so try to keep the garage door(s) open as often as you can (I know that sounds a lot easier than is possible) but it does help.

I know that I have good ventilation in my garage when I have to sweep all the dead leaves that have blown under the door away in the Spring time .

[melj]

Just keep running her!

I run mine all year and she lives on the street as well. Not ideal but prevents mechanical problems anyway. The wet, yeah, very much so, can't do anything about that! I figure she's gonna rust no matter what now, she's too old and she's never going to be concourse, so I always check my underseal and cavity wax around October time and top that up where needed. Rust then gets dealt with in the Spring once it's drier and warmer!

Mel

[JPB]

Just keep running her!

I run mine all year and she lives on the street as well. Not ideal but prevents mechanical problems anyway. The wet, yeah, very much so, can't do anything about that! I figure she's gonna rust no matter what now, she's too old and she's never going to be concourse, so I always check my underseal and cavity wax around October time and top that up where needed. Rust then gets dealt with in the Spring once it's drier and warmer!

Mel

That's what they built them for, and even though my car's now probably among the tidiest examples, I use it and enjoy it all year round. Going underneath and checking frequently for any signs of damaged sealant or stone chips, then remedying those before they become problems is a satisfying part of the whole old car experience for me.
The odd drop of rain will drain down harmlessly and, in a car that lives outside, fresh air will dry it out effectively provided that screen seals and such things are doing their work.

I understand completely that not everyone wants to use their car every day, I'm just agreeing that doing so is entirely logical.
Maybe some day I'll have a showroom condition, automatic Sprint as a plaything. If that day comes, then that car would be kept indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned garage, but my beloved daily ride is happy enough where he is and doing what he does.

[Phil_G]

what ever you do, give it a good wash and a decent coat of wax to help protect the paintwork from the elements

[Neil907]

If you do lay it up,leave the hand the hand brake off,or if its going to off for a while remove the pads aswell.

[NickMorgan]

A lot depends on how dry your garage is. I used to spray oil on the chrome, put oil down each spark plug hole, put the car up on stands, turn the engine by hand once a week, etc, etc. More recently I do nothing and then I try to make sure that I start the car once a month and at least move it a couple of feet in the garage. You only really get problems with the tyres flat-spotting if they are very old and need replacing, or if they are low on pressure.
I just started up my 1300TC and Herald Estate that had been sitting in a barn untouched for over a year. I needed to clean the points on the 1300, but the Herald started first try with a fresh battery in it. All the electrics, clutch and brakes worked on both cars.
Also got a friend's MGC started two weeks ago after it sitting in a lock up for three years. Of course it didn't start as easily as the Triumphs!

[Edin Dundee]

Thanks for all the replys.
The lock-up is dry, but not heated in any way.
I do have several hundred feet of shared private car park to play with.
Perhaps I might be forgetful on a dry daylight day or two and take it for spins a round the quiet residential block..............

[DavePoth]

So long as you've got enough room to get up into second you should be OK.

[SprintMWU773V]

As someone who has laid cars up for the winter for the last 7 winters I just ensure the car was in a good running condition before putting away and this usually conicides with an oil change. Chrome I clean and then use a bit of Bilt Hamber Autobalm on the chrome (rubbed off). When storing I leave the handbrake off and out of gear and I tend to over inflate the tyres to around 40psi. On top of that I run the car to temperature periodically over the lay up period and move it around a bit either on the drive or in the yard where my other lock up is. This keeps clutch and brake hydraulics moving periodically. I've also fitted a discarnect thing to both cars so I can disconnect the battery when not in use. Never had any issues except last year when a faulty battery went flat in the lock up and I had to replace it even though it was disconnected.

Airflow is the key. Lock ups can be cold but as long as you have good airflow then they are a reasonable place to keep a car stored. Damp or leaking roofs are the worst enemy. I keep both cars covered with breatheable covers when stored in the garages. If you're still concerned you can always get a permabag which is like a big sleeping bag you drive into and place moisture absorbing canisters in to help keep humidity and damp down. Not cheap though at about £300!

I don't condone driving round the block a bit on local industrial estates one bit either