|
|
|
|
|
|
| Authors note: Please be aware that what follows is just my opinion based on my experiences in this subject. All matters relating to motoring law, or any other legal/official matters should be pursued with the relevant authorities. I cannot accept any liability for loss/damage/divorce/grey hair or any other misfortune based on any of the following advice, given as it is in good faith only. Ta. |
How to lay up your old car for Winter.
|
Its a good move to give the car a very thorough wash (dont forget underneath!) and valeting, get rid of all the old sweet wrappers, banana skins and pizza boxes (ok probs exaggerating a little but..) as they'll be getting a bit stinky by the Spring, and give it a good vacuuming, don't forget the boot either! If your old car is lucky enough to have leather trim, now is a good time to give it a careful clean and going over with a quality hide food, such as that from Connollys, to preserve the longevity of your trim. Neglect to look after leather seats and door panels can lead to premature cracking and splitting, especially around the seams which, when cleaned, mustn't be left to get too wet as they can rot in time. If the car will be getting direct sunlight into its interior via a garage window, its wise to throw a sheet over the trim too. In fact throwing a blanket or two over the entire car is a wise move, but only after you've washed it and waxed your classic car properly, protecting any chromework with a thin layer of wax or, alternatively, a quick wipe over with an oily rag, although the latter can attract dust in a dusty environment. With the coachwork glistening after a thorough polishing session, I always throw over some old blankets, bought cheaply from a charity shop and washed through. You can buy a fancy cover, but they don't really have any benefit over a few rugs or blankets, apart from maybe looking a little neater. As well as protecting the bodywork of your car from passing knocks and dings whilst laid up, if your garage is anything like mine, there are some items hanging up in the rafters which, despite not being heavy, would leave a nice scratch if they fell from the roof onto your car. Prying eyes peeking through the garage window will also be left no clue as to whats under the mountain of blankets, so it could deter a potential low-life from breaking in to steal your car. There are varying opinions on whether its worth jacking your car up or not. If its going to be laid up for say 4+ months then resting the car on some stands (not old bricks or blocks of wood either!) may be beneficial, but if its just for the winter, I don't see much of a problem in leaving the car sat on its wheels, provided the tyres are pumped up say 5-10 psi higher than normal, to prevent the tyres getting any flat spots. A sheet over the tyres is not a bad idea either to cut down on any sunlight getting through and possibly affecting the rubber in some way. There are few things on the mechanical side also worth attending too, the most important probably being to double check the antifreeze, and replace with a mix using quality antifreeze, mixed up to a %age strength depending on the climate you are in. A few drops of oil into each bore, then turn the engine by hand or on the handle, should prevent the pistons seizing in the cylinder bores too. Some people recommend putting a block of wood on the clutch pedal, to prevent the clutch seizing whilst a car is laid up .. I'm in two minds about this, it may be ok where the linkage is purely mechanical, say as on a sit up and beg Pop, but on a car with hydraulic clutch mechanism, my feeling is that it could be putting the system under a constant strain it was never designed for. What I would do however is make sure the handbrake isn't left on, as that can seize easily. One of the best things you can do is try to exercise things regularly during the layup. Firing up the engine for a few minutes every week could do more harm than good, filling as it will the engine, exhaust and so on with moisture that, with the engine not getting as warmed up as it would in use, will not get burnt off. Turning the engine over manually however is a good move, which should ensure that nothing seizes in that department. Ideally before laying your car up, it is wise to replace the oil and filter - old oil, if left for a long time, can be more prone to gunging up than the new stuff, and can become carcinogenic if its gets on your skin too regularly anyway, so a quick change, and a greasing up of any grease points while you're getting dirty, has to be worthwhile. Something that is often overlooked is the battery - batteries like to be exercised, or else they tend to lose efficiency. Try to use the battery on your winter car if you can, or else cycle it through charge ups, and gradual discharge (say with a test lamp strapped to it), or buy a trickle charger to keep it on the boil. One final final point, it might be worth advising your insurers that the car is laid up, it could result in a reduction in premium for the months of the policy that the car is out of use for, needing as it will Laid Up cover only .. check with your insurers to find out what they can do in this respect! So by now your classic should be glistening beneath its carefully positioned covers in the garage, ready and willing to be brought back to life when the weather improves. You can now turn your attentions to drawing up a list of jobs you can do to it while its off the road, and attend some classic car shows to get the bits you'll be needing!! |
|
|
Custom Search
|
|
Website design by ableweb Disclaimer & Privacy Policy |