Quote:
Originally Posted by happy1
Hi,
I'm sure there is a lot of information on the internet about how to store a museum/collector car.
First of all I think we need to understand what environment you will park it in? What state are you in, is the garage insulated? Is it far from the sea?
Some of the procedures described on the internet would be to protect from winter climate. In Australia it may be less humid therefore this may be less relevant.
It also depends how often you wish to take your car on the road (Sunday drive).
Having new, clean fluids is generally the first thing to do for storage. New high-quality Coolant with anti-corrosion should prevent any troubles. Clean oil is better than old.
Personally I don't worry so much of jacking up tyres. (too much work). Tyres should be replaced anyway if they are much older than 5 years old. Tyres that has been sitting for some months may be a bit 'bouncy' the first little drive, but should recover within half an hour of use.
The battery needs to be disconnected and fully charged every few weeks if you intend to make it last its maximum possible life. (approx 5 to 7 years before it is dead anyway) A battery is relatively cheap to replace ($150'ish) so if the car is stored for years I would consider not maintaining the battery but get a new one when the car goes back into use.
Starting the car weekly... Oh no, please don't do that; Your spark plugs would very soon be clogged by soot and deposits. Starting it once a year YES, but not every week.
Old petrol; I would suggest to have an almost empty petrol tank, and fill in some litres of new petrol for the yearly start-up / drive. Old petrol will be a problem for you, and it will be difficult to start a car containing old petrol. (less flammable etc.)
Chrome / rust protection; Depending on your climate and your garage humidity, I would consider adding some rust proofing wax or grease to metal parts such as door handles, bumpers etc. If your storage location is as dry as possible this wouldn't be a problem but applying wax or grease could be a good preventative measure.
Measure humidity.. If you are unsure about how dry your storage is, maybe measure it, or visit your car on a cold, rainy day to check there is no condensation / visual humidity.
Brake discs; If I have parked a car outside for some weeks, the brake discs turn rusty.
I have found that this rust does not go away by itself, and will quickly glaze the brake discs. If your garage isn't as dry as ideal then you can either apply oil/ wax on the discs before storage and wash it away with brake-clean before going back on the road, or I have also quite successfully used electric sanding machine with some 80-grit paper to remove the surface rust of the discs BEFORE taking the car back on the road. In my experience if you start driving the car again with rust on the brake discs it will immediately glaze, and it will not remove itself.
My view is that driving a car regularly doesn't help much towards 'A1' condition. I think controlling the humidity is more important. Again if you for example is in dry, sunny WA, then this wouldn't be a problem.
I hope some of the above was useful for you.
Cheers,
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Firm believer in starting the engine & run up to temperature at regular intervals, I've seen many times engines not used for extended periods where the the oil seals harden up & fail requiring new gaskets & seals to be fitted.
No harm jacking car up to keep wheels off ground as this does preserve tyres.
If car is be covered then a reputable car cover that breaths is recommended to avoid moisture build up.