wacky.banana

I'm thinking of storing my STi for the winter and using a 2nd car as a run-around. The car will be stored on our drive with a car cover to protect it against the elements.

My question is how do I prevent the following from happening:

- Brake discs becoming affected by rust.
- Brake pads seizing against the disks.
- Flat spots developing on the tyres.
- Moisture collection within the exhaust system potentially causing rust problems.
- Fungus growing on the rubber window surrounds.
- Rubber bushings, gaiters, being affected.
- Other "wear & tear" issues caused by the inclement winter weather.

Having seen all of the above happen to a previous car that was little used in the winter I would appreciate some sound, sensible advice please.

No, the car won't fit into our garage.

Thanks

WB

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

Best way to prevent all that is the drive the bloody thing..

It's a Subaru not a Ferrari!

Brun

Even English winters do have dry days - Just get it out for a good run once a week

swiftnick

LOL @ jolly grren monster perhaps thats why he wants to store it from the elements

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

I know its been cold recently but surely its a bit soon to be thinking about this, or have you just been to the cinema to see the day after tomorrow ?

Mark A

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

PS. I'll look after it if you like !!

Mark A

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

- Brake discs becoming affected by rust.

Leave alone, you'll get a film of rust that will wear off the next time you use it...just go easy on them for the first 50 odd miles, you could take them off and store them inside, may need to get hold of some old discs to enable you put the wheel back on.

- Brake pads seizing against the disks.

Not much apart from move the car weekly, or above

- Flat spots developing on the tyres.

Store car on axle stands, take off wheels and tyres, store them in the dark at half their usual pressure, although storing on axle stand will unsettle the suspension. Buy some cheapy wheels/tyres to store the car on

- Moisture collection within the exhaust system potentially causing rust problems.

Get a stainless steel exhaust

- Fungus growing on the rubber window surrounds.

Clean it!! treat rubber with silicone/rubber treatment/amour-all

- Rubber bushings, gaiters, being affected.

They'll perish if you use it or not, so not alot you can do.

Other things - battery remove and check/topup charge every few months, engine don't start unless your going to use it, few table spoons of oil down the spark plug holes then crank for a few seconds with the Cranks sensor removed. Repeat every 6 months. Change oil upon re-comissioning (establish oil pressure by cranking with crank sensor disconnected before firing up). Also petrol goes off, so take it easy until you get a fresh tank of petrol.

It would be far easier just to take it for a spin every 3 or so weeks

wacky.banana

Guys,

Thanks for the responses.

Simon (JGM), believe it or not I got out of bed this morning, looked outside, and there was a Ferrari stood in the spot where I park the Scoob! Then I woke up!

Mark-A, just a bit of forward planning on my part. And thanks for the offer to look after it, not sure what your baby minding skills are like.

Ali-B, thanks for the insight.

Seems the easiest way out is to give it a run once a week. Will have to work around that.

Cheers

WB

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

lol..

I sort of do the opposite..

I ride a motorcycle through the summer and use the Scoob in the winter but I make sure I used the car once a week else the brakes lock on and the engine valve train rattles on first start up

You can try and minimise the pad to disk stick by stopping it on the handbrake rather than pedal and then leaving the handbrake off.. then none of the pads are touching the disks and the hand brake shoes also are not touching.

The worse thing I did was wash the car and then move it a car length and then leave it there two weeks.. the water went around all the disks and then I moved the pads onto the wet bit and I had a hell of a time when I got back from my holiday.

I do feel they should be driven though.. mine gets used for weekend duty through the summer..

Also the wife has had two identical cars, same colour and everything and same year.. first one had average miles when we bought it and had very few problems.. current one has very low miles around 30k and it is 6years old.. and it has been nothing but trouble.. could be a one off but I really feel driving a car does it less harm..

My Scoob had 149,000miles on it!

wacky.banana

Simon,

I agree that there is no substitute for driving the car. Had all the isues you described with your wife's low mileage car with my wife's low mileage Ford Ka. In the end it was easier to sell the damn thing and try again. This was a car with 8K on the clock after 3 years ownership!

I live out in the sticks so driving the Scoob in the winter is awful. Not only does one have to contend with horse, cow and sheep dung, tree moss, etc (only natural, btw) but it's just too easy to stick one's pride and joy into the hedges on roads covered in slurry. I assure you no amount of 4 wheel drive trickery and opposite lock expertise will get you out of a slurry hedge dump, as I call it

You then go to clean the car with a high pressure hose & a great deal of tlc, leave it for a day or 2 and hey presto, locked pads and rusting disks.

I think the advice to drive it on a dry winter's day is the way forward. I posted up originally as you hear of no end of cars being stored in the winter and I thought it was a relatively easy thing to do if one followed some "tricks of the trade", so to speak.

Cheers and enjoy your car.

WB

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

Live out in the sticks also although less dung about

Mainly muds and road salt..

I spend hours polishing hedge scratches out of the passenger side! especially after the wife has driven it

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

brrrrrrrrrrrr

wacky.banana

Yup, recognise that kind of road and the conditions. Snow doesn't quite have the pungent and unmistakable aroma of dung though, maybe not even dung's super high slippery coefficient

No comments re your wife's driving except to say mine has her own car for her own purposes (read into that what you will).