If you are storing your cars for the winter, don't forget to: 1. Start the car every 10 days; let it run for about 10 minutes. 2. If in a heated garage, make sure all the rubber seals around the windows and tires are oiled with rubber oil solutiona nd keep the car covered (garage heat is very dry and can crack the rubber). 3. Condition the entire leather interior. 4. If you have an F355 Spider, every 30 days or so cycle the power top a couple times. Following this 4 little steps will keep your car in a great shape for the comming spring and summer drive.
Damn Right we do, although I would argue when we get to the Spring it will be like a rebirth of our ownership all over again. In DC we are having a day of 58 degrees next Monday, so #63 will be on the roads of Northern VA so keep your eyes peeled fellas... MB
Thanks for the reminder. I was aware and have done 1-3 but I never thought about 4. I am going to put the top down tonight. I haven't had it down since the last F1 race party.
I wouldn't recommend #1. Starting a Ferrari up for 10 minutes in a cold climate will barely allow the water temperature to reach the normal operating range and certainly the oil temperature will not reach the normal operating range. Starting a car in a cold climate will cause a lot of air to be entrained into the engine, air that has moisture in it no matter how dry the air seems. If the engine is not allowed to get up to a sustained operating temperature and allowed to operate at that temperature for some duration (most would say at least 30 minutes) you run the risk of entraining a lot of moisture into the engine without evaporating it off right away. Ferrari of Denver has a good "winter storage checklist" and do's and don'ts on their website, and they vehemently oppose the long accepted practice of starting a car and letting it idle for 10 minutes in the driveway. From Ferrari of Denver's website: Q. What's the best way to store my exotic/specialty car through the winter season? A. Depends on where in the USA you are, but lots of basics remain the same for most cars; exotics and otherwise. First, read this eye-opening article by Ferrari expert Mike Sheehan about the ravages of improper storage. Once you understand the issues of time & degradation, these next paragraphs make sense. .......Here's The Short version......: One winter? Change the oil, check the coolant & tires, park it inside on a battery maintainer & leave it for the entire season. And put the top up. That's it. .......The Long version....... One winter? First, park it INSIDE after a hot run with fresh oil & filter, and leave it there until spring. Yes, leave it parked. More on that later. Car covers are unnecessary in the garage, except cloth or light silk; unless you share your storage with your wood shop. Remember dust and scratching when the cover comes off, goes on, comes off... you know you can't just leave it alone. NO outside storage under a car cover; no matter how expensive the cover was. It's the worst thing to do to any car. Car covers used outside trap heat, moisture, dirt, birds, rodents; and then the cover grinds away at the paint with every little gust of breeze. Every Spring we'll see a couple of cars damaged by being parked outside under a cover. Direct sunlight is your car's worst nightmare, but a car cover isn't the right solution. Uncovered in a north facing carport beats outside under any car cover. Go rent/borrow a neighbor's garage. Short term, if you have no choice, leave it outside and cover the windows from the inside with a silver deflector. Not great but better than a car cover. Here's THE biggie: Don't back it out of the garage and let it idle in the driveway for a half hour during its time off the roads; a pretty common habit and EVERY manufacturer recommends not doing it. I'd wager that it's in your owner's manual no matter what make, model, year. If your collector car is older and has a generator (vs. alternator), idling won't charge the battery either. Good grief, Mike Parmakian loves to hear himself talk! Leave it parked OR go drive 30 miles. (re-read Mike Sheehan if you still need convincing) Idling pumps huge volumes of moisture into the exhaust system & crankcase to create rust & sludge. Simple as that. Even if you rev it up a few times, the moisture stays because there's no load on the power train; no load, no ultra-hot exhaust system, no ultra-hot oil temperature... just lots of moisture in the works. Rust inside your engine is your own fault. Weber carburetor cars at idle for long periods will literally wash lubricating oil off the cylinder walls. Again, Leave it parked OR go drive 30 miles. Battery: Buy a battery tender; the newer your car the more important this is for the microprocessors & computers. No need to disconnect the battery, especially on anything fairly new with computers; they'll lose memory and that might create hassles that only the dealer can resolve. (Especially true on F1 Ferrari). Keep the battery charged and the circuitry powered. Keyless entry? Take the key and put it in the house. Bentley Continentals, newer Corvettes, newer SLs, can drain the battery in mere days because the proximity sensor in the key/car assumes you'll be right back and keeps the electronics on 'standby'. If you leave the key in the car for the season, goodbye Mr. Battery. 996 Porsche cars can drain the battery in 2 days with the key in the ignition. Note: Bentley Continentals have a key activated on-board spare battery for those forgetful owners. Don't set the car's alarm in the garage unless security is an issue. If the alarm is off, there is slightly less draw on the dormant battery. Important to note: Chargers v. Maintainers: Some chargers won't go to low enough amps for long term; ok for storage IF you remember that chargers can evaporate some of the water out of a conventional battery over a season. Remember to check & top-up the water in the battery at the spring start up. Convertibles: leave the soft top UP so the material will stay stretched. Really important on power tops. Crucial on 355s & 360s & 430s, as well as Bentley Arnage & GTC. Never put a wet top down & then leave it down for the season (as in: washed & parked). Instantly ruined. And it always happens to half-dozen cars each Spring. Oops. Other perils: Rodent damage. Always expensive.... Storage inside a dirt-floor barn is always a huge problem: rodents love cars and they are somehow attracted to wiring and upholstery. Mousetraps? Barn cats? Maybe. Ultrasonic things have proven useless in most buildings. And don't feed the dog in the same place you store the car; that's the food supply for those mice living in your car. Regular cement floor warehouses, garages or hangars aren't immune to mice either; take an occasional look under the hood for those little tell-tale mouse droppings. Then let your cat sleep in the garage. Humidity: In humid climates, if practical, run a dehumidifier in the garage (you'll need to have a floor drain). Always leave the car windows open & trunk ajar to keep the air fresh and the carpets from mildew. You know that smell... a humid region car. It's permanent, and won't just go away. Lysol spray works to slow mildew, but dehumidifying is the best. Heated garage spaces are less humid because the furnace helps dry the air. And don't leave the car in the same barn as the horse unless you like that sort of aroma (it doesn't go away either). Gasoline: Humid regions/Cold regions: add 'heet' (alcohol) to the gas for the spring start up, it attracts water molecules and sends it harmlessly in solution with fuel. Boat owners know about 'StaBil' for gas: Use it (read the mix ratios) in your car to keep the gas from turning to junk over the winter. It keeps gas from gumming up. Sta-Bil recommends running the product thru the fuel lines and injectors or carbs, prior to shut off. Some guys believe the tank should be full, some feel it should be empty. It won't matter for just one season. But... for extended length storage (years), DRAIN the gas tank, run the engine till it starves for fuel... clean tank, clean lines, clean carbs or injectors. Classic storage wisdom suggests oiling the cylinders against rust and frozen rings. It isn't hard on the car; Especially when you might actually want to drive it again one day. Run it out of gas, oil the cylinders. Tires: Assuming proper inflation, tires can survive months of sitting, and if they 'flat-spot' should be ok in a few miles. Radials can park for years with no adverse issues (properly inflated), usually able to "round-out" in one heat cycle. Parking on squares of rug will help mitigate that thumping on the first drive. If it's a problem that you feel strongly about, roll the car to another spot on the tires each month. But it isn't necessary. R&T agrees, see 2/08, 'Woodshed', p.111 100% Nitrogen (an inert gas) is gaining popularity for dehumidified & steady inflation of your tires; through all seasons. We offer it at our service department or from any high-end tire company. Costco has it too. 100% Nitrogen is completely dry; no more etching/corrosion inside the wheel, which can make the bead less than perfect. Bias Ply tires: Ignore everything you just read if you have older original nylon or rayon ply tires tires (almost anything pre-war and large American classics). They need the weight taken off for long term storage... a side post lift is great. Coolant. Antifreeze (ANY automotive coolant) in the proper mix is paramount. Pretty simple. 100% water is not acceptable: promotes Electrolysis. I was once given an LP400 Miura with a completely ruined engine because 100% water was in the cooling system for years. A Costly and stupid error. Arctic temps? Like Steamboat Springs or Jackson Hole or Edmonton.... sheet metal will contract more than some older paint can flex. The result is fractured paint, so bad it'll actually flake off; something we saw recently on a 512BB (Steamboat, in a barn, maybe -40). Find heated storage, it's not just a luxury. R-R. Crewe-built Rolls Royce motorcars shouldn't be stored long term at all; the hydraulics need to be operated (driven). So figure out how NOT to store it long term. Warm and dry winter days... go for a drive in the neighborhood. Or better, get on the highway and drive 30 miles.Did we forget to mention, Mike Parmakian loves to hear himself talk? Just get it up to temp. A garage-queen is a R-R that needs a LOT of service (usually ignored & sold on E-bay). An oft-driven RR is a happy machine. Seasonal storage is not harmful for any car, but a little care for the tires, fuel and battery will make that spring start-up effortless.... Check your tires, check your fluids, and go drive. And remember, no idling in the driveway anymore!
