How do you maintain your "stored" car? | FerrariChat

How do you maintain your "stored" car?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by pninja005, Feb 2, 2020.

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  1. pninja005

    pninja005 Formula Junior

    Nov 10, 2010
    469
    Europe
    I still see a lot of people "collecting" these. I wonder how they maintain those sitting cars?
    Do they fire up the engine every month and let it idle? Just put the trickle charger and forget?

    Personally I hibernate (trickle charger + cover in heated garage; no engine running) my cars 4-6 months a year (winter period) and always wonder if even that is a good thing or not.
     
  2. 348KYD

    348KYD Karting

    Jul 29, 2007
    65
    Bedfordshire, UK
    Full Name:
    Nick
    Mine are on battery conditioners, stored in the garage (unheated) but not covered. Here in the UK we get bright dry days even in the winter so I try and get them out for a drive at least every month.
     
  3. Alex308qv

    Alex308qv Formula Junior

    Jul 1, 2016
    378
    PA
    Full Name:
    Alex
    Add StaBil, fill tank, drive around a bit, run A/C for couple minutes, store under a cover with battery tender, run till hot (fans kick on) every month or so like 10-15 minutes, run A/C a couple minutes to keep seals lubed, take short drive if possible. On one of those times I’ll do my annual oil change. Never had any “spring surprises.”
     
  4. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 27, 2001
    5,516
    Duluth, MN
    Full Name:
    The Meister

    let it/them sit for idle the 4-6 months. That's best.
     
  5. vincep99

    vincep99 Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 8, 2009
    1,929
    I agree: if you can't take them out for a good run, let them sit all winter. Mine is on a tender, under a car cover, and in a car bag to prevent mice from getting in.
     
  6. EnzoItaly

    EnzoItaly Formula Junior

    Sep 29, 2016
    263
    In a climate controlled garage under a car cover on trickle charger. Doing a drive of an hour at least 4 times a year.


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  7. MalcQV

    MalcQV F1 Rookie

    Oct 11, 2004
    3,292
    Manchester, UK
    Full Name:
    Malc Holden
    Dehumidified partially heated and integral to the house, garage. It also sits under an indoor Ferrari OEM cover on an Optimate trickle charger.
     
  8. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2014
    3,778
    Europe, but not by much.
    Full Name:
    Nuno
    Same here, zero issues. And I also believe it’s best to let it sit than expose it to winter conditions. You can’t explore the car’s performance in the winter anyway.

    Kind regards,

    Nuno.
     
  9. Rossocorsa1

    Rossocorsa1 F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2017
    6,200
    My cars are stored in a climate controlled environment (heated, air conditioning, humidity stabilized), and in air circulated capsules. When not driven, they are always on a battery tender. I don’t use an fuel stabilizer because they contain additives. Instead, I only use C9 fuel from VP Racing. It’s pure racing fuel and superb for your engine, both when sitting and running. I don’t drive my cars in inclement weather, regardless of the time of year. I drive them on perfect, dry, sunny days only in the spring, summer and fall, and I build the engines slowly to a high temperature so everything is well lubed and exercised. I also always run the AC, move the windows, pop-up lights, etc. The cars are in perfect operating condition.

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  10. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    There was a good thread on this a while back with Rifledriver and other pros chipping in. The consensus was I think that storage is not great but nor are short cold journeys.

    I keep mine in winter in a heated garage, detailed, covered, trickle charged. The only note I have to add is that when I have driven them on cold sunny winter days (with no salt on the roads), Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tyres and Supersports are even more noticeably superior to Pirelli P Zeros than they are in the warm. I suspect cold weather actually degrades the Pirellis irrevocably.
     
    AlfistaPortoghese likes this.
  11. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

    Jul 1, 2013
    7,348
    Weston, MA
    Full Name:
    Paul
    I store mine uncovered, up on blocks, in the local Wal Mart parking lot. I do leave it under one of the light poles though.



    (Apologies to Rossocorsa1 :D)
     
    Dane, Zed82, tomc and 1 other person like this.
  12. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 23, 2014
    4,399
    i drive my cars year around so i don't know much about storage
     
    Boomhauer likes this.
  13. Zed82

    Zed82 Formula Junior

    Sep 28, 2017
    479
    Sweden
    Are they investments?
     
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  14. IloveGT

    IloveGT Formula 3
    BANNED

    Oct 17, 2015
    2,419
    Driving is the best maintenance. Things break when they are not used.
     
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