I wanted to set up a poll (not sure how to do this). I wanted to see the feed-back from fellow F-Chatters "What do you consider is a 'Garage Queen'"? Two categories for consideration: #1, number of miles driven per year. #2, weather conditions you dirive in. So for #1 - Less than 500 miles a year, between 501-1500 miles a year, between 1501-2500 miles, between 2501-3500 miles, between 3501-4000. #2 - won't drive if there is any chance of rain/snow, won't go out if it is raining or snowing (can't think of any other weather category)
anything less than 50/week. or poll choice # four, 2501-3500 It's not just the total miles, it is how often you use it to keep all in order....it is ALIVE!!!!
I have only had it for 9 months. I spent the first three months getting the maintenance up to date so I wasn't driving it at all. I can't give an accurate annual estimate but in the six months I have been able to drive it I put on 2500 miles. I use it for commuting to work and any other trip where parking it away from careless people is not an issue. So Home Depot and the grocery store are OK because I can park at the far end of the parking lot. I won't drive if there is any chance of rain/snow. I also wouldn't take it out if there were piles of melting snow. In fact I won't drive it after a snow until the chemicals have been washed away by a subsequent rain storm. I don't consider it a garage queen.
Yep, cars are living objects as strange as it sounds. Treat them too nice (as garage queens) and the b1tch will crap all over you. Rape um (properly) -- and they love you and will run trouble-free for a long time. All Strange, but All True.
You need to subscribe to create a poll. I think <1,000 miles a year is serious royalty for a 308/328. I'd also say avoiding rain/snow, and regular errand driving, would qualify a car. That said, I don't think there is anything wrong with an Italian automotive coronation. Yes, there is something pointless and scary about a 5,000-mile, 25 year old 3x8 at this point -- why not remove the engine and hang it on the wall? -- but there is something equally stupid, or maybe vain, about taking a 25-year old exotic car to crawl through the parking lot to pick up the dry cleaning when you have a better daily driver available. I think there needs to be an opposite category, maybe "Road Rat", for Ferrari 308/328s that get driven every day and used up faster.
+1 and would add: make sure each run is up to temps, and taken in order from warm-up to run full then proper cool down. Perfectly understand this as both mine [WHEN not down for a reason] are daily drivers....so, this mark is well in specs and stationary or moving, always art.
LOL Not a single one of my cars gets that many miles in a year! I guess I have 5 garage queens. Total annual mileage on all 5 cars combined is <10,000. My Ferrari only got 307 miles this year, and my '67 Pontiac GTO got 38 miles. Even my daily driver BMW got less than 2000 miles added to the clock. Added 3000 miles to the wife's BMW and another 3000 to our beater truck and what's that, a total of about 8500 miles for the year.
Same here. My daily driver, disposable-and-goes-to-the-cheap-car wash Audi has done 10,000 miles over 16 months, or 7500 miles a year. When I go long distances, I always end up flying.
I put 3000 miles on my 328 in a week but it is a part time garage queen now and unfortunately will remain one for at least several years. I am only in MD, where the car is located, for approximately 14 weeks per year. They are not consecutive - 6 weeks in May/Jun, 6 weeks in Sep/Oct, and 2 weeks in early December. During those periods it is a daily driver but otherwise, it sits alone in a storage garage. Despite the fact that there is a Ferrari Dealer only a 10 minute walk from the house, keeping the car here in Mexico City would be insane,
..a 20 + year old car with only 10,000 original km's (approx. 6200 miles) ! have a friend who has a 79 308 hes afraid to start since he hasnt driven it in years?!?&^^ now thats sad :-(
