Letting A Car Sit

[FloatingBrick]

I put a grand total of ~500 miles on my '81 LTD this year, so I think I'm going to drop the insurance and let it sit until I decide what to do. I should probably sell it, but I'm not there yet.

I changed the oil in early November using Shell 10W30 and an AA total Grip filter.

Last year I would take it on monthly runs to get it up to operating temp. Without insurance I won't do that. Is it worth even starting it up monthly or so and letting it idle for a while? Or, should I just let it sit? I guess I could drive it up and down the alley a few times if that would make a difference.

TIA for your thoughts.

 

[NateDN10]

Is it garaged? If it is, there won't be much difference between sitting for a week and sitting for a year. Starting it up monthly just to idle will only add wear.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

I would keep it insured, you can tell the insurance company what you want to do with it, and they could give you a "classic" rate or something.

I would drive it at least once a month, hiway or city to keep everything lubed. Engine/trans/rear axle. The drive will help keep the bushings and tires from drying out too. I may be wrong on that... The worst thing to do to a car is not drive it and let it sit... My .02

Dave

 

[rslifkin]

If you need to let it sit, change the oil (don't want any acids, etc in there), fill the gas tank all the way with a dose of Sta-bil or other fuel stabilizer added. Then, with the engine warm, slowly pour some oil (engine oil, MMO, it doesn't matter much) down the carb until it starts to cough and smoke. Have a helper handy when you do this, so they can shut it off while you're still pouring. That'll coat the cylinders lightly with oil, preventing rust. Should be good for a couple years with no concerns that way.

 

[Vikas]

Your tires are going to go out of round. Well at least mine do if I don't drive a vehicle for more than 4 days :-(

- Vikas

 

[KJack]

im from a country area in mississippi so i see no proplem driving it once every month or 2. as long as u drive careful, insurance wont hurt u on a 25 to 30 mile trip.

im sure that the shell 10w30 oil is a good oil but i would change to a good synthetic oil from wal mart. the syntheic would help more on start up than a conventional oil after sitting for so long. i think any name brand would be good for the amount of miles you travel. the 5 qt jugs are cheaper than buying the single qt

im no expert but thats just my imput

 

[Smokescreen]

They have parking status for cars so that you can keep a car insured without having to have it reinspected up here in Alberta Canada. Most people use that for their summer cars.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Letting a vehicle sit unused is almost as bad as neglecting basic maintenance and maybe worse. A 1981 LTD doesn't have a whole lot of value to begin with and if you let sit for a couple of years I can just about guarantee you that it will cost you more to get it driveable than it is worth.

 

[daves87rs]

I tend to have that issue with my Cav this time of year. (Car doesn't see salt)If it goes a while, I'll warm her up for a little while. First time the car is free from salt ( a nice rain), I'll drive the heck out of it until it's time for it to go back again. I've only had one year where it sat for a while (Bad winter, also injured).

Car will be 7 early next year, and is in great shape. So do whatever you can, I think it will be fine.

 

[pavelow]

Originally Posted By: FloatingBrick
I put a grand total of ~500 miles on my '81 LTD this year, so I think I'm going to drop the insurance and let it sit until I decide what to do. I should probably sell it, but I'm not there yet.

I changed the oil in early November using Shell 10W30 and an AA total Grip filter.

Last year I would take it on monthly runs to get it up to operating temp. Without insurance I won't do that. Is it worth even starting it up monthly or so and letting it idle for a while? Or, should I just let it sit? I guess I could drive it up and down the alley a few times i moisture remover packs in the interior and cover the car up with a all weather cover. If you don't care about the tires, don't bother put ting it up on jackstands.f that wou and trans fluid/geld make a difference.

TIA for your thoughts.
At a minimum, fill the gas tank and change the oil and filter. It wouldn''t hurt to throw some moisture remover packs in the interior and cover it up wth an all weather cover. If you are going to drive it, keep it running for at least 15 minutes once it reaches operating temp to burn the moisture out of the oil/trans fluid/gear lube. A nice highway trip can take care of that for you. And keep that gas tank full at all times to keep moisture out.

 

[Bamaro]

With weather concerns relating to salt on the roads, mine can sit for a month or more in the winter without driving or starting. I wont start it unless I can drive it so as to avoid additional 'dry' starts. I dont think there is any real difference between sitting for a week or a month.

 

[CBR.worm]

My buddy just got back from being overseas for two years. His Toyota sienna which had been bulletproof before parking it (with 160k miles) has been an absolute nightmare since his return. He took all the right steps before leaving, and it was indoors on blocks.

In the last month his transmission has failed, his AC died his engine now leaks oil and he has a fuel leak at the fuel rail. He said when he was driving it yesterday he could smell coolant and one of the sliding doors stopped working.

Coincidence? Maybe, but before parking it the van was 100% reliable.

 

[meep]

winterize it like you would a boat. fuel stabilizer, fog the cylinders. get it off the tires. REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID so no rust sets in the calipers. my insurance wants $50 annual for a car that isn't driven, basically if a tree falls on it or a housefire eats it.

rubber bits may fail, but rubber bits fail anyway.

 

[Torino]

There are LIMITED USE policies available. Check them out and drive it occasionally. John--Las Vegas.

 

[Jeepster_nut]

Cars are like the human body, they aren't meant to sit still. If a car isn't used it goes to pot. I would sell it.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: FloatingBrick
I put a grand total of ~500 miles on my '81 LTD this year, so I think I'm going to drop the insurance and let it sit until I decide what to do. I should probably sell it, but I'm not there yet.

I changed the oil in early November using Shell 10W30 and an AA total Grip filter.

Last year I would take it on monthly runs to get it up to operating temp. Without insurance I won't do that. Is it worth even starting it up monthly or so and letting it idle for a while? Or, should I just let it sit? I guess I could drive it up and down the alley a few times if that would make a difference.

TIA for your thoughts.


I'd just let it sit.

That's what I do with my '94 Xj12. I should probably sell it, but I have space in the cathouse so I've just covered it and am letting it sit until I decide what to do with it. I did purge the fuel injection system, but that was about it.

It has only 76K miles, but all the rubber parts are old and the car needs to be extensively taken apart to replace them. Every spring I tell myself this is the year that I will get around to it, but with other newer cars to drive, I just never do.

Do you have a sentimental attachment to the car? My wife has a '79 Cadillac Sedan De Ville that she won't let me get rid of. It only has 59K on it.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
My buddy just got back from being overseas for two years. His Toyota sienna which had been bulletproof before parking it (with 160k miles) has been an absolute nightmare since his return. He took all the right steps before leaving, and it was indoors on blocks.

In the last month his transmission has failed, his AC died his engine now leaks oil and he has a fuel leak at the fuel rail. He said when he was driving it yesterday he could smell coolant and one of the sliding doors stopped working.

Coincidence? Maybe, but before parking it the van was 100% reliable.

Was this near the Florida coast? I've seen horrible corrosion near the coast. It's affected our condo and any car we kept for any length of time there. We even have salt crystals form on glassware kept indoors.

 

[pavelow]

Small price to pay for living in Florida huh? lol. I was stationed in Ft Walton Beach, which is right on the Gulf. I never had any significant corrosion issues, but yeah, there's always that salt mist in the air.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

I have a 97 Isuzu rodeo with 200k miles, in immaculant condition considering it's mileage, maintenance has been utmost prestine on this truck, it's been a good truck and very reliable.

In the last 3yrs, we're only averaging 4,500 miles on it each year....we've had more issues with voltage, transmission pan gasket weeps, etc since this routine started.

Truck's still overall in prestine condition, but it definitely lets me know that it prefers to be driven more then once every 3wks.

Parking a car and letting it sit for long periods is only causing seals/gaskets/hoses to dry out and crack causing leaks to develop.

My grandparents had a 86 chevy 454 p/up that, in 2006 only had 60k miles on it; now my granddad was top quality preventative maintenance mechanic on all their vehicles, they just had too many and some sat way too long and too often.

He drove that truck once every other month or when he felt like it; after he passed away, that truck was given to my aunt as a DD - wasn't but 3 days into her week rear main seal started pouring oil, several radiator hoses blew, fuel system started leaking, you name it....and it was all because it just sat over 90% of it's lifetime.

 

[ted s]

i have collectors cars that are in storage about 4 -5 months a year. the key is proper storage.