Laying up the car ready for winter

[Chris Garner]

All sensible advice, I can’t really add any more other than to say I use my Seven all year round (great fun in the snow!) and just keep everything as clean as I can underneath and moving parts well greased.

+1

I used to worry about preservation and longevity of my cars but I now believe that the biggest damage done is by not using them!

Cheers

Howard

It is a fact that Sevens, and I'm sure other makes, do not like NOT being used. Having several Sevens means that some do not get driven regularly and once back in service take a good few miles before they feel " right ". I sometimes wonder how cars which were laid up during WW11, even if on bricks and regularly turned over by hand, fared when put back on the road after those 5/6 years.

[Mike Costigan]

I am reminded of this pic, a still taken from a 1943 American film 'Know your Allies'.


  1943 Know your Allies film_Denoise.jpg (Size: 46.3 KB / Downloads: 297)

[GM6VXB]

Thanks all.
I think I will drain and flush the cooling system and leave with an antifreeze mix
over winter. At least if we do get a few decent enough days it will be ready to drive.
Will also change all oils even though the rear axle and gearbox oils are fairly new.

The car cover I have is supposedly breathable but might try with a cotton cover inside it.

I have carpets on the garage floor, more to make it slightly more comfortable when
lying under the car, but point taken about bare concrete.

We have a cat, so no mouse problems. She does like to sleep in the car
when I leave the garage door open.

Looks like we have a few more fine days so chance of a few more runs, but will
start the winterizing later next week.

Thanks again,

Martin.

[Ivor Hawkins]

The cat asleep in the car…better than any trap!

[Dave Mann]

Or on the car      with the padding the Seven was preferred.

[Nick Turley]

I always blow the tyres up very hard ie 60 PSI
Make sure I have clean coolant (blue 50/50 with water) only lasts two years.
Low dilutions do not have the anticorrosion properties.
Fill petrol tank up to the top and put a dose of millers tanksafe in it.

[GM6VXB]

Nick,
The fuel tank was something I was wondering about, already having had problems
with it.
I had not heard of the additive so will get some in the hope I do not end up with a 'bad' fuel tank again.

Many thanks on the tip.

Martin.

[Peter Naulls]

A recent post on Facebook. Apologies to the person who posted it who I forgot to note...

1945 and Mr C Stilwell takes the covers off his Austin Seven car, which had sat in the garage of his home in Farnham, Surrey, since the outbreak of war in 1939.

   

[Ivor Hawkins]

What a lovely shot, but I can’t help noticing how narrow that garage is!

[John Cornforth]

There must be countless numbers of those narrow garages which were the latest thing in the 1930's to anyone buying a new house. My Father still has such a garage. It's just a nice size to park his mobility scooter !