How should I store my car?

[dawn_and_darrian]

Drive it... your kids will want it when they're older.
Or just sell it to me :)

> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> John Graf
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent:
> Tuesday, April 04, 2006 3:14
> PM
> Subject:
> Re: [2cylinderhondas] How should
> I store my car?
> My kids think I've popped a gasket because I have this car > too small by their standards and I think it is too good to drive.
> So
> what do you all think do I have a museum piece worth preserving or should I > drive it and enjoy it?
> It's a 72 N600, all original, including the
> factory plastic covering the doors and original tires with some of the > "whiskers" still on them, and just under 8,000 original miles on the odometer.
> There is no rust anywhere and everything works OK, it does need a muffler > and an oil change. (It spent about 25 years of its life in a dealer's > showroom.) > Drive lots or preserve the thing? Tell me what you > think.
> John
> On Apr 4, 2006, at 2:35 PM, Eddie Hill
> wrote:
> > seems like it would be easier just to drive it and get some > > joy out of it..lol

[friend]

I have to disagree on the oil, you need to leave it in the engine because you can't remove all of it.  Same goes with the gas tank, if you can remove all of it, then yes, but that means pulling the lines and blowing every thing down, same with the brakes.  If you remove fluids it all has to be removed.  Just as you said with the carb, but you forgot the accelerator pump on the carb. It too needs to be opened and cleaned.  Blowing it out with compressed air only adds water unless it is left open to the air to dry.  But then your up in the far north where there is still snow on the ground and humidity is high.
    The name of the game is corrosion control.  And, you need to start your car up every few months to keep it in running condition.   Or pull it apart and clean it up.  Condensation will be in your engine and every where else.  Your car's last owner kept it running and it has held up so far.  For your area talk to one of the local Auto Museums and find out what they are doing.
Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com [mailto:2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com] > On > Behalf Of > goinhm@...
> Sent:
> Tuesday, April 04, 2006 2:11
> AM
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> Subject:
> Re:
> [2cylinderhondas] How should I store my car?
> Greetings,
>    I saw the various comments regarding how to store your Honda > 600.  Here are my comments;
> 1)   Don't expect all your parts to survive long term
> storage.  Your chances are worse if the part is used (i.e.  a > brand new engine is easy to store,  a used one is more difficult).
> 2)  Store the vehicle in a dry place.  Cover it with a car > cover which breathes.  Climate-controlled is great if you want to spend > the money.  Moisture is one of your problems.  Try to avoid direct > sunlight.  The UV degrades the plastic and rubber.  Store in an area > which is free of rodents and insects (the insects are hard to eliminate but do > eliminate rodent problems).
> 3)  Forget about putting oil in the engine.  You are
> not using the vehicle....what is the point of the oil unless you plan on > keeping it circulating within the engine.  Any moisture in the air > will be trapped under the oil (water is heavier than oil).  If > the car which you want to store has gross looking oil,  replace it > with clean oil, run the engine, then drain it.
> 4).  Get rid of the battery.  Get rid of the gasoline.
> Pump gas contains alcohol and alcohol absorbs moisture which leads to > corroision.  A dry fuel system is better than one filled with auto > gasoline.  If you must fill up your car with gas,  go down to > the local airport and purchase 100 LL  (the LL mean low lead) > aviation gasoline.  Fill your car with this and let it run so it can > displace the old gas in the system.  100 LL has an excellent storage life > (as an auto gas).
> 5.  Take the carb off,  remove the float bowl and clean it > out.  Any fuel in the carb will dry out and leave a residue.
> Loosen or remove the fan belt,  remove the spark plugs.  Plug up the > spark plug holes and intake.  If the engine is used,  you might want > to spray some fogging oil in each cylinder (you can purchase it at a > marine/boat supply store...... boat owners go through a ritual every year to > store boats for the winter which includes items useful for car owners).
> 6.  Take the wheels/tires off your car.  Store them on their > side or any other way which prevents flat spotting them.  And let out the > air and keep the tires away from direct sun/UV to extend the life of the > tires.
> 7.  With the wheels off the car,  you will need support the > car.  I don't see any difference what the position of the shocks are on > these cars.  The shocks use an oil damper system and the lack of use may > cause the seals to fail.  The front suspension is a huge coil > spring.  If the spring is going to form any type of memory,  I would > prefer it has it in the elongated state rather than the compressed > state.  The shock inside of the coil is an oil damper system similar to > the rear shocks except it is inside the strut.
> That is enough for tonight.
> Dale

[mterrens]

John,
I agree - drive it, but treat it like the rarity it is.  Take it for drives on sunny Saturdays and to occasional car shows, not slushy slogs to shopping-cart-and-SUV-filled parking lots to buy groceries.   With only occasional driving, it'll be a "low mileage" car for a very long time.  Also, to me, the "it'll be worth something someday" theory doesn't hold much water - someday is NOW, and it's worth what you paid for it.
Personally, I am not a fan of the "plastic still on the doors" concept.  I took mine off.  That stuff underneath is vinyl after all, and it gets a whole lot less wear than say the seats, also made of vinyl.
Do you have collector-car insurance?
Agreed-upon value high enough?  Though the top valuation for a sedan is about $8000, they ought to give you a bit more considering the mileage.
Honda will probably have the oil filter.  If so, buy more than one.
Spring is coming.  Have fun.
Steve

> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> Eddie
> Hill
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent:
> Tuesday, April 04, 2006 6:44
> PM
> Subject:
> Re: [2cylinderhondas] How should
> I store my car?
> I say drive it and enjoy it.. no fun just sitting in a room > collecting dust.
> John
> Graf jgraf@...
> wrote:
> > My
> > kids think I've popped a gasket because I have this car � too small > > by > > their standards � and I think it is too good to drive.
> > So what do you
> > all think � do I have a museum piece worth preserving or > > should I drive > > it and enjoy it?
> > It's a 72 N600, all original, including the factory
> > plastic covering
> > the doors and original tires with some of the
> > "whiskers" still on them,
> > and just under 8,000 original miles on the
> > odometer. There is no rust
> > anywhere and everything works � OK, it does
> > need a muffler and an oil
> > change. (It spent about 25 years of its life
> > in a dealer's showroom.)
> > Drive lots or preserve the thing? Tell me
> > what you think.
> > John
> > On Apr 4, 2006, at 2:35 PM, Eddie
> > Hill wrote:
> > > seems like it would be easier just to drive it and
> > get some joy out of
> > > it..lol
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[laurie_randall]

Hi :
Having owned a 1933 Studebaker President and 1963 Studebaker Avanti that
were museum pieces I say get it out and drive it. There is little joy in
having it stowed away. I found it was just as hard on them sitting as it was
to drive them. Stuff you can't see goes bad.Might as well keep the parts
moving and have some fun at the same time.

>From: John Graf Reply-To:
2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
>To:
2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [2cylinderhondas] How should I store my car?
>Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 17:14:46 -0500
>My kids think I've popped a gasket because I have this car � too small by
>their standards � and I think it is too good to drive.
>So what do you all think � do I have a museum piece worth preserving or
>should I drive it and enjoy it?
>It's a 72 N600, all original, including the factory plastic covering the
>doors and original tires with some of the "whiskers" still on them, and
>just under 8,000 original miles on the odometer. There is no rust anywhere
>and everything works � OK, it does need a muffler and an oil change. (It
>spent about 25 years of its life in a dealer's showroom.)
>Drive lots or preserve the thing? Tell me what you think.
>John
>On Apr 4, 2006, at 2:35 PM, Eddie Hill wrote:
>>seems like it would be easier just to drive it and get some joy out of
>>it..lol

[a65tigrr]

Keep it garaged, drive it occasionally. When you do drive it, drive it enough to get it good and warm . Not in the rain,snow or ice, also wait after the snow has melted for a few days, to avoid road salt.
Greg John Graf wrote:

> My kids think I've popped a gasket because I have this car � too small > by their standards � and I think it is too good to drive.
> So what do you all think � do I have a museum piece worth preserving or > should I drive it and enjoy it?
> It's a 72 N600, all original, including the factory plastic covering > the doors and original tires with some of the "whiskers" still on them, > and just under 8,000 original miles on the odometer. There is no rust > anywhere and everything works � OK, it does need a muffler and an oil > change. (It > spent about 25 years of its life in a dealer's showroom.) > Drive lots or preserve the thing? Tell me what you think.
> John
> On Apr 4, 2006, at 2:35 PM, Eddie Hill wrote:
> > seems like it would be easier just to drive it and get some joy out of > > it..lol

[Amtech]

Re: [2cylinderhondas] How should I store my car?
All your comments have been helpful. And I am beginning to see the fun, too. I have owned the car since the middle of February. All I've done so far is is look at it when I happened to go into the garage.
Then today, a wonderful warm, dry day, my 14 year-old son and I put the license plate on the car. I added some gas, topped off the brake fluid, dribbled in some "heet" in case there was water in the gas that came with the car.
It took some cranking and the car finally started. I gave my son a two mile ride and returned home. My daughter came out wanting a ride, so the three of us went on a five mile jaunt in the other direction. When we returned home, my wife wanted her inaugural ride. I logged another 10 miles with her, getting the sedan up to a comfortable 55 miles an hour the last 4 miles on the highway.
I really could get used to this.
Again, thanks to all of you for your comments.
--