Check-in frequency

[gauchoamigo]

I live in southwest Ohio and store my 280SL year-round. How often should I go to the garage and start it up, drive it around? If so, what type of driving, idling, etc should I do?

Thanks for the input.

[Peter van Es]

During summer I drive my car at least once a week. In winter, I try to drive her once a week, provided the roads are not wet, or salty, or snowy. If it's cold and dry, I'll take her out... I've even driven top down this winter when it was sunny but freezing.

I typically let the engine get nice and warm (15 minutes of gentle driving), then I drive my Pagoda over small back roads, using the entire rev range of the engine. Bends, curves, braking, sometimes even sharply. Give her a good exercise and -- almost an Italian tune-up (search this site for the meaning of that). Make sure the brake lines have seen fluid going through, make sure all suspension bits have had an exercise. I typically take an hour (if I feel like it a little more) and do a minimum of 60 kms. Then I park her straight in the garage.

I always avoid starting the car and stopping her within 5 minutes... terrible for the battery, spark plugs and everything else. If I take my Pagoda out, I want to be sure I go for a decent drive.

Peter

[gauchoamigo]

Thanks for the reply. I have to say I hope I didn't mess up the paint job by doing what I did.

I took it out into the snow (no choice there) and then onto a sand/salt mix in the roads (again, not much option) and drove for about 10-15 minutes then back into the snow and into the garage.

Should I have wiped it down afterwards? Also, if I am faced with these road conditions for quite a while (could be another couple of months), what are my other options?

[jameshoward]

If you've taken the car out in the snow, you could do much worse than to give the underside a good wash with a pressure washer, especially the retched ledges inside the front wheel arch. If you've given the exterior a coat or two of quality wax the paint should be fine. But wash off the salt.

JH

[gauchoamigo]

It has been two days since I took it out. What can I do now that it has been sitting there? No access to a pressure washer. I could only see buildup around the back bumper and lower quarter area in back behind rear wheels. Starting to worry here.

[thelews]

Just take a hose and spray off the underside.  It's the salt that's the killer.  Won't hurt the paint, but will eat at metal.  Good news is, it rinses off with water.  So, give it a good spray with water anywhere salt might have gotten.

[gauchoamigo]

Well that sounds easier however the issue is there are salty roads in between my garage and the car wash with the hose. Any ideas of what I could do on site?

[thelews]

Well that sounds easier however the issue is there are salty roads in between my garage and the car wash with the hose. Any ideas of what I could do on site?

Not much.  Just let it sit in hopefully a cold environment (the salt isn't as effective).  If it's a nice dry day and the roads are relatively salt free, then go to the car wash and do your thing.  Just make sure even if the roads are dry that salt dust isn't flying all over as you travel over the road.  That's even worse.

I will not take my car out on a winter road unless we've had at least two good rain storms to wash the salt away.  That's another idea if you've gotten salt on the car...go for a good ride on rainy roads.  The car's spray of rainwater will be the same as salt spray and wash it away.

I'm sure Michael will weigh in on all of this amateur advice.

[Dash808]

Well that sounds easier however the issue is there are salty roads in between my garage and the car wash with the hose. Any ideas of what I could do on site?

You could drive 2 mph so the salt doesn't sling everywhere before you park it...  But you're probably doing more harm than good by driving on salty roads.  Personally I would wait till the roads are nice and clear or just put her to bed for the winter. 

[gauchoamigo]

Thanks. It is in a cold garage which stays not too much over outside temp. When they get the roads clear there is a self wash with a pressure washer about 1 mile away I will just drive really slow. Any other advice is appreciated.

[tuultyme]

I usually just put gas stabilizer into the tank and pump the tires up to 40 pounds and wait till all the salt is gone.  I did have to move it next door a few weeks ago.  As there was snow and salt on the roads I just let it run for awhile before putting in the other garage.  I will have to give it a run as soon as I can.

[Jonny B]

I am in NE Ohio, and we get all the good stuff over the winter time, salt, snow, cold, wind, grey, etc.

I usually put up the car in late November, and then get it out again in the spring. I would not advise just starting the car every couple of weeks or so. The major issue is the water that can accumulate in the oil. Plus the acid components from combustion. It takes a reasonable amount of time for the oil to come up to temperature, versus what the water gauge reads. If you really feel the urge to drive, wait for the clear, clean days as the thread has recommended. If not, the short runs will not be a good thing for the engine. You need to get the oil to temperature to drive off the water, and let the neutralizers in the oil do their work on the combustion byproducts. Also if you run it in place, you are using up the gas, and letting more water vapor in there. So if you do run it on the road, be sure to keep the tank topped off.

There are a number of threads on storage, battery, tire pressure etc. For us Northerners that is what we are stuck with.

[gauchoamigo]

Wow great input. Thank you all. My plan now is to wait for a few clear days and get out to wash under it and pump tires up after putting it through a good 30 to 45 min drive. I will back it into the garage so if the battery discharges it will be easy to jump then close down for the season. Any specific amount and brand of gas stabilzer and key to the amount of gas I should leave in tank?

[thelews]

Wow great input. Thank you all. My plan now is to wait for a few clear days and get out to wash under it and pump tires up after putting it through a good 30 to 45 min drive. I will back it into the garage so if the battery discharges it will be easy to jump then close down for the season. Any specific amount and brand of gas stabilzer and key to the amount of gas I should leave in tank?

Stabil is a good stabilizer.  Full tank, no room for water condensation.  Be sure to run the stabilizer through the gas for a bit to reach the engine.  Consider a battery maintainer/tender (not charger).  Great item, protects battery.  I have one on all three of my vintage cars over winter.  http://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Battery-Tender-12-Volt-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1233282966&sr=8-1

[Richard Madison]

Ole Beige spends the winter in a heated garage in New York City.

NYC winters are relatively mild with not much snow and temperatures typically above freezing.

I take her out about every 5 or 6 weeks when the roads are snow and salt free and the temperature above 40.

I go for a drive of at least 30 minutres and maybe an hour hitting 4,000 rpm for a while to clean out the junk in the lines and the head. This seems to keep her happy and the battery charged until the next spin. I make sure to turn on all the lights, the radio, beep the horn, and turn every dial and pull every switch in the car to make sure they don't get stuck over the winter...this includes the heater, fan, fresh air flap, wipers and more. Even the sun visors get a pull down.

Works for me.

Beep if you see me flashing and beeping down the road  :0)

Richard M

[mdsalemi]

Not much.  Just let it sit in hopefully a cold environment (the salt isn't as effective).  If it's a nice dry day and the roads are relatively salt free, then go to the car wash and do your thing.  Just make sure even if the roads are dry that salt dust isn't flying all over as you travel over the road.  That's even worse.

I will not take my car out on a winter road unless we've had at least two good rain storms to wash the salt away.  That's another idea if you've gotten salt on the car...go for a good ride on rainy roads.  The car's spray of rainwater will be the same as salt spray and wash it away.

I'm sure Michael will weigh in on all of this amateur advice.

It's all good advice here; I'm amused at Chan Johnson (from Hawaii!) speaking of salt on the roads...but in summary for all:

1)  Stabil.  Get it--know it--use it.
2)  Full tank of fuel.
3)  Don't start the car periodically if you are not going to run it.
4)  If you can, RUN the car periodically in the manner others have indicated.
5)  Dry pavement--it's a good thing.
6)  Battery tender--personal preference.  My car is not hibernating near me; the thought of leaving something plugged in (particularly some little electrical thing probably made in China) 150 miles away is scary.  I'm on my 5th year with a [not the best out there] MB battery and it still holds a charge just fine.  Even if I need a new battery this year, I think I got a good value.

FWIW, I won't run the car unless pavement is absolutely dry.  Looking at the mess in my garage for my daily drivers is proof positive of all the crap on the road.  What I see is the debris that has simply fallen off.  There's still a lot stuck in and around every nook and cranny on the underside.  Hence I stay off wet pavement with the Pagoda, and would never think of wet or snowy pavement in the winter.

[dseretakis]

If you have no hose and you don't want to wait for salt free roads you can always get some rubber kitchen gloves, a bucket of warm water and a rag and start washing the salt out of the wheel wells.  You will need to repeat this process many times and you will get most of the salt off.  This is however no substitute for a hose. If you have a hose but it is outside and frozen, then you can bring it indoors and let it thaw, then hose off your car.  I have done all these things myself and don't like any of them but sometimes sacrifices have to be made to keep a classic car.  Best thing of course is don't drive in winter.

Well that sounds easier however the issue is there are salty roads in between my garage and the car wash with the hose. Any ideas of what I could do on site?