BEFORE HIBERNATING YOUR TOY

BEFORE YOUR TOY ENTERS HIBERNATION HERE’S A FEW TIPS TO KEEP IT HEALTHY

DOES WORK take you away for months at a time? Here are a few tips about looking after your favourite toy

Back to work? I know this time of year a fair few of you will be putting away the summer toy – namely your classic car – since you’ve got to head off somewhere to work.

Maybe you’re on a mine contract, or something else that takes you away for long periods, where you just don’t have time to play wit h your Falcon/Kingswood/ Valiant or whatever it happens to be.

Now what we’ re talking about here is a relatively short lay-of f, say up to si x months or so, and not longterm storage that might go on for a year or more.

First, get t he car out, give it a good was hand take it for a decent run – at least half an hour–to get everything up to temp and properly exercised. You want it to be clean and bone dr y when you put it away.

If it’s on radial tyres, pump them up maybe a little higher than you’d normally have them to help keep their shape. Around 40 psi will work. I also like to get t he car up on stands, if possible. It doesn’t have to be right up in t he air, but getting t he majorit y of t he weight of f t he t y res is a good move that discourages the radia l belts from developing f lat spots.

Modern f uel is a big issue wit h t his. It sta r ts to go of f after four weeks and can be incredibly destr uctive. A dose of f uel stabiliser (put it in before you ta ke it for a f inal run) will help and t hat’s t he easiest approach.

An a lternative is to leave t he car dr y on f uel. It r uns t he risk of carburetor gaskets dr y ing out, but t hat can be less hassle t han hav ing to clea r dried f uel out of t he carburetor, which essentia lly means a rebuild.

At t he risk of sounding pedantic, I reckon it’s worthwhile giv ing the car a quick ser v ice before you put it away – which means fi x ing any running problems and at ver y least changing t he engine oil. You might actua lly consider changing a ll t he f luids.

This means you’re not leav ing contaminated f luids sitting for a few months, eating away at t he toy’s interna ls. Then, g uess what? You change it a ll again when you re-awaken it. Call it a birt hday present. I’d a lso want to get t he old f uel used up and switched over for fresh stuf f as soon as possible.

What about the batter y? It’s a judgment ca ll. A good qualit y tender or smart charger should do the t rick. If you’re unsure, just remove it.

Of course by far t he k indest t hing you can do is keep it running. If you have a trusted friend who can ta ke it for a drive ever y few weeks, t hat’s t he perfect solut ion. It’s fa r easier on t he car, and cheaper in t he long run. Oh, and I do mean ta k ing it out on t he road

– r unning it static in t he garage doesn’t count and is a ver y poor a lternative.

And what about longterm storage? That’s a topic for another day…

Note: MickrunsGlenlyon MotorsinBrunswick,Vic. Tel(03)93805082.