Waking up the classics!

[markcro]

It's the time of year again to wake up the sleeping classics and blow the cobwebs off. My GT6 has been tucked away sleeping for the last 8 months. Unfortunately it lives in my sisters place so I haven't even seen it in that time. But today I decided to go out and dust her off. Lots of people have different ways of storing cars. I been asked if I drain the fuel, put it on axle stands to take the stationary strain off the tyres and even wheel bearings, etc. etc. For right or wrong I don't over complicate it, nor over think it. I park her up. Cover her up. And walk away.
This time around it's 8 months later.............so first I open up the garage and shake my head at all the crap that my sister has accumulated over the winter in the garage! Then uncover the car. Tyres aren't flat. Oil and coolant level are good. She still has half a tank of juice from when I parked her up. So just start her up and if there is no petrol or coolant pissing on the ground then we are good to go. As simple as that. Anyone else dusting off their sleeping beauties at the moment?

[fullmetalgasket]

Mines been up all winter due to the odd trackday and random Peugeot related issues

Really quite jealous - I've always wanted a GT6. Or failing that a spitfire with a GT6 engine

[kxruss]

I started thinking about uncovering my impreza classic if that counts?

[skyshack]

If you store a car with a slow puncture the tyre will be ruined if left flat. It distorts the carcass and won't inflate back to shape.

[holdawayt]

Very smart, a Gt6 is on my wish list. We'll be setting up the carbs on our 1950 Dellow today. Like you, we don't go mad with storage, just cover it up and keep an eye on the tyres.

[Yakko]

Very smart, a Gt6 is on my wish list. We'll be setting up the carbs on our 1950 Dellow today.

Very nice. But slightly more interestingly, it looks like you also have a Niva?!

[holdawayt]

Haha the Niva was a delightful little turd. It's an old photo so the Lada has since been sold on. But there's nothing that car couldn't get through. Awesome off roaders.

[Deacon]

The love of my life was woken up 2 weeks ago.

Then it was off for its mot..... passed

[Si]

I bloody love your GT6 dude, it's glorious.

Dunno what the metrics are for classics, but 21 this year, and still started first time after hibernation.

[R3K1355]

My Eunos is, err 23 this year.

Started brilliantly this morning, been sat up over winter but seemed like it just ran yesterday.

[markcro]

I forgot to mention that I normally would start the car once or twice every month and let come up to full temperature. But this time I just didn’t get out to see the car due to other things going on and lack of time. And the car lives 20km away from me. That isn’t far but it is definitely a mental block thinking of driving there.

The worst thing that you can do with these is just leave them lying up. This is when things really go wrong- seals drying out and cracking, clutch welding itself to the flywheel, etc. etc.
(the clutch likes weld itself to the flywheel if left for too long during cold weather! It can be an ordeal to break it free, murder on the gearbox)

Anyway yesterday I took her out for a 4 hour blast around the Wicklow Moutains (actually hills!) and she ran like a bag of bolts for most of it. So I need to do some thinkering thanks to her over sleeping! ;-)
Limping over some of the hills down on a few cylinders I was thinking that there is something nice about modern fuel injection in cars.... ;-) The timing is either out or the carbs are full of crap after sitting up.

That Dellow is stunning! Wow! I really like that! I don't know of Dellow, where are they from?
Also another lovely Triumph! I always loved them and that looks mint!

And yes the RX7 is definitely a modern classic and stunning. That is stunning!
And the Imprezza "does" count. It is a contemporary classic and you will see them at classic cars shows. So keep it!
MX5/ Eunos's are already at classic cars shows. These are the Spitfires/GT6/MGB of the 1990s. Classics in the making.

Actually my SX is "only" 16 years old and I managed to get her on a classic policy. :-)