From: Barry Lovelock
Date: 31 Dec 2000
Time: 03:52:40
Remote Name: 194.168.73.181
What I say, is not necessarily what I do (!), but here goes:- I always use antifreeze, the whole year round. Yes they do leak with it but it prevents rusting of the block and head which is very important with 70 year old metal. The advice to drain overnight and refill in in the morning was the old suggestion for those who had the time, no antifreeze/money and were going to remember to fill up again in the morning before driving off!! I do not normally lift the car of the ground (I have three) and one can get flatted tyres - pump them up a bit more than normal. I have had brakes and steering column quadrant linkages rust up after going through a ford - oil them! I suggest new oil and a little down the bores - I tend to leave mine and the rear bearing suffers from condensation corrosion and is noisy as a result. I sometimes leave cars outside under the carport and I think this is better than a damp garage. They get wet and dirty and spiders live in them (not the Australian type I hope Bruce) and birds leve things on them, but it gives a nice patina to that fake body just fitted! If you do put in new oil as I said, then it's probably best not to start the car, otherwise I do run them (until they boil usually) occasionally. The battery is important - keep it fully charged and clean. If you read the old books one dismantled it, dried it and left it on the shelf ready for next year!! I have found things like semaphore indicators and wiper motors need operating or they seize up. Lastly, keep the mice out by not storing nuts in the same motor house as I did! I removed over 30 lbs of peanuts and seven (how appropriate) mice from my tourer's back seat squab + associated droppings and 'water' etc! See:- http://freespace.virgin.net/john.lovelock4/Peanuts_Galore!.htm Barry.