With the start of autumn just over a week away here in the uk, I wondered when people call it a day and put their cars away until next year? I put the xkr away in September last year but felt I could have left It until the end of October? What about you?

 

Never, always standby

 

Same here. A nice crisp winters day, hopefully with some snow on the ground and the roof down. You can't beat it!

Paul

 

Never, we be blessed.

 

It was the first week of December last year, going to do it a little earlier this year, mid November maybe? But before the snow falls anyway.

 

In Chicago, both the Jaguar and the MGB are sequestered in the garage with the first sighting of snow and/or salt. It's just not worth it to drive them in crappy weather.
They come out in the spring after the first rainfall that washes away the salt.

Winter is spent doing upgrades and maintenance. This winter will be the 700R4 and rear cage rebuild for the Jaguar. The MGB is in pretty good shape but will get a brake fluid flush and suspension greasing in early March.

 

I spent over a year chopping out rust and letting in new panels on the xjs. It won’t see any salty roads in my ownership!

 

Year round driving for me

 

I'm with Brewtech! Washington DC all year round!

 

Depending on the weather but probably the end of October if it’s nice. Back out again weather depending late March April.
Rob.

 

Here in southwester Ontario, I watch the forecast so that the car can be put away just before the first application of salt to the roads. Have to time it so the car is dry from the last drive too. Usually this is early November.

 

Speaking of putting them away...is there a proper procedure to prepare for a winter hibernation? I keep mine garaged (unheated) and I have a trickle charger I plan to use every so often. What else is recommended? Disconnect the battery? Gas additives?

 

Use both the XJS and the Morgan all year, just avoiding days with salt on the roads - our garage is unheated, but, apart from trickle chargers, we have a dehumidifier to keep the humidity down to about 50% in the garage. The desiccating type are far more efficient (and less costly to run) than the compressor type.

 

40 psi in the tyres. A gas (petrol) preserver is a good plan too.

 

Mine is garaged (unheated) and I also use a battery conditioner and run a dehumidifier desiccant type which keeps the garage around 50-60% humidity. I will be using a petrol additive this year Sta-bil or similar. I will occasionally run it up to temperature for 30mins or so.
Rob.

 

Greetings from NH. I drive an XJS except on days with actual snowfall. The later galvanized bodies rust so much less than the pre-92s. I used to change over from convertible to coupe too but now it’s convertible year ‘round.

 

My storage is about 80km away, so I need to make sure the car is put away before the first snow and salt applications on the roads. Often mid October, but no later than Nov 1. Typically comes out in early May.

 

I'll drive them year round typically, but if I put the V12 away at all it's in the summer, not winter. Mid-July to end of August can be known as Hell's Front Porch around here.

 

Same here, my cars are used year round but I won't use on salted roads, I have bought a couple of outdoor carcoons this year though despite all my older cars being under cover winter RH is nasty especially on electrics for something that's not a daily driver. Typically I run each at least once a month summer or winter though the XJS has kaiboshed that because it has no wheels and it is blocking everything else. Well that's my excuse since the COVID thing I don't think I've done 1000 miles combined in any of my cars.

 

Sanchez
Quite often the actual wing strengthener is OK, and it is the wing panel behind it that goes. This is a view from inside, and on my car i only had to repair the wing panel, not the strengthener. Also, see the other pic, the sill extension behind the wing panel rots badly (accessed to see behind the wing baffle. If you have the engine bay rust, then look at this other area also.
The important point, once the welding has been done, is to go round the strengthener (in the wheel well outside the engine bay) and use gunk, or seam sealer or something, to completely seal the join between it and the wing panel. Then water cannot get behind the strengthener to strat the rust again.
Finally, the OEM brake fluid reservoir on pre- ABS cars is an absolutely rubbish item from the point ofr view of keeping the fluid from leaking out! I am pretty sure that Ben's problem was not caused by spillages when topping up, but by a leaking OE item. It is a good plan to change it to something better.