I brought my 3rd morris minor early this year for my daily driver, but now winter is approaching I feel it's a shame to put her through the roughness of winter, mainly road salt! She is in better than average condition and is a totally original 1957 4 door saloon.
But this always seems to happen with all my classics, when I start putting them away I don't want to bring them out in the rain, then next minuet the poor car is just a fixture in the garage!
I do have a 'spare car' jaguar xj8 for emergency get me to work scenarios, if something was to happen to my minor. I haven't driven it since February! (My dad uses it occasionally to make sure that it's kept in good order) any way I'm getting off the subject!
Are there any tips to protect the chrome, my chrome is original and it pitted in places but still shines away and is much better quality than the 'new replacements' we get today.
All the underside is waxoiled etc but is that enough? I don't want 3-4 months of salt to age my moggy by 5 years!
Yes I can use my jag and that would probably be the sensible answer, but i did buy this car to use and enjoy all the time.
You can't beat a hard frosty morning, pulling out the choke and firing her up! That smell you can only get from classics, you wear hat and gloves, and drive the first few miles with your window down for fear of steaming up the windscreen! That's something I would miss too much.......
What are your thoughts or tips to help my car through the winter
Every day is a day closer to death, live for today for soon be forgotten
By all means use it through winter - many of us do without trouble. The key thing here is prevention rather than cure - so yes you have done right rustproofing it underneath. Spray all the cavities, inside the doors and inside the chassis members, clear all drain holes etc.
Paint chips and scratches must be attended to straight away before rust can take a hold. Wash the car and wax it with Autoglym Super Resin polish. Smear chrome bumpers with a very greasy rag or vaseline - behind the chrome should also be checked for rust as they rot from the back, but this entails removing the bumper blades so is really a summer job now.
Jet wash the underside and the wheel arches now, then use a hosepipe (if it hasn't frozen) for the rest of winter paying attention to rust-traps like the headlamp buckets where mud gets trapped. This should be done once a fortnight.
A car will last a very long time if you look after it - I have never noticed a deterioration in the car body and I use mine all year round.
I wouldn't....and Traveller Timber will not do well if it gets wet regularly........ I guess you lads down south get much better winter weather than up here.......
Along with keeping both mine in dry storage and not taking them out on salty / wet weather. I also always keep them as full of fuel as much as possible to lower the risk of corrosion inside the tank, as a low fuelled tank attracts the rusting process. And also start them up regularly.
check underside before winter and clean and retreat.
minor65 wrote:Along with keeping both mine in dry storage and not taking them out on salty / wet weather. I also always keep them as full of fuel as much as possible to lower the risk of corrosion inside the tank, as a low fuelled tank attracts the rusting process. And also start them up regularly.
a full tank of fuel also adds weight over the rear wheels so better traction in slippery conditions
I use a minor all the time, they are great in snow as skinny tyres cut through the snow easily. If theres a heavy frost or snow the back end can be a bit light ending up with wheels spinning so last year I had a big paving stone handy to keep in the boot! I also use a radiator muff as it helps the car warm up more quickly and aids the demisting process. Its a good idea to try some anti mist stuff on the back widows as it stops them misting up so badly. I also remove some of the carpets as there is nothing going to rust your floor quicker than soggy wet carpet and under felt, rubber mats are the job!
As the other have said lots of wax and regular cleaning and it should be fine, after all they were built for driving
I doubt the average owner has a dry garage, let alone a heated one. In this case I have always believed laying up to do more harm than good, as condensation forms and there is a risk of the steel sweating. Likewise, a wet car should not be put into a garage but parked outside for the wind to dry it off.
Driving the car all year round means maintaining it at the same time, whereas a car laid up for a few months runs the risk of deteriorating.
There will always be polarised opinion on this subject, but unless you own an old Vauxhall or something very rare, I have always personally believed in all-season use.
During the day I can park my traveller in a multi-storey where it has the benefit of cover and plenty of ventilation. But at night I face a challenge - do I park it in a garage which might be damp and cold, or keep it outside under a stormforce cover? I know the merits of covers have been discussed in other threads, but it's a lot cheaper to buy one of them than to build a garage!
bmcecosse wrote:Keep it warm and dry in a garage - and NEVER take it out when there is salt on the road..... Chrome - smear with vaseline..
Vaseline works fine but can stain clothing if you rub against it. In the November issue of Practical Classics there is an article on chrome protection and as well as vaseline they also recommend a spray-on paraffin wax which sets and so won't easily rub off on clothing. The picture shows a can of Tectane PS697 (which costs £3.65 from Toolstation). I haven't tried it yet but for the low cost it should be worth a go. They also mention, as others have on here, to treat the rear of any chromed parts if you can.
Hope this is useful
