Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello,

I will move to Indonesia for 2 (or 3) years. My Morris is in good condition and I would like to keep it that way. How should I prepare it to be able to drive it with no problems in 2 (or 3) years from now?

Thanks for your reply,

Theo

If possible, have someone start the car once per week to warm up the engine, and release the handbrake, and apply the footbrake a few times, this will save the brake components and prevent engine oil seals from drying out. If this is not possible read on.

Replace spark plugs with Cilica Gel type supplied by Frosts, this reduces chance of combustion chamber corrosion. A squirt of oil inside combustion chambers can also help, but not too much or they might gum up.

A Car Cacoon would be ideal to stop body corrosion, but a dry garage should be adequate for 2 years. Wipe over all chrome with with a good body wax, but don't polish off.

Raise car onto wooden blocks to take the weight off the tyres, or use tyre 'shoes' also from Frosts.

Drain most of the fuel from the tank, or add fuel saver, again from Frosts.

If garaged, leave a window down a fraction, this will prevent condensation inside the car which can effect the headlining and trim.

Some classic car transport companies also offer long term storage and maintenance, which sounds ideal, but I have no idea of the cost.

Take the car with you - and enjoy it!
Unless you have perfectly dry and secure storage - there will be lots to do when you return to it in 2 or 3 years time.

bmcecosse wrote:Take the car with you - and enjoy it!
Unless you have perfectly dry and secure storage - there will be lots to do when you return to it in 2 or 3 years time.

With the always good weather, taking it with me sounds good, but my company does not even allow me to drive a car myself over there.

I have a perfectly dry storage, so no worries about that.

MoggyTech, what are "tyre 'shoes' also from Frosts"?

My garage is really dry, is taking out the spark plugs and spray some oil not be enough?

Theo

Tyre shoes are rubber blocks that are shaped at the top in a curve. They keep the tyre shape and prevent the walls bulging.

Dry garage sounds good, so a squirt of oil into the bores and then refit plugs should be fine.

Forgot to mention, disconnect battery! just in case something chews on a cable or an electrical fault develops on the charging circuit.

Hope your trip goes well, I'd go mad without my Moggy though

I would put car on axle stands placed under chassis, to take all strain off suspension and tyres. There is/was a firm in Grimsby who do a kit to seal engine completly, cant remember what they call them. The bloke came to a meeting of our group to give a talk on the system. Oh what do they call them, it's on the tip of my tongue.

Yes - don't rely on these daft 'tyre shoes' - take the weight off the tyres.

Don't you have any friends of family who could look after the car?
There must be someone who can use it 'sparingly' for two years, taking it out on sunny days etc...

Ask Ray to drive it there

Thats one of the problems of getting old, your brain slows down have finally remembered it.
http://enginewise.co.uk/acatalog/Dehydration_kits.html

You need some 'Brain Training' Ian!

I thought starting a car once a week but not driving anywhere did more damage than just leaving it? The condensation that forms in the engine after initial start up doesn't get evaporated by just ideling and will also rott the exhaust.
Millers do a preservation oil specifically for layed up or limited use cars.
See here, it's under engine oils: http://www.millersoils.net/1_Millers_frame_CLASSIC.htm