I took the pickup off the road before last winter. Gave it a wash, took it out for a run, and parked it in the garage with the battery charger connected. In the spring it had a 20 mile run to the MOT place for it's first check (no insurance/tax/MOT required). Then parked it up in the garage again.
Due to my finances, it looks like it will be there until next spring, at least - so that's 18 months with one shortish trip.
As far as I'm concerned, it's not getting worn out sitting still. And it's not exposed to salt, although it does get damp in the garage in the autumn.
So what's the worst that can happen?
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Worst:
Brake calipers will rust and seize up
Tyres will have flat spots from standing in one place
Windscreen wipers will perish and glue themselves to the windscreen
Seals in the water pump will seize up and then tear when the shaft is turned
Corrosive combustion products in unchanged engine oil will quietly eat away at bearing contact points
Clutch will be seized
Pistons will partly seize and then damage rings or bores when turned
Battery will be dead from lack of a proper charge/discharge cycle
Fuel injectors will be gummed up and engine won't start
Mice will have made nests in the upholstery and nibbled through the wiring
Best (and more likely):
Nothing will have happened.
Engine will fire into life first touch
Vehicle will sail through MOT
Personally I like to start a stored vehicle every 1 or 2 months, run it until properly warm, and drive it backwards and forwards a bit, applying the brakes a few times, and getting the clutch warm.
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My M3 used to spend months unused in the underground carpark here. Only thing that happened was the error memory got full of "Low Battery" warnings. Longest I left it untouched was 3 months. After this it was reluctant to start and I discovered the brake discs had some surface rust which a bit of heavy braking soon cured.
On the other hand the underground carpark is dry, ventilated and never very cold even in the depths of winter. I would be wary of leaving a car standing any period of time in a damp garage, this will encourage rust as well mold formation in the interior.
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If it will be off the road for 18 months or more would it not make sense to sell it and buy another if and when finances allow?
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Sat 6 Aug 11 at 11:45
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Friction surfaces rusting.
Is it possible to start it every 3 months or so and drive it even a few yards during the cold damp, that'll keep the clutch plate freed off, hells own job if they rust tight to the pressure plate.
If you can't move it enough to keep the brake discs reasonably free of rust, then consider removing the pads, push the pistons fully home and lightly oil the discs, obviously leave the handbrake off, the rear drums shouldn't get too badly rusted so long as they are dry and clean to start with, could always remove them for the duration.
Is the underbody clean now?, if not a good pressure wash to remove any accumulated salt from the nooks and cranies, followed once dry by a quick slap about of some waxoyl or similar over anything that looks suspect, including the brake pipes.
Oh and pump the tyres up well 'ard, and is the coolant well up to strength with anti corrosive?
I don't know how the Rodeo depreciates, we sold the Hilux at 3.5 years old for almost 3/4 of it's new price though it was as new, it would have been a steeper depreciation curve after this time strangely, might it be worth selling it now and buying again when the time is right for you?
EDIT, blimey Cliff Pope's post has given me the willies..:-)
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 6 Aug 11 at 11:50
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>> EDIT, blimey Cliff Pope's post has given me the willies..:-)
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Sorry! I've suffered all those things, but not all on the same car at one time.
Oh yes, once I stored a lawnmower under my tractor. A tyre went flat and the lawnmower got squashed. But that's fairly unusual I think.
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>>>no insurance/tax/MOT required<<<
Insurance IS required!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You could however get yourself daycover for the trip.
The cheapest way is probably to get the garage to collect and deliver.
What is the worst that could happen - have an accident, nicked for no insurance and face a damages bill for several £million pounds just because you manage to kill some eminent rich personality.
Last edited by: pmh on Sat 6 Aug 11 at 12:09
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>> Insurance IS required!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not expert on overseas motoring law but Dave doesn't live in the UK you know. Maybe he is correct in saying it's not needed? I know he lives in a Scandinavian country - cannot remember which one exactly but I think it is Sweden.
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ok - my mistake I did not realise he was outside UK - he used all uk terminology of MoT etc.
Interesting to know who picks up the insurance bills in Sweden in the event of an uninsured accident?
Last edited by: pmh on Sat 6 Aug 11 at 12:21
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He will have used the term MOT because he's British and that's what we would understand.
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Yeah, sorry, I'm in Sweden. Apparently the state pick up any 3rd party clams if you crash on the way to the MOT. Strange, but true. The 'garage' insurance that comes into effect automatically when the car is sorned costs about £15/year, and covers fire and theft. And the insurance company send you back all the remaining premium worked out pro-rata to the day.
It's an auto, so no clutch to worry about. The brake discs get a bit rusty, but only surface rust and soon clean up. I did also put a dehumidifier inside it last autumn, but once the temperature drops below zero and stays there for the next 4 months, I figured it wasn't needed.
I could sell it, but you know what it's like when you go try and get another one, they all look like they've seen a million miles and rusty and scuffed up. Where else can I buy a 3 year old truck with absolutely no rust, not even the calipers or drums (I painted them), low mileage, right spec, etc, apart from GB's one?
I might pump the tyres up a bit, but they're BFG MT's that have such hard sidewalls they hardly bulge even when flat, if you see what I mean. I just like having a nice clean vehicle, that's all paid for, ready to go in case I need it for something like a family emergency back in England, although I could of course always hire something if needed. But don't forget the man maths involved.
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Where else can I buy a 3 year old truck with absolutely no
>> rust, not even the calipers or drums (I painted them), low mileage, right spec, etc,
>> apart from GB's one?
Point taken, rare as hens teeth...sold without inspection by the way and i mean not even a cursory glance.
Didn't know there was anyone else who looked after stuff proper like.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 6 Aug 11 at 16:23
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Yes, there's still a few of us left. Ha, when I've spent nigh on £30K for something, I want it to last, and stay looking good. The truck cost more than my house here.
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Isuzu D-Max Rodeo Denver - Laying up - what's the worst? - Cliff Pope
