Storing For Winter
- Thread starter mikev
- Start date
People who can afford their BMWs and other expensive cars often do not store them for winters for to them they are everyday cars for them.
On the other hand.. people who save-up a great portion of their lives to get the car they always wanted would rather make it last through larger number of years un-touched by the frost or everyday driving than let it be used like their other lower-class cars.
On the other hand.. people who save-up a great portion of their lives to get the car they always wanted would rather make it last through larger number of years un-touched by the frost or everyday driving than let it be used like their other lower-class cars.
Instead of assuming that "people who can afford their BMW's" use them daily and people who don't "save up a great portion of their lives" store them during the winter while driving their "other lower class cars" you should ask those that store them.
I have three BMW's and store my roadster during the winter because I use it with the top down 99% of the time and I know how hard winters are on soft tops. I drive one of the others during the winter, or my pickup. A good friend of mine in Idaho stores his Porsche every winter and drives his X5 instead, but I guess he cannot afford them.
I have three BMW's and store my roadster during the winter because I use it with the top down 99% of the time and I know how hard winters are on soft tops. I drive one of the others during the winter, or my pickup. A good friend of mine in Idaho stores his Porsche every winter and drives his X5 instead, but I guess he cannot afford them.
This is what I do with my car...
1) Purchase a quality car cover.
http://www.covercraft.com/technalon%AE.htm
Even though the car is kept indoors, family member walk by with groceries. A cover prevents scratches and keeps dirt/dust away from paint and interior ac/heat ducts.
2) Put in a can of Sea-foam stablizer additive in fuel tank
http://www.riversmallies.com/guestrev_drichards3.html
You can purchase at NAPA or most auto parts stores.
3) Purchase a string of Christmas lights (C7 bulbs) and 15 amp timer.
Place Christmas light underneath car. Set timer to come up 2 times a day for 3 hours. The heat from lights burns away whatever dampness that may occur in your garage. Be careful, it could attract mice and rodents. Thats why, I don't place them under hood, just lying on floor of garage. Some folks, purchase and tear open bags of Kingford Charcoal to obsorb moisture.
Of course, a person should use jack stands. I simply park my car on a couple sheets of 4x8 plywood to keep tires away from moisture trapped on cold concrete.
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I mis-read the original post. Why do I do this? Anyone who lives near a large city in the midwest knows that the highway department puts down 1/2 inch of road salt/chemicals before every snow storm.
1) Purchase a quality car cover.
http://www.covercraft.com/technalon%AE.htm
Even though the car is kept indoors, family member walk by with groceries. A cover prevents scratches and keeps dirt/dust away from paint and interior ac/heat ducts.
2) Put in a can of Sea-foam stablizer additive in fuel tank
http://www.riversmallies.com/guestrev_drichards3.html
You can purchase at NAPA or most auto parts stores.
3) Purchase a string of Christmas lights (C7 bulbs) and 15 amp timer.
Place Christmas light underneath car. Set timer to come up 2 times a day for 3 hours. The heat from lights burns away whatever dampness that may occur in your garage. Be careful, it could attract mice and rodents. Thats why, I don't place them under hood, just lying on floor of garage. Some folks, purchase and tear open bags of Kingford Charcoal to obsorb moisture.
Of course, a person should use jack stands. I simply park my car on a couple sheets of 4x8 plywood to keep tires away from moisture trapped on cold concrete.
------------
I mis-read the original post. Why do I do this? Anyone who lives near a large city in the midwest knows that the highway department puts down 1/2 inch of road salt/chemicals before every snow storm.
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I just think that being THAT careful about the car in the winter is pointless since BMW exterior usually outlasts its engine by the long shot.
Do not see many rusted BMW on the street... meaning that they die earlier than they rust since they are well protected. So feel free to drive it in the snow!!!![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Do not see many rusted BMW on the street... meaning that they die earlier than they rust since they are well protected. So feel free to drive it in the snow!!!
Funny... That's not what I've heard...
http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/bimmer/2002/08/rust.asp
http://www.finishing.com/224/19.html
http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Maintenance/Body/Door_trims.htm
And from a '93 BMW 325i owner from Cleveland...
http://www.nohiobmwcca.org/wwwboard/messages/908.htm
Simple, it boils down to how long a person wants to own their car. If you think your car will become a classic like a BMW 2002, then garage it. Rust usually develops from the inside going out. By the time you see it, it will be too late.
If you are planning to trade every 8-10 years, then I wouldn't worry about it.
http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/bimmer/2002/08/rust.asp
http://www.finishing.com/224/19.html
http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Maintenance/Body/Door_trims.htm
And from a '93 BMW 325i owner from Cleveland...
http://www.nohiobmwcca.org/wwwboard/messages/908.htm
Simple, it boils down to how long a person wants to own their car. If you think your car will become a classic like a BMW 2002, then garage it. Rust usually develops from the inside going out. By the time you see it, it will be too late.
If you are planning to trade every 8-10 years, then I wouldn't worry about it.
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What would you suggest to someone who doesn't have a garage? This is going to be the first winter in which I'll have my car and I'm not really sure what I am going to do with it. I want to build a car port but my parents don't want it in the back yard because they think it'll be ugly. My dad told me to get a car cover but I have to drive my car every day so I dont think it would be fun to have to deal with the cover every time I want to take it out. I will still get one though incase a large storm is coming, but I would still like to have a day to day solution ![[:(]](/images/smilies/frown.png "Frown [:(]")
you'd be surprised, but covers are pretty easy to throw on and off. letting your car sit out in the snow actually doens't do a whole lot of damage, its the salt and sand that gets up and in when you drive that causes the immediate pain. though you don't want to hear it, a cover is the best solution. i'll try to get creative for you though ![[;)]](/images/smilies/wink.png "Wink [;)]")
Yeah, the snow only gives you that ugly rust on the brake rotors.
As for storing cars, I know around here, most convertible owners have the convertible as like their pleasure car, not their daily driver. So they just store the car during the winter as they see their own cars as terribly impractical cars for daily driving.![[:0]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_shock.gif "Shocked [:0]")
As for storing cars, I know around here, most convertible owners have the convertible as like their pleasure car, not their daily driver. So they just store the car during the winter as they see their own cars as terribly impractical cars for daily driving.
frolf said:
you'd be surprised, but covers are pretty easy to throw on and off. letting your car sit out in the snow actually doens't do a whole lot of damage, its the salt and sand that gets up and in when you drive that causes the immediate pain. though you don't want to hear it, a cover is the best solution. i'll try to get creative for you though
Thanks
![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
Why would it be bad to take it on and off? The purpose of the car cover is to protect it from all the crap that can hit your car from it just sitting outside, and recently they've made car coveers really easy to put on and take off. I'm sure since they're so easy to use now, it must have no negative effect for you use it as much as possible.