...and wake up at the end of Quarantine to Huge Orwellian Big Government. The kind we have never seen. ..and don't worry, they'll be coming for our cars soon.
This video just shows that TH-cam car content isn't reliant at all on having cars moving, running, revving or speeding. It's down to the person in the video to engage with the viewer and keep them interested and to share their knowledge. Harry is brilliant at this, this video was 20 mins of walking around stationary cars but it was full of interesting facts and information. Content is only as good as the person delivering it. Bravo Harry another great video. Such a reliable source of good TH-cam content.
Another point regarding occasional run up - make certain it gets FULLY warmed. Coolant up to full temp, oil up to temp. If you start for a few minutes then shut off, condensation forms in the crankcase. The heat of run up normally evaporates it, but short on-off cycles don't. I've seen honest-to-god milkshakes in the oil from people doing this. They'd have been better off not touching it at all.
Very true, good info. I could have made this video 30mins long and wouldn't include everything but if people read all the comments, as well as watch the vid, I think they will learn a lot! 👍
Absolutely. FULL operating temperature is so important. Expels moisture from the exhaust as well. I would give them an "Italian Tune-Up", gently run them through the gears in the higher RPM range.
Is it okay to leave your car stationary running on idle for a period of time? Harry i have a 993 4s thats sat in the garage on the ctek charger. You are welcome to drive/review when the lockdown is over.
Brilliant tips for storaging a car...I would add: cleaning and vacuuming the interior and removing the rubber floor mats. Cleaning/changing the interior air filter. Putting a moisture absorber inside the car. Putting a silicone spray on rubber seals, bushings and rubber boots. Check and treat the corrosion spots with oil spray product or even wd40.
@@karlos543 It's a car channel for people who are passionate about cars. If you spend your time just criticising people online maybe you need to follow your own advice.
Just a thought about storage in the current lockdown. Most (all?) UK marinas are now shut, so it’s not possible to go and visit the boat to check the temperature and humidity is OK (Meaco DD8L recommended, btw), so I’m very glad I installed an Envirotxt device. I just send it a text and it replies in a few seconds to tell me that the mains power is still connected and also the temperature. Currently 16C, at 10 pm.... If mains power is lost, it also sends me an alert so I can get the marina staff to investigate. Very useful device that could also be used for a remote garage, provided it has mains power.
you can't imagine how good it’s to watch your videos at this stage, it keeps our soul of classic car lovers alive. Waiting for better days to enjoy them. Greetings from Oporto / Portugal
In the old days a through draught of air was the way to prevent condensation. Barns were always full of holes; houses had cavity walls. That, in my opinion, is the way to keep cars free from wet air - hence barn find! Great posts, Harry.
......well my mrs is furious, I’ve spent the day washing my Skoda and reversed it into the living room. Well I said Harry says it needs to be warm and dry 🤣
Mk2 3.8 jag, mk1 transit, cortina p100 in my workshop 35miles away, silver shadow LWB & series 2 land rover outside without covers, i did give the rolls a spring clean today
Thanks Harry and Iain,your videos have brought back many old personal memories and all the tears thinking back on them.Its a world I was involved in 35/40 years ago,And I miss terribly.Sorry guys can't watch to upsetting,many many thanks
These tips are good for any cars, not just supercars and classics. Some of them I never even thought of and it completely makes sense. Well done, Harry.
My father has museum registered Opel Rekord 2.0S from '80, driven approx 100k miles. Top notch condition. Unfortunately he doesn't have garage to keep it safe during winter (he would want to), but luckily we live in nordic country where winter temps go below freezing point. What he has done is to keep the car on clean tiled surface, made from concrete ground tiles, so that the ground is as dry as possible. Years ago he also did full rust proof coating to the bottom, wheel arches and even used long hose to spray the wax protection inside the skirts. He puts big felt bag of silicate grain into the interior to keep it dry from moist/humidity. Then he covers the whole car with very thin felt blanket and puts tarp cover for weather proofness, but those do not touch the ground to keep the bottom of the car ventilated. The car has been kept outside storing for past 10 years, and it hadn't rusted at all, not even in any hidden places. He even goes to drive with it on -10 C temps, to keep everything lubricated and to ''ventilate'' it a bit. So if you don't have garage, this is propably the best way to preserve classic/old car, but it requires to have cold climate, not gonna work on UK or similar climate places, where the temps and humidity might be too high.
Just bought a Ctek charger because of this vid. I have always known about them but this pushed me to buy one with a few extra plugs for cars and a bike. So there you go ,your sponsor should be happy.
The biggest difference I saw recently was to fit a Hormann 4 panel insulated garage door. You drive the car in at night and the garage is still warm the next morning. Make sure garage ceiling is fireproof plasterboard. Disconnect and electic door openers (mine opened in a fire and let draught in and wrote the car off because the windows were open! Smoke and Fire alarm. Have a fire extinguisher handy. Pump the tyres up extra hard to prevent flat spots. Ventilation is more important than heat. Let the whole system breathe. See the latest RICS consultation on buildings. Corrosion of discs under disc brake pads? Put in some plywood dummy pads soaked in oil to protect the discs. Unload suspension a little. roll car around to different position. Press brake pedal to crack piston seals. Run engine but long enough to get tailpipe really hot to get condensation out of exhaust pipe. When hot take oil filler cap off to let water vapour out of engine. Don’t plug the exhaust pipe. Car covers make cars sweat and restrict ventilation. Keep out of direct sunlight. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, put small sachet of dessicant under the lid. Be careful of over-clever battery chargers, lots of snake oil being sold. Increase concentration of corrosion inhibitor or use waterless coolant. Clamp on some sacrificial anodes to limit corrosion
A sacrificial anode, cathodic protection will only work if there is a complete circuit. Just bolting one or a few to the chassis won't do anything, the zinc needs a circuit to be completed. I guess you could store the car in damp mud or water to complete the circuit.....
Chris Clark Chris, Harry’s Lotus Elan, like mine, probably has a galvanised (zinc plated) chassis. Zinc is anodic relative to the iron in the steel Elan chassis. See the Periodic Table. This is a ‘galvanic couple’. The humidity in the atmosphere at the dew point causes water to condense on the bi-metallic junction completing the electrical circuit. On my yacht I bolt sacrificial anodes to the stainless steel propeller shaft. Each season the anode corrodes away in preference to the iron in the steel. Same as a galvanised dustbin. The effect is further exacerbated when additional electricity is added in, such car batteries, as battery chargers, shore power lines to the quayside, etc. The simple expedient of bolting a sacrificial anode will protect against cathodic (the Lotus) chassis corroding. Magnesium is also used but is more expensive than zinc. However hard he tries Harry cannot reduce the relative humidity in his garage to a point where this is not an issue. Similar couples exist between the iron in the brake discs and the metal particles (and other chemicals) in the disc pads. This is is why the brakes stick on and the discs corrode under the pads. It’s all about relative humidity, dew point, condensation and ventilation. Work with nature and you have a chance. Try and beat it, your car rots away.Magnesium alloy wheels = 4 sacrificial anodes on every corner, gently fizzing away in preference to the chassis,.This is why the wheels develop surface pitting. White magnesium oxide forms under the cracks in the lacquer and away it goes. Far better to take the laquer off and expose a greater surface area to more distributed corrosion. This is why you don’t see brass on proper yachts, only bronze. The zinc in the brass just fizzes away .....
Thank you Harry. You could not have timed this better. I have just inherited a Triumph from my late father and now I know exactly how to care for it once I have made some minor repairs and got it Norfolk. Great video Harry!!!
A lot of people watching this won't have a multi car garage..but Harry obviously knows that. Even if you only have a one car garage with one car you want to look after...the same principles described here apply just as much...just on a smaller scale. Great advice on the whole....peace.
What I've been doing has just been validated by Harry Metcalfe ! I've been storing motorcycles and old cars (well, one old car, my wife's SLK, top closed of course) over winter for many decades. They reside in a heated garage which is kept at between 12-15 C even in the worst of a Canadian winter. I couldn't agree more about trickle chargers. Everyone has a quick connector permanently hooked up to the battery and its own charger. I use mostly cheap Motomaster (Canadian viewers will recognize Canadian Tire's private brand) "smart" chargers and they've never let me down. Around here we have another reason to brim our tanks with premium unleaded: almost all our regular unleaded contains 10% ethanol, which is fine for daily use, but not so much for months of storage. Fortunately, non-ethanol premium is still relatively easy to find. Personally I also add fuel preserver, but that's probably not essential.
Great info, thanks. 10% ethanol coming here in the UK in a few months time. Going to make matters even worse for longterm storage of collector cars and bikes.
@@harrysgarage I noticed a drop in performance with V-Power in my car and wrote to Shell as I thought they'd filled up the petrol station tanks with regular and not V-Power fuel. They wrote back explaining it was because they had to add biofuel to the mix now. Might as well have added water for all it did!
@@carmadme I'd worked out that Shell Optimax / V-Power gave me 10% more MPG over standard fuels but only cost 7% more. Therefore you were better off spending more. Plus the car felt smoother to drive, both my turbo car and NA one. Up until that point it was worth buying. After that, buy the cheapest. At that point it's all the same stuff that comes out of the refinery anyway.
Regarding batteries - recently I was told by an RAC mechanic, who visited my garaged 1989 911 to check its battery, that the best thing to do with longterm storing is disconnect the battery completely. The condition of the unit when you come to fire her up many months later will be better than even a CTEK-charged unit. I once had an F355 for which I'd just use the battery cut-off switch. I drove the car twice a year on visits to the UK. Started on the button and drove 1000 miles no problem. Regarding fuel - the anti-condensation measures make sense, but i always leave my vehicles almost empty incase they are stolen - then the thieves need to fill up quick to get anywhere - CCTV will catch them! Great useful video Harry, thank you.
Something I think you missed is mouse traps. I cleaned 17 dead mice out of my 60 year old Sprite last year and had to put a new interior in as a result. Thankfully there's not much to the interior! The garage is drafty and is shared with the mower and animal feed but it's all we've got :)
The best way is to figure out where the mice are getting in and seal it up. If you set a load of traps, that means using a load of bait, which attracts even more mice. Steel wool is brilliant for plugging holes and filling voids at the edges of garage doors etc. One of the only materials the little b**tards can't chew through and it's cheap and readily available.
Fascinating! Go storming off to the south of France. I am having difficulty thinking of more than going to our favourite old pub/ restaurant a few miles away in the Kent countryside! The ‘Thing’ has made me appreciate the small things in life that we all take for granted.
Thank you for sharing some great tips Harry. I have a very reasonably priced desiccant dehumidifier in my stand alone single garage which works very well for me. It has a drainage pipe to outside but slightly warms up the air in the garage too. After 5 years of storage the car remains perfect and I have the benefit of all my tools in the garage remaining rust free too.
All the other you tubers making videos about lockdown and panicking about content. Harry’s garage, come into my garage, here’s how to look after your car properly 👌👌👌
SanMarino_CS Ha, good point! I don’t watch any other car you tubers anymore, as I find them all (except Harry) self absorbed and just too damn glib in general, but panicking about content sounds like something they would be doing.
A most appropriate and timely video, thank you so very much for producing it, you have taught me a good deal. A number of my friends are sheltering overseas to avoid COVID-19, and have given me the responsibility of maintaining their cars while they are away. The cars are garaged, but I worry about the batteries, fuel going bad, and keeping them clean. On occasion I drive them on the motorway and get them up to temperature, and to keep the tires from getting squared off. I do use a trickle charger to keep the batteries charged, it seems the electronics on the newer cars will drain the battery in a fortnight. Once the battery is drained, the Mercedes can be a pain in that you must enter a code, reset the windows, sunroof, mirrors and seats. One car has three codes.
You missed the key point of the Ctek that it allows the battery to DISCHARGE a little every couple of months and then recharges it. Most cheap trickle chargers will not overcharge a battery but if the battery is kept fully charged it ‘sulphates’ and dies after about 6 months. This is the most important feature of the Cteks. I also have about 10 cteks in my garage after killing batteries with cheap trickle chargers. Never had a battery problem since. Many premium manufactures also sell cteks branded as their own.
I don't own any cars, buy I am a car lover. I really appreciate you doing videos. They keep the fire burning. The Lamborghini Contache and Ferrari Testarossa were my poster cars when I was a kid. Fast Lane was my monthly fix. Stay safe and well.
I've got 3 "Fiats" and a garage for 2. A '10 Punto 1.3, '96 GTV 2.0 V6 and a '04 4200 Cambiocorsa, so you can guess which one is always outside. The thing is, I'm going to be left with just the Punto if this lockdown stays for long, which is highly likely. A small price to pay though I'm afraid compared to others right now. Stay inside Harry. Be careful. Thank you for the lovely videos.
Great vid as ever - funnily enough I recorded a very similar video (albeit in a much smaller garage!) on how to lay up motorcycles only last week - will be published later this week - I'm soo glad I didn't say anything counter to what you said...liked the advice on warming/insulating the garage, I missed that one!
Harry I thought I would send you a message of sincere thanks.... being of a similar vintage leveraging your background on cars and storage etc ps as well as the farming information I find incredibly helpful and interesting.... I hope you’ll remember comments like mine when the inevitable difficult day comes along .... we really appreciate your video friendship if I might coin a phrase... cheers and happy holidays stay safe.
Take a look at military vehicles and how they are stored. The nation has lots of them and they are in specialist storage in order to manage their condition and readiness for use.
You can get desiccant dehumidifiers that don't chuck the heat out, instead they put the water in to a tank like the refrigerant one. I've used a few Eco Air branded ones.
Great video, some good ideas. My twopennyworth: You can still use your car during lockdown. When you make your essential journey to the supermarket or whatever, take the classic, The carparks aren't as full so it's easy to find a nice big space to park it in away from everyone else. Don't run the car at idle for long periods. The oil doesn't circulate properly (or at all on some because the lift pump won't operate) so you are running the engine starved of oil. The idea of leaving a car running at tickover to warm up is one of the great classic car myths and can really do a lot of damage. To warm the car up, just drive it gently to start with, that way everything else also gets warmed up, then give it the berries! If you can't take the car for a run, still jump in and push the brakes, pull the handbrake on and off and move the gears to stop things seizing up. If you jack the front up you can also move the steering. Even in the winter, if the weather has been mild, the roads are dry and any salt on the roads has been washed off by recent rain take the car for a run. Cars like to be driven, so go out and enjoy them!
Thanks Harry, this is pretty handy. Now that I have a daily driver Mazda 3, my Miata has turned into a garage queen. I try to drive it at least once a week but it's good to know all these tips. I've known so many people who let their cars sit and develop serious problems as a result of storing them improperly. Rodents are especially a huge problem.
We keep a 1970s 911 targa in Istanbul in our garage. It starts every month we go there and has never failed us. We also get cheap servicing from a local specialist because I bring him some parts from the uk for his garage.
Anybody without power in their garage can place an old piece of carpet under the car and also use a few non electrical dehumidifiers(Unibond aero 360) approx £10 each, one inside the car and another outside. I found this method helped me.
‘H’, would you advise to put a Petrol additive into the Tank to preserve your Fuel. Also before filling your Tank to the brim to preserve the Tank make sure the Tank is of sound condition. I hope you don’t have the situation I did, walking into the Garage to find it full of Petrol Fumes from a worn Rubber Hose from the Tank to the Fuel Pump, Fuel all over the Floor. 😀👍
I gave a thumbs up right after beginning only for the great idea to offer a video with such an interesting topic! Thanks a lot to Harry for all his great videos offering to us for free and also to bring Tyrrell to offer videos also. I love both channels!
This is a great argument for keeping my best motorcycles in my living room! Another thought on desiccant: you could place a container of it in car interiors (I use purpose made metal tins of it in camera bags) and just reheat it when the crystals turn color. The only issue, I think, would be in determining the amount needed for a car’s interior. Thank you for the interesting video. I used to carry two car covers with me on trips in Porsches: a soft linen cover as a first layer, followed with a quilted cover over that. A bit obsessive. It backfired once on a trip to Yosemite when the covers froze in place overnight!
Nice video. I use sticky moth traps to control moths. They have an appetite for car covers and if they can get inside for carpets/clots seats etc . For this reason I leave windows shut. Also poison/traps for rodents. Many a wiring loom on a car in storage has been lost to mice.
Dont forget mice like heated garages in winter ! I tie-wrap plastic bags around the exhaust and air intake, and leave softening sheets in the cabin. Mothballs also work but the smell lingers. Cheers and stay healthy.
Mr Harry, I love that you are so flexible and still work hard to give us content! I enjoyed every moment of it! A BIG SHOUT OUT to Mrs Metcalfe! She is as patient as they come, and she should go pro with her camera skills!
i have my garage heated to about 45F all winter... 7C. The Porsche branded charger is a CTEK...works well. Battery Saver chargers also work very well. I second pumping up the tires.
I've had great experience with the 'cheap' dessicant dehumidifers you can get on Amazon etc - a £120 with around a 300w consumption on 'high' & an external drain & it keeps an un insulated brick/tile double garage & it's contents devoid of condensation over winter. They add the heat to the internal btw.
A thoughtful and, obviously, timely video Harry. And I think there is a message for those of us who don't have multi car garages (or even garages, I have one but it's full of 'stuff') which is to keep on top of batteries and tyre pressures etc. I'm using my car (Maserati Levante) a bit but I'm probably doing less than 30 miles a week... my wifes Q2 has not moved in the last couple of weeks and I need to deal with that. One thing I am really particular about doing is a brake drying run after I wash the car(s)... does not need to be far but you gotta get some hear into the disks and callipers to discourage rust.
Great video for winter storage: I use the "Eco Air" desiccant dehumidifier(s) and they do a great job a str!pping the water out of the air & giving heat back. I also occasionally put the small Eco Air version in my poor elderly Coupe (that got evicted from the garage & now sits on the drive) when the British weather keeps flipping from warm, damp & mild to frosty nights. Even set at 45% will remove 300ml (mug of water) overnight - Hopefully this helps to stop mold in the car & also helps the internal electrics from getting gremlins due to corrosion...
This is a first class report, reminds me of the old 'Practical classics' of the seventies'. Excellent tips on looking after your cars. I have two new cars and I will certainly purchase the CTEK. I asked the salesman at the Audi agent what the flashing traffic lights were. They did not know. Thank you I will certainly purchase the two battery indicators.
Really great video!! About starting fuel injected cars I agree they often need get started to prevent deposits... But I also noted this for carburetor cars also ! Today's fuel often leaves deposits that mess things up...Start up all types of engines! :)
Very nice tips. Much appreciated! May I also add to the tips that when starting your car up during times of storage it is wise to run the air conditioning (if fitted) as the system tends to dry out and start leaking if it’s not used frequently
Agree - Any car with Air-Con should be used on a regular bases as the mineral oil in the Air-Con gas lubricates the rubber seals & stops them perishing... But also worth turning the Air-Con off before the end of the winter drive out, to help dry the system out.
It is funny how different cars seem to treat their batteries. My Fulvia Sport is exactly like Harry's, it never fails me- I started for the first time in 8 weeks earlier this week, bit of choke and no problem at all, yet I leave an electronically laden modern for a fortnight and it's not happy-especially the alarm system. Top presentation again Harry, I think i'll invest in a thermometer as my garage is well insulated & cosy and I'm not convinced by the humidifier- although it wasn't particularly expensive and is rather basic.
Very useful, thank you for all the practical tips. I can only agree with the statement on Ctek chargers - absolutely brilliant. Mine has been a life saver (especially for the batteries) during lockdown.
I live in Western Australia. It almost never drops below 12 C in daytime and very low humidity. As a result there are many vintage cars in great condition.
Sound advice regarding not letting older vehicles with fuel injection sit for too long. With Bosch K-Jetronic (or KE-Jet) the fuel distributor units, injectors and other components really seem to suffer with a lack of regular use. Fuel varnish, sticking components, dirty fuel filters etc can cause a lot of headaches. Unfortunately if you have a Testarossa then it’s ‘double trouble’, as it’s got a pair of fuel distributors (plus 2 each of many of the other fuel injection system parts).
Ctek are great, highly recommended. I've been using one for 5 years and it has kept the battery on a very little used car alive. Well worth the money. Thanks Harry.
Thanks Harry, lots of good common sense expounded there. We need to look after these Classic vehicles. We have half a dozen and they all are all connected to a trickle charger.
For wealthy folks with 1st world problems that we build homes for, embedded forced hot water heat tubing in the garage floor is standard, for efficient radiant heat. For less money or just as an additional unit to compensate for air inrush when you open the garage door on a cold day, overhead gas-fired space heaters take no floor space & blow huge volumes of hot air right where you need it. Harry might move his humidity gauge away from the unit for a better reading, and perhaps use a large standing or overhead fan to mix the room air. An exhaust gas hose system as they have in service facilities will allow you to run the cars inside for at least short periods when it's snowing or raining and you do not want to take the vehicles out, thus keeping those injector systems fit without poisoning the air.
Tyrrell's Classic Workshop and Harry's Garage. I can be quarantined forever❤️
Benny Lloyd-Willner you should check out Harry’s farm channel
...and wake up at the end of Quarantine to Huge Orwellian Big Government. The kind we have never seen. ..and don't worry, they'll be coming for our cars soon.
@@aretonsenner6664 Oh, I forgot to mention that. That makes it a perfect trifecta👌
Yeah - Who needs Netflix - This is for free
Me: Owns a 2014 Mazda 6 that sits outside all the time
Also Me: Watches a 20 minute video on how to store all your classic cars
that's ok, i have 2009 mini cooper s that also lives outside all the time :)
So the Mazda section of your garage is outside?:)
At least you've got yourself a solid car.
Same for me, except 2016 VW. We're all dreamers, aren't we?
🤣🤣🤣
This video just shows that TH-cam car content isn't reliant at all on having cars moving, running, revving or speeding. It's down to the person in the video to engage with the viewer and keep them interested and to share their knowledge. Harry is brilliant at this, this video was 20 mins of walking around stationary cars but it was full of interesting facts and information. Content is only as good as the person delivering it. Bravo Harry another great video. Such a reliable source of good TH-cam content.
Absolutely brilliant Harry! Thank you so much.
You couldn't be more right!
Another point regarding occasional run up - make certain it gets FULLY warmed. Coolant up to full temp, oil up to temp. If you start for a few minutes then shut off, condensation forms in the crankcase. The heat of run up normally evaporates it, but short on-off cycles don't. I've seen honest-to-god milkshakes in the oil from people doing this. They'd have been better off not touching it at all.
Very true, good info. I could have made this video 30mins long and wouldn't include everything but if people read all the comments, as well as watch the vid, I think they will learn a lot! 👍
Absolutely. FULL operating temperature is so important. Expels moisture from the exhaust as well. I would give them an "Italian Tune-Up", gently run them through the gears in the higher RPM range.
@@harrysgarage Very in depth though Harry.
Is it okay to leave your car stationary running on idle for a period of time? Harry i have a 993 4s thats sat in the garage on the ctek charger. You are welcome to drive/review when the lockdown is over.
Another excellent video as usual. Subscribing to Harry’s channel makes the lockdown so much more bearable
1. Building: isolation, humidity, temperature 1:00
2. Battery: 6:06
3. Petrol: 10:40
4.Anti-freeze: 11:15
5. Tyres: 11:35
6. Convertible top: 12:12
7. Windows: 12:38
8. Hand brake: 12:55
9. Washing and covers: 13:12
10. Regular drive or start or spin it: 14:03
11. More covers: 15:23
12. Fuss over cars: 16:15
13. History file: 17:08
Brilliant tips for storaging a car...I would add: cleaning and vacuuming the interior and removing the rubber floor mats. Cleaning/changing the interior air filter. Putting a moisture absorber inside the car. Putting a silicone spray on rubber seals, bushings and rubber boots. Check and treat the corrosion spots with oil spray product or even wd40.
All top tips 👍
RestlessJack.....or get a life
@@karlos543 Maybe that's what he enjoys. Who are you to suggest that he "doesn't have a life"? Hmmh?
@@Adrian_Nel Well said .. I believe they made a movie about Karlos.. they called it "Trolls"
@@karlos543 It's a car channel for people who are passionate about cars. If you spend your time just criticising people online maybe you need to follow your own advice.
Harry is just the loveliest chap on the planet. Feels like a brilliant pal I have never met.
Thank you so much for the output...
Harry, you are my favorite, please don’t stop. I don’t care if you make videos about how you organize your screwdrivers.
Get some footage in the workshop too!
You are such a down to earth chap Harry. The type of bloke a guy could sit down and have a pint with at the drop of a hat !
Just a thought about storage in the current lockdown. Most (all?) UK marinas are now shut, so it’s not possible to go and visit the boat to check the temperature and humidity is OK (Meaco DD8L recommended, btw), so I’m very glad I installed an Envirotxt device. I just send it a text and it replies in a few seconds to tell me that the mains power is still connected and also the temperature. Currently 16C, at 10 pm.... If mains power is lost, it also sends me an alert so I can get the marina staff to investigate. Very useful device that could also be used for a remote garage, provided it has mains power.
you can't imagine how good it’s to watch your videos at this stage, it keeps our soul of classic car lovers alive. Waiting for better days to enjoy them. Greetings from Oporto / Portugal
In the old days a through draught of air was the way to prevent condensation. Barns were always full of holes; houses had cavity walls. That, in my opinion, is the way to keep cars free from wet air - hence barn find! Great posts, Harry.
......well my mrs is furious, I’ve spent the day washing my Skoda and reversed it into the living room. Well I said Harry says it needs to be warm and dry 🤣
Just tell her, Harry’s word is LAW
Id be furious you bought a skoda with all the choice out there lol
Mk2 3.8 jag, mk1 transit, cortina p100 in my workshop 35miles away, silver shadow LWB & series 2 land rover outside without covers, i did give the rolls a spring clean today
Thanks Harry and Iain,your videos have brought back many old personal memories and all the tears thinking back on them.Its a world I was involved in 35/40 years ago,And I miss terribly.Sorry guys can't watch to upsetting,many many thanks
These tips are good for any cars, not just supercars and classics. Some of them I never even thought of and it completely makes sense. Well done, Harry.
My father has museum registered Opel Rekord 2.0S from '80, driven approx 100k miles. Top notch condition. Unfortunately he doesn't have garage to keep it safe during winter (he would want to), but luckily we live in nordic country where winter temps go below freezing point. What he has done is to keep the car on clean tiled surface, made from concrete ground tiles, so that the ground is as dry as possible. Years ago he also did full rust proof coating to the bottom, wheel arches and even used long hose to spray the wax protection inside the skirts. He puts big felt bag of silicate grain into the interior to keep it dry from moist/humidity. Then he covers the whole car with very thin felt blanket and puts tarp cover for weather proofness, but those do not touch the ground to keep the bottom of the car ventilated. The car has been kept outside storing for past 10 years, and it hadn't rusted at all, not even in any hidden places. He even goes to drive with it on -10 C temps, to keep everything lubricated and to ''ventilate'' it a bit.
So if you don't have garage, this is propably the best way to preserve classic/old car, but it requires to have cold climate, not gonna work on UK or similar climate places, where the temps and humidity might be too high.
7 months on second lockdown, but this time people are keen to carry on as normal.
I salute them.
Thanks Harry - fantastic as always. Stay safe Harry and everyone 👍
Just bought a Ctek charger because of this vid. I have always known about them but this pushed me to buy one with a few extra plugs for cars and a bike. So there you go ,your sponsor should be happy.
Genuinely helpful information on storing cars. Particularly maintaining temperature to manage humidity. Thanks Harry
10:44 Love the "I've crossed the Arctic Circle in this car" moose on the sail panel. Classic!
I love the censorship at 9:59
Pos Tits notes
@@OneFatStatueOh thats goooood!
Fatty 😂
I was wondering if anyone else noticed ;)
The biggest difference I saw recently was to fit a Hormann 4 panel insulated garage door. You drive the car in at night and the garage is still warm the next morning. Make sure garage ceiling is fireproof plasterboard. Disconnect and electic door openers (mine opened in a fire and let draught in and wrote the car off because the windows were open! Smoke and Fire alarm. Have a fire extinguisher handy. Pump the tyres up extra hard to prevent flat spots. Ventilation is more important than heat. Let the whole system breathe. See the latest RICS consultation on buildings. Corrosion of discs under disc brake pads? Put in some plywood dummy pads soaked in oil to protect the discs. Unload suspension a little. roll car around to different position. Press brake pedal to crack piston seals. Run engine but long enough to get tailpipe really hot to get condensation out of exhaust pipe. When hot take oil filler cap off to let water vapour out of engine. Don’t plug the exhaust pipe. Car covers make cars sweat and restrict ventilation. Keep out of direct sunlight. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, put small sachet of dessicant under the lid. Be careful of over-clever battery chargers, lots of snake oil being sold. Increase concentration of corrosion inhibitor or use waterless coolant. Clamp on some sacrificial anodes to limit corrosion
A sacrificial anode, cathodic protection will only work if there is a complete circuit. Just bolting one or a few to the chassis won't do anything, the zinc needs a circuit to be completed. I guess you could store the car in damp mud or water to complete the circuit.....
Chris Clark Chris, Harry’s Lotus Elan, like mine, probably has a galvanised (zinc plated) chassis. Zinc is anodic relative to the iron in the steel Elan chassis. See the Periodic Table. This is a ‘galvanic couple’. The humidity in the atmosphere at the dew point causes water to condense on the bi-metallic junction completing the electrical circuit. On my yacht I bolt sacrificial anodes to the stainless steel propeller shaft. Each season the anode corrodes away in preference to the iron in the steel. Same as a galvanised dustbin. The effect is further exacerbated when additional electricity is added in, such car batteries, as battery chargers, shore power lines to the quayside, etc. The simple expedient of bolting a sacrificial anode will protect against cathodic (the Lotus) chassis corroding. Magnesium is also used but is more expensive than zinc. However hard he tries Harry cannot reduce the relative humidity in his garage to a point where this is not an issue. Similar couples exist between the iron in the brake discs and the metal particles (and other chemicals) in the disc pads. This is is why the brakes stick on and the discs corrode under the pads. It’s all about relative humidity, dew point, condensation and ventilation. Work with nature and you have a chance. Try and beat it, your car rots away.Magnesium alloy wheels = 4 sacrificial anodes on every corner, gently fizzing away in preference to the chassis,.This is why the wheels develop surface pitting. White magnesium oxide forms under the cracks in the lacquer and away it goes. Far better to take the laquer off and expose a greater surface area to more distributed corrosion. This is why you don’t see brass on proper yachts, only bronze. The zinc in the brass just fizzes away .....
Thank you Harry. You could not have timed this better. I have just inherited a Triumph from my late father and now I know exactly how to care for it once I have made some minor repairs and got it Norfolk. Great video Harry!!!
A lot of people watching this won't have a multi car garage..but Harry obviously knows that. Even if you only have a one car garage with one car you want to look after...the same principles described here apply just as much...just on a smaller scale. Great advice on the whole....peace.
I’m starting my collection with 2 beautiful cars, and I thank you for your tips about storage.
What I've been doing has just been validated by Harry Metcalfe !
I've been storing motorcycles and old cars (well, one old car, my wife's SLK, top closed of course) over winter for many decades. They reside in a heated garage which is kept at between 12-15 C even in the worst of a Canadian winter. I couldn't agree more about trickle chargers. Everyone has a quick connector permanently hooked up to the battery and its own charger. I use mostly cheap Motomaster (Canadian viewers will recognize Canadian Tire's private brand) "smart" chargers and they've never let me down. Around here we have another reason to brim our tanks with premium unleaded: almost all our regular unleaded contains 10% ethanol, which is fine for daily use, but not so much for months of storage. Fortunately, non-ethanol premium is still relatively easy to find. Personally I also add fuel preserver, but that's probably not essential.
Great info, thanks. 10% ethanol coming here in the UK in a few months time. Going to make matters even worse for longterm storage of collector cars and bikes.
@@harrysgarage I noticed a drop in performance with V-Power in my car and wrote to Shell as I thought they'd filled up the petrol station tanks with regular and not V-Power fuel. They wrote back explaining it was because they had to add biofuel to the mix now. Might as well have added water for all it did!
John Sim had a mate once fill up with pure water from a shell
Luckily it only went in his lawnmower so no big problem
@@carmadme I'd worked out that Shell Optimax / V-Power gave me 10% more MPG over standard fuels but only cost 7% more. Therefore you were better off spending more. Plus the car felt smoother to drive, both my turbo car and NA one. Up until that point it was worth buying. After that, buy the cheapest. At that point it's all the same stuff that comes out of the refinery anyway.
John Sim I’ve tried the various performance fuels but notice no differance so it’s not worth it to me
Regarding batteries - recently I was told by an RAC mechanic, who visited my garaged 1989 911 to check its battery, that the best thing to do with longterm storing is disconnect the battery completely. The condition of the unit when you come to fire her up many months later will be better than even a CTEK-charged unit. I once had an F355 for which I'd just use the battery cut-off switch. I drove the car twice a year on visits to the UK. Started on the button and drove 1000 miles no problem.
Regarding fuel - the anti-condensation measures make sense, but i always leave my vehicles almost empty incase they are stolen - then the thieves need to fill up quick to get anywhere - CCTV will catch them!
Great useful video Harry, thank you.
Something I think you missed is mouse traps. I cleaned 17 dead mice out of my 60 year old Sprite last year and had to put a new interior in as a result. Thankfully there's not much to the interior!
The garage is drafty and is shared with the mower and animal feed but it's all we've got :)
That was another clip I forgot to include. Damn! Thanks for mentioning it though, top and important tip.
@@harrysgarage sorry, didn't mean to be that guy!
Clothes dryer sheets strategically placed. They don’t like the smell and not as harsh as moth balls no ?
The best way is to figure out where the mice are getting in and seal it up. If you set a load of traps, that means using a load of bait, which attracts even more mice. Steel wool is brilliant for plugging holes and filling voids at the edges of garage doors etc. One of the only materials the little b**tards can't chew through and it's cheap and readily available.
@@yetidh9 your answer is correct and in an ideal world would be what I did. Sadly, in my case the answer to where they're getting in is everywhere!
Fascinating! Go storming off to the south of France. I am having difficulty thinking of more than going to our favourite old pub/ restaurant a few miles away in the Kent countryside! The ‘Thing’ has made me appreciate the small things in life that we all take for granted.
Thank you for sharing some great tips Harry. I have a very reasonably priced desiccant dehumidifier in my stand alone single garage which works very well for me. It has a drainage pipe to outside but slightly warms up the air in the garage too. After 5 years of storage the car remains perfect and I have the benefit of all my tools in the garage remaining rust free too.
All the other you tubers making videos about lockdown and panicking about content.
Harry’s garage, come into my garage, here’s how to look after your car properly 👌👌👌
SanMarino_CS Ha, good point! I don’t watch any other car you tubers anymore, as I find them all (except Harry) self absorbed and just too damn glib in general, but panicking about content sounds like something they would be doing.
New Harry vid 10 seconds ago? I'm in.
A most appropriate and timely video, thank you so very much for producing it, you have taught me a good deal.
A number of my friends are sheltering overseas to avoid COVID-19, and have given me the responsibility of maintaining their cars while they are away.
The cars are garaged, but I worry about the batteries, fuel going bad, and keeping them clean.
On occasion I drive them on the motorway and get them up to temperature, and to keep the tires from getting squared off.
I do use a trickle charger to keep the batteries charged, it seems the electronics on the newer cars will drain the battery in a fortnight.
Once the battery is drained, the Mercedes can be a pain in that you must enter a code, reset the windows, sunroof, mirrors and seats. One car has three codes.
Good to see that Harry is still strong his mate's Countach even after he changed garages. Harry's a good friend.
You missed the key point of the Ctek that it allows the battery to DISCHARGE a little every couple of months and then recharges it. Most cheap trickle chargers will not overcharge a battery but if the battery is kept fully charged it ‘sulphates’ and dies after about 6 months. This is the most important feature of the Cteks. I also have about 10 cteks in my garage after killing batteries with cheap trickle chargers. Never had a battery problem since. Many premium manufactures also sell cteks branded as their own.
I don't own any cars, buy I am a car lover. I really appreciate you doing videos. They keep the fire burning. The Lamborghini Contache and Ferrari Testarossa were my poster cars when I was a kid. Fast Lane was my monthly fix. Stay safe and well.
I was at the London Motor Show in 1987 and saw your car. Pretty exciting stuff for a 17 year old from Sweden.
Harry's so great at talking cars I watched this whole video despite only owning one car and having no need for any of this information
I've got 3 "Fiats" and a garage for 2. A '10 Punto 1.3, '96 GTV 2.0 V6 and a '04 4200 Cambiocorsa, so you can guess which one is always outside.
The thing is, I'm going to be left with just the Punto if this lockdown stays for long, which is highly likely.
A small price to pay though I'm afraid compared to others right now.
Stay inside Harry. Be careful. Thank you for the lovely videos.
THE "Primer" for proper motorcar storage. Many thanks for sharing your experience.
Great vid as ever - funnily enough I recorded a very similar video (albeit in a much smaller garage!) on how to lay up motorcycles only last week - will be published later this week - I'm soo glad I didn't say anything counter to what you said...liked the advice on warming/insulating the garage, I missed that one!
Looking forward to that one TMF. I’m getting paranoid about my GS 1250 wasting away in the garage right now.
I could watch Harry present any topic.. brilliant as always
Thanks for sharing your knowledge of so many cars throughout the years, and for doing so without ads and all of the BS. You're the real deal
Harry I thought I would send you a message of sincere thanks.... being of a similar vintage leveraging your background on cars and storage etc ps as well as the farming information I find incredibly helpful and interesting.... I hope you’ll remember comments like mine when the inevitable difficult day comes along .... we really appreciate your video friendship if I might coin a phrase... cheers and happy holidays stay safe.
Take a look at military vehicles and how they are stored. The nation has lots of them and they are in specialist storage in order to manage their condition and readiness for use.
Interesting even though my old MX-5 is out in a London street all year round and can only dream of humidity control and insulation
You can get desiccant dehumidifiers that don't chuck the heat out, instead they put the water in to a tank like the refrigerant one.
I've used a few Eco Air branded ones.
Yes and I mentioned that in a clip I forgot to include. Damn! Top tip, though..
I alway pick up some useful tips watching your videos. Thanks Harry for a genuine usable advice.
Every thing Harry said is spot on, my fiat panda looks fantastic.
Great video, some good ideas. My twopennyworth:
You can still use your car during lockdown. When you make your essential journey to the supermarket or whatever, take the classic, The carparks aren't as full so it's easy to find a nice big space to park it in away from everyone else.
Don't run the car at idle for long periods. The oil doesn't circulate properly (or at all on some because the lift pump won't operate) so you are running the engine starved of oil.
The idea of leaving a car running at tickover to warm up is one of the great classic car myths and can really do a lot of damage. To warm the car up, just drive it gently to start with, that way everything else also gets warmed up, then give it the berries!
If you can't take the car for a run, still jump in and push the brakes, pull the handbrake on and off and move the gears to stop things seizing up. If you jack the front up you can also move the steering.
Even in the winter, if the weather has been mild, the roads are dry and any salt on the roads has been washed off by recent rain take the car for a run. Cars like to be driven, so go out and enjoy them!
Thanks Harry, this is pretty handy. Now that I have a daily driver Mazda 3, my Miata has turned into a garage queen. I try to drive it at least once a week but it's good to know all these tips. I've known so many people who let their cars sit and develop serious problems as a result of storing them improperly. Rodents are especially a huge problem.
Useful information. Great collection, and an owner who doesn’t appear to be ‘up himself’. Love the old school girly posters too. Thanks
I put a dehumidifier next to my car at the curb, the bugger still rusted.
How ?
We keep a 1970s 911 targa in Istanbul in our garage. It starts every month we go there and has never failed us. We also get cheap servicing from a local specialist because I bring him some parts from the uk for his garage.
As an old geography teacher that was a very clear explanation of temperature and humidity Harry.
Something very profound about this episode. We are mere mortals in the presence of greatness.
This is by far the best video showing how to store you car ..thanks
Ooh, I was very much looking forward to this one. I put screenwash in my CR-V today, so I feel your pain, Harry.
Anybody without power in their garage can place an old piece of carpet under the car and also use a few non electrical dehumidifiers(Unibond aero 360) approx £10 each, one inside the car and another outside. I found this method helped me.
Harry, Wishing you and your family the very best during this difficult time. Take Care
‘H’, would you advise to put a Petrol additive into the Tank to preserve your Fuel. Also before filling your Tank to the brim to preserve the Tank make sure the Tank is of sound condition. I hope you don’t have the situation I did, walking into the Garage to find it full of Petrol Fumes from a worn Rubber Hose from the Tank to the Fuel Pump, Fuel all over the Floor. 😀👍
I gave a thumbs up right after beginning only for the great idea to offer a video with such an interesting topic! Thanks a lot to Harry for all his great videos offering to us for free and also to bring Tyrrell to offer videos also. I love both channels!
This is a great argument for keeping my best motorcycles in my living room! Another thought on desiccant: you could place a container of it in car interiors (I use purpose made metal tins of it in camera bags) and just reheat it when the crystals turn color. The only issue, I think, would be in determining the amount needed for a car’s interior. Thank you for the interesting video. I used to carry two car covers with me on trips in Porsches: a soft linen cover as a first layer, followed with a quilted cover over that. A bit obsessive. It backfired once on a trip to Yosemite when the covers froze in place overnight!
Nice video. I use sticky moth traps to control moths. They have an appetite for car covers and if they can get inside for carpets/clots seats etc . For this reason I leave windows shut. Also poison/traps for rodents. Many a wiring loom on a car in storage has been lost to mice.
Dont forget mice like heated garages in winter ! I tie-wrap plastic bags around the exhaust and air intake, and leave softening sheets in the cabin. Mothballs also work but the smell lingers. Cheers and stay healthy.
Fantastic stuff! Great info and likely a sad reflection of myself that I enjoyed this so much. Keep the video's coming Harry, please! We need them.
I’ve literally JUST bought a CTEK charger 5 mins ago and was looking for reviews. You read my mind Harry.
Best thing about corona - regular HG uploads!
Jason Barr check out Harry’s farm
I love that description Harry , "oh battery are you ok, ) fancy a drink tonight"🤣🤣
Yes, another video again in short time. Thanks Harry for extra self-isolation entertainment.
Great video and tips, Harry. The temperature and humidity piece makes a ton of sense for BC, Canada. Thanks again.
Mr Harry, I love that you are so flexible and still work hard to give us content! I enjoyed every moment of it! A BIG SHOUT OUT to Mrs Metcalfe! She is as patient as they come, and she should go pro with her camera skills!
You put 'TOP GEAR' to shame. Content unique and highly informative. This observation also applies to your 'farm' videos.
i have my garage heated to about 45F all winter... 7C. The Porsche branded charger is a CTEK...works well. Battery Saver chargers also work very well. I second pumping up the tires.
I've had great experience with the 'cheap' dessicant dehumidifers you can get on Amazon etc - a £120 with around a 300w consumption on 'high' & an external drain & it keeps an un insulated brick/tile double garage & it's contents devoid of condensation over winter. They add the heat to the internal btw.
Rational historic along with modern technology, magnificent !
A thoughtful and, obviously, timely video Harry. And I think there is a message for those of us who don't have multi car garages (or even garages, I have one but it's full of 'stuff') which is to keep on top of batteries and tyre pressures etc. I'm using my car (Maserati Levante) a bit but I'm probably doing less than 30 miles a week... my wifes Q2 has not moved in the last couple of weeks and I need to deal with that. One thing I am really particular about doing is a brake drying run after I wash the car(s)... does not need to be far but you gotta get some hear into the disks and callipers to discourage rust.
Great video, always happy to see your notifications and I am glad to see you're well.
I have the same CTEK charger and comfort connector permanently joined to my cars battery.
Great video for winter storage: I use the "Eco Air" desiccant dehumidifier(s) and they do a great job a str!pping the water out of the air & giving heat back. I also occasionally put the small Eco Air version in my poor elderly Coupe (that got evicted from the garage & now sits on the drive) when the British weather keeps flipping from warm, damp & mild to frosty nights. Even set at 45% will remove 300ml (mug of water) overnight - Hopefully this helps to stop mold in the car & also helps the internal electrics from getting gremlins due to corrosion...
This is a first class report, reminds me of the old 'Practical classics' of the seventies'. Excellent tips on looking after your cars. I have two new cars and I will certainly purchase the CTEK. I asked the salesman at the Audi agent what the flashing traffic lights were. They did not know. Thank you I will certainly purchase the two battery indicators.
I have a ctek msx5 i bought it from ebay and it came with 2 adapters one with lights you have to check the ads carefully.
Really great video!!
About starting fuel injected cars I agree they often need get started to prevent deposits... But I also noted this for carburetor cars also ! Today's fuel often leaves deposits that mess things up...Start up all types of engines! :)
Very nice tips. Much appreciated! May I also add to the tips that when starting your car up during times of storage it is wise to run the air conditioning (if fitted) as the system tends to dry out and start leaking if it’s not used frequently
Agree - Any car with Air-Con should be used on a regular bases as the mineral oil in the Air-Con gas lubricates the rubber seals & stops them perishing... But also worth turning the Air-Con off before the end of the winter drive out, to help dry the system out.
Thank you Harry for the storage tips which I will now put into action. And thanks for keeping up with the vids while we're all in lockdown.
It is funny how different cars seem to treat their batteries. My Fulvia Sport is exactly like Harry's, it never fails me- I started for the first time in 8 weeks earlier this week, bit of choke and no problem at all, yet I leave an electronically laden modern for a fortnight and it's not happy-especially the alarm system. Top presentation again Harry, I think i'll invest in a thermometer as my garage is well insulated & cosy and I'm not convinced by the humidifier- although it wasn't particularly expensive and is rather basic.
"don't put the handbrake on" :-D I learned this hard way
Very useful, thank you for all the practical tips. I can only agree with the statement on Ctek chargers - absolutely brilliant. Mine has been a life saver (especially for the batteries) during lockdown.
I live in Western Australia. It almost never drops below 12 C in daytime and very low humidity. As a result there are many vintage cars in great condition.
I saw a lovely jag e type out there
Perth?
Sound advice regarding not letting older vehicles with fuel injection sit for too long. With Bosch K-Jetronic (or KE-Jet) the fuel distributor units, injectors and other components really seem to suffer with a lack of regular use. Fuel varnish, sticking components, dirty fuel filters etc can cause a lot of headaches. Unfortunately if you have a Testarossa then it’s ‘double trouble’, as it’s got a pair of fuel distributors (plus 2 each of many of the other fuel injection system parts).
Harry, brilliant video. I have recently started a car storage business and this video provided priceless information. Thank you
Ctek are great, highly recommended. I've been using one for 5 years and it has kept the battery on a very little used car alive. Well worth the money. Thanks Harry.
Stay safe Metcalf. Thx for the tips
Thanks Harry, lots of good common sense expounded there. We need to look after these Classic vehicles. We have half a dozen and they all are all connected to a trickle charger.
For wealthy folks with 1st world problems that we build homes for, embedded forced hot water heat tubing in the garage floor is standard, for efficient radiant heat. For less money or just as an additional unit to compensate for air inrush when you open the garage door on a cold day, overhead gas-fired space heaters take no floor space & blow huge volumes of hot air right where you need it.
Harry might move his humidity gauge away from the unit for a better reading, and perhaps use a large standing or overhead fan to mix the room air. An exhaust gas hose system as they have in service facilities will allow you to run the cars inside for at least short periods when it's snowing or raining and you do not want to take the vehicles out, thus keeping those injector systems fit without poisoning the air.
He’s so down to earth with his lumberjack shirt & knowing everything about his stuff. Such a self-made person - brilliant!
Fitting a battery isolator work well .Simply unscrew a turn to disconnect battery
No more tracking. Easier for thieves
@@dedasdude As opposed to leaving battery connected isn't
10:05
got one on ebay - was too tight fo rthe negative terminal even when fully loose - gouged the lead.
I keep my tires at 55psi. That is the level recommended by Porsche for storage. Plus leave trickle chargers on.
Wow!! That sounds really high? Which Porsche and which tyres? Mine has 295/30-18 and 225/40-18
@@Philly5G 9114s. 235-19 in front and 305 in back.
Thanks@@paull3179!! Mine's a 4S too, 996 :)
and tyre savers are good stops the tyre going squire great stuff harry