> Any advice on wintering the car? It will have a small, detached
> (unheated) garage for the winter. My major concern is how the top will do
> under these conditions.
In a garage out of the wind, rain, and UV from the sun, what is the problem
with the top? Leave it erected and leave it alone. My cheap vinyl AMCO
top on the Midget did just fine.
Big TRs seem to have a habit of freezing up the clutch in storage. I
would get in and work the clutch pedal once in a while to prevent this.
Otherwise, you may have to engage in some of the odd and somewhat violent
routines described on this list for breaking loose TR clutches in the Spring.
Dump the oil hot and change oil and filter. Remove the spark plugs and
shoot oil into the cylinders. Run the starter till you have oil pressure,
then a bit more to be sure you have clean oil against the bearings so the
combustion acids don't work on the bearings all winter.
Disconnect and fully charge the battery. Leave it in the car.
Be sure you have lots of tire pressure (unless you have never-to-be-driven
tires and wheels on the car like I have) to prevent flat spots. Roll the
car to slightly different tire positions now and then. Connect the
battery and run the electrical circuits now and again. I am told this is
good for the connectors. Always disconnect the battery and fully charge
it to prevent freezing when you are done.
Do NOT start up the engine occasionally to warm it up. If you want to
turn it over to move the lubricants around, shoot oil in the cylinders and
use the starter or push the car in high gear. You don't want any
combustion to create moisture because you will never dry it out without
driving the car. Actually, you can just oil it up and leave it alone.
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans St, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 w (612) 266-6244 phile@stpaul.gov
"Let me know if this gets too organized." Steve Goodman
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