Re: Long-term (?) storage ideas?

["Bernard Littau" <bernardl@acumenassociates.com>]

Doug asks about storing an '83 Ur:

>What should I be doing with fluids (guessing fresh coolant and oil) before
blocking it up?

How long are you planning on storing it?  Inside or outside?  Heated or not?

Fresh coolant and Oil are not a bad idea.  Change your brake fluid -- bleed
wheels and clutch.  Change your hydraulic oil, if you have it -- I assume
you use Pentosin for your rack and brake booster on a Ur.

>
>With 68k miles, does this seem a bit late to go to Mobil 1, or is it worth
it, since I'm not driving it?

68K miles?!?  Just about perfect for going to synthetic.  No one ever drove
it, eh?  Is the mileage correct, or is this just what the odo says?  I have
243000 miles on my '88 5k with synthetic.  How can you have only 68k miles
on an '83?  From other lists, I am getting the impression it is best to let
an engine break in before going to synthetic.  Figure 20K to break in a
motor like an Audi's.  It's almost never too late to go for synthetic.
Synthetic oil can exascerbate existing leaks, so it may force you to do
maintenance you should be doing but weren't as despertate for...

Storing an engine for the long term is usually best done by filling the
thing with oil.  Crankcase and cylinders, even the heads.  Filling!  Quite
the mess to undo, but best for the engine's seals and components in general.

>
>Any good idaes to aviod a 25-gallon fuel tank full of varnish?

Drain it.  Additives are so-so.  Gas is formulated differently in different
geographical regions and times of year as well.  If you are storing it for
more than a few months, drain it.  Get other's opinions on this one, too, as
I have very limited Fuel Injected experience.  On outboards and mototcycles,
as well as carburated cars, they should be drained.  Plan on replacing the
fuel filters before you use them again after you drain them.  Carbs will
need to be rebuild with new gaskets and rubber once the dry out -- not an
issue for a FI car, but even FI has seals that no doubt need to be held
moist by gas and will need maintanence once they dry out.

>
>How about recommended frequency of driving the thing?

Daily.

Seriously.  If you store a car this old for any length of time, it will
deteriorate.  Half the car is being held at a steady state by driving it --
everything gets moisture dried out and/or is lubricated with use.  If you
store it for a year or more, everything will leak, get wet or dry out,
whatever is worse.  BTDT with a '73 BMW Bavaria that I couldn't afford to
maintain while in my last years at college.  Many seals shot --
differential, trunk, doors; A/C shot; carbs almost a joke.  Clearly, YMMV
with a generation later in technology, but what can go wrong on a car like
this will, if you store it.

>
>The car will be on a 1.5-amp trickle-charger.  Does this seem fairly safe
to leave the small charger under the rear seat, and is the space fairly void
under there?
>

Take out the battery.

Unless the charger is fully regulated for the type of battery it is
charging, even 1.5 A can be deadly to the battery over the long term.  (If
it can't automatically provide a float charge in the mA range, it would be
doom to leave such a charger on an unsupervised battery for months).  Even
if you have a fully regulated charger, take the battery out of the car and
store it, under charge, on a bench (floors are too cold), and mentally
prepare for a new battery when you resurect the car.

Most of this assumes you are storing for more than a month or two.

If you get the impression I am down on storing a car this old for any major
length of time, you are correct.  Options may include suspending the
insurance for a while, and then reactivating it.  My insurance requires at
least a month of suspension.  You may want to suspend for two months, then
drive for a month.

Always keep some portion of the insurance active.  I think I usually have
the comprehensive active and the rest dormant on stored vehicles.  That way,
if a tree falls on it, I am covered.  More importantly, the de facto
coverage for a new vehicle generally requires all other vehicles have
coverage.  Bad to have uncovered vehicles.  YMMV state-to-state and
carrier-to-carrier.  Haven't explored the ins and outs of this as I always
have things covered; I generally follow the advice of my insurance agent on
this sort of thing. (I pay him enough, I hope I am getting good advice :-)

In financial terms, you would need to invest a good portion of the insurance
you are trying to avoid paying on preparing the car for storage and/or
resurecting the car to driveable.  I would consider other options.

In reading this before I send it, it seems just a bit heartless.  I just
want to point out  that my '73 Bavaria was beyond my means to resurect until
fairly recently.  As time marched along, it became a more-and-more expensive
proposition to resurect the car out of long term storage.  I finally, last
week, bequeathed the damn thing to my father, who has a '72 Bavaria, and
could use it as a parts car.  He's been driving his the whole time -- it's
in better shape with driving than the one in storage.  I used a portion of
what it would take in terms of time and money to resurect the Bavaria to
purchase a 15 year newer Audi 5k.

Clearly, you have touched a nerve on me.  Old tales about my '73 and my
father's '72 flood to mind.  I never drove the car again once I "stored" it.
YMMV.

Best,

Bernard Littau
Woodinville, WA
'88 5kcstq
sniff
'73 BMW Bavaria, RIP