Joseph Pawletko writes >
> Hello Folks,
> I seek some advice. A friend of mine has a '70 TR6 with about 150 k on it.
> Runs o.k. right now, burns a bit of oil, but it's body is in perfect shape.
> He's moving from Sunnyvale CA to the frozen north of Madison, WI.
>
> What would he need to do in order to "winterize" the car. He wouldn't drive
> it until the thaw, but he was concerned about the adverse effects of prolonged
> low temperature storage.
Be sure the antifreeze is OK. 50%-65% antifreeze, the rest distilled water.
Dump the oil hot and put in fresh oil and filter. Crank or run the car
enough to be sure fresh oil is in the bearings. Don't start the engine
again til ready to drive in the spring. Work the clutch once in a while,
as big TRs have a rep for them freezing up. Pretty much the same as
storing it in No Cal. The only real problem with low temp is the coolant
freezing up and breaking something. Antifreeze is the answer.
Low temperatures actually slow down rust. The only fly in the ointment is
that when you heat up the garage now and again to work on your other car,
(like me putting brakes in my daughter's Toy last night) you get
condensation on the sports car. If you have only one garage, and this
problem really bothers you, get a Marshall Dri-bag or Omnibag and bag the car.
> His other option is to sell it before the move. 8-(
Bad idea. A TR-6 is great fun 3/4 of the year in the frozen north. The
main reason to take it off the road is the %@#&ing salt they throw all
over everything.
If your buddy decides next spring he wants to get rid of it, I bet a
truly rustless TR-6 is worth more in Wisconsin than in California. Most
of these cars were driven year-around in their early years up here, and
rust is just about universal. Rustless LBCs are a valuable commodity here.
Ads in Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis papers will bring a response.
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans St, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 w (612) 266-6244 phile@stpaul.gov
"But Mama, that's where the fun is!" - Bruce Springsteen
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