Although you may love driving your classic car 365 days a year, there may be times when classic car storage will be necessary.
Most people wouldn”t put much thought into something like this, that is until they unpack their car after a winter in the garage and realise that it won’t start and there is a lovely family of mice using your passenger door as a bedroom.
If you are looking to get into the classic car market and/or already own a classic car but have never thought about storage, it is a good idea to have a plan in place so that you know where to start.
Doing it alone?
The first question to ask yourself is… What kind of storage programme am I looking for? If your classic car is a 1977 MGB Roadster with a soft top roof you might be looking for a 6 month winter storage programme, if however you plan on moving away or decide you won’t be running your classic car enough this year then a more long term storage programme might be better suited, and your particular situation will will alter how you decide to store your car.
Maintenance
Inactivity can be deadly for a classic car, without necessarily knowing your pride and joy could be decomposing in your garage over winter! There is quite a lot to take on board if you plan on storing you car for more than a couple of months. All fluids must be drained, it must be expertly cleaned (inside and out), correctly covered and all tyres must be removed – this is all before you even think about covering the car in specialist fabric.
If you’re pushed for time or a bit confused by the whole process there are options open to you – one idea would be handing your car over to a specialist classic car storage company. It is most likely that these details will then be looked after by a specialist mechanic and you can rest easy knowing that your car will be in the same condition you left it in when you decide to bring it out of storage.
Security
Classic cars are valuable possessions, both in terms of their monetary value and also what they mean to you, they are rare posessions and it is only natural that their owners feel quite protective of their pride and joy. When putting your car into storage it is a good idea to ensure that you can vouch for its safety. If you plan on storing it yourself you must ensure that there is a good alarm system in place for both fire and intruder situations. If you decide to go with a storage company make sure you do your research. Check that the company can ensure that it will be safe and that they have insurance policies in place if the worst does happen.
There are lots of things to consider when placing your classic car into storage and it is important that you choose the storage solution that will suit your situation. It may be cheaper to store the car yourself, but in the long-term if you don’t carry out the maintenance correctly you might be wishing you had forked out that little bit extra!
About the Author
This is a special guest blog for Trade Classics written by Alice Rose. Alice has written this article on behalf of Abels Car Concierge, a company specialising in classic car storage – www.carconciergeservice.co.uk
Categories: Classic Car Blog, Classic Car Chat
