Keeping Xm For Parts, Best to lay up for access to parts

Hi,

I just bought a '96 2 litre petrol turbo CT VSX and I'm keeping my old '95 2 litre petrol turbo CT SX for access to spares (cylinder head & front windows ceased functioning). I've never done this before and wonder if anyone can give me a guide on the best way of doing it to avoid problems and give best access to the parts. A few things occur to me: take off the handbrake, put in neutral and have the bonnet ajar rather than closed in case the cable siezes, disconnect the battery (?). Obviously it would be best to have the car on a ramp, but I don't have one so any suggestions on this would be very much appreciated.

Regards and thanks

Andrew

Hi Andrew

There are a couple of options.
You can either strip all of value, clean, perhaps test and store the worthwhile spares for your new car.
Or you can leave it and take as you need.
If you do the latter then there is a risk that many parts, particularly electrical will not be servicable when you come to recover them. You will need a cover if you do not want it to become an eyesore.
If you do the former you will get some spares that you think are worth keeping, a few to sell on ebay and the steel chassis should fetch £50 when you have it collected.

Regards

XMexc

Hi XMexec

I've bought a tarpaulin to cover it with. The car is well covered in an extended car port for 3 cars completely covered (it was a barn, walls at the front and 2 sides) except for the back 18 inches. My thought had been to pirate bits off it as required. I guess dampness is death to the electrics!

Andrew

Hi Andrew

To strip a car you need much greater space around it than normally. For example to take the wings off you need to open the front doors fully. I suggest a look at and chat over my SORN cars might be useful.

Regards

XMexc

Hi XMexec,

there is a gap of about 6 feet between the cars so I think space should be no problem. I'd like to discuss your SORN cars, maybe sometime in August after holidays? My thought is to see if I can find a tame car mechanic locally who would be interested in doing the odd bit of work on the side. I found a guy about 10 years ago who was a Citroen mechanic but very sadly he broke his neck falling off a moto-cross bike and wound up paralysed.

Andrew

The problem with stripping it and disposing of the carcass is that the bit you need was still fixed to the body!

Peter.N.

I've stripped a number of old Renaults over the years - I often find what Peter describes - the part I need has been left on the shell of the car and is gone forever.

If I had the space and facilities to keep the car in one piece and dry as possible, then I'd choose to keep it as a whole car. The benefit is that you know where all the parts are when you need one. I spend hours searching for parts across all the 'storage sites' I've had to use!

I do actually have space to store it and leave it and really this is my idea - cover the car with the tarpaulin and just dip in to pinch bits off as required. The tarpaulin should keep the weather out and the moss and also stop it looking too much of a mess.

It is really tips for accessibility and keeping the car that I'm after. Should I count on starting it up every six months and running it on the drive just to keep it in good nick (or is this a bad idea as it encourages moisture)? Should I disconnect the battery? Should I try and support the body on a ramp of some sort and keep the weight off the virtually new front tyres so they aren't wrecked (I put bricks underneath to take most of the weight)? Maybe I should take the wheels off? Should I support it on some kind of ramp so there is a gap to crawl underneath? Park it so there is a 3 foot gap at the front from the wall to give easier access.. Drain the radiator? Etc./

Thanks

Abdrew

Hi Andrew

It really depends on how long you are going to store it and what sort of condition you want to keep it in. I had a CX Safari at the top of my garden for the best part of 10 years, with no protection at all, and as long as it is water tight and you keep the windows closed, it should keep fairly well. No need to drain the cooling system if it has plenty of antifreeze in it as the corrosion inhibiter will help keep it in good condition. Leave the oil in the engine as you can never have to much lubrication! and leave the handbrake off, or it can seize on, unless its on a slope! Anything thats likely to go rusty give it a squirt of oil, even the brake discs.

Peter.N.

Hi Peter,

thanks for the suggestions. Actually, it is short of anti-freeze because I kept having to top it up because of the gasket leak blowing water out of the cooling system. I should put some more in and run the engine to mix it around. Thanks for the tip about oiling things too.. I'll have a look around.

Looks like a nice weekend ahead!

Andrew