BRZ stored for the winter...should I check in on it?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by pkolanko

I was under the impression that only starting it would not really do much for the vehicle. I thought you had to drive the vehicle to get the RPMs up.

If you start it then it needs to run up to full temperature and left that way for a while. If it doesn't you are just building up moisture. I am in the group that says if you can't drive it for a bit then don't start it at all.

Originally Posted by pkolanko

So i just checked on it. Inside looks and smells exactly the same as I left it. No evidence of creatures or moisture in the cabin. Engine bay looks fine with no evidence of chewed wired. Exhaust has no evidence of rodents The car cover tightly presses against the exhaust, so i assume nothing can get in there. We also have very little rodent presence where I live. I might have seen less than 5 squirrels in the 4 years I have lived here, which I thought was odd after the first year.

Excellent!

Originally Posted by pkolanko

This is the reason why I store it for the winter. This car was purchased in sept 2014 and this is what the engine bay looks like today with no cleaning. The rain, snow, and salt would have made this look like a dirty sock. Side question... does the little water mark on the intake concern anyone? Should i take it apart and see if anything is inside?

To each their own but I buy cars to drive and that includes in the winter. I get to enjoy the drive 12 months a year instead of 5 or 6. A dirty engine bay means a car is actually used and can be cleaned if you are really worried about it. Not worried if the car only lasts 10 years instead of 12 since it will be somebody else's at that point.

[pkolanko]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If you start it then it needs to run up to full temperature and left that way for a while. If it doesn't you are just building up moisture. I am in the group that says if you can't drive it for a bit then don't start it at all.


Excellent!


To each their own but I buy cars to drive and that includes in the winter. I get to enjoy the drive 12 months a year instead of 5 or 6. A dirty engine bay means a car is actually used and can be cleaned if you are really worried about it. Not worried if the car only lasts 10 years instead of 12 since it will be somebody else's at that point.

I won't be getting rid of it after 10 years. This is going to be a life-long purchase. I really enjoy my truck (2017 tacoma), so it's not like i'm driving some beater all winter. Plus, the truck gets all the abuse it needs to make up for the BRZ staying super clean. I really take advantage of both vehicles for their intended purposes. My truck has gone off-roading multiple times and I've hauled many dead animals in the back after a quality day of hunting. I agree the engine bay can be cleaned, but I like knowing it still looks like it did the day I drove it off the lot because I don't drive it in harsh conditions.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by pkolanko

I won't be getting rid of it after 10 years. This is going to be a life-long purchase. I really enjoy my truck (2017 tacoma), so it's not like i'm driving some beater all winter. Plus, the truck gets all the abuse it needs to make up for the BRZ staying super clean. I really take advantage of both vehicles for their intended purposes. My truck has gone off-roading multiple times and I've hauled many dead animals in the back after a quality day of hunting. I agree the engine bay can be cleaned, but I like knowing it still looks like it did the day I drove it off the lot because I don't drive it in harsh conditions.

You could fit a couple of dead pigeons in the trunk of the car! I wasn't criticizing you giving the other perspective.

[7 skulls]

Originally Posted by pkolanko

I was under the impression that only starting it would not really do much for the vehicle. I thought you had to drive the vehicle to get the RPMs up.

My bad. I drive it around the yard and up/down my driveway to scuff any rust off the rotors. This helps to get the temps up but they will come up on their own from just idling but it takes a while. If I couldn't move it, I wouldn't start it as often for sure.
Congrats on the taco. I've got my 08 tundra for winter. Can't imagine putting the FRS on our highways in winter. Sand, salt, rocks, frost heaves, snow drifts; so long paint, so long unibody, so long windshield, bye bye muffler/oil pan, hello bottomed out in a snow drift in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

[pkolanko]

Originally Posted by 7 skulls

My bad. I drive it around the yard and up/down my driveway to scuff any rust off the rotors. This helps to get the temps up but they will come up on their own from just idling but it takes a while. If I couldn't move it, I wouldn't start it as often for sure.
Congrats on the taco. I've got my 08 tundra for winter. Can't imagine putting the FRS on our highways in winter. Sand, salt, rocks, frost heaves, snow drifts; so long paint, so long unibody, so long windshield, bye bye muffler/oil pan, hello bottomed out in a snow drift in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

I agree... I wear boots when I hunt and sneakers when I work out. I'd never wear sneakers to hunt or boots to work out. I drive my taco when it's winter and my BRZ when it's summer.

[pkolanko]

Side note... i just purchased 4 wheel chocks from Harbor Freight and took off the emergency brake. Someone mentioned this was a good idea so the E brake didn't seize up over the winter months.

[guybo]

Originally Posted by pkolanko

I did use sta-bil. Haven't seen a rodent though. Saw one cat underneath, but he was cruising through the neighborhood and I must have spooked him, so he ran under my car. A minute after I got into my house I saw him walk down the street.

A cat is even better as long as it doesn't piss. That's a nightmare smell to get rid of. Lots of times people fail to put something over the exhaust though and that little hole is perfect for critters to hide in.

Here we get black widows in cars over the summer. when snow birds come back after the summer they call us for a jump start but you have to be careful getting under the hoods of these cars. Wasps and hornet can get you, but they are no big deal. I've seen several black widow nests and lots of black widos around batteries.

[Teseo]

I probably go to US if job opportunity arrives, if that happen i will wrap the entire car and leave it for approx 1 year, that can prevent for intrusive entrance or i need something more aggresive?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Teseo

I probably go to US if job opportunity arrives, if that happen i will wrap the entire car and leave it for approx 1 year, that can prevent for intrusive entrance or i need something more aggresive?

Wrapping the whole car tight enough to prevent entry leads to other issues. If you wrap it that tight then you can get moisture build up. I would just get a good cover and take the other precautions mentioned.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by guybo

A cat is even better as long as it doesn't piss. That's a nightmare smell to get rid of. Lots of times people fail to put something over the exhaust though and that little hole is perfect for critters to hide in.

Here we get black widows in cars over the summer. when snow birds come back after the summer they call us for a jump start but you have to be careful getting under the hoods of these cars. Wasps and hornet can get you, but they are no big deal. I've seen several black widow nests and lots of black widos around batteries.

If the cat is spayed or neutered it should spray the car (or anything else for that matter) since it loses interest in marking territory or letting other cats know it is ready for lovin'.
In all my years of storing cars in the north I have never had, nor never heard of, anything crawling up the tail pipe. The engine bay is the location of choice up here. We also don't have freakin' spiders to worry about though.

[pkolanko]

Originally Posted by guybo

A cat is even better as long as it doesn't piss. That's a nightmare smell to get rid of. Lots of times people fail to put something over the exhaust though and that little hole is perfect for critters to hide in.

Here we get black widows in cars over the summer. when snow birds come back after the summer they call us for a jump start but you have to be careful getting under the hoods of these cars. Wasps and hornet can get you, but they are no big deal. I've seen several black widow nests and lots of black widos around batteries.

No black widows here.

[pkolanko]

Originally Posted by Teseo

I probably go to US if job opportunity arrives, if that happen i will wrap the entire car and leave it for approx 1 year, that can prevent for intrusive entrance or i need something more aggresive?

I have the OEM car cover that actually allows moisture to pass through, which is a good thing. Moisture can pass through and/or evaporate from underneath. When I pulled it off after two months and heavy rain/snow/ice the last few weeks, there was just a little condensation on the car.