Should I start her up?

[Ian Cooke]

Hi All

I haven't been out in my beautiful girl for about six weeks and it will probably be another good few weeks before she is ready to go out for a run having had her interior refurbished. I'm wondering whether I'll do more harm than good by starting her up and letting her idle for a while to get her juices flowing??

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Ian

[JagWaugh]

Not worth it unless you can go out for a run and get everything up to full operating temperature. If you just let it idle for a bit in the garage all you do is put moisture into the exhaust, and you don't get any benefit from that.

[Tbob]

... Unless you can count the personal benefit of hearing that beautiful sound!

[chrisfell]

I see no danger in starting the car and letting it thoroughly warm through, even in this cold spell that has hit the softer parts of southern England.

During the salt season when the car is confined to barracks I'll let it idle for half an hour or more. It gets revved a little just to keep the oil pressure up and force lubricant around a bit more. Sometimes I'll run the engine in gear with the wheels off the ground to get some lube around the gearbox and axle. Once the radiator fan has come on a couple of times I recon that engine heat has soaked most of the power train and I'll turn it,off And unless I have a need to check the ignition timing, or check the carb tune it could be days before I fel the need to run the engine again, maybe even weeks. I've done this during each of the thirteen winters I've had the car, and no harm has resulted yet. I don't think any harm will come during the next thirteen.

Besides, why leave it in the garage doing nothing for months? You're a long time dead. Enjoy life while you are still able. There is nothing finer on a crisp winter afternoon than the gentle burble of an E-Type exhaust echoing across the valley.

[cactusman]

Not been out in mine since boxong day either. Too much salt and mud. Getting withdrawal symptoms...

Like Chris's reply. I see no real harm from letting her run for 30 mins. It will certainly warm the engine but not the transmission unless, as suggested, you raise the rear wheels. Do not shut the garage doors and do NOT leave the car unattended while running.

If mine has been standing for a while I crank mine from a starter pack for a bit until the oil pressure gauge trembles a bit before starting.

Guess if you do lay up for a while pump the tyres up a bit or use tyre cradles. Maybe a squirt of upper cylinder lube down the plug holes would not be a bad idea either..

Roll on spring....

[Ian Cooke]

Thanks all for your helpful replies.

Like Julian I am getting withdrawal symptoms so have checked the forecast and as it's going to remain dry and bright over the weekend I plan to put the seats back in and take her out for a spin without her 'underwear'! Just hope the salters aren't out in the meantime.

[cactusman]

They are out and about around here. Starter motor rebuild is next when it warms up....too cold in the garage for me

[mark10337]

-10 degrees C here, and I'm driving about as usual. Heater could be a bit warmer though

After leaving her outside at work yesterday in the cold she was very hard to start in the evening. Just as she started to kick in, the battery died from the number of attempts. Luckily I had another one with me, as I had forseen something like this. Swapped it over and started up 2nd attempt :)

Today I brought her up to temperature at lunchtime. That did the trick and started 2nd time tonight. Another nice long drive tomorrow - 350km over the alps. Should be blue skies and -5 so the top might come down

[malcolm]

-10 degrees C here, and I'm driving about as usual. Heater could be a bit warmer though



Another nice long drive tomorrow - 350km over the alps. Should be blue skies and -5 so the top might come down

They obviously breed 'em tough in Switzerland! Or are you just a little bit crazy? Sounds gooooood though!