My B is about to hibernate for at least a year

Hi guys,

I'll be going away soon for at least a year and will have to leave my 1966 B behind. Fortunately I can hang onto it! I have a couple of questions regarding the best way to do this which hopefully some of you can answer.

1. How bad is it to let one of these vehicles sit for so long without being turned over even after preparing them for a long period of hibernation (draining fluids etc).
2. If I could get someone to turn it over and let it run for a while would this be better? They wouldn't be driving the car, it'd just be idling in the garage for a while.

If 1 is the better option what do I need to do in order to best prepare the vehicle for a rather extended sleep? If 2 is the better option, how often should it be started (once per week?) and how long should it be left running?

Thanks for any advice,

Piers

A Year should be no big deal .. Sta-bil in the gas let her run for awhile, to make sure its throughout the system and a battery charger that pulses the battery I think they are about $30. drive it up on 2 x 10 wooden pads to help save the tires. If there are rodent problems maybe something for that..

have someone come around every now and then and pump the brakes and clutch.

mine was stored for nearly six years on stack stands with the battery removed and fuel stabilizer in the tank. all it needed to get roadworthy again was a new battery, plugs and wires and a carb rebuild. $300 later, it has been almost completed reliable all summer :)

I don't think a year is very long, X2 on what was mentioned above.

I would add that, if the Garage is damp, I would consider parking on plywood with One inch foam under the Ply. From my experience parking On an earthen floor storage shed, the condensation comes from the ground and Loves to condense On the car. Rust.

That maybe over kill, I'm just remembering My friends finished Elcamino, Lots of rust.and paint bubbles.

If any chance of mice, go with moth balls in the interior, boot, and some under the hood. I have yet to find one that sat a while without mice in the fender wells under the hood.

I hate them meeses to pieces!

Tires can get out of round from sitting with the weight of the car in one place. Either have it driven once in a while or put it up on blocks with the tires off the ground. Fresh oil in the crankcase is also a must.

Ok thanks a lot for the advice guys. I'll make sure I do the following before I leave.

- put some fuel stabilizer in the tank
- remove the battery
- fill her up with fresh oil
- put her up on stack stands

Fortunately we don't have a rodent problem so shouldn't have to worry with any deterrents.

Should I drain any of the fluids, like brake and clutch or are they ok to stay?

Thanks again,

Piers

just hope the judge doesn't give you much more than a year.

Put it on jack stands, if the tires are good then make sure their pumped up to max. Change the oil and filter to new oil, run the engine a little to circulate, Stabil in the gas throughout the system by running a little, remove the battery, cover the car and it'll set for a very long time with no problems. I know, I've done it! PJ

The car should be fine without periodic starting if it's only a year. You don't want to just run it for short periods during the storage unless it's brought all the way up to proper operating temps before it's shut down again. The most important thing to do is to first change the oil to get all those old-oil contaminants out of the engine...not good to let them sit in there. Not a bad idea to stabilize the fuel too. Putting the car on jack stands will let the suspension hang, which it was not designed to do over an extended period of time. Modern radials will not get a flat spot. That was an issue with the old bias ply tires.