I was impressed by the recent article in the Telegraph about the 2 million mile Volvo, and while there was lots of advice on how to achieve this mileage, regular oil changes, quality petrol, etc. there was nothing on whether it is was a good idea to keep a car garaged. One would think that leaving a wet car inside is not a good idea, but does any one have the experience to say keeping a car in the open is worse that putting it away. Obviously security, which is why I garage mine is another thing all together and hence I tend to dry with a leather.
Comments appreciated.
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I would always strongly advocate keeping a car in the garage, I am amazed at the modern motorists who have perfectly adequate housing for their ostensible prized machines & always leave them parked outside.
There is a school of thought that a car will sweat in an enclosed garage that is not reasonably ventilated but I consider that risk is minimal compared to the to the disadvantages of leaving it exposed to the vagaries of the elements, animals, birds,trees & humans.
Bodywork guarantees of decades of corrosion free abilities of any modern car leave me distinctly unimpressed.
Simon T.
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Simon,
How can you possibly find room in your garage for a car? There's just no space in mine, what with the bike, two push bikes, workbenck, toolboxes, chest freezer, treadmill, old dishwasher, stuff waiting to go down the dump etc.
And if I could find somewhere else to put that lot, the first thing to go in the garage would be a nine-ball pool table.
The cars are quite content with their nice tiled driveway.
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IF I put my car in my garage it would still fall within the category "Stuff waiting to go to the dump!"
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Call me old-fashioned, but I keep the freezer in the kitchen, the rubbish outside, and the car in the garage!
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You mean you unlock and open the garage every morning to get the car out, then shut it and lock it before you drive off? God, I'd always be late!
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Tom,
I bet you'd only be late in summer! In winter (most of the year in the UK surely) you'd spend longer clearing windows than it takes to get it out of the garage.
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Ahh, the joy of a remote control garage door.
Stu.
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And you drive a Volvo exactly like the 2 million mile example as well.
C
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Spooky,
Re-newing SWMBO's insunrance on the Mini yesterday. Question asked "Is it garaged" asked does this make a difference Insurance person said not really, if you have off road parking - but if you say it is garaged and your car is nicked off the drive and the assessor finds your garage with no space we might not pay out...
Anyway the Mini and the 330 live on the drive (total value apporx 40K) £1.5k Defender lives in the shed....Defender's insurer doesn't care where we leave it.
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A 2 million mile Volvo? THe best definition I have heard of terminal boredom this week!
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My cars ALWAYS go in the garage for a number of reasons. The main ones being:
One, it is less likely to get nicked
Two, it is less likely to be attacked by some no mark who's jealous because he or she hasn't got a car
Three, it is better protected from the elements
Four, I don't believe the hype that says putting a wet car in a garage is worse than leaving a car out 24-7 in all weathers
Five, I consider it very ignorrant of people to park their cars on the road (and often double parked at that) when they have a perfectly good garage to park the thing in but they are too s**ding lazy to take rubbish to the tip!
I thenk yew!
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Watcher
Well said!
Regards
John S
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I consider it very ignorant of people to park their cars on the road (and often double parked at that) when they have a perfectly good garage to park the thing in but they are too s**ding lazy to take rubbish to the tip!
Couldn't agree more. Hope the s**ding lazy people im my street read this !!
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>> I consider it very ignorant of people to park their >> cars on the road (and often double parked at that) when >> they have a perfectly good garage to park the thing in >> but they are too s**ding lazy to take rubbish to the >> tip! Couldn't agree more. Hope the s**ding lazy people im my street read this !!
Oops ~ for "im" please read "in" !!
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Here's a different perspective:
My parents used to keep their cars in prefab garages off a well-used shared driveway. One morning at about 7 am we see one of their cars rocket out the driveway and disappear into the distance. Found later that day wrapped around a lamp post.
In this case the car would've been better off in the open because it would have been overlooked by houses and by people coming and going. As it was, it was fairly easy for the joyriders to break into the lock-up, close the door behind them and break in to the car without being overlooked.
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The number of cars stolen 'in the open' far far outnumber those cars garaged and stolen by thieves who had worked on them undetected in the garage.
So, in your case your parents were unlucky but they had more chance of the car being damaged and or stolen if it had of been left outside.
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I think you'll find a carport is most effective, as long as the rain can't reach the car, as it allows the wind to dry the moisture off. I find in the winter that a change in temperature creates condensation on the cold bodywork, if it's in a locked garage, so a carport seems the way to go.
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Cars under a carport in winter will get covered by ground frost just as easily as if they were uncovered.
Personally, I have never had condensation form on the bodywork (or glass for that matter) of a car locked in a garage overnight then driven out the next morning. Am I just lucky?
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If the balanced flue for the central heating is under the carport it keeps frost away. It makes breathing a bit uncomfortable as well :-) Personally I prefer a garage for security, but I know of a sixties Volvo in a carport that is well preserved, but a Mark 1 Cortina in a garage that has had all the chrome ruined by damp.
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I don't disagree with your first arguement TW, but i take issue with your second.
I think that in *some* instances, the car being in a relatively insecure garage does make it more vulnerable to theft than if it is left out in an overlooked area. I think each situation needs to be weighed up separately.
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I've heard it said that scrotes looking for a suitably empty house to burgle will pass by one with a car parked on the drive. Which would you prefer; your car nicked, or your house burgled ?
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That may be true if you're going on holiday, but not very many burglaries occur overnight, so I'd rather protect the car.
We used to garage my mam's car, and it never formed condensation overnight, and was always nice and dry in the morning, unless we'd put it away soaking wet of course :)
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With modern housing the garage is often so narrow that getting in and out of the average sized car can be very dificult.
Are caravans as vulnerable to the elements as cars? A neighbour parks his expensive monster on his driveway 50 weeks a year yet his cars are garaged without fail. And of course, the caravan's absence is a dead give away to the passing thief.
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My cars are always garaged yet I've never been burgled (touch wood!) so I don't think your suposition holds up to close scrutiny.
I'd also point out that said cars (numerous ones I've owned) being garaged, I've never had to spend ages clearing morning frost off the windows (although judging by the little holes some people peer out of on a frosty morning, neither do they!), never had a problem with damp electrics and the cars have always started first time.
Each to their own, I guess but, I know where my cars will be tonight :-)
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Hi KW
Have 1985 Volvo 240 Est which has been in the family for 14 years during which it has never been garaged. The only measurable corrosion is in the bottom half of the tailgate which is a weak spot for this on many pre-1985 Volvo estates. Although given lots of TLC when it was my car, before becoming the family hack, including a spell in the hands of my surf dude eldest son, (all that salt from boards and wet suits probably helped the demise of the tailgate) it now seems to thrive on neglect and at 182k still starts first time after standing on the drive in all weathers for several weeks at a time when we go away.
I've actually never garaged any of the cars I've ever owned except for a couple of softs tops, a Herald Convertible and a Healey Sprite, for obvious reasons and none have been any the worse for spending their lives on the drive.
As far as security is concerned, my drive is such a pig to get out of, especially in the dark, that I reckon any self respecting car thief would turn their attention elsewhere. Anyway, none of Clarkson's disciples would want to pinch either the Volvo or our Vectra Estate!
Regards
Ken A
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I garage all my cars and have done so since we had a house with a garage.
My experience is:
1. If the car is badly built and is prone to rust, it will rust whether in a garage or not..see My experience of: Allegro, Mini, Triumph 2000, Ford Granada,Ford Sierra, Jaguar XJ6 Mark 3, Rover 800, Rover 800, Rover 800.
2. If it is well built it will not rust anywhere: Peugeot 106, Vovo 740, Audi A4, BM 318, BMW320.
If it is stored outside and is stealable and desirable, it will be broken into if the thieves can: my experiences in Liverpool, (Triumph, Granada) Brighton (BMW318).
If it is in a garage the casual thief on the prowl cannot see it. All my cars have immobilisers and alarms: they act as a deterrent to the casual thief.
If it remains outside here in the warm winter rains and I do not wash it regularly, a fine green algae grows on all the rubber parts!
I hate frost on windscreens. Especially when the windscreen washer freezes despite antifreeze! (we have occasional -10C days)
And we live at the edge of the country (fields and trees on 2 sides.. ).Leaves and bird lime are the 2 major hazards and birds eating raspberries/blackberries/autumn fruits have VERY corrosive by products. And tree resin is sticky and difficult to remove.
Finally my life is run to minimise risk to me and my possessions. I don't want the risk of resentment/envy at my goodfortune to invite local car based burglars (we are only 40-50 miles from Liverpool and Manchester and not far from the M6 so easily accessible to some of them).
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>>a fine green algae grows on all the rubber parts
I can recall having Hillman Husky Estate (cost £25 - covered 7200m sold for £35 with 2mths m.o.t.) Was kept on drive and managed to germinate several petunias on the window rubbers in a particularly mild winter.
Happy Motoring Phil I
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How the h... I managed to get that effect I\'ll never know.
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I drove home in pouring rain yesterday and put the car in the garage as usual. Two hours later when I went out to fetch something from the car the warmth from the engine and exhaust had dried it off, even underneath.
If I had left it outside it would have remained dripping all night.
Surely a dry car rusts less than a wet one?
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The things we get to share on this forum!
I had the same experience as Cliff last night. Arrived home about 7:30 and put the car in the garage. At about 10 I had cause to visit the garage to collect hammer and large nails to stop my fence flapping in the wind. I should have repaired the blasted thing properly last winter, or during the nice warm summer. Not during last night's storm!
Anyway, the car was still noticably warm, and lovely and dry in my draughty garage.
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Anyway, the car was still noticably warm, and lovely and dry in my draughty garage.
I think by accident we have discovered the ideal characteristics of a garage for drying a car.
Too well-sealed and it will get humid, so encouraging corrosion.
Too open, as a car port, and the weather will still get in.
Well-ventilated (=draughty) - some heat retained, but humid air flushed out.
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Very interesting points/views in the thread.The Watcher covers many logical ones IMHO.
Living in the sticks, if garage is ventilated,rodents (14" rats)
move in smartly.
Our property has previously been burgled but we now keep Dobermanns which induces a degree of reticence for unwanted visitors.
Simon T.
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we now keep Dobermanns which induces a degree of reticence for unwanted visitors.
As well as reducing rats I would imagine.
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