Laying up the S

A brief guide to Laying up your S for winter.

Words and pictures courtesy of Andy Hills

I have been laying my V8S up since 1997 and have never had any problems. Other people have different opinions, as you will find out when talking to them. This is what I do, it's really down to the individual what they think is correct and best for their car
As soon as it gets cold enough for grit to be put on the roads, that's when my car goes into hibernation. Before doing so, I make sure that the car is given a good run and that the anti-freeze is at the correct level and mixture
My car then goes in the garage and put on axles stands and wooden blocks (see photos). This gives me chance to clean the underside of the car and also allows for the wheels to rotate freely (stops flat spots on the tyres). I would suggest using a trolley jack to jack the car up (a lot easier than a scissor jack). When using a trolley jack, use a block of wood between jack and chassis so that the jack doesn’t damage the chassis.
If you have a single garage (as I do), make sure that all the gaps round the garage door are taped over with ‘Duck Tape’. I then put a dehumidifier on, which is on constantly over the winter months, this fills with water quite quickly approx 5 litres in 2-3 days. The easiest option is to have a pipe attachment that leads straight outside so you don’t need to keep checking the water container to see if it’s full on not.
If you want to remove the wheels while the car is on axle stands, remember to loosen the wheel bolts first as it makes life easier when removing the wheels
Also, make sure you do not have a full tank of petrol when jacking the car up; it makes hard work if you do.

Three photo's showing position of axle stands


The photos show where I locate the axle stands and blocks. If it’s not clear, there are main vertical chassis struts just above where the stands and blocks are located; I find that the car is very solid here.
I also invested in a CarCoon a few years ago, which is a large bubble (air chamber) in which the car sits allowing air to flow freely over the car. Basically it keeps the moisture and dust from collecting on the car. You may say it’s over kill, but I never had any problems with any parts of the car drying out too much e.g. leather seats, engine seals etc. The car was fine without the CarCoon but a dehumidifier is a must, dampness is the killer, I wouldn’t be without either of them. It depends how big your garage is compared with the size of dehumidifier you use
Another investment would have to be a trickle-charger; this is left on over the whole of winter. Check the water levels in the battery first before doing so. If the levels are low then the battery-charger will not work correctly and starting the car in the New Year will be a problem.
Once the car is in the CarCoon I never start the engine. Some people say to turn-over the engine once a week, some say push the car out of the garage, start the engine and let the engine warm up until the engine fan kicks in (if the car is on axles stands this is more difficult!).
If you do start the car up and don’t let everything warm up to the correct operating temperature, moisture could collect on the inside of the exhaust and could rust the exhaust pipes from the inside out.
Make sure the handbrake is released. If moisture is in the garage the back brakes could stick on, if the hand brake is released this is less likely to happen.
Over the winter months I carry out the following weekly checks: - Pump the clutch pedal a few times to make sure that the clutch doesn’t stick. Pull and release the handbrake Turn the steering wheel to full lock left and then right Rotate all the wheels (just in case the brakes stick on through rust – not if the dehumidifier is on or in a CarCoon)
I normally fill the car up full with petrol (while on axle stands) to stop moisture building up on the inside of the petrol tank; this stops the tank from rusting from the inside out. Some people have said in the past that petrol has a shelf life and performance is reduced. Again, I have never had any problems in the past what so ever when it comes to starting my car up in the New Year
With the car in hibernation, it gives you a good chance to clean, wax, fix, repair your pride and joy and to check for any potential problems that maybe looming. It’s a good time to Waxoyl the underside of the car, taking off all the old flakes of paint/coating. Check the trailing arms as these are notorious for rotting, if you are able, inject Waxoyl down the arms. It’s also a good time to clean and treat the leather seats, I personally use Liquid Leather.
February/March time is normally when all the grit has been washed off the roads by the rain, the car is taken off the axle stands/blocks of wood and ready to be started for the first time since hibernation. First, check the oil level. Check the anti-freeze. Check the brake fluid I then start the car with the clutch pressed (this takes the pressure off the engine when starting). The car is left on the drive for about 15-30 minutes to make sure everything is OK, checking the engine and checking that the oil pressure is correct Tighten the wheel bolts to the correct torque, that’s if the wheels have been taken off over winter. IMPORTANT: If the wheels were taken off over winter, make sure that the wheels are put back on correctly, with the rotation of the tyre going in the correct direction. Inflate the tyres to the correct pressure. Before moving off, press the brake pedal quite a few times making sure nothing has happened to the braking system over winter
If you intend to lay the car up for longer than 6 months I would suggest you remove the carpets in the footwell also, put some talcum powder under the windscreen wipers so they don’t stick to the window. Don’t forget about not taxing the car and to tell the DVLA that the car is off the road.