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Storing a car for 2 years

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cj10jeeper
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by cj10jeeper » Tue May 23, 2017 5:36 pm

I meant 24 months...
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beanitos
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by beanitos » Tue May 23, 2017 5:41 pm

cj10jeeper wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 5:35 pm I would question if £4K is worth the spend, but that depends on how much you value it and if you will be back after 34 months. Few return on time
Separately you can leave a ctek or similar on all the time, not a trickle charger that is old school tech
Yes it would be a battery conditioner as opposed to a trickle charger.

I've been having the debate for a while, I look at it like this:

Option A: Sell now
Car is on 54k miles, I paid £19k in July last year, been offered £22k. Take the short term profit but probably regret it.

Option B: Store
It costs £150pm (£3600 for 2 years) which based on recent trends i would hope to see a similar value increase over 2 years if no mileage is being added to the car. Treat it like a savings account, when I get back I can sell or have a nice Z4MC to arrive back to.

Part of me thinks it's daft, but the numbers add up (man maths obviously).
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by cj10jeeper » Tue May 23, 2017 5:46 pm

Just remember that a car that shows zero mileage and no mot for 2 years, so 3 since the last will probably sell at a discount, just the way it is
I know as I own some laid up Jeeps
Jaguar F-Type 3.0 Supercharged V6 S, Stratus Grey, LSD, Active Exhaust, CF wheels, Performance brakes, Sports seats and mods ongoing
Gone but not forgotten Z4 3.0i SE Roadster ///M front, Red ///M leather seats, Aero sills

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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by beanitos » Tue May 23, 2017 5:49 pm

True.

Ahhh the dilemma :cry:
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cj10jeeper
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by cj10jeeper » Tue May 23, 2017 6:02 pm

Decision is not really financial but more one about how besotted you are with that exact car.
Personally I'd take the money, have no worry asyou will think about its safety, insurance, problems, etc most days. Sell and buy again on return.
Jaguar F-Type 3.0 Supercharged V6 S, Stratus Grey, LSD, Active Exhaust, CF wheels, Performance brakes, Sports seats and mods ongoing
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by NickDE » Tue May 23, 2017 8:45 pm

As you will be back every six months, tax it each time you get back and drive it like a lunatic. Then when you leave SORN it and get unused months of tax refunded. When you're not here put it on a CTEK to keep the electrics happy, and pump the tyres up to 40psi to avoid flat spots. Plenty of cars regularly spend six months off the road (my E30 does every winter).
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by Newbers » Wed May 24, 2017 9:34 am

You definitely don't want it in a container for 2 years, the condensation will be horrendous. I'd take of any bits you're particularly attached to and flog it!
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by beanitos » Wed May 24, 2017 9:56 am

It would be dehumidified proper car storage not just chucked in the local big yellow storage.

Anyway that's a moot point now. The reality is my heart was doing some ropey man maths in order to convince my head to keep it.

I don't know exactly how long I'm going to be in Singapore for. If the FX rate moves against me the storage cost will increase.

I'm sadly coming around to the reality that selling is the best option.

Z4MC will full dealer history and 53k miles anyone? :cry:
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by BMWZ4MC » Wed May 24, 2017 11:04 am

Bing wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2017 4:12 pm Yep, trickle charger. BMWZ4MC stored his for about a year when he went to work in Oz, so may be worth contacting him by PM. If you can afford to keep it then why not ?
I stored my Zed and my Westfield for almost 14 months in my parents' garage whilst I was working here in Aus and had no issues. I serviced them before I left, chocked the tyres so I could leave the handbrakes off and the cars in neutral, and left them where they stood.
I've been back in Sydney again since December 2015, during which time I used my Zed for two weeks last August and again for a few weeks at the start of this year. I'll be back in the UK in a couple of weeks, so I'll let you know if the tyres have burst, the battery exploded and rats have eaten the wiring loom!!
I expect the Westy will be a bugger to start after a year and a half idle since it is after even a day and a half.
I wouldn't fret too much about storing it if you have a dry, safe place. That said, I wouldn't part with large amounts of cash for storage, rather sell it instead.
Are you sure you'll be home in two years? Every ex pat I know in Singapore went for 2 years and stayed for 10...
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S2000 GT - gone

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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by beanitos » Wed May 24, 2017 11:28 am

It's a two year minimum term so who knows. Everyone I know who's moved there has stayed because they love it.
Depends on the lifestyle you're after. I'll be traveling all over Asia including 5 days a month in Japan. Singapore is the base.
It's probably more down to how the wife gets on with finding a job and social network she's happy with. Impossible to predict.

It's the uncertainty that driving me towards selling.

PS. How do you find the Westfield? My brother and I shared one years ago, great fun although I did spin in outside a police station once!
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by megapixelmike » Wed May 24, 2017 5:18 pm

hi used to have this type of thing ...when i had an etype ...its designed to act that the car is driving at 30mph also charges your batt..
costs about 2pence a day to run ..so the car is in a continuous airflow ....brake discs won't go rusty cheers mike
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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by D4dawg » Thu May 25, 2017 1:42 am

Chris_D wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:30 pm 'Overseas job for 2 years' and you couldn't get a trip back home in that time?
Come on OP, fess up you're really bein sent down for a bit of porridge aren't you? lol
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Wasnt it fill tank so as no room for condensation in tank?
I've heard ref maserati to leave for a long time to pull plugs and fill pistons
I'd disconnect battery if were you
The tyres you can buy a round stand, you jack car into these chocks that are round in shape and keeps the tyre round :)

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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by BMWZ4MC » Thu May 25, 2017 6:33 am

beanitos wrote: Wed May 24, 2017 11:28 am It's a two year minimum term so who knows. Everyone I know who's moved there has stayed because they love it.
Depends on the lifestyle you're after. I'll be traveling all over Asia including 5 days a month in Japan. Singapore is the base.
It's probably more down to how the wife gets on with finding a job and social network she's happy with. Impossible to predict.

It's the uncertainty that driving me towards selling.

PS. How do you find the Westfield? My brother and I shared one years ago, great fun although I did spin in outside a police station once!

If you think you're likely to stay for more than two years, I'd sell. There's little option for importing a car to Singapore economically and it will be much easier to sell it yourself than appointing someone else. I sold my S2000 from Sydney c/o my dad and a couple of potential buyers were put off by the absence of the car's owner.

I've had my Westfield for almost 15 years and I still love driving it. I only use it on the track now as I don't feel safe on the road surrounded by much larger vehicles (such as Fiestas and Corsas!). I'd like a bit more power, ideally a bike-engined or an S2000-engined car, but I seem to spend all my car money on modifying my Zed these days.
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Z4MC - heavily fettled for track use
Lotus Exige - sensible daily driver on the mods slippery slope
Westfield SEiW - in hibernation
Modified RS4 Avant - back in Blighty
S2000 GT - gone

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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by ESP » Thu May 25, 2017 10:08 am

Lot of good advise here, some that’s key, and some that’s not so.
  • From experience, disconnect and REMOVE the battery.
  • Ideally remove the wheels, just because itll damage tires over time,
    unless you have some old or spare tires you can store it on.
  • Have as little as possible petrol in the tank.
  • And just cover it as best as possible.
When you come back it'll need a service / change of fluids.

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Storing a car for 2 years

Post by tomscott » Thu May 25, 2017 10:59 am

I went traveling for just over a year in 2014 and sold mine. Since then they almost doubled in price and trying to find one that is in as good condition, sensible mileage, serviced correctly and in the right spec is difficult.

I would keep it if you can afford to! I sound like a broken record but there isnt much on the road that offers the same level on performance and enjoyment and everything else in the same category has gone up in similar terms. So if you want to trade up you will still need similar increases in money.

The other car that would float my boat is a Gen II 997 but again 50+ for a good low miler.

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