Winter Start up

[oldchevelle541]

Looking for everyone's opinion.

Most cars now tucked away for winter. Does anyone routinely start their cars to get fluid circulating during storage and to condition gaskets. Would appreciate know what works best for you....every month, two etc. and how long do you let run. I am always afraid exhaust system will not get hot enough leaving them vulnerable to premature inside out corrosion.
Thanks for your input.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Mine sits untouched from the 1st time salt hits the ground until spring.

[Dino]

It depends on the time I have and how nasty it is outside.  No salt is used at the storage facility housing my car so I stop by from time to time to drive it around the yard.  It keeps everything moving and it puts a smile on my face. 

[1974dodgecharger]

Ouch it must hurt  guys letting it sit there...today was 80 degrees for me and its considered winter...it gets cold at night though.

[Dino]

It itches a bit, but it's a small price to pay.  I don't think I'd do well without having actual seasonal changes. Besides, winter is great for indoor projects. 

[Sublime/Sixpack]

During the winter months I get mine out at least once a month for a 10 to 15 mile (if not longer) drive if the streets/highways are dry.  They like to be driven.  I do the same with the bikes.

[Dino]

Yeah they don't like to sit for too long.  I'm taking mine out tomorrow, I have to visit a few clinics so there will be a good amount of miles added.  It's going to be just above freezing so I'm stoked my heater works.   

[oldchevelle541]

I did some on line looking last night and most suggest to not start the car...period. The message was consistent in that don't start below 40F and if you start let run for a solid 30 minutes to get condensation out of the crankcase and exhaust system. When I had started some of my other cars monthly the exhaust system was the first to go due to the condensation that sat just inside the pipes that was 30 minute 1000-1200 rpm idle for 30 minutes. It sounds like either way starting or not starting has some negative potential for the car.

[PlainfieldCharger]

What about just turning it over without starting it?

[69wannabe]

Depending on the weather I usually start mine up once a month in the winter months and let it run until it reaches normal operating temp then I put it back up. Usually run it for 20 mins or so, if the weather is not so bad I usually drive it around the block just to let everything work. It's not good to start a vehicle up and let it run a few mins and shut it off before it warms up. It's not even good for a fuel injected vehicle to start it up and shut it off when it's cold outside without letting it warm up somewhat.

[Dino]

I put a decent amount of miles on it today and had a blast!  It was good to get the old girl out.  29 degrees when I got it out of storage this morning, cranked for about 5 seconds to get gas to the carb and it fired up and I let it warm up on the fast idle.  Of course when I tapped the gas to lower the idle it died again and had a hell of a time getting it to fire up again, no idea why it does that.  I hope to get one or two more trips out of it this winter.

[69wannabe]

I put a decent amount of miles on it today and had a blast!  It was good to get the old girl out.  29 degrees when I got it out of storage this morning, cranked for about 5 seconds to get gas to the carb and it fired up and I let it warm up on the fast idle.  Of course when I tapped the gas to lower the idle it died again and had a hell of a time getting it to fire up again, no idea why it does that.  I hope to get one or two more trips out of it this winter.

Dude, you need a good holley 750 on that 440!!! I can't remember all the carb's I tried from carters to edelbrock's  just because it looked right for the engine but finally got tired of the car just not being what it should be so I tried a friends holley 750 DP on my charger one day and it was like a whole different car!!! I wound up not letting my buddy have the carb back and paid him for it so I could keep it on there. The 750 holley vacuum secondary carbs are good carbs too but i'm a double pumper fan myself. 

[Dino]

I put a decent amount of miles on it today and had a blast!  It was good to get the old girl out.  29 degrees when I got it out of storage this morning, cranked for about 5 seconds to get gas to the carb and it fired up and I let it warm up on the fast idle.  Of course when I tapped the gas to lower the idle it died again and had a hell of a time getting it to fire up again, no idea why it does that.  I hope to get one or two more trips out of it this winter.

Dude, you need a good holley 750 on that 440!!! I can't remember all the carb's I tried from carters to edelbrock's  just because it looked right for the engine but finally got tired of the car just not being what it should be so I tried a friends holley 750 DP on my charger one day and it was like a whole different car!!! I wound up not letting my buddy have the carb back and paid him for it so I could keep it on there. The 750 holley vacuum secondary carbs are good carbs too but i'm a double pumper fan myself. 

I am not opposed to trying something else and don't care what it looks like.  I'd bolt efi on there tomorrow if I could afford it.   

Sadly I can't afford another carb either.  Which brings me to a small dilemma.  I have the TQ that has always done right for me but recently started dripping from on booster venturi, an Edelbrock 1406 and a 1407, the latter never ran right on my engine.  So what do I bolt on when I break in my new cam next spring?  If I have the funds by then, I may actually try a street demon to replace the TQ.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

I did some on line looking last night and most suggest to not start the car...period. The message was consistent in that don't start below 40F and if you start let run for a solid 30 minutes to get condensation out of the crankcase and exhaust system. When I had started some of my other cars monthly the exhaust system was the first to go due to the condensation that sat just inside the pipes that was 30 minute 1000-1200 rpm idle for 30 minutes. It sounds like either way starting or not starting has some negative potential for the car.

Letting the car run (idle) for 30 minutes then putting it away isn't something I'd recommend.  I start mine, let it warm up a bit as I do a walk around, then I DRIVE IT. After putting at least 10 to 15 miles on it with at least 2 to 3 WOT blasts I doubt there's much if any water left in my exhaust system.  The exhaust on my Charger was newly built and installed in 1992 when I restored the car and the system looks as nice and is as solid today as it was then.

Besides, just sitting there idling isn't going to do the rest of the car much good. And at 1000-1200 rpm I wouldn't imagine your cam is getting the lubrication it needs. A drive is good for a car, even the tires, brakes, etc., even the A/C in my opinion. Yes, even in the winter I occasionlly turn the A/C on in my vehicles that have it, for 30 to 60 seconds or so. I'm a firm believer that machinery likes to be used, and of course properly cared for and serviced. This approach has worked well for me for many years, and I own more than just a few vehicles. Take it for what it's worth.

Good luck with whatever you choose for your car.

[Dino]

I did some on line looking last night and most suggest to not start the car...period. The message was consistent in that don't start below 40F and if you start let run for a solid 30 minutes to get condensation out of the crankcase and exhaust system. When I had started some of my other cars monthly the exhaust system was the first to go due to the condensation that sat just inside the pipes that was 30 minute 1000-1200 rpm idle for 30 minutes. It sounds like either way starting or not starting has some negative potential for the car.

Letting the car run (idle) for 30 minutes then putting it away isn't something I'd recommend.  I start mine, let it warm up a bit as I do a walk around, then I DRIVE IT. After putting at least 10 to 15 miles on it with at least 2 to 3 WOT blasts I doubt there's much if any water left in my exhaust system.  The exhaust on my Charger was newly built and installed in 1992 when I restored the car and the system looks as nice and is as solid today as it was then.

Besides, just sitting there idling isn't going to do the rest of the car much good. And at 1000-1200 rpm I wouldn't imagine your cam is getting the lubrication it needs. A drive is good for a car, even the tires, brakes, etc., even the A/C in my opinion. Yes, even in the winter I occasionlly turn the A/C on in my vehicles that have it, for 30 to 60 seconds or so. I'm a firm believer that machinery likes to be used, and of course properly cared for and serviced. This approach has worked well for me for many years, and I own more than just a few vehicles. Take it for what it's worth.

Good luck with whatever you choose for your car.

I totally agree.  Drive them a lot and it will not let you down.  Let it sit a lot and you'll be cursing it from time to time.