Hi guys. First, I'm new to the board and want to say how priceless of a tool this is for us 350 owners. Second, I'm in the military and just bought a base 2003 350Z with 18,000 miles on it and I love the car. The thing is, in a month, I will be heading to Germany and I will be keeping the car here. What do you guys reccomend as far as preparing the car for storage for a year or more? Thanks in advance.
Storing prep
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:lol: Welcome to the club. One minute I see your car, the next it's gone.
As for storage for that long, basically your car needs to be drained of all its fluids. If you're going to let it sit for that long, the gasoline will turn into gel, your oil will become useless, the tires will flatten, and some of your hoses might turn brittle or crack.
If you have a very trusted relative, I would ask them to take care of it by monitoring the car, start it up a few times, move it around, you know the routine. You sure you don't want to take it to Germany with you?
As for storage for that long, basically your car needs to be drained of all its fluids. If you're going to let it sit for that long, the gasoline will turn into gel, your oil will become useless, the tires will flatten, and some of your hoses might turn brittle or crack.
If you have a very trusted relative, I would ask them to take care of it by monitoring the car, start it up a few times, move it around, you know the routine. You sure you don't want to take it to Germany with you?
I would love to take it to Germany with me, but if I do that, I won't be able to bring it back. The army will ship a vehicle to or from overseas for free one time only, so if they shipped my car over there, I'd be paying to bring it back and it would be expensive.
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You'd be surprised how cheap it can be. Save up some money while you're there, shop around for a reputable shipper, get their price, then start saving.
Just imagine, you're the only one with a US spec 350Z in DE. :shiftdrive:
Leaving your car to sit for a year is extreme. Can you leave it with anybody?
Just imagine, you're the only one with a US spec 350Z in DE. :shiftdrive:
Leaving your car to sit for a year is extreme. Can you leave it with anybody?
Trust me on this, YOU WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR Z IN GERMANY!!!!
I was over there and cruzing around on the autobahn and it was totally awesome. How do you explain doing over 100 mph and having porsches and lambos and jaguars passing you like you are standing still. If there is one place to have your Z, it is Germany, they have some of the best highways by far.
Just some thoughts from a well traveled person. If you still want to keep your Z here, definately see if someone can start it up for you every month or so to keep it running smooth. If not, then I would suggest to drain the radiator fluid and put the car up on blocks then when you come back, I would change the oil first and replace the coolant and then go ahead and start her up. FYI, what i meant by having it up on blocks is a way to lift the tires off the ground so they will be okay when you come back. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to spray them with some kind of oil based lubricant or maybe silicone so they won't dry up on you and crack.
I was over there and cruzing around on the autobahn and it was totally awesome. How do you explain doing over 100 mph and having porsches and lambos and jaguars passing you like you are standing still. If there is one place to have your Z, it is Germany, they have some of the best highways by far.
Just some thoughts from a well traveled person. If you still want to keep your Z here, definately see if someone can start it up for you every month or so to keep it running smooth. If not, then I would suggest to drain the radiator fluid and put the car up on blocks then when you come back, I would change the oil first and replace the coolant and then go ahead and start her up. FYI, what i meant by having it up on blocks is a way to lift the tires off the ground so they will be okay when you come back. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to spray them with some kind of oil based lubricant or maybe silicone so they won't dry up on you and crack.
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Ray's right. I should've gone into more detail. Put the car up on blocks or jack stands, I personally would take the wheels off so they don't pull down the suspension, drain your coolant and oil, take out the battery, plug up your exhaust with rags and plastic bags to keep the moisture out, cover the car, and have a friend or relative check on it once in a while.
As for driving it in Europe, take it to Prague and follow the route of 'The Run.' Then be the envy of people like me...
Seriously, it's not bad driving there. I drove in the UK for 4 months and felt like a duck in water. Naturlich (yeah, I'm still trying to figure out the umlaut!)...
As for driving it in Europe, take it to Prague and follow the route of 'The Run.' Then be the envy of people like me...
Seriously, it's not bad driving there. I drove in the UK for 4 months and felt like a duck in water. Naturlich (yeah, I'm still trying to figure out the umlaut!)...I've seen someone quote $762...here's a good link: Link to Search Results for: "How much does it cost to ship a car from Germany?"
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