Thinking of sorning Cabby

Hey, so circumstances have recently changed where I only have my Cabby to drive and no shared daily driver like I've had for many years. I'm beginning to start thinking about the winter months and what to do. As it stood I hardly used my Cabby during the winter and would mainly use the shared daily driver. I'm thinking of getting another car but don't think I can afford to run both all year so thinking about running each 6 months at a time and sorning the one I'm not using. Is this sensible or am I going to cause problems, particularly with my Cabby if it's sat on the drive for 6 months not moving? Is there anything I have to do to my Cabby before or while it's sorn?
Thanks.

Mine has always sat for the winter months and never caused any problems - even for the 14 yr spell when it sat dormant.  All really depends on how good your garage is, if it's dry and well ventilated then shouldn't be an issue. Can get a small dehumidifier to put in car just in case.  Need to keep battery charged up regularly, and I used to start car up every couple of months and let engine warm up - not sure if this does more harm than good, but never caused me any issues.  Try and rotate tyres a bit so they don't flat spot, but again 6 moths shouldn't be a real problem, just make sure you don't have any tyres which lose pressure, else park the car so you can get to them and keep them pumped up.

If you open your garage door every few weeks to get some air circulating then good idea, especially if the weather has been cold for a while and then suddenly goes mild.

EDIT  just noticed that you are keeping car in drive!  I did this with an MGF for several winters , left handbrake off so wouldn't rust on and opened car up regularly to allow air inside, and parked car so it wasn't in shade too much.

RichardHall said

Mine has always sat for the winter months and never caused any problems - even for the 14 yr spell when it sat dormant.  All really depends on how good your garage is, if it's dry and well ventilated then shouldn't be an issue. Can get a small dehumidifier to put in car just in case.  Need to keep battery charged up regularly, and I used to start car up every couple of months and let engine warm up - not sure if this does more harm than good, but never caused me any issues.  Try and rotate tyres a bit so they don't flat spot, but again 6 moths shouldn't be a real problem, just make sure you don't have any tyres which lose pressure, else park the car so you can get to them and keep them pumped up.

If you open your garage door every few weeks to get some air circulating then good idea, especially if the weather has been cold for a while and then suddenly goes mild.

EDIT  just noticed that you are keeping car in drive!  I did this with an MGF for several winters , left handbrake off so wouldn't rust on and opened car up regularly to allow air inside, and parked car so it wasn't in shade too much.

Thanks, I have a garage at the moment but don't think I will have one when I eventually move. I have a battery charger now but will have to look at solar ones if my car is parked outside. I wasn't sure if I would have to do anything to ensure nothing perishes or ceases up while not in use. I also don't leave the handbrake on,just in gear.

I live in Austria and mine spends 6 months a year in an old rotten, freezing garage without any issues.

All I do is park it.
Leave it in 1st gear.
Spray the engine and engine bay with lots of WD40.
Same with the wheels, brakes and suspension legs (be very careful driving for the first few hundred yards etc…)
I leave the windows open 1 inch front and back.
Then cover it with a 5 ply breathable car cover (not a cheap one)
Finally I lock the garage and take the battery home we me to keep warm.

I go back twice in the winter just to lift the cover off and open the doors for a while, if the weather permits.

In the spring I go back with a fully charged battery and away I go!

Never had any kind of problem so far.  

OK, thanks, sounds like something I can do then. 

Psychedelic bear in mind winter where golfcabrio lives resembles the film The Day after Tomorrow.

Just drive the cabby, I use mine all year round as a daily drive and have done for the 20 years I've owned it as long as you give the underneath a good clean before and after the winter you should be fine, it's better to be driving the car than just leaving it outside to go damp and rusty.

Long time no see, hope you are well !

Keep and eye out we will be doing Berkley Castle and Malvern over next few months if you fancy it?

When I had my white cabby I used to SORN it over winter, but then I was lucky enough to have the garage.

The cabby would be fine to use through winter but if you didn't want it to have to deal with the winter weather and salt on roads etc, I would say park it up, buy a good breathable car cover, leave handbrake off but in gear, leave some fuel in tank so it does not rust, and start it once a month or so let it run up to temperature then cool down and drive it forward and back so brakes don't seize.

If it helps I know someone with a garage in Avonmouth who maybe getting another unit and have some storage space, so although there would be a cost involved it could be somewhere you can store it over winter ?