How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

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Howie
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Location: Cambridge

How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by Howie »

Hi,
So being in a high risk group I now need to stay home apart from the occasional essential trip to my local GP. So I was wondering what I should do to keep my Jensen in the best possible condition until this lockdown ends. The car is in my garage and I can easily start it up and reverse it into the driveway and across the road into our opposite neighbours driveway, a total distance of about 20 yards, but that’s probably about as far as I could go. So I was thinking possibly of starting it up reversing into the opposite driveway, leave it running to reach normal running temperature before driving it back into the garage and turning the engine off. Would this be a better option than just leaving it in the garage with a charged battery, disconnected at the negative terminal? And if so how frequently do you think I should do this? Anything else that I should be aware of if it’s not going to be used for any significant journey for a few weeks or possibly months?
Thanks
Howie
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slotcarone
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Re: How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by slotcarone »

If you are not going to drive the car a distance then you are better off leaving it sit. It will never reach the operating temperature just sitting idling or going up and down the driveway. All you are doing is spreading any moisture around the entire engine and not burning it off. A few months sitting will not affect the engine/trans in any way if it is in good order. There have been a few times I did not start/use my car for 3 years or more and never any problems. I have had it for 33 years! :)
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mojo
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Re: How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by mojo »

Agreed - it's better not to run it at all than to start it and leave it to idle. Realistically you won't get it hot enough to drive off condensation in engine and exhaust, so if it's in a garage I'd leave it where it is. But if you have the space to get around it I would either put it up on axle stands or jack it up every month and turn the wheels so that they don't distort from sitting on the same bit of rubber for months.
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Dino Fritz
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Re: How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by Dino Fritz »

Hi guys,

Actually, while I agree with most of your comments (especially putting the car on jack stands to take the weight off the tyres), I'd actually look to start the car every month or two to come up to operating temperature, bring the car through the gears (twice), turn on the air con for two minutes (to lubricate the compressor seal), etc. This would also help the fuel moving in the carby and ensure the floats, jets, etc. from sticking.

Just remember to change engine oil annually or every 2 years, brake and cooling fluids 3 to 4 years max, and all should be good.

Regards,
Dino
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colin7673
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Re: How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by colin7673 »

Howie wrote:Hi,
So being in a high risk group I now need to stay home apart from the occasional essential trip to my local GP. So I was wondering what I should do to keep my Jensen in the best possible condition until this lockdown ends. The car is in my garage and I can easily start it up and reverse it into the driveway and across the road into our opposite neighbours driveway, a total distance of about 20 yards, but that’s probably about as far as I could go. So I was thinking possibly of starting it up reversing into the opposite driveway, leave it running to reach normal running temperature before driving it back into the garage and turning the engine off. Would this be a better option than just leaving it in the garage with a charged battery, disconnected at the negative terminal? And if so how frequently do you think I should do this? Anything else that I should be aware of if it’s not going to be used for any significant journey for a few weeks or possibly months?
Thanks
Howie
You could always use your Jensen to go shopping and go the long way around, thus giving your car a run out.
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RockyUSA
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Re: How to maintain your Jensen while staying home?

Post by RockyUSA »

Right.

If you can back it out, why not drive it for 30 min once every 3-4 weeks?

Keep the battery on a trickle charger.

Good luck

Rocky
‘71 TVR Vixen 2500 - (M Series Tribute)
'72 Interceptor III - 133/5597
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