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    • #56592

      hello all,

      here in Nebraska, it is starting to get cold. I was just wondering what other people do to winterize their tigers. In ex: leave hardtop on w/ soft top down? What to do with your soft top w/ hard top off. What preparations?

      anything that could help me. Once again, this is only for winter. And after that it will be free from its cage roaming once again.

      thanks alot.

    • #59965

      Only put top up or down when room temp or warmer. If all ready down, leaving down over winter will not make it any worse for the wear.

      Fill fuel tank. Make sure 50/50 antifreeze is less than 3 years old. If possible, put car up on blocks to relieve suspension. Make sure battery is in good condition and fully charged, or remove and put in room ambient environment. Store car in dry place without temperature inversions that will cause moisture build up on or in car and engine. An example is a wooden or insulated building like a home garage or wooden storage building. Concrete block and sheet metal buildings cause moisture build up. If you must store in block or sheetmetal buildings, keep moisture out of internal engine parts by doing the following. Fill a rag with mothballs and place in the air cleaner on top of the carb opening in such a way that all air must travel through the balls into the carb. Put mothballs in rags and stuff in each exhaust pipe. Moth balls act as a desiccant. Use an actual desiccant in place of mothballs if can. The purpose of this step is to allow the engine to breath air during temperature changes but trap any moisture entering the engine.

      If rodents present, put mothballs in trays and place in interior. Although rodents eventually get use to mothballs, they will do the job for one season. Mothballs also work well to keep insect in check too.

    • #59968

      Tom, that is a good list of things to do to winterize a car. However, I disagree with your tip to put the car up on blocks to relieve suspension.

      One cause of rubber failure is being under load over a long period of time. It’s good to raise the car at the rear axle and at the front suspension arms as close to the ball joints as possible to get the load off the rubber tires. However, don’t support by the body with the suspension hanging. This puts a torsional load on the stock rubber bushings and a compression load on the front bump stops, causing early failures in these parts.

    • #59972

      well, where can u get the mothball things? That sounds like a good idea to do.

      thanks for the info Tom.

    • #59973

      You can pick up those “mothball things” at any grocery store, probably in the laundry section, but if you have rodents I strongly recommend eradicating the problem because they DO NOT go away and the car could be the least of your problems.

    • #59974

      no, i dont have any rodent problems here. It gets way too cold.

      But when the tiger was sitting, we had 1 mouse that went through the whole car from its bed, under the gas tank to the klenex under the dash, to under the radiator where it died. I found it when i was cleaning out the radiator.

    • #60013

      When I bought my first Alpine it came with a mouse hole in its brand new roof.

      When I put the Alpine/Tiger on axle stands for a while I remove the front shocks and set the suspension at its ride height using a couple of threaded rods in place of the shocks.

      That way the front end bushes do not want to rip apart. I use the same to tighten the front suspension bushings in place when replaced or to work on front-end alignment.
      Cheers, Gilles

    • #60021

      young66tiger, I noticed you said “it gets too cold” to have a rodent problem. I live in Minnesota. I gets cold there in Nebraska, but we consistently hold the coldest record in the continental United States and I’ll tell you first hand that you do not get so cold as to keep rodents away. In fact, the cold makes them vigorously seeks shelter…and they do every year whether they bother you or not with their search. Prepare for rodent repelling and you only help your situation. Moth Balls work, so do Bounce dryer sheets. You have to prepare the entire vehicle too as the little beasties will make any small, tight spot into a home. One of the best deterrents is to have a well cleaned car with ALL “bait” removed. Do not leave anything in the car. Remove the carpet if possible and hang it from the ceiling at least 4′ from the nearest wall (they jump real far). I also spray aluminum with some sort of oil to keep it from oxidizing and corroding. Just remember to wash it off the motor before running the motor otherwise you get the stinky fun for a while. make sure tires are aired up and keep them aired up. This helps prevent flat spots. I like to store the convertable up so shrinkage will not effect the top too much nor will it get any serious crinkles over the storage period. Bleed the brakes at least every two years, if not every season to prevent water entrapment and corrosion. If you are able to control the temp of the storage area keep it constant. The actual temp does not matter as long at it remains constant. Temp fluctuations is what causes moisture problems (aside from a direct moisture issue that is). Fill the gas tanks, or drain them completely, but never leave them somewhere in between. I like to use Stabil in the gas for storage, SeaFoam works too, just so you have something to keep the carb from getting varnished. If this will not work then remove the carb, empty the bowls, and reinstall the carb dry. If your car is sealed tight (unlikely with all the little leaks in a Tiger) use desiccant, or open a vent to allow air temps to change with the outside otherwise the interior will sweat/condense…not good. Unhook the battery to remove electrical problem issues. I remove the battery completely and store in a warmer climate with a trickle/maintenance charger. Prop your wipers so the blades are not touching the windshield. This keep them from getting a set. Put cardboard under the car to catch any leaks that may occur. Sometimes a seal dries up and just leaks during storage, only to work perfectly when put back into service. The cardboard makes the mess easier to clean up should this happen. If the floor sweats, or is dirt, then place a plastic tarp under the entire area of the car to help keep the moisture away from the underside. Then, when the car is all put away, under its cover, and you are satisfied with the situation, give it a hug when nobody is looking. Good luck.

    • #60022

      Voices from another forum

      http://www.network54.com/Forum/119417/t … 640/Winter Storage

    • #60024

      thanks for the info, i will try using stabil and filling the gas all the way, and a bit of moth balls.

    • #60035

      Of course it’s better to drive the Alpines and Tigers at least once a week over the winter solstice but sometimes it can’t be done.A trickle battery charger does help keep up the charge.I’ve also learned that sealing the unheated Long Island storage shed/barn is counter productive.Moisture forms and gets trapped inside.Better to open the windows and go for cross ventilation.But driving them in partnership with long term storage is best for the vehicle and the soul. frank mooney

    • #60040

      FYI…
      I visited two auto trim and upholstery shops recently and both of them said they would have the soft top up and latched as their first choice. Followed by top up unlatched next and finally with top down as a last resort (keep it down if it’s too cold).

      Paul

    • #60042

      If your kitten is sleeping through a long/cold winter do NOT start up the motor, it worked before you parked it, it will work when it leaves 😉 ! The sudden change/increase in temperatures from the combustion heat passing into a frigid block causes Sweating inside of the engine, and unnecessary wear. This is why Quality engine builders will paint the inside of bare cast blocks. 😆 Short engine runs also contribute to pre-mature exhaust failure.
      The earlier tip on putting a tarp UNDERNEATH the car is Excellent. Although those who skipped their science class in elementary school will put a cover over their car 😳 . The damage that occurs to these cars have often arisen from the moisture escaping the earth, trapped underneath by their new nylon tarp ontop of the car.
      A few winters back I proved this point to a few sceptics. I had two rolling cars stored in a friends barn. It had a steel roof but a questionable cement floor with cracks. Over the holidays I went to visit and share some cheer 😛 with friends and uncovered a sheet of frozen/frosted earth. There was a considerable amount of moisture that could not escape the nylon and therefore never made it to the bottom side of my cars. This was just a one winter deal, a longer term storage would see alot more moisture trying to escape. 🙄
      As a side note, I am located in Canada’s Rust-Belt (South/Central Ontario) but this applies to many locations that experience humid climates, often around lakes and swamps you will find cars rotting(metal and chrome)from improper storage. 😳
      A nice clean tarp is a great place to spread snacks(warfarin) around for little mickey and friends 😈

      Tigger

    • #60043

      God bless Florida. It is cold here today in North Florida. High of 61. A little chilly for the pool but the kitty likes the cool weather. Around here, we have just the opposite problem. It is just too darn hot in the Summer but the October thru April were just made for Sunbeams.

    • #60051

      Here in Toronto there are many days in the baddest parts of winter where all roads still dry up, especially when it is well below freezing point. Let me tell you my friends that there is nothing the Tiger likes better than gulping up dense cold air. And there is nothing like a cast iron V8 to keep a rad heater working.

      The main rule I have is that the car is never fired up unless it will get a good run to bring all fluids and mufflers at full temperature. I am quite picky about that to the point where I push the car in and out of the garage if I need the space. I try to use the car once every week and a half throughout the winter.

      I have been parking the car on a vapor barrier plastic sheet laid over a concrete floor in an unheated wooden garage. I keep a fan running in the garage to move the air around. The cars is covered with a dust cover only.

      Roof shrinkage has not been a problem with the two replacement roofs I have had since 1991. Actually, shrinkage has improved them. Some winters the roof is up, but more and more I have been fitting the hard top on. My Tiger came with its original canvas roof which had twisted the metal frame over the years it was left folded away. I had to take it apart and re-weld it correctly to fit a new canvas.

      My thoughts on winter, cheers, Gilles

    • #60055

      so the ? is Start the V8 during the winter to get all the fluids up to temp and everything, or not start at all?

      And i am thinking about getting a car cover. yes or no?

      i have gotten Sta-bil and put that in already, and have gotten moth balls. Now where to put the moth balls? Good places……….? Right now i have them inside the car and some in the trunk, and then i just left the bag open on the arm rest.

      please try and answer those ?s.

      I am not going to drive the tiger in the winter at all. Here in Omaha they lay at least an inch of salt on the roads every time it snows. And it snowed last week so that means were done till the roads are cleaned.

      Right now the car is rust free and i would like to keep it that way, cuz this car is going to the grave with me. And so it must last another 75 or so years. (im 15)

      thanks alot for all the great responces…. 😀

    • #60058

      Joey

      Do you have any Gear heads in your area to consult with? I am geussing you are in grade ten and this would be a good time to take a mechanics course at school for a good understanding of mechanics and physics.
      A Breathable cover for the top of the cat is great. As long as it does not trap moisture. Your local car crowd will be aware of climate problems. With severe cold temperatures it is amazing how much humidity there is not. Dust, and Dirt are natural and without climate control a cover helps to keep those elements away from the paint.. There are covers available from most car dealers and even ebay.
      Has the Tiger been rust-proofed lately? A light-grade creeping oil is an excellent protective measure to apply before storage. There are access holes in the bottom of your rocker panels for convenience, Several different locations can benfit from this process.
      Gilles: How many holes did you drill in your rocker panels retaining their original paint? Was that four or six holes on each side noticeable when the doors are opened??

      Tigger
      aka Rob Martel
      http://www.robmartel.com
      http://photos.yahoo.com/sunbeambob
      With client referrals including West Coast Choppers, Harrah’s, NASA and many many more!!!

    • #60078

      yea i am in grade 10, and next year i will be taking the automotive classes.

      and im sorry but all the car people that i know are ricers, or they own imports that they drive year round. and the other people that accually own a domestic have no clue what a sunbeam is.

    • #60080

      Joey

      I loved the fact that few or nobody knew what my Tiger was when I bought it!! 8) It takes a while for those Pinheads to remember the MG looks like the Tiger, They were followers!! EEEEEDIOTS 😆

      Tigger

    • #60092

      yea, its very amusing when at stop lights, ppl ask what is that. One time when i was getting gas the guy said MG. I just laughed at him and said “i didnt know MG’s came with V8s” and said it was a Sunbeam Tiger.

      but anyone else with the ?s in about post?

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