Car Storage

[colcol]

Hello Frank and Oscar, Col-col here, a car cacoon sounds like a good idea, except you want to able to start and run the car every week, as the timing belts may cold weld themselves onto the timing pulleys and the oil seal lips may cold weld themselves onto the engine and when you start the car, the lips will be damaged and the engine will leak oil, if you are not going to start the car every week, then go with a car cacoon, Colin.

[colcol]

Hello col-col, Oscar here, i went down to Repco, and asked the lady begind the counter for some 'start ya bastard', and she seemed to take umbridge, after she regained her composure, the lady said i should get a solar charger, that sits outside and charges the battery when it is light, it is like a small solar panel with 2 leads coming off it to your battery, Oscar.

[colcol]

Hello Oscar, col-col here, those solar panel battery chargers are very good, i had one that clipped on to the sun visor and ran to the 12 volt outlet, that used to be called a cigarette lighter in days of yore, it would put in about 2 watts maximum, which is about the size of a dashboard instrument globe, i then remounted it to the hatch cover on the 33, where it gets maximum light and charging.
If i was you Oscar, not only would i change my name, but i would remove the battery from the 33 i was going to store, and have it connected to a solar panel, so that the battery remains charged up, batteries going flat is a sure way to ruin it.
This is only if you decide to store your car in a car cacoon, without starting every week, Colin.

[Garibaldi]

 Col, when are you starting work in the mining industry? I didn't know you were planning a career change. 

[Frank Musco]

I like the solar charger, excellent idea! Nice one Colcol.

[colcol]

The solar charger was not my idea, i noticed a few of the older less driven cars had them at Spectacolo, so i did the 5 minute install of the solar panel clipped onto the sunvisor with power socket going into cigarette lighter, with wires running all over the place, when i thought that it worked good, i did a more profesional or less backyarder style install of the solar panel on the back parcel shelf cover, 180 degrees to the suns rays, hardwired into the electrical system, Colin.

[Ray Pignataro]

I have one set up on my ride on mower works a treat

[colcol]

And when i was rewiring my battery leads on the 33, i went to an auto electrician for battery leads, the correct length, and he said the original Alfa Romeo leads looked like they were off a ride on lawn mower.
I have seen solar panels for cars, that sit outside the garage, with wires going to the battery or cigarette lighter, so they don't have to be installed on the car, Colin.

[Ray Pignataro]

That's how I have it set up with the solar panel on the roof and leads to the ride on mower battery

[Neil Choi]

I have the same set up of a solar panel on the roof and wired to change my car which is not used very often, but to improve the weatherability of the solar panel (Narva), I built a metal cover to go over it.

[Brad M]

I have the same set up of a solar panel on the roof and wired to change my car which is not used very often, but to improve the weatherability of the solar panel (Narva), I built a metal cover to go over it.

I've the plastic around the panels don't last too long in to weather... a metal is a great idea.