Advice for taking a car off the road

[Funkstar]

My parents are moving to Angola for a couple of years. Yeah, fun.

My mum has a old style rover mini. One of the last classic mini coopers to be made.

As she also has a brand new BMW Mini Cooper S, she has decided to take the old one off the road. Perhaps insure and tax it for 6 months in the summer, but maybe not.

It will be under a car port wit a cover on. What else should she do to the car to while it's not being used?

[Howard]

Remove the battery, jack it up at all four corners, leave it in gear (with the handbrake off) and put a rag in the exhaust and air filter

[Funkstar]

In gear and handbrake i already knew about (i do that with my car when i'm away for more than a week).

Battery i did wonder about. Good idea bout the exhaust and air filter though

[Shad]

If it's not taxed and insured, make sure you sorn it.

In fact, make sure it's insured at all times, even if it's sorn'd and not taxed. Companies like Competition Car Insurance do policies for storage and transit which is good if you aren't using the car on the road.

[Howard]

Good point Shad, might be useful if a neighbour's house or garage burns down and it catches!

[Funkstar]

Oh now that is a good pointl, i don't think we though about that. I'll get mum to look into storage insurance.

Yeah, SORN we know about.

She might just decide to keep it on the road, it isn't a lot of money after all.

[SilentDeath]

not sure about jacking it up, but you should put fuel stabiliser in so it doesnt turn to water..

[Howard]

Jacking it up so you don't knacker the tyres