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I live in a 55+ retirement community, with 35% being snow birds, who come down here to Tucson for 3-4-5 months of the year and leave their cars in the driveways, unless they drive their cars down here from Canada or elsewhere. Doesn't seem to be a big problem.
If I own 2 vehicles (1 is a nice daily, the other one is a beater) and if I don’t drive the other car on a regular basis and leave it parked in front of my house what hazards are there to this?
Two things affect a car......time and mileage. Every mile a car goes is one less mile it will go before something goes wrong. Conversely, even if a car sits, Father Time is working on it, aging components and drying things out.
I have a shop full of cars that we rarely drive, but I fire them up occasionally to circulate the fluids and bring them up to operating temperature to burn off some moisture inside the block. But, even doing that, I find bushings and other parts that need replacing, even though the cars haven't gone one mile.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,734,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoNewk
I've got no idea about where you live, but in my town you can only (legally) park a vehicle or trailer on the street for 3 days without moving it. Obviously people do, but if a neighbor gets tired of looking at a junker he can call the police and they'll come out and mark the tires, then come back and check it 3-4 days later.
There's a car that I see regularly here in Seattle. What was once a beautiful Buick Skylark convertible. Zero rust. Stunner. It has sat in the same spot on a Seattle street for over 10 years. The convertible top and the interior is completely rotten away, moss is growning on the street around the car, yet there it sits on a well traveled side street in Seattle. Pretty crazy.
I'd post pictures but the engine driving this forum is pretty terrible when it comes to posting pictures.
Critters such as rats, snakes,mice, and insects may take up residence if the car isn't moved periodically. This would be my primary concern. A lot depends upon where you live, though. A rural area in Louisiana, for example, would probably be more pest prone that a retirement community in Tuscon.
I have a 1992 4Runner that is a garage queen. I drive it between once a week to once every 2 weeks. Only issue I had was a the front brake caliper seizing up on me. Mech told me that it is a common issue if your vehicle sits for a long time after wet driving. Haven't had the same issue for years since I try not to drive it when it rains.
There's a car that I see regularly here in Seattle. What was once a beautiful Buick Skylark convertible. Zero rust. Stunner. It has sat in the same spot on a Seattle street for over 10 years. The convertible top and the interior is completely rotten away, moss is growning on the street around the car, yet there it sits on a well traveled side street in Seattle. Pretty crazy.
I'd post pictures but the engine driving this forum is pretty terrible when it comes to posting pictures.
We moved to this area about 30 years ago, and there was a pretty little 58 Chevy sitting at a shop near our place. 348 stickshift car, hardtop. It needed some love, and I asked if it was for sale...…"No, the owner is going to do some work on it."
Every few years, I would drive by and stop, same answer "Not for sale, gonna fix it up." As the years went on, it was getting worse and sinking further into the pavement, but still not for sale.
Finally, about 5 years ago, I stopped, and the guy that owns the garage said the owner would sell it, make an offer. I looked it over, and there was not one part that wasn't eaten up by rust. Even the drivetrain was a ball of rust, and I considered scrapping the car and saving the 348, but even that was too bad to consider.
I passed on it, and eventually it disappeared, probably to the scrap heap. We see that same scenario all the time.
my poor little Isuzu I left in CT, have it to the guy back there, never gets driven. He took it out and said the speedometer doesn't work. Poor baby. Probably rusted.
I hate it when my car gets despondent and weepy because I haven't driven it enough.
I personalize my car like its a human being! Eversince I read that 68% of car owners talk to their cars, I've been jabbering to my car more than ever. So I'm not weird afterall!!!
Every couple months I give it a real treat, a long 65 mile drive from Tucson to Nogales, speed limit of 75MPH and I push close to 90MPH back and forth and you ought to see the smile on his face after we get back!
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