Classic car winter storage on the French Riviera

It is tempting to think that winter hardly counts on the French Riviera. The days stay mild, the roads of the hinterland are dry most of the time, and you can take a classic car out in January without a second thought. Yet a collector’s car suffers here too. Not from the cold, but from damp, salt air and, above all, from standing still.

Many owners spend only part of the year on the Côte d’Azur. Their car waits for weeks, sometimes months. Properly prepared, it waits without harm. Poorly prepared, it deteriorates without anything showing.

What harms a car that stands still

A car that is not driven ages differently from one that is. The main enemies:

• damp, which condenses in box sections, under the carpets and in the brake system;
• salt air, close to the coast, which hastens corrosion of chrome, fixings and the underbody;
• swings in temperature between day and night, which encourage condensation;
• tyres, which deform when they carry the car on the same spot for a long time;
• the battery, which slowly discharges, then deteriorates;
• fuel, which ages in the tank and the fuel system.

Add to these rodents, drawn to a quiet cabin and a wiring loom within easy reach.

Preparing the car

Clean first

A car should be laid up clean and dry. Mud, salt and dust hold moisture against the paint and the underbody. Careful washing, followed by thorough drying, including the door shuts and the bottoms of the doors, avoids many surprises. A protective wax on paint and chrome adds a useful barrier.

Chrome and rubber seals

Close to the sea, chrome pits quickly. A suitable protective product, applied before the car is laid up, preserves it. Door, window and bonnet seals dry out and stick when they stay compressed: a light treatment keeps them supple.

Fluids

Used engine oil contains acidic residues. It is better to change it before the car is laid up than after. Brake fluid, which absorbs moisture over time, is checked and replaced according to its age. Coolant should protect against corrosion as well as frost.

Fuel

Modern fuel ages faster than one might think, particularly when it contains ethanol. On an older car, it can attack certain seals and hoses, or foul carburettors and injection. Depending on the car and the length of storage, we advise either a full tank with a stabilising additive, or another approach suited to the fuel system. There is no single rule.

Tyres

A slightly raised pressure limits flat spots. For a long lay-up, the car can be moved from time to time, or set on axle stands. On its return, the tyres are inspected: age matters as much as wear.

Battery

A battery left to itself discharges. A maintenance charger suited to the type of battery keeps it in condition. Failing that, it can be disconnected, though some recent cars cope badly with a long power cut: this is worth knowing beforehand.

Handbrake and hood

A handbrake left on for months can seize. On level ground, the car is better chocked than braked. A cabriolet’s hood should be stored dry, never folded damp, and preferably closed so that it keeps its tension.

Cabin and upholstery

Leather dislikes both dryness and stagnant damp. Cleaned and fed before storage, it comes through the season without cracking; we go into this care in our article on original leather upholstery, restore or retrim. A moisture absorber in the cabin and a breathable cover complete the protection. A plastic sheet, on the other hand, traps moisture against the bodywork: it is the worst protection of all.

Should you start the car now and then?

It is a frequent question. Running an engine for a few minutes at idle, without it reaching temperature, creates condensation in the engine and exhaust without driving it out. It is better either not to start the car, or to drive it properly: a dozen miles or so, engine warm, brakes used. On the Riviera this is often possible, and it is the best way to keep a car healthy. Winter storage need not mean immobility.

Where the car is kept

A good space is dry, ventilated, sheltered from swings in temperature and from direct light. A damp underground garage, or a shelter close to the sea, can do more harm than a covered space outdoors. If you have no suitable place, or you are away for part of the year, the workshop offers storage and seasonal preparation: the car is prepared, looked after, then recommissioned for your return. The arrangements are agreed with you; our winter storage questions page tells you more.

Recommissioning

When spring comes, a car does not start again quite as it stopped. Before it returns to the road, we check:

• fluid levels and any sign of leaks;
• the battery and its charge;
• tyre pressures and condition;
• the brakes, which may have stuck slightly;
• any trace of damp or rodents in the cabin and engine bay;
• how the car behaves when warm, on a road test.

It is also the right moment for a full service. A car that covers few miles does not age more slowly: seals, fluids and tyres do not wait for the odometer.

Preparation to suit the car

An air-cooled Porsche, a Mercedes with mechanical injection and a recent GT are not laid up in quite the same way. Recent cars are more sensitive to battery disconnection and electronic management; older ones, to fuel and seals. We adapt the preparation to each car, classic or modern.

If your car is elsewhere, it can reach the Mougins workshop through transport arranged on request; the conditions are set out in writing before any departure. Our transport page explains how it works.

For the administrative questions particular to an older car, our classic car paperwork page answers the most common ones.

In closing

Good winter storage cannot be seen. It shows in spring, when the car starts, brakes, and smells of clean leather rather than damp. If you would like to entrust your car to us for the season, or simply talk it over, you are welcome to write to us or book an appointment with the workshop.