“Turn her over, would ya?"
A concerning phase I often hear when some owners ask us to start their cars after a period of inactivity.
While we are happy supporting with almost anything this is something we ask not to be part of unless it’s done correctly. In fact, this actually does more harm than just leaving as is.
We call it exercise.
Simply starting an engine and letting it tick over is most definitely the worst. A short term running engine creates over fuelling and introduces moisture even when the water temp is up to ’normal'. It will generate rust in the exhaust system and dump lots of unburned fuel into the cylinders and also reduce the oil quality creating premature wear. The science goes on and on.
I know why owners ask. Hell, pre GQ I even did it to my own cars. Felt good, really good in fact. Like I was doing the right thing, at the time.
Since then we have built and evolved our exercise framework and mechanical specification over many years taking counsel from restoration specialists of different generations. It varies widely from an old engine say for the 1960’s with large tolerances and thick 20/50 to putting 0 something for a modern car in an old example. One will find the thin oil bypassing where the old oil won’t – knowing what someone may have incorrectly put in a car in the first place is often the starting point.
In extreme cases where owners haven't been on our care package or are joining us from the wild we deep dive in our post habitation post here.
Back to exercise once again. We are also very open and rather like the process to be a collaboration if one wishes. For example, we typically carry it out in two formats – one carried out on site around our private grounds, the other seeing us head out on the road for 20 miles or so. Either or is simply an owner preference.
Both work well but most importantly we only carry them out on request and with the owners permission. Each interaction is documented and shared in the logs with the owner followed up with supporting notes on the experience – a candid example of which is below.
It is such a complex and diverse landscape which must be carried out with a careful and considered approach to avoid issue or blame.
It still feels good though, just takes a little longer!
If anyone would like to agree the process together please do follow up via your preferred method of communication – we would love to support.
Tim and your GQ Crew.