Hi, I am looking into getting an FD in a year or two, but my biggest worry is storage. The is no way it is going to get driven in the snow and probably not even the rain.

My question is does anyone here put their FD away for the winter. I have heard not running a rotary is bad....how often do you start it up and for how long? Or is there something I can put in the engine to perserve it, like ATF.

Also, the car should not rust on me if I keep it out of the snow and rain and have it covered when im not using it, right?

 

I just start the car once every week or two and let it run for about ten minutes. Fill the tank all the way up before storing to prevent air space in the tank that can get condensation and rust.

 

I store mine. Change all the fluids, fill up the gas, and pull out the battery. I leave it sit for ~5 months.
~Tom

 

I do the same, but if the weather is decent enough I will take it for a spin around the block to keep the tires from getting flat spots.

 

Hyperite... you let your car sit in storage for 5 months without starting it????

 

Mine is stored during the winter. I start it once a month and if weather permits, I do drive it.

However, before I take it out for Spring driving, I have the oil changed, coolant flushed, etc...

 

I've had no problems. I put in some Stabil and fill the tank with fresh gas. I run the car and the A/C for 20 mins. or more every two to four weeks. I've been doing this since I bought the car in '95 and it's worked fine. The gas is a little stale come springtime, so I use it up as soon as possible. When I put in fresh gas, I can tell the difference. You'll also want to change the fuel filter frequently, like every 15,000 miles. A heated garage also helps a lot. My attached garage will get down to about 45 degrees, but it never goes below freezing.

 

thanks guys!

...yea i think 5 months with out starting it would be bad

 

Rust doesn't seem to be a problem on the 3rd Gen RX-7. Apparently the rustproofing methods Mazda used in building the car have worked pretty well. Driving in the rain won't cause your car to rust, at least for a long time. However, having been to New Hampshire in the winter, I know they use a lot of salt on the roads even compared to Massachusetts.
If you're storing the car anyway, I'd wait to drive it until the Spring rains wash all the salt off the roads.

 

Yup.