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Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

By Tom Tate
NOR'EASTER Online - May 2002

It's really amazing how your attitude can change with one 92-degree day in April in New England. We have years when the temperature doesn't get that high the entire summer. But not this year!

Suddenly the roads were filled with bikers enjoying the heat and I didn't even have the battery charged to get the Porsche out of storage. The week before was the first time that the coast seemed clear to take the snow tires off the family station wagon. It seems that I was going in the garage to put away the Blizzaks when the mosquitoes were coming around the corner to start the summer. Only in New England!

We hear a lot of talk about how to put cars away for the winter but seldom any hints on how to put them back on the road. I'm here to give you some hints on how to make that transition a smooth one. Just don't ask me how I know.

Some things should have been taken care of before the little jewel was put away last fall but let's review. You changed the oil and filter, pumped up the tires and washed and waxed the car. You pulled the battery, added air to the tires and plugged up all the holes with something to keep the little critters from staying in Hotel Porsche.

What did you do with the keys? Did you leave 'em in the switch, hang 'em on the keyboard or are they in your top dresser drawer? You need to be consistent with the key location because as the years roll along your memory will not get better. A pattern here will be rewarded in the future when you can't remember where you left your slippers. I vote for leaving them in the ignition switch. Since the battery is gone anyway, nobody can steal it. They fit well and look good here. If your car is a later model (356 owners can skip this part) and has a steering wheel lock as part of the ignition switch, a key in the lock is a good thing. By now you've told the local firemen, all the neighbors and everyone that's under the roof, that in case of fire, after people and pets, get the cars out of the garage. That's not the time to be looking for the keys. You can push 'em with out a battery but you can't turn 'em without a key. You might want to put that in practice with your streetcars as long as you can secure the garage.

So we got the keys, installed the battery after a full charge, now what? How about the plastic bag stuffed in the exhaust? Take that out and don't forget the bags over the carbs. Reminds me of the time my neighbor washed the engine in his Chrysler 300 convertible. He had taken off the air cleaner what was as big as a trash can lid and put a plastic bag over the 4-barrel carburetor. He gunked the engine (remember that stuff? smelled like something your sister cooked in Home Economics) and then sprayed it with the garden hose. In his rush to restart the car he forgot to retrieve the bag. I don't think the engine had made a complete revolution on the starter and the bag was out of sight. Those high compression engines would put a Hoover to shame on the intake side. He had to almost disassemble the entire top end of the engine to get all the plastic pieces that it had eaten. A lot of new words were learned as we kids stood around and watched the process. I didn't know the meaning of some of them until years later.

Remember to check the tire pressure, take them back to normal street numbers. Also check the spare, not that it was over inflated, but to make sure it's ready for service if needed. There's nothing worse that getting a flat unless it's discovering that the spare won't hold air either. We don't give street tires much thought anymore because they are so reliable. But remember they do go flat and they do get old. Old tires, even with plenty of tread, are not safe at highway speeds if they are more that ten years old. It may be time to finally replace those Semprites or XWX's based on time alone.

With all systems go (you turned on the gas valve right?) it's time to start it up. Don't do it unless you can let it run for 10 - 15 minutes in place to check for leaks. Seals and gaskets do dry out with age and lack of use. If those valve covers are gonna leak and make a mess you'll want to know now not on the Mass Pike at 60 mph. Billows of smoke don't look good on the back of a vintage car. Once it's run for a time and warmed up, take it for a short drive to check brakes and steering. Don't get to far from home on your first drive. Check your AAA plan, some are 10 miles free tow and some are 100. Don't forget your cell phone (it's charged, right?) So much to do and so much to remember.

It's worth all the fuss once you get into third gear on that back road with no traffic and lots of curves. There's nothing like that engine out back singing its song to make you forget all the short days and cold nights of winter. Have a great summer and keep the faith.

Porsche Club of America The Northeast Region

Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region