Classic car left outside?

[aka_lozz]

Hello guys. I have recently developed an interest in modern classics and I am thinking about owning and keeping one as a daily driver. My commute is only 4 miles so I am not concerned with fuel consumption. I have one issue.
　
I have no garage and It will be have to be kept outside!
　
Is this a bad idea? The cars that I am interested in keeping are either a mk1 Mitsubishi GTO or a 97-03 Jaguar XJR. I have heard vastly different opinions on the feasibility of keeping classic cars outside, can anyone advise me?

[MGDavid]

If it's going to be an every day driver and live outside then don't buy a concours or condition 1 car. Just buy a good honest used example, enjoy it, and expect that it will gently go downhill condition-wise and be worth less when the time comes to sell it.

[andrewc]

Provided the car was washed regularly to remove salt during the colder weather months, it should last OK. Both cars will have known rust points, but rust usually starts from stone chips or a build up of dirt / debris / rotting leaves that allows water to linger or to get to places it shouldn't.

Short journeys are not very good for cars - the engine will have hardly any time to get up to temperature - exhausts will rot out as they won't get hot enough for condensation / moisture to dissipate.

Leaving cars idling to warm them up as well isn't really that good for them either.

[Number4]

Keeping the car outside will be fine.
I'm guessing you will not be working on it yourself, as you are asking the question.
The trouble is both cars are approaching 20 years old, and maybe 1/4 million miles. The Jag will cost as much as a new one to run and repair, and they are becoming rare.
The GTO is much more rare, and is loaded with gizmo's controlling the motor, 4wd, 4ws.
Both could end up costing more than they are worth to keep on the road.
Personally I would buy a nice V8 S-type for silly money and run it into the ground.
To the GTO I much prefer the Nissan Skyline, having owned three. They are bulletproof. The engines sound glorious and the turbo's are blisteringly quick. My favourite was a 2.0, you could ring it up to 7,000 rpm. The trouble is they go for silly money and the boy racers modify them.

Here is what the RAC have to say about the GTO.......
http://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-revie...3000gt/207389/

[Paul D]

As has already been said, I'd be more concerned with the short journeys you do rather than the issues related to keeping it outside. Cars of that vintage are much better protected against rust than the older stuff and, although they will still rust, if you keep on top of it, keep the underside clean and attend to anything that does come through before it gets a hold, then it should be manageable.

However, the cars you're considering have big engines that won't be getting properly warmed up on a four mile journey. Doing short trips in the long term is just going to lead to future problems - bores get washed from being in cold start mode too much, condensation builds up inside engine/transmission/cats & exhaust, oil gets diluted with fuel from all the running in cold start mode, etc, etc.

Giving the car a decent run (20+ miles) in between all the short runs can help to offset some of these problems, and changing oils more often can help too.

One final point for you to consider: anything built in Japan (unless you get something that's been seriously abused) is going to prove more reliable than a 20 year old Jag, as nice as they are!

[275 GTB-4]

Australia has 25,000 kms of coastline...and cars living on the coast can rot away if not maintained...but, just like living in cold parts with salted roads, it is just a part of life, enjoying your motoring whilst paying for the privilege!!

If I take a classic to visit or attend a local function etc ...I factor in an extra 20 minutes to get there...because I usually WANT to go the long way

Do what you need to do to keep your vehicles in good condition...but get out there and enjoy them.

[leonidas]

I have never been convinced that storage in a domestic garage lengthens the life of vehicles all that much. A moist or humid garage is going to encourage rust just as much as leaving the car outside - possibly even more so. Cars that are kept in a controlled environment storage are a different matter.

In my experience the most important thing is keeping the vehicle underside as clean as possible, washing off salt, drying it thoroughly and using a good quality wax treatment to protect the paintwork.

[Tim Falce]

The biggest problem I can see with keeping a classic outside is security, they're generally a lot easier to steal than newer cars and being classic more of a target.