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Now that the summer is behind us and the weather is turning colder, I often get asked about two automotive issues:

1. How do I prepare my summer car for storage?
2. What do I need to do to prepare my daily driver for winter?

Don’t let this happen to you!

Winter Storage

In Chicagoland, most of us put our summer toys away for 4-5 months.  This is actually a fairly short period of storage and therefore does not require too much preparation.  A few simple measures will ensure that your baby is ready to go in the Spring.  The major enemy of any automobile’s longevity is moisture – not only due to body rust, but also corrosion to internal components.  For this reason, I DO NOT recommend starting the car for a few minutes every month.  Doing so just pulls moisture out of the air as the components heat up and then cool off again.  Instead, I recommend the following:

1. Change the oil prior to storage.  Oil absorbs moisture which is a natural byproduct of combustion.  If dirty oil is left in the car, this moisture will evaporate out of the oil and condense on the engine internals which can cause corrosion.  Also, dirty oil is acidic – why not store your car with nice clean oil in her?
2. Increase your tire pressures to 40psi.  This will prevent flat spots from developing in the tires where the car sits on the same portion of tire for the winter.
3. Fill the gas tank with premium fuel and add a bottle of STA-BIL.  A partial tank of gas leaves moist air in the unused portion of the tank which can corrode the inside of the tank.  STA-BIL is a product that helps to prevent gasoline from “varnishing” or turning bad.  The problem of gasoline going bad has increased with the added use of ethanol additives.  On some occasions, gasoline can turn bad in just a few months.  STA-BIL also helps to remove water from gasoline.
4. Wash your car.  Tree sap, bird deposits and pollution can degrade your paint over the winter.  If you have the time and motivation (and a warm place to do it), a fresh coat of wax is great for your paint over the winter.
5. Disconnect your negative battery cable.  Remember to make sure you have the radio security code first if your system requires one.  If you are extra motivated, removing the battery and storing it inside will help prolong its life. If you are looking for companies to provide storage space and services for your car, I recommend two: In the city:  The Top Store, 301 North Hoyne, (312) 243-4499. And for those of you on the North Shore:  917 Winter Storage, 917 North Shore Drive, Lake Bluff, (312) 220-0051

Getting Ready For Winter

Just thinking about writing this has got me both cold and a little depressed.  There is no question that winter weather is hard on our cars.  The cold starting, the pot holes, the salt…it’s just not a car-friendly time of year.  It can also be dangerous; icy roads and breakdowns far from home can turn serious if you are not prepared.  I recommend having your car checked out by a mechanic before the weather turns really cold.  At Midwest Performance Cars, we provide this service to our clients.  Here are the items we look at in case you want to do it yourself:

• Tires –  make sure you have plenty of tread, proper inflation levels,  and that the tires are not dry-rotten.  Dry-rotting occurs as the tires get old and start to crack from the inside – you can see the small cracks on the surface of the tires between the treads.  If your car has a spare tire, make sure it is in good shape and is properly inflated.  We recommend a separate set of winter tires – particularly for many of our clients with performance oriented cars that come with performance tires – these tires are great in the dry, but horrible in the snow.  Front engine, rear wheel drive cars, have a hard time on snow and ice – for my car I use winter tires and 4 sand bags in the trunk to provide weight over the drive wheels.
• Check all fluids – most important are engine oil (clean and of proper weight), anti-freeze (clean and full), and washer fluid (full).  I recommend carrying an extra gallon of washer fluid in your trunk.
• Heating System – we test your thermostat, heater blower motor, defroster, coolant hoses, belts, radiator, and pressure test your cooling system for leaks.  The stress of the cold weather is hard on rubber components and the worst time to find out your heat is not working is that first time you really need it.
• Battery – test your battery and alternator to make sure they are up to specification.  Your battery is going to have to work a lot harder to start your car when it is cold.  Most people are surprised to find out that the average car battery has a working life of 3.5 years.
• Brakes – check your brake pads and rotors.  Check your brake fluid, see that it is clean.  Test your ABS system – better to find out if it is working now than when you need it.
• Suspension/CV Boots – Chicago winters are hard on our cars’ suspensions.  Look at all the bushings, links, and arms to make sure there is no excessive play.  Check that your CV boots are in good shape and not ripped.
• Spark Plugs – are your plugs in good shape?  Dirty or worn spark plugs make it even harder to start your car when it is cold.
• Lights – make sure that all your lights are working properly so that you can be seen in bad weather.
• Wiper Blades – fresh wiper blades are important in bad weather.  Many experts suggest replacing wiper blades twice a year.
• Windshield – check for cracks and nicks.  The extreme difference between the warm interior of a car and the cold exterior causes “thermal shock” which can cause small nicks in your windshield to become large cracks.  Often small nicks can be repaired inexpensively before they spread.
• Door Locks – lube your door locks with WD40 or a similar product to prevent them from freezing.

Some other winter driving tips include preparing an emergency kit for your car (blankets, flares, jumper cables, flashlight with extra batteries, and kitty litter or sand for if you get stuck).  Most people in the city would never think of needing these items, but you might on that trip to Grandma’s house for the holidays.  Also, try to keep you gas tank over half full.  This helps prevent moisture and condensation in the tank which will make the car easier to start. If you are headed out on a bad night or on a trip, remember to have your cell phone fully charges – these days your phone is your most important tool in an emergency.   Finally, don’t forget to put your ice scraper in the car.  I think I am going to go do that right now.

Have a safe winter!

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One of the great advantages of having a shop with indoor room for 50 cars or so in the middle of a big city is that sometimes friends need a place to store a car. One such friend, Ath, got himself transferred to the big apple with fairly short notice. While he was looking for a garage in Manhattan for his gorgeous Metallic Black on Black 2006 Porsche 997 Carrera S, I graciously offered to keep her safe and dry in Chicagoland for him. My only stipulation is that Ath let me use her while she is in my care. Now Ath is really a terrific guy and a good friend. He started as a client, back when I was selling 911s, and has been a friend for many years. We have been to some Porsche Club and BMW Club driving schools together – an experience that always strengthens the bonds of brotherhood for those stricken with the automotive disease.

997 at Wrigley Field

OK, you want to hear about the Porsche. In a word, it is perfect. This is a big statement, I know, and surprising coming from me, a dedicated, dyed in the wool, air cooled junkie. Ath has had many cool cars (a few which he bought/sold through me) and the last was a 1997 Porsche 993 Carrera S. I USED to think this was the perfect 911…more on that later. OK, what makes this 911 so good? First of all, as expected, the numbers are pretty impressive: 360 hp, 295 lb.-ft. of torque, 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 182mph. This is indeed a very fast car. It feels fast too – sneaky fast. When you get on this beast, you are rewarded by a deep exhaust note and a serious thrust into your seat – and when you look down, you see a number even higher than the big one you are expecting.  I have gotten pretty good at judging just how big a ticket/how long a sentence I would receive in my M5 without looking down.

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With the 997 Carrera S, I was always low by at least 10mph. This car would undoubtedly cost me my license. The 997 also has a terrific attitude during cornering. First of all – turn traction control off. When really pushed it will understeer like a road cars and yes, you can hang the tail out with either application or reduction of throttle. However, the trailing throttle oversteer that 911s are so notorious for continues to lessen with each generation. During just aggressive driving you just turn in fast, apply gas, and the 997 hunkers down and screams through the corner. I would LOVE to take this car to the track and find out what it can really do.

Two Marvels of Engineering.

So it is fast, corners well, has terrific brakes like all 911s – what makes it so perfect?  It asks that you sacrifice almost nothing to drive such a capable car.  Another good friend who has a 997 described it as a luxury car (of course his other car is a GT3 – we are all a little warped in my circle). It really is a nice car to drive around town. My wife got in and asked – “how much is one of these?”. Gorgeous interior full of leather, attractive instruments, and all the modern luxuries. 911s through the generations have always been exotic sports cars that you could actually drive every day and expect them to start every time. However, they did extract a level of sacrifice to drive one – lousy heat control and next to no A/C, poor interior lighting, leaky tops, etc. You made a choice to drive an engaging, very capable sports car at the cost of some personal luxuries. Each generation of 911 corrected some of these flaws, and the 993 went a long way towards achieving perfection and I used to think it could not be topped by a water pumper. The 997 Carrera S is just better – feels right, sounds right, looks right, and is wonderful around town and at 10/10ths.

Ath, next time we head to the track together and I am using a flashlight to read a map while driving with the windows down in the rain to keep the windows from fogging up in my 1986 930, I will think of you in air conditioned comfort, following your navigation system with cruise control on talking on your blue tooth. Technology is a good thing when done this well. And, Ath, thank you for letting me dance with your date.

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The wet, cold and tired gang.

It is really the people that makes this hobby so much fun. I have met a great number of my closest friends at car events. Yes, I am sure that when you put a lot of people together with common interests of any kind then close friendships are bound to be the result. There is something special about the people I have met at track events. There is a certain engagement with life – perhaps it is the adrenaline, or the expenditure of time and money in the pursuit of speed – but everyone at the track seems to be very alive. Anyway, you should go for yourself and see what I mean.

In the classroom.

Stephen and his Porsche.

Many of my clients see one of the track cars in the shop and comment that they would love to do something like that. The great thing is that you can, and easily! There are several car clubs in the area with High Performance Driving Schools. The BMW, Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo Clubs just to name a few. How do these schools work? You do need to be a member of the club, though you do not necessarily need to own a car by that brand. For example, the are a LOT of Porsches running around at BMW club schools (like mine, for example). You sign up for the weekend and you are assigned an instructor. You will have classroom instruction where you will learn the racing line, vehicle dynamics, and advanced driving techniques. When it is your turn on the track, you will drive your own car and your instructor will be in your passenger seat communicating with you through earpieces. Everyone is grouped by experience and you go out and drive! There is very controlled passing and you will learn the fast way around a race track. Priority is given to safety above all else and the instructors are well trained on how to help you go faster without getting into trouble.  I can assure you, it is as fun as it sounds!  You will normally get three 30 minute sessions per day – that does not sound like a lot, but believe me, it is enough to put you to bed early!

Black Betty at Putnam Park.

Rob’s Dad flew in from Boston.

There is another great way to get some good track time as well as some good instruction here in Chicago. LAPS is a group that I only recently joined and it is based at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet. LAPS is run by a genuine car nut, Sean Young. You join LAPS and on 5 Mondays during the summer you have open lapping at the Autobahn Country Club and there are other days available at other tracks throughout the area. You are grouped by experience and there is instruction available for newer drivers and guests. What is fun is again the camaraderie as well as the great mix of cars out on the track with you. When I was there last there were several competition corvettes and Vipers. Porsche GT3s are everywhere and there are a handful of cup cars thrown in. A 1969 Camaro, several Ferraris, a very fast Nissan 240Z, some Lotuses….well you get the idea. If you are into cars, it is great just to see all these cars not alone trying to catch them on the track. And that says nothing for the McLaren SLR in the paddock. For a lot of track time that is safe and fun, contact Sean at www.lapsincorporated.com.

I have said that it is really all about the people. I met Jim at a Porsche Club driving school at Blackhawk Farms approximately five years ago. We parked near each other and I think we started talking when either I was looking at his car or he was looking at mine. A year or so later, I moved my shop down the road from Jim’s business and we reconnected. I joined Jim and his wife Bev for dinner one night and they thought I might like to meet their daughter….now they are my in-laws. It is a foolish man indeed who goes to a car event of any kind hoping to meet a woman, but I have been lucky enough – and it truly is all about the people.

Tom and Jim at Putnam.

Websites to Check Out for More Information

• Laps Incorporated
• Windy City BMW
• Porsche Club of America – Chicago
• Chicago Alfa Romeo Owners Club
• Audi Chicago
• Hooked on Driving
• Badger Bimmers

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Tom Simmons owner of Midwest Performance Cars speaks during a press conference with City of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

See the televised broadcast here

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Chicago would reduce the number of business licenses by 60 percent — from 117 to 49 — under a sweeping consolidation proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel Tuesday to save retailers money and countless hours of aggravation.

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