I inherited a 1930 Rudge Whitworth 500cc Grand Prix Ulster from my Dad, (1990 or so). I first saw it run in 1971 or so when he finally put it back together when I was 15 or 16, he sent me out to get a gallon of gas. He rolled it down the hill and it started first time he dumped the compression release (no kick starter, it was a racing bike). It had been apart since before I was born, and I remember its pieces sitting in the basement since I could ever remember. After that, It sat next to a small nuclear reactor at MIT for 20 years and then my Dad loaned it to the Lars Anderson Auto Museum in Brooklyn, MA for another 10 years. The loan came up and my Dad asked me and my brother if we wanted to donate it to the Museum. We said "hell no" and paid to have it crated up and shipped to Los Angeles. When it arrived, my brother and I put air in the tires and fresh gas and oil and sprayed some starting fluid in the carb. IIRC, I think we were smart enough to pull the spark plug and lift the rear wheel and put it in gear and spin the rear wheel until we saw the oil pump "tell-tale" go up and down showing that we had some lubrication. I pushed my brother (again, no kick start, its a racing bike) on a 25 or so foot driveway,he dumped the compression release, and it started first bump and took off and damn near killed him when he raced into the street and almost got clocked by a passing motorist. So it sat for 30+ years.

Check my sig for details on the bike.

Wow, where do you guys store these things? I get nervous as hell when a week goes by. One big reason why I'm not keeping my RX7, even though my wife has encouraged I do so, is because with three toys I feel like they aren't getting driven enough. Unless there is snow on the ground I drive anything and everything, lots of bad stuff happens when you let a car sit.

I echo Matt's feelings about cars not running. If we don't have enough garage space then we rent a spot in a condo building. There are too many non running cars sitting in peoples' driveways as it is. And these can be ticketed on somebody's property if they are not licensed.

Also cars parked outside can get parts stolen from them. As it is we have three cars and two drivers. They don't get driven enough.

Even during the cold winters here I keep my Miata running. I take it out a couple of times a week for a half hour run.

Sept 19 will be 11 years for the 356. On my phone so I wont go into details but when I can Ill post them