Just wondering what you guys do to prep your cars for winter storage. I know to use fuel stabilizer and disconnect the battery, but what else. Was thinking of putting on jack stands so I don't get flat spots on tires, although I have never done this yet. I'm sure there must be more,any sugestions would help. Thx Jim
I was told to add a bit more air pressure to the tires but to make sure you remove the extra air before using the car; this is supposed to avoid flat spotting the tires. A friend of mine does it every winter on his MG.
What I do is NOT lock the convertible top. It seems like keeping it unlocked prevents the fabric from stretching and my ragtop is in excellent condition so it must be true. I don't disconnect the battery but I turn the car on for about 20 - 30 minutes every 3 weeks or so and every now and then I move it back and forth a few times (I have a shelter in front of my garage so that helps as the car remains on dry surface.) I LOCK IT TO MAKE SURE KIDS DON'T PLAY HIDE AND SEEK IN IT.
I back it in the garage anytime now, disconnect battery, put on car cover and come back in May to see if it will move. That's been working for 11 years.
Place powdered curry and pepper on plastic lids in the trunk and interior to discourage critters ( though I must say the garage is very tight). Also a couple of the stinkiest dryer fabric sheets. Take battery out and put in other garage. Put car cover on it and then just lay a plastic tarp over it in case the steel garage sweats and drips.
I have access to the storage building during the winter but don't run or move the cars.
Wash it, park in uninsulated building, make sure battery is charged and disconnected, cover and return in spring. I killed too many batteries thinking I was doing them a favour keeping them warm. Then one day a group of us were talking and I discovered I was the only one who took the battery out, and I was having the worst battery life of any of the guys!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Full tank of fuel, no stabilizer. Put it on dolly's and put it's winter blanket on, push it over to the corner so I have motte rooming the shop. Turn the heater on to keep it
warm and also do the dryer fabric sheet, 8 years with no issues.
I slash the throat of a chicken, spread the blood around the car, dance around naked for 17 minutes to the Monkees, then eat the chicken the same night in a Marinara sauce...
Was going to try that, but I couldn't catch the damn chicken!
Wash it, park in uninsulated building, make sure battery is charged and disconnected, cover and return in spring. I killed too many batteries thinking I was doing them a favour keeping them warm. Then one day a group of us were talking and I discovered I was the only one who took the battery out, and I was having the worst battery life of any of the guys!
If not leaving it on a maintainer, then absolutely... just leave it in. It'll do it no good moving it around if it's not kept charged up.
I've had super good luck over the years with keeping batteries on a maintainer. My boat battery is now 9 years old, and the one in the 67 is 7 years. Keep them charged and who knows how long they could last. The same cannot be said of the battery in my Honda Oddessy, I can get maybe 3 at best.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I've had super good luck over the years with keeping batteries on a maintainer. My boat battery is now 9 years old, and the one in the 67 is 7 years. Keep them charged and who knows how long they could last. .
I wash it, put it on dollys and push it over as tight against the wall as I can. Then disconnect the battery. I do all this after filling the tank with premium and adding Sta-bil. Then add bounce sheets to the trunk and floor pans. Then I add about 5 lbs of air to each tire. Then I put the car cover on her. I then remind my wife that the garage is no place for her garden furniture or the likes of her crap that she tries to store in there. I also remind her not to start piling crap on top of the car!
Jim, the absolute worst thing you could do, is start the car once in awhile. The condensation created in the crankcase destroys everything by attacking all the bare metal parts down there. Needlessly destroys your oil and in the process attacks your bearing surfaces. DO NOT START THE CAR once in awhile. Another thing i would add is to not jack up the car with the wheels in the air. Having the wheels hanging off the ground just damages front and rear suspension components. A vehicle was never designed to have the wheels hanging off the ground for six months. Also change the engine oil just before storage, so that you do not have contaminated oil lingering in your crankcase for six months. If using stabilizer in your fuel, make sure that you run the engine to get the stabilizer in the carb and fuel pump. Make sure you do not forget to close tight the air vents, mice can squeeze into the smallest hole. Battery minders are a very bad idea because the battery will release vented gases and those corrosive gases with rust anything in contact. Hope this helps. Happy winter hibernation everyone. Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
Jim, the absolute worst thing you could do, is start the car once in awhile. The condensation created in the crankcase destroys everything by attacking all the bare metal parts down there. Needlessly destroys your oil and in the process attacks your bearing surfaces. DO NOT START THE CAR once in awhile. Another thing i would add is to not jack up the car with the wheels in the air. Having the wheels hanging off the ground just damages front and rear suspension components. A vehicle was never designed to have the wheels hanging off the ground for six months. Also change the engine oil just before storage, so that you do not have contaminated oil lingering in your crankcase for six months. If using stabilizer in your fuel, make sure that you run the engine to get the stabilizer in the carb and fuel pump. Make sure you do not forget to close tight the air vents, mice can squeeze into the smallest hole. Battery minders are a very bad idea because the battery will release vented gases and those corrosive gases with rust anything in contact. Hope this helps. Happy winter hibernation everyone. Cheers. George.
Over my years I have learned that every car is different. In my experience I agree with what George has to say the most. Myself do add stabilizer and make sure to run it into the Carb. Unless you plan to run your car long enough to bring the car to operating temperature when starting it you are doing more bad than good. Not only are you introducing condensation into the crank case but all the condensation from the exhaust system is going to float up under your car and sit there as it is not being driven to clear it all out. you may as well boil a kettle under the car and let all the steam collect under there. I usually drive it and park them where I want, while warm stuff some old rags up the tail pipes and in the snorkel on the breather. to reduce moisture and keep mice out. I will but old tires on when i can or park on foam blocks (dense foam insulation pink or blue) to keep the tires off the concrete. I take my Batteries out and put them on some foam insulation in the corner or under a shelf out of the way. I charge them in a well ventilated area away from the car twice over the winter, one of which is just before it goes back in the car. I like to give my suspension a break by taking the weight off a little but defiantly not hanging the car. I am a believe in sealing the car up and yes I use moth balls- good old moth balls. I air them out in the spring so its never an issue for me. I cover it up with an outdoor cover inside so i know its heavy and breathing and I check on it once and a while. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips guys and yes George, I never start my car once parked unless I'm working on the motor and want to test it out and then I bring it up to operating temp. Will try bumping up my air pressure and putting a mat under tires so it doesn't feel like a flintstone mobile in the spring.
Wash it, park in uninsulated building, make sure battery is charged and disconnected, cover and return in spring. I killed too many batteries thinking I was doing them a favour keeping them warm. Then one day a group of us were talking and I discovered I was the only one who took the battery out, and I was having the worst battery life of any of the guys!
I concur a charged, disconnected battery is very happy to be cold. As long as they are charged and don't get low and freeze, seems it slows down chem. reaction and extends life. This my personal experience from decades of having RV batteries in my holiday trailers that I charge in the fall and are exposed to temperatures down to and including -40C.
if battery goes down on its own and freezes it wasn't going to make it anyway. My 2 cents.
