wintering your car

chevy4ever · Addicted!

wintering your car

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

A good thread here....lots of great info/ideas.
canadianponcho.activeboard.com/t58683616/preparing-your-car-for-storage/

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

You can omit the chicken part! biggrin

Mike Ward MB · Addicted!

With the Collector Plates in Manitoba I have coverage year round. I clean them and cover them up. They get started and moved around regularly through the winter, just because I use my hoist year round and they are always in the way, or in harms way!

68 Grande · Guru

Firstly, what ever you do, don't let your classic overwinter on a "earthen" or gravel floor. The moisture just wicks up and your car will be wet underneath causing flash rust. I experienced that two years ago and I will never do that again.

This is what I do:

- I pump my tires up to 44 psi,
- unhook the battery but leave it in the car
- change the oil so there is fresh oil in the engine over winter as I do not want dirty oil with acids eating at my bearings
- check the coolant so you have adequate antifreeze in it as well. I use a STP Green that is available from Walmart that is GM compatible for the old cars and is aluminum compatible. This STP green actually has the corresponding GM numbers from my 68 op manual for coolant, (1899 and 1825 I think)
- get some bounce sheets and those sticky pads from Crappy Tire and some poison and liberally place them in the car
- open the window about 2 inches, open the hood so it just rests on the latch and open the trunk so it rests on the latch but is not shut. This is so no air gets trapped anywhere and it can move out of the car.
- cover it with a decent cover that is breathable
- make sure you have storage insurance with an appraisal
- hope for the best!

-- Edited by 68 Grande on Tuesday 6th of November 2018 01:46:38 PM

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I store mine in an old chicken barn out in the sticks. On concrete, but I still place a tarp on the floor underneath to stop wicking moisture. It seems to help.

Leo2+2 · Guru

I can use my car until December 15 (legal due to tire law) as long as it's dry out. At some point in November I change the oil.

Car is stored in a well insulated garage with ceramic tiles and heating. I keep the temperature at about 18°C dry heat.

Fill the tank to the top.

I disconnect the battery.

Put fleecy sheets but not directly on the upholstery, in a small box inside as well as in the trunk compartment which I keep closed.

Pull out the washer fluid tank, empty it and re-fill it with distilled water.

Once a month I reconnect the battery, start the engine and back-up the car outside on a dry day and run the engine for at least ½ hour. Then back into the garage and reverse procedure.

Late March I empty and refill the washer fluid tank with distilled water & re-connect the battery for good.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

68 Grande wrote:

Firstly, what ever you do, don't let your classic overwinter on a "earthen" or gravel floor. The moisture just wicks up and your car will be wet underneath causing flash rust. I experienced that two years ago and I will never do that again.

This is what I do:

- I pump my tires up to 44 psi,
- unhook the battery but leave it in the car
- change the oil so there is fresh oil in the engine over winter as I do not want dirty oil with acids eating at my bearings
- check the coolant so you have adequate antifreeze in it as well. I use a STP Green that is available from Walmart that is GM compatible for the old cars and is aluminum compatible. This STP green actually has the corresponding GM numbers from my 68 op manual for coolant, (1899 and 1825 I think)
- get some bounce sheets and those sticky pads from Crappy Tire and some poison and liberally place them in the car
- open the window about 2 inches, open the hood so it just rests on the latch and open the trunk so it rests on the latch but is not shut. This is so no air gets trapped anywhere and it can move out of the car.
- cover it with a decent cover that is breathable
- make sure you have storage insurance with an appraisal
- hope for the best!

-- Edited by 68 Grande on Tuesday 6th of November 2018 01:46:38 PM

Pretty much my routine to a "T" except I don't have to worry about mouse issues so the Bounce sheets, poison etc don't happen.

About the coldest it gets in my back bay where the cars are isolated by a door is 8*.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Or if you are Beaumontguru you put good snows on 'er and oil 'er up underneath and drive it!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

And make those snows studded to boot!

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I change the oil, fill the tanks with "non ethanol fuel, give it some SEA Foam in tank on way back from gas station, and say BYE BYE in heated shop!!! Have the car covers on both cars, but will be doing some "up grades" over the winter!!!