bigfun64mo

Well, I figure I have about a month before I have to store my 72 cutlass convertible for the winter. Since this is my first winter with her, I need to know the proper way to store it. Do I leave gas in in, if so how much? Do I leave it sit on the ground or do I put it on jack stands, etc? Any help would be great.

cutlassgal

Ahhhh... another 72 lover! Well if you're like me, you've heard a million things! Go back and read the "Break In Oil Additive" thread we started in the General Discussion. Somehow, we got off the subject though! LOL!
I leave the tires on mine, fill the tank, park her on a tarp and go out and start her and let her run awhile. I move her a little too. I turn on the heat and a/c too every so often. So far, no problems. This will be her 3rd winter. She came from Texas, poor thing! I have the oil changed in the spring, but that may change due to that thread... check it out!

Jamesbo

I usee "Bounce' dryer sheets to help keep away rodents that can really mess up interios and wiring. Under seats, in the trunk everywhere.

cutlassgal

Well, there's a new one! I will do that!

Allan R

I leave gas in over the winter. Just make sure you put in some gas stabilizer too. I usually start mine a couple of times during the winter for about 1/2 hour or so.

1. Putting it up on jack stands has some advantages. You can take the tires off and store them in the basement to avoid any UV exposure. Plus, you can do the next thing:
2. When I start the car and let it run, I also run it through each gear range for about 5 minutes. Gotta leave it on the high idle step when running in D. R is cool because you can take some of those artificial miles back off. Excercising the tranny like this has no disadvantages and the seals seem to stay intact better. Gotta run it for at least 20 minutes though or the exhaust won't burn out any moisture in the mufflers and it will rot out fast.
3. My baby is stored inside and under a dust cover. Minimizes any temp swings and humidity that causes rusting on things left sitting.
4. Lucky me, no rodents. Great tip about the bounce sheets though. I can just see it now. Baby rats or mice in a bounce nest and they all smell daisy fresh!
5. Test your coolant and replace if needed. Worst thing in the world to go out to your car in the spring and find a cracked block.
6. If you're not going to start the car over the winter, take out the spark plugs and spray the cylinders down with an oil fog to keep them in good shape. reinstall spark plugs and put wires on in the right order!
7. Take out the battery and store it in a cool dry place (not on concrete-that will kill your battery faster than you can believe). Put the battery onto a batter charge maintainer (really not that expensive) till you need it again.
8. Do a really good cleaning and wax/polish to seal up the paint surface and protect against any moisture or rusting.
9. Invest in a really good car cover to protect it from the elements.

My car still looks like it just came out of the paint shop, and that was 23 years ago.

bigfun64mo

It will be either in a garage or my parents garage, but they live in the sticks. I am worried about rodents if I take it there. I have a good cover. Thanks for all the info.

Allan R

If rodents are the worry, might be a good idea to put some bait traps in the garage, in addition to mouse traps. If it's rats, you're going to need something more heavy duty. Most of the rat problems tend to be in areas where garbage is left out and there's a good supply of food for the buggers. Might be a good idea to put "check for mouse droppings" on your monthly checklist when you're going to check out your car in storage.

jturkey69

ok, a couple of questions...when its on jackstands, do you let the suspension hang? since this is my first older car I will be storing and doing bodywork and paint on in spring, will it matter to leave the rust thats on it alone, or spray something on it now.? Im hoping to do some scraping of any loose rust scaling and undercoating this year yet.

Any thoughts?

Aceshigh

I think Allan R covered it all.

Me, I just fill my tank to full, and add gas stabilizer.
Add giant silica packs to the interior for any moisture absorbing as well.

Lady72nRob71

...check out this thread!
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ng-tricks.html

jturkey69

on our last showcar, we would put it on jackstands letting the suspension hang...although this was on a much newer car. Would anyone do this IF it were going on jackstands?

Bluevista

I'm pretty old and I've always heard it was bad for the bushings to let the suspension hang, store cars on the tires.
The bushings can take a set or bind over time in storage and can tear when you lower it, go off center within the casing because of the unusual forces. I've never seen them stored on jackstands at car museums or in big collections but who knows.
Just get a set of roller wheels and tires if you're worried about the tires flat-spotting, overinflation keeps them round in storage too, that's what I do.

jturkey69

sounds good to me. Thanks

Nilsson

I never store my car to the extent that I can't get it out and drive on the nice day that happens at least a couple times a month during the winter. It is never to bad that I can't at least get it out and make a couple trips around the block and get it up to operating temperature. I don't like to let my car just sit.


I do charge the battery once a month to make sure it is up to full charge and I keep the tank topped off.

citcapp

X2 I do the same I cannot pass up a sunny weekend as long as it is not freezing, don't like ice.

Jamesbo

I use battery tenders on my cars like this one


http://www.pacificbattery.com/batteryminder.html

My442

The biggest issue in storage is condensation. Especially in an unheated space where tempreture and humidity swings can create moisture.

I place multiple dessicant bags in the car and under/around the car.

You would be shocked to see how much moisture gets absorbed in a few weeks.

1964CutlassSC

The dryer sheets work. I too use them on a tip from someone along the way. Much nicer smelling than awful moth *****! I cover my car up (non-heated garage), change the oil if required, take some of the load off the suspension with jackstands but not all the weight, fill the tank up full and use fuel stabilizer, take the battery out and put it in the nice warm basement until the snow all melts away and I can take the car back out. We also use mice/rat poison around the car (all 4 corners) and top it up over the winter if it goes down. Don't see many mice around the house but they always find ways in during the cold weather as the poison is always down part way through the winter. The concrete floor that the car sits on is covered with plastic and a sheet of wood as well. I plug up the air filter breather intake to prevent anything from getting in there too. The car gets a 2 hour long run before I put it away so getting moisture out of the exhaust is not a problem. Knock on wood, the same winter storage procedure has worked for us since 2002 when we got the car.

Red Delta

All of your points were very good. I just felt the need to be a nudge and point out that this is a myth.

http://www.thebatteryterminal.com/Te...n_Concrete.htm

Jamesbo

Interesting, I've heard that all my life.

Allan R

No offence taken my friend. I found your link interesting reading. Makes sense too. In a way, I guess a battery sitting on a cool or cold metal battery tray would be a lot like sitting on concrete. In any event, if the battery was left in the car, I would disconnect the terminal hook ups, clean them and put some No-Corode or petroleum jelly on them to avoid corrosion. Clean the connections too while you're at it. One more thing: I would probably leave the battery disconnected from the car system, but hooked up to a battery charger/cycler. If the car has any parasitic drains, it would preserve the battery better, I think.

Thank you for the info on the concrete myth.

Red Delta

I like to bring the batteries inside from my lawn tractor and the car to keep them in a more stable temp.

On the other hand, I bought a spiral cell battery and left it connected last winter, with a couple of occasions of me and a beer (with a parka on of course, stupid snow belt that is Huron County) going outside to play with the transistor AM radio. Had tons of juice in the spring.

Allan R

Only thing to remember is to keep them away from the furnace area. I tend to agree that keeping the battery temp stable helps. The underhood temperature swings are way more severe in the winter than summer.

For the winter, I've replaced all my emerg flashlights with LED ones. They use a LOT LESS voltage, last longer and are brighter. If the batteries get cold in the winter, they pop out (a 4pack AA set) and you can warm them in your hands for a few minutes. Seems to perk them right up for when you need them. (based on a true story......)

richeyb

I live in the high desert of the west in hte country and tend to get rodents, mice... trying to get out of the weather and have climbed under the nice wrm hood. Once under they like to chew on wiring... In my case it was the coil wire for our Tahoe family car. This left us with a shorting electircal system, it would die with out warning.... The mechanic finding the problem suggested we put in a box of Decon Mice and Rat poison under the hood. Found a flat place to put it and have not had another problem in about 10 years. I now put it in all my cars year round... Tahoe, Pymouth Voyager, Jeep CJ5, Mustang Conv,Chevy 2500 and 72 Olds Cutlass. Takes lots of Decon..
agree full of gas and stabilizer, try to start monthly, haven't disconnected batteries but keep them clean and charged plus defiinitley check the anitfreez level.... Good covers are great, I have tried the cloth garages but our winds shread them in about 2 years.... if possible store on concrete or as suggest tarp, something that doesn't lead to rusting out the bottom....

Destructor

I add marvels and stabil to a full tank of gas. I go for a long final season's drive and pull her into her berth. I SLOWLY pour some mystery oil into the carb while it is running then quickly shut it off. My storage season is 3 to 4 months. My moisture absorbers actually absorb very little over the winter. The garrage is unheated but the winter air is usually dry. I disconnect the battery also.

I wash and dry the exterior and clean the interior.

In the spring I turn over the engine for about 10 secs, pump the gas once and then start her up.

Also I change the oil in the fall. There are other things but those are the basics.

AZ442

storage? what is storage we drive ours all year long. Just think of all the miles you are saving. LOL

Dry days only. It only gets wet for a bath,

delmontcrusier

yeah yeah rub it in we have to deal with salt and what not so up hear to save our vehicles we put them away.But you guys are spoiled with your warm and dry weatherso you can drive em when you wantThe moto in the south is drive em if you got em, up north it is protect em if ya can.

Destructor

Salt is the reason for not driving in winter, We often will have a warm rain in january to melt all the snow but even still there will be some sand and salt on the roads. I drive my 70 Cutlass up to around Christmas some years if the roads remain clean. It runs good in the cold.

69Cutlass455

these are all good tips is anyone ever for sure whats right its been somewhat nice here still for early november and I took the Olds out for a ride yesterday. thinking of topping off the tank and parking it thou. I have 2 daily drivers and a 49 Chevy truck in my garage so i tend to move mine around in the winter always let them run and get up to temp and put back away sometimes I also like to go up and down the driveway if i havent put salt on it.

Aron Nance

CutlassGal: What you have against Texas?????? We're not all that bad. I tried Ohio for 7 years ('74-80) and loved it, the people, and the business climate...........however, that white stuff, and those clouds, and that salt in the winter time sorta spoiled it...............LOL!
Aron

Aron Nance

CutlassGal: What you have against Texas?????? We're not all that bad. I tried Ohio for 7 years ('74-80) and loved it, the people, and the business climate...........however, that white stuff, and those clouds, and that salt in the winter time sorta spoiled it...............LOL! Oh, and by the way, we do drive Big Red and the Silver Bullet just about year round here (rub it in, rub it in).....
Aron

cutlassgal

Nothing against Texas at all!! I meant I felt bad that my car had to come here to cold snowy Ohio FROM nice warm Texas!!!

69Cutlass455

be careful what u ask for cutlassgal we don't need the white stuff yet

68conv455

I use a battery cut-off switch. Spin it to disconnect, spin it to connect. Very easy, and quick.

Living in the rust belt isn't so bad. After all, we get to ski.

cutlassgal

Believe me, I'm not wishing for snow. I hate it! It could stay like this until April and then get warm as far as I'm concerned!!