Ok guys this is my first winter with a car, give me your best storage ideas for the winter. I have access to a building with a cement floor that seems dry. What ya got?

Thanks

 

Do everything you can to prevent/control mice from getting into the car and storage area.

 

I winterize boats every year, so here's my prescription.
Change the oil.
Check your antifreeze, and all other fluids while you're at it.
Stabil in the gas tank, run it long enough to get treated fuel into the carb.
Fog the cylinders with fogging oil.
Check tire pressures.
Put an automatic charger on the battery. I have 1 1/2 amp that I plug into the cig lighter.
Done.

 

Well I found out the hard way that leaving my car outside , even with a cover on it made it rust fairly quickly . The last how many years I've had it in a underground parking garage that is climate controlled ( or maybe naturally climate controlled , because it's underground ) , and I had some bare metal parts in the trunk for a while that never rusted .... So if all possible , find a decent garage preferably climate controlled , and you will be good . Where I work , our computer boards ship to us with desiccant bags in them . I thought it would be a good idea to put a half dozen of them in the trunk pockets , under seats , or anywhere else there is a moisture trap .

 

You can jack up your car and get the wheels off the cement floor with jack stands. You can lose air pressure over time and you do not want a flat spot on a tire.

 

A guy on another car forum used tire cradles and kept a full tank of ethanol-free gas to prevent water from getting into the gas tank. Other than that, I would check the fluids, use gas stabilizer, and use a trickle charger like the other guys have suggested.

 

All good suggestions, although I would not use tire cradles.

 

I've never stored a car for the winter so I couldn't tell you if the tire cradles are a good idea. I plan to drive mine once or twice a month during the winter months and use an undercarriage wash to keep everything clean.

 

Thanks to all for your replies. I already have changed the oil and had the coolant flushed a little while ago,just need to put in some stabil and fill it up. Gonna put it on jack stands and pull the battery out and put it on a trickle charger. I may fog it also. I think I will put moth ***** around the perimeter and a couple mouse traps.


Thanks again

 

Can the mice get inside the car if there are no holes in it ? or is this more of a preventive measure for the mice chewing on the wires / getting into the vents or engine and making a nest ?

 

Mice can get anywhere. they can jump several feet high. Put a few of the baits around the garage only if you dont have a dog.
Dogs love those poison baits too. I would rather have the car chewed up than kill my dog.

 

Dont put it up on jack stands.

 

X2 It is bad for the suspension and bushings. If you ever needed to moved the car in a hurry due to a fire or other emergency you are screwed. If you are truely concerned about flat spots on the tires, jack up the the car once a month and rotate the tire 90 degrees. I like to put the tires up to about 40psi for a little buffer for temperauter change pressure loss.

Cut a bar or two of GREEN Irish Spring soap in half and throw them under the front seats, by the back window and floor vents. That is supposed to keep the rodents away too.


Adam

 

I guess the mice don't want a " little Irish spring in their step "

You could put some mouse poison in the car too ..... and after the mice get nice and rotten , that's where the Irish Spring will come in handy

 

LOL arodenhiser , I love your User Title

 

I must ask about the jacking (or not jacking actually) and storing on stands as I haven't heard this before. For years, (too many to count) I have put ALL my race cars on stands the minute I get home from the track. I always leave the 'Vette on the ground (cement) but it is used from time to time year 'round and has run-flat radials.
My "new" '72 also has radials and is 99.9% finished but had planned to store it on stands through the winter.
TK (Jasen), I respect your knowledge and really want to know your reasoning. I'm not disputing anything, quite the contrary, just hoping to learn something from a "Brother Olds Addict". Any others that might teach me something here, PLEASE DO TELL!!!

 

Oh yea, one more thing, I bought (and have since sold) a 1972 Buick GS Conv. that was a time-capsule 9k mile car that was owned by the proverbial "little old lady". For years she used moth ***** in and around the car----I COULD NOT GET THE SMELL OUT!!! I would re-consider using moth *****. I don't and never have.
One thing I do recommend is to tape off any opening anywhere mice can penetrate. Exhaust pipes, air breathers, etc. I use blue painter's tape and never have had a glue residue problem. Still need to hear about the jack-stand opinions.

 

I believe in jack stands, but placed under the lower A frames and on the differential to get the tires off the ground for long periods of storing to keep the tires from getting flat spots, and they do get flat spots. I don't like the suspension hanging from the end stops.

For the same reason mentioned I don't like moth *****, or any other odorous substances. I agree with sealing off the exhaust as I have seen where mice had gotten all the way into a cylinder and filled it with corn and other seed like items. Destroyed an engine.

 

I don't think you need to worry about flat spots on radial tires...just bias ply tires. If you have access to the car in the winter, you don't have to put in stabilizer, just start the car once a month and let her run for five minutes. I think the biggest concern is the mouse factor.

 

With the climate control...What temperature range is good. Just keep it above freezing or 50, 70 degrees? I know to keep humidity below 50%.

 

I know the underground garage I keep my car in seems to be about in the 65 range all year , except for winter when it's real cold . I know they have some kind ventilation fan running all the time which naturally helps with the humidity / moisture too , also so we don't die from the exhaust .... There are stupid people that sit down there in their cars playing their music , and talking on the phone while their car is running for long periods of time .

 

KInda related story...

i took my car into work the other day, as Im leaving the security guard was chatty going on about when he had a cutlass YADA YADA then he states you'll be ok in that this winter just get some good studded snow tires and clean it every week itll be fine!!!

I had to tell him I only drive the cutlass when its nice

 

Bounce sheets, steel wool wrapped in cloth iin tailpipe, and keep your hood and trunk open....rodents hate light when they nest.....put your battery in the basement.The most important thing when storing in a non climate controlled building is air flow and no direct sunlight. Cement floors, i place plywood down to provide a condensation trap....just a few things i have learned.....never stored a car on jacks in my life...no need

Ted