How do you Prep for the First ride of the season?

[imusa76]

now that the car show season is right around the corner, how do you prep the car after sitting for months hibernating? ( you guys down south Don't count because I'm jealous of your weather!! )

First off I winterize my car like I do my boat, I add fuel stabilizer, I take the car out for its last drive of the season, change the oil, run it while adding fogging oil, then shut it off, and add moisture absorbing containers in the trunk and interior, then disconnect the battery, and cover the car.

in the Spring, I charge up the battery, reconnect the battery, start the car, let it run for 10-15 min, shut it off, replace the plugs ( the fogging oil fouls them sometimes) check the wires, and rotor and cap, than its ready for the season.

I've been doing this for the past 13 years to the car with great success.

what do you do?

 

[72HCODE]

This year I forgot the moisture pack inside that was a mistake.

I don't use the stabil for winter storage because I kept having the plugs fowled by it, would turn the plug Porcline pink and was seemed to cause misfire. Had to swap plugs and drain the tank that time.

For a long term sleep I would use stabil.

Everything else I do as well. Every 2 years I like to flush the brakes with new fluid and change the coolant.

 

[luxstang]

My problem is I never know when the first or last drive are gonna be.

I'll drive the car till one day the weather gets too nasty and there is salt on the roads. But I've also been driving the car until mid December if the roads are dry.

Usually I look back and think:" oh, I guess winter break has started a month ago."

So the car sits in the garage like I last drive it, unwashed and with no special preparation and the battery hooked.

Same for the beginning of the season.

This year I drove it around the Bloch to get the Trans fluid up to temperature to check the level, topped it off and as it was running, I ran some errands with it.

Next day was fine so I drove it to work. That was two weeks ago.

Guess the season has started.... again with no special preparation.

Gonna need to do an oil change in the next few days.

 

[jb73Mach]

I check the BRAKE FLUID and braking action and then check it twice. Then I hit the road and hope for the best. I do use marine Stabil over the winter, never had any problems. I also leave the car on a trickle charger so the battery is ready.

 

[Elizabeth73]

I just started my car for the first time since winter. I did not do anything fancy this time besides the fact that I have been using Biobor EB, which is a marine grade ethanol treatment that a close friend has been using on their mustang for about 10yrs. Strange, but I noticed the engine ran smoothly ever since I started using it. It claims it is good for storage as well.

My car started at the turn of my key which was good but also unusual (must be because of the electric ignition). It was 30 degrees outside at the time and the car sat for about four months. Took it for a ride and everything went smoothly. Doesn't mean what I did was the right thing to do though. I feel I should have taken better steps for its first start to be on the safe side. It was also the first year the car was with me instead of in a body shop during the winter so I was not 100% sure of the steps.

I will make a note that my Covercraft Noah Car Cover did an excellent job in all the snow ice and wind we had this winter. The car's surface was just as clean as if I washed it. By far the best decision I made for the winter.

 

[Don C]

I use Lucas Fuel Treatment for storage and general driving. It doesn't state that it's a stabilizer or for storage, but since I started using it I don't get the funky fuel smell, even after months of storage, and the carburetor doesn't seem to get varnish from dried gas.

http://lucasoil.com/products/fuel-treatments/lucas-fuel-treatment

 

[tony-muscle]

Another option is to add SeaFoam to the gas tank and run the engine enough time so the SeaFoam fills up the carb. I do this in my boat. Among the many features of SeaFoam, it does a great job dealing with any moisture that gets inside the tank. However, I don't think it is sold as a stabilizer.

For now I am keeping the Mustang inside the garage, which is kept to 45-50 over the winter so I did not do anything special. I won't start it for probably couple months until after the projects are completed so we will see.