Winter storage

[Chicago Chet]

Winter will be coming soon to Northern Illinois and I need to put my Mustang into storage. Got to get my wife's car back into the garage. The only thing I ever winterized was a lawn mower so I need some advice. I am looking for a heated storage facility (thought I had one but deal fell through). Need to store Nov to april.

Some advice I got was:

Pull the battery and put on a trickle charge. Or just disconnect neg?

Stabilt in gas tank. Full tank of gas or only a quarter tank got 2 pieces of advice on this one.

Cover car with a car cover

Dryer sheets in vents and engine compartment to keep out rodents?

If I get an unheated space what do I need to do different from a heated?

Do I need to start engine occasionally and let run ?

 

[droptop73]

Hi Chet,

Here's what I do;

Change the oil and filter.

Clean and wax the car.

Fill the tank with premium at the closest station to the house, and drive straight home to the garage (or storage facility) no stabilizer or preservatives.

Park the car and place it on the wheel stands (blocks under the tires).

Disconnect the ground cable from the battery. Some storage facilities require the removal of the battery. If so do not store the battery on concrete, place a block of wood under the battery and store in a warm place.

Place dryer sheets inside the car and engine compartment.

Since I store the car at my home I can start it from time to time unless I have the car apart.

Some like to use fogging oil in the engine to protect the cylinders and valves from rust I never have.

Cover the car.

 

[73QCodeGrande]

I have a line on storage in Gurnee through the club I belong to. It's secure heated and concrete floors. It's just off Grand on Bell Plaine Ave. If your interested PM me and I'll put you in touch with the right person.

Jim

 

[t.klapperich]

Nice to see some locals on here!! I have a heated garage and when I put mine into hibernation, I will fill the tank, and use Stabil. Inflate tires to 38 lbs. to eliminate flat spots in spring. Dryer sheet in the engine bay, trunk and inside. Not only keeps mice out but it smells nice when you open it up for the first drive ! I leave my battery installed with a 2amp. auto on/off trickle charge unit. Give it a good wax job, put it on wheel dollies, push it into the corner of the garage, and lay cardboard under it to collect any moisture that may form on the concrete. That usually doesn't happen with a heated garage but it is just habit from when I didn't have heat. The last thing I will do is take a small floor jack and jack up the front end about 4-6 inches to take the load off the front suspension. Put the cover on, and your good !!! I will try to run it about once a month to keep thing lubed up.

I am part of the Northern Illinois Streeters Club, if you locals are interested, PM me !!! We are always looking for more members.

 

[73QCodeGrande]

Nice to see some locals on here!! I have a heated garage and when I put mine into hibernation, I will fill the tank, and use Stabil. Inflate tires to 38 lbs. to eliminate flat spots in spring. Dryer sheet in the engine bay, trunk and inside. Not only keeps mice out but it smells nice when you open it up for the first drive ! I leave my battery installed with a 2amp. auto on/off trickle charge unit. Give it a good wax job, put it on wheel dollies, push it into the corner of the garage, and lay cardboard under it to collect any moisture that may form on the concrete. That usually doesn't happen with a heated garage but it is just habit from when I didn't have heat. The last thing I will do is take a small floor jack and jack up the front end about 4-6 inches to take the load off the front suspension. Put the cover on, and your good !!! I will try to run it about once a month to keep thing lubed up.

I am part of the Northern Illinois Streeters Club, if you locals are interested, PM me !!! We are always looking for more members.

Hey... I met you at the Volo All Mustang and TBird show. I'm the Mis-Shift member that invited you to our Sept. show!

 

[hyena429]

Hi Chet,

Here's what I do;

Change the oil and filter.

Clean and wax the car.

Fill the tank with premium at the closest station to the house, and drive straight home to the garage (or storage facility) no stabilizer or preservatives.

Park the car and place it on the wheel stands (blocks under the tires).

Disconnect the ground cable from the battery. Some storage facilities require the removal of the battery. If so do not store the battery on concrete, place a block of wood under the battery and store in a warm place.

Place dryer sheets inside the car and engine compartment.

Since I store the car at my home I can start it from time to time unless I have the car apart.

Some like to use fogging oil in the engine to protect the cylinders and valves from rust I never have.

Cover the car.

+1 one to that.

And with the high price of batteries and the low cost of a battery tender...24$ i think..Its worth the 24 bucks now days to save your battery..hehe

 

[t.klapperich]

Nice to see some locals on here!! I have a heated garage and when I put mine into hibernation, I will fill the tank, and use Stabil. Inflate tires to 38 lbs. to eliminate flat spots in spring. Dryer sheet in the engine bay, trunk and inside. Not only keeps mice out but it smells nice when you open it up for the first drive ! I leave my battery installed with a 2amp. auto on/off trickle charge unit. Give it a good wax job, put it on wheel dollies, push it into the corner of the garage, and lay cardboard under it to collect any moisture that may form on the concrete. That usually doesn't happen with a heated garage but it is just habit from when I didn't have heat. The last thing I will do is take a small floor jack and jack up the front end about 4-6 inches to take the load off the front suspension. Put the cover on, and your good !!! I will try to run it about once a month to keep thing lubed up.

I am part of the Northern Illinois Streeters Club, if you locals are interested, PM me !!! We are always looking for more members.

Hey... I met you at the Volo All Mustang and TBird show. I'm the Mis-Shift member that invited you to our Sept. show!

Right on ! Good to hear from you, soory I didn't make your show.:-/

How long did you stay at the Volo show, I left early. Did you win anything? We still have some good weather coming so maybe I will see you around!!

 

[73QCodeGrande]

Nice to see some locals on here!! I have a heated garage and when I put mine into hibernation, I will fill the tank, and use Stabil. Inflate tires to 38 lbs. to eliminate flat spots in spring. Dryer sheet in the engine bay, trunk and inside. Not only keeps mice out but it smells nice when you open it up for the first drive ! I leave my battery installed with a 2amp. auto on/off trickle charge unit. Give it a good wax job, put it on wheel dollies, push it into the corner of the garage, and lay cardboard under it to collect any moisture that may form on the concrete. That usually doesn't happen with a heated garage but it is just habit from when I didn't have heat. The last thing I will do is take a small floor jack and jack up the front end about 4-6 inches to take the load off the front suspension. Put the cover on, and your good !!! I will try to run it about once a month to keep thing lubed up.

I am part of the Northern Illinois Streeters Club, if you locals are interested, PM me !!! We are always looking for more members.

Hey... I met you at the Volo All Mustang and TBird show. I'm the Mis-Shift member that invited you to our Sept. show!

Right on ! Good to hear from you, soory I didn't make your show.:-/

How long did you stay at the Volo show, I left early. Did you win anything? We still have some good weather coming so maybe I will see you around!!

Naw, didn't take a trophy from that one. I did win a fender cover though. Lol. I stayed until the trophy's were handed out then left. You missed a good show at the beach. We had close to 300 cars show up for our show. I took a best in class home from that one! All our club members were voted on separately from non members to keep it fair. Too much complaining about how show are rigged. That's why we did it that way. You know how it goes...

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I would consider storing the car on jack stands to prevent flat spotting the tires. A full gas tank is my preference, but. . . there are winter and summer gas formulations, so a) i use stabilizer and b) I try and use up all gas before the weather gets warm again.

I like to run my car at least every 30 days. When you do run it, you should run it long enough to get everything up to operating temperature and to cook all of the condensation out of the exhaust system.

Tennessee has a short winter compared to other places so I don't have to "store" my car for more than 3 months so a trickle charger has never been necessary.

I think I will add the cardboard under the car this winter and the dryer sheets to my routine.

 

[73QCodeGrande]

Dryer sheets are a must! a friend of mine stored his 2010 Chrysler 300 last winter and the mice chewed a hole thru the Air Box then chewed holes in the hood insulation to build a nest in the air Box. So dryer sheets inside the car, trunk and under the hood!

 

[marks73]

Or a very hungry cat on patrol in the garage.

 

[71mach351]

I like to run my car at least every 30 days. When you do run it, you should run it long enough to get everything up to operating temperature and to cook all of the condensation out of the exhaust system.

Starting it and idling it throughout the winter isn't necessary. Mine has been stored 6 months a year for the last 18 years. Put it away and forget it. Dad has done the same with his 64 Vette for the last 47 years. They always start in the Spring, never had any issues.

 

[Jim and Jutta]

I like to run my car at least every 30 days. When you do run it, you should run it long enough to get everything up to operating temperature and to cook all of the condensation out of the exhaust system.

Starting it and idling it throughout the winter isn't necessary. Mine has been stored 6 months a year for the last 18 years. Put it away and forget it. Dad has done the same with his 64 Vette for the last 47 years. They always start in the Spring, never had any issues.

I've also heard you're better off letting it sit all winter than starting it ever 30 days causing wear "every time" you start it due to the dry engine start ups. I for one can't wait all winter, I want to hear the engine roar at least once a month... so for "winter" storage I put in a 5/30 weight synthetic blend oil that provides quicker and better lubrication upon dry start up. Run the engine until it heats up to normal temp. Since we get very little snow if the roads are dry I might even drive it around the block to lube up the rest of the drive train. Once winter is over and weather gets nice put my normal 10/40 oil back in with a Zinc additive then take it on the freeway to blow out the soot.

Jim

 

[c9zx]

Having survived 6 winters in central Illinois (coldest damned place I've ever lived) I'd say priority 1 is making sure there is enough anti-freeze in the cooling system. I've had better results from Sea Foam gas treatment than Sta-bil. I used Sta-Bil in all my 2 cycle equipment one winter, rebuilt 5 carbs in the spring. Been using Sea Foam since, no springtime drama. Chuck

 

[Tnfastbk]

Having survived 6 winters in central Illinois (coldest damned place I've ever lived) I'd say priority 1 is making sure there is enough anti-freeze in the cooling system. I've had better results from Sea Foam gas treatment than Sta-bil. I used Sta-Bil in all my 2 cycle equipment one winter, rebuilt 5 carbs in the spring. Been using Sea Foam since, no springtime drama. Chuck

+ 1 on anything other than Sta-bil, put that in my Harley and my daughters buell one year like to have never got hers started. Ended up draining full tank of gas and changed the plug then having to finally use starting fluid to fire it up

 

[coupe351w]

How do you Guy's feel about jack stands and letting the suspension hang?:dodgy:

 

[73QCodeGrande]

How do you Guy's feel about jack stands and letting the suspension hang?:dodgy:

I've read a number of different articles on storage and all are pretty much the same. Change your oil, wash and wax your car etc except for this point, then its 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other. Considering the fact that my car sits in the garage for roughly 8 months during the driving season without the suspension hanging then I personally don't see how letting the suspension hang for 4 months of winter is going to make a big difference.:huh: I do agree to get it up on jack stands to keep the tires from flat spotting.