winter storage

GP CUTLASS · MARKHAM, ONT

winter storage

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Do you mean how we prep them, if so I've got a fairly lengthy ritual I follow. From the fuel system, to all the rubber seals, and then the garage prep for rodents.

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

shut it off, lock the door, dissconnect the battery, see ya in the spring.

hemi43 · ONTARIO

Where you're storing it makes a big difference. Mine is stored in a heated shop, so all I do is make sure the Fuel tank is full, do an oil change, dump the air from the suspension (if equipped), hook up my battery tender and put the car cover on. I will usually fire it up once in the winter. I've never had issues.

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

hemi43 wrote:
Where you're storing it makes a big difference. Mine is stored in a heated shop, so all I do is make sure the Fuel tank is full, do an oil change, dump the air from the suspension (if equipped), hook up my battery tender and put the car cover on. I will usually fire it up once in the winter. I've never had issues.

on shag carpet no doubt, hand rubbed with the finest champagne. im surprised you dont park it in the living room and sit in it and watch tv. my buddy parks his harleys in his living room and tinkers with them all winter, easier to get a bike through the door though.

hemi43 · ONTARIO

fatstax wrote:

on shag carpet no doubt, hand rubbed with the finest champagne. im surprised you dont park it in the living room and sit in it and watch tv. my buddy parks his harleys in his living room and tinkers with them all winter, easier to get a bike through the door though.

I do sit by it in the shop and watch TV !! Does that count? LOL

flatblack55delivery · PORT HOPE, ONT

Hey whats wrong with shag carpet .I do park on carpet with tarps under it .Its the only way I can keep the grass down in the tent I park it in .No rodents cause its to scary out there as the coyotes are hungry. Ed

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

hemi43 wrote:
fatstax wrote:

on shag carpet no doubt, hand rubbed with the finest champagne. im surprised you dont park it in the living room and sit in it and watch tv. my buddy parks his harleys in his living room and tinkers with them all winter, easier to get a bike through the door though.
I do sit by it in the shop and watch TV !! Does that count? LOL

close enough

atomsplitter · NEWCASTLE, ONT

...and the TV is beside the beer fridge!

427CARL · CLINTON, ONT

fatstax wrote:
shut it off, lock the door, disconnect the battery, see ya in the spring.

x2 and 3 shut off lock the door battery is fine only have done this since 1988

fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

im hardwired to disconnect batterys, ive had too many buddies wish they had. back in the day buying a battery for me was like getting a car loan, way out of my league at the time. now i can make it rain money at the battery store.

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

fatstax wrote:
shut it off, lock the door, dissconnect the battery, see ya in the spring.

X2 you are close. it is whar it is.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

If you're in the same predicament as many of us are, you likely will not have heated storage and live out of city limits. And if you want to preserve your car as best as possible, shutting it off, disconnecting the battery and walking away isn't really going to cut it either.

I usually wash it down and then wax it. I then use a very light oil, I use Tectyl (it washes off easy without solvent) and spray under the hood and the bottom of the car. Then the oil change and top up the fuel tank with high test and "Stabil", with today's gas with ethanol, it's strongly recommended.
I vacuum and clean the interior, and then throw "Bounce" sheets under the seats, on the seats, under dash in glove box on floor mats in the trunk, on the speaker deck, etc..., they help deter mice, kinda like moth balls, but without the lingering smell. Don't forget to flip your sunvisors down, they make a great platform for mice under the headliner.

I run the car until it's up to operating temp and to make sure the "Stabil" additive is throughout the whole system.
I then back it up in it's "Igloo", where it will stay for the next few months. Once in it's spot, I chuck the wheels to prevent it from rolling. I then depress the clutch and block it, with the pedal down. I disconnect the battery and hook up a battery tender.

Then I throw in small extension cord and two electronic mouse deterrent (noise makers) in the car, one on the front of the trans tunnel the other at the back and two small 4" fans, one pointed under the dash the other in the back seat area. All these get plugged into a timer.

I crack open all the windows (slightly), just so they don't touch the seals, I do the same for the doors and the trunk lid. This way here your seals won't flatten and harden in a compressed state.

I use a try ply good quality cover to cover it up.

Now for the garage prep...I put mouse traps, baited with peanut butter, one at each tire, which is the point of access to your car, for these varmints. Then more traps along the walls and some poison bait also, just because I'm anal.

I have two blower motors that I put on the floor, one at the back of the car, the other at the front. These are also plugged into a timer, they blow air directly under the car to keep any moisture away.

Ok, so now I close the door and walk away...I check in on it periodically, and fire it up once or twice during the winter.
When I start it up and let it run, I close the garage door and let the fumes kill what ever might possibly be lurking in the rafters.

This is the short list, LOL.

-- Edited by Gazoo on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 12:09:34 PM

-- Edited by Gazoo on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 12:52:36 PM

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

I answered my own question, a little closer look at the website, and there's a find a retailer near you box,and it gave me this...
Available at the one and only Canadian Tire.

-- Edited by Gazoo on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 01:13:09 PM

Cat in the Hat · BRANTFORD, ONT

Id like to say. Turn it off and walk away. But

I put it on the hoist and do a full nut and bolt

Clean and degrease. Check brakes. Repair or replace

Anything worn. Oil change Detail the interior. Put a cover on it

Put it up for sale and start work on the next one

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

I agree with Glen..

but I will add ..I put a coat of wax on it as well as

mouse proofing as best as possible and remove the battery..do not need a fire hazard and I do not put the for sale up..

It's not for sale this year..Cover it and hug it and keep in a heated shop

This is my last one when I sell this it will be my exit from hot-rodding..

hoping for 5 more years ..

I can't afford this hobby anymore it has out paced my pay grade..

Insurance, taxes, fuel prices and government rules,regulations have taken the fun out this hobby..

health is wearing on me as well stinking Arthur-ite-us bad knees and Willies willy..

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

http://www.mouse-free.com/store/do-it-yourself/

I should have added this link to my last post..check this out, great for motor homes and street rods...nothing else works..and it's really not to pricey considering nothing else seems to work..

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

Good stuff Gazoo..except I don't like Sta-bil I like http://mystarbrite.com/startron/ for ethanol treatment..I like your idea of the fans..never thought of that..

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

fatchuk wrote:
Good stuff Gazoo..except I don't like Sta-bil I like http://mystarbrite.com/startron/ for ethanol treatment..I like your idea of the fans..never thought of that..

Chuck, I'm fortunate enough to have a Shell station, just around the corner, that has no ethanol in the high test (for now). But for the future, where do you get that product? RV store? Does NAPA etc...carry this?

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

Mr Gazoo.. I usually find it at TSC or CTC ..except when looking for it at CTC you need to look in the seasonal stuff like boat and small engine stuff ..I have never seen it near their Stabil shelf. I found it hidden when searching CTC but each year more and more people are realizing that the old Stabil is useless for ethanol ..I know they have a new Stabil for ethanol but most people are not aware of it and in the fall CTC puts a special on the old stabil in the large bottle and everybody buys it for their small engine stuff..lawn-mowers,rotor-tillers,weed-eater,etc unknowingly that it is useless for ethanol.. Every spring I get swamped with small engine stuff for no starts and engine troubles. I have used the star-tron for about 3 years now great stuff. I use Shell premium in my rod and all my small engine stuff including my motor home because of the genny... Good timely subject and with this lousy summer weather it's time to start asking these questions about storage ..I am heading to Alberta next week-end for a month and I was looking at the long range weather forecast and it's not good, wet cold and crappy weather the rest of the summer with Squalls towards the end of Sept and early Oct..Pretty poopy summer for the rest of the season me thinks..

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Thank you Mr Chuck, I see now that I can get it at TSC, I go there more often. Yup, the ethanol in the gas does do wonders to those small engine's carburetors, it takes very tiny particles to plug/gum them up.

Cat in the Hat · BRANTFORD, ONT

If you listen closely.....

On a cold winter night........

You can hear a dodge.......

Rust out of site!

Gazzooooooooo...sure is a lot of work to stop the inevitable...... a rusty old Dodge

Bob T · BRANTFORD, ONT

If mice are a concern I suggest blocking the end of the tailpipes and if you have a snorkel type air cleaner block it as well. I've seen plenty of dead mice inside a engine.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Grumpsbodyworks wrote:
If you listen closely.....

On a cold winter night........

You can hear a dodge.......

Rust out of site!

Gazzooooooooo...sure is a lot of work to stop the inevitable...... a rusty old Dodge

It's not work Glenn, it's labour of love. Oh, and it's a rust free Plymouth. I suppose if you hardly have any body panels to preserve then why bother.

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

He's got you there Glenn.

Janice

Cat in the Hat · BRANTFORD, ONT

Dodge / Plymouth / Chrysler....Blah, Blah, Blah....all made from the same pop cans

Im short Gilles....I can reach the center of the roof of my car...can you?

Besides...a can of wax would last me a lifetime on my car.....BTW...its for sale

The car....not the can of wax

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

Glenn......who hit you in the head while I wasn't looking????? For sale?????

Janice

Cat in the Hat · BRANTFORD, ONT

yup...cars are like wives....after a while the newness rubbs off and its time for a new one with bigger.....headlights

Seriously.....if it sells it sells...if not...oh well. Its a great car...runs great....looks great....handels amazing

To me...its the build....

Time to build bigger..... better....more wild....

Already got something in mind.....

fatchuk · ST MARYS, ONTARIO

I don't know Glen..1 good car is better and will last longer than a bad wife..you should keep the car...and

janies dirty 37 · SOUTH RIVER, ONT

Grumpsbodyworks wrote:
yup...cars are like wives....after a while the newness rubbs off and its time for a new one with bigger.....headlights

Seriously.....if it sells it sells...if not...oh well. Its a great car...runs great....looks great....handels amazing

To me...its the build....

Time to build bigger..... better....more wild....

Already got something in mind.....

Is it my car your building lol

Janice