Winter storage steps (Directed toward Rich primarily)

[IrishCurse]

 

Tried to send Rich a PM, but it said he can't receive new messages...

 

Rich,

 

I've read your posts concerning winter storage.  Can you provide instructions on your process for me?  I'd like to store my Camaro the same way you do, but have questions about engine starting, tire flattening, closing vents, etc.  What steps do you take?  I love your car, and anything you do with yours, will be copied with confidence for mine!  I appreciate any time spent providing help to me, thanks Rich!

 

Matt

 

Any help others can provide is also greatly appreciated.  Is 5 months enough time to develop flat spots?  The car will be immaculate before cover install, gas will be fully stabilized, vents closed, what about needing to start it?  Do I need to trickle charge?  Help much appreciated!

[Rich]

Hey Matt. Not a problem.  First thing I do is wash and wax the car, seal the glass, and put a hand rubbed coat of Leather Conditioner on the interior. Fill the gas tank and add a bottle of Stabil.  On the floor of my garage, I just have a bunch of those rubber interlocking tiles that you can get at Toys R Us or Lowes, and I have Tire Cradles. Those aren't really necessary.  I won them so I use them.  But you could just put an extra rubber tile under each wheel.  I use these because my garage isn't attached to my house and it's a cement floor. These keep the moisture and cold from coming up to the underside of the car. I don't deflate or overinflate my tires. I just keep them at the recommended pressure for driving.  You won't get flat spots in 5 months (I never have).  I toss a couple of Bounce sheets into the car, under the car, a couple inside the motor, and one in each tail pipe to keep mice out.  Some guys say this is dumb, but it's worked for me for years. Then I have a super soft cover made from two fleece sheets that my wife sewed together. I put this over the car, hook the battery tender to the car through the window (just where mine connects) that is cracked just enough to hold the wire, and then I cover the car with a good cover and kiss her goodnight. 

As for starting it during storage......I NEVER do.  You'll use up gas and make an air gap doing that.  Not even once.  I don't worry about closing the vents....honestly never even thought about it.  As for the trickle charge, that 's a must do.  Use a good one.  The Deltran Battery Tender Jr. is good. I used that one for years on my old Vette, my new one came with it's own charger so I use that one now.
 

That's about it.   Everyone has their own way of doing it, that's just what I do.  Thanks for asking.

 

[LaSHOOOOSH]

x2 ^^^^

 

I don't use tire cradles and never had any flat spots as per Rich's note going on 5 years for me.. I have two thin sheets of plywood that sits under my car on the cement floor with a plastic 6mm barrier in between the cement which I stapled to the underside of the plywood to stop moisture. I leave the current pressure in my tires and in the spring I fill them up again.. Also I hook the battery tender through the door through the crack and connect it to the battery. In my car the battery is behind my driver seat. I take green frog tape and tape the tender battery wire to the cement floor so I cant trip over it while I am in the garage. I am using is a CTEK Mutli US 3300 charger it works great for me.. I NEVER start the car either.. Not even once.. 

 

Very very similar to what Rich does.. Hope that helps.. Lots of people have their own way.. 

[Chewy]

Here's how mine looks!  My garage is new enough that moisture coming up through the concrete is minimal.  It's also an insulated and connected garage.  I'm not a cover guy because my garage gets opened and closed a lot and I know a cover will just sit against the cheese soft paint and scratch it when the wind blows in.  Also, it's just dust so I'll wash it in the spring.  

 

The plastic I used is the same stuff mfg.'s use when shipping a vehicle.  It's to keep my son from running his hands along the paint or my dog from rubbing against it.  

 

As you can see, I put mine on dollies so I can move it and they also double as flat spot preventers. 

 

You may also see the cord coming out of the trunk.  It's my Battery Tender Jr.  I SWEAR by them!  

 

 

 

 

[IrishCurse]

Thanks guys!  If anyone else has any more examples or tips, keep them coming! 

[Chris@Adams]

I do pretty much the same as everyone else, Sta-bil and a full tank of gas, battery hooked up to my battery tender junior.

I put a tub of Damp rid inside of the car for any moister that may occur, car is wiped down with DS and covered up with car cover, last but not least raised up on the HD-9 lift for the winter.

[PHILLIE PHANATIC]

Why doesn't anyone start their cars? I have 3 cars in winter storage and I start them every other week for about 20 min. I noticed that my 1957 Chevy seals seem to dry out and leak if I don't start it. While I'm at it I start my Vette and my wife's Mustang also, are you guys saying that I should not start them?

[Chewy]

Usually starting them causes more harm than good.  It raises the level of water in the oil which is then sitting in the engine, and it also increases the acidity level.  If you want to store them right, you need to FOG your engine.  Mine is in a pretty warm dry garage so I'm not too worried about it. 

 

It's also VERY VERY hard on the catalytic convertors which of course isn't a problem on '57 Chevy's.  

[Team Adam's]

Chewy's correct. 

 

Starting them and just idling in place doesn't warm the engine/oil up enough to evaporate any water that accumulates, and the warming/cooling will only create more of it.  And condensation in your engine doesn't do nice things to your engine internals.

 

For relatively short term storage (measured in months, not years) starting the vehicle is unnecessary.

[Rich]

Exactly. Moisture gets in. Don't start them.

[hemi1300]

Not storing a car here, but same steps I take to store my hayabusa through the winter. Wipe the bike down with detail spray, fill tank and add stabil, fresh amsoil oil change, bike on stands to prevent flat spots, pull the battery and store inside on battery tender, and throw a cover on it. Never start it unless I'm gonna take a short ride. Process has worked for years with absolutely no issues come spring time

[Chris@Adams]

Bedtime ......

....

[ArmyAcadia09]

Adams car cover?! What what

[Rich]

Bedtime ......

....image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

 

Now you're just showing off.  :drool:

[Chris@Adams]

Who me??

[RonBoy]

Bedtime ......

....image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Every time is see your garage I want to move to a new house with a bigger garage that will fit a lift.

[LaSHOOOOSH]

Woke up to this today.. First snow of the season.. 

 

[Nevada Smith]

Woke up to this today.. First snow of the season.. 

 

 

C'mon, that's not snow! That's the aftermath from letting your foam gun run amuck!

[Rich]

We got a little bit more than that.  I've already had enough for the rest of winter.

[Nevada Smith]

 

BREAKING NEWS

 

A state HAZMAT team and local police and fire responded to

numerous 911 calls reporting an in-progress "terrorist chemical

attack" in their neighborhood.

 

"I looked out the window and all I saw was this white foam all over

everything!", reported Mrs. Ester Williams. Suspecting the worse, she

immediately called 911.

 

"You can't be too careful nowadays," a concerned Williams said.

 

The source of the problem was traced to the home of Mr. Jason LaShosh.

"Just to be clear, it's pronounced, 'LaShoooosh'," he pointed out.

 

Apparently a failed pressure regulator on an air compressor

suddenly turned an unattended device called a "foam gun" used for

making foam from soap and water for washing cars into an uncontrollable

gusher.

 

"At that point it was more like a foam cannon than a foam gun," noted

LaShosh. "I mean, what with the 100 foot hose and the pressure from a

three-phase, 10 horsepower compressor, that thing was a shootin' and

a whippin' all over the place!"

 

Officials were initially concerned about the toxicity of the foam.

However upon further inquiry they discovered LaShosh was using a

biodegradable car wash shampoo.

 

"You can't be too careful nowadays," one HAZMAT official noted.

 

When asked about the reported terrorist chemical attack, the local chief

of police replied, "Mr. LaShosh is a do-it-yourself car buff. He is as

much a patriotic American as you or me. In fact the car wax he uses is

called Patriot Wax! And after speaking with him, I've decided to have him

detail my personal car next weekend. A couple of the other responders are

interested, too. You know, a good detailer is hard to find--you can't be

too careful nowadays."

 

As for Mrs. Williams, "After seeing how clean and sparkly everything is,

I'm glad this happened! Oh, my, talk about cleaning up the neighborhood!"

 

"And the scent is so rich and refreshing, too!," she added with

a smile.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Nevada Smith

[HFX Detailing]

Funny you saw that, I did my winter prep the other day and literally throughout the day about 8 people came over and said they thought it was snow. two of them admitted to jumping in it, 1 said they thought about it (so you know they did).

 

C'mon, that's not snow! That's the aftermath from letting your foam gun run amuck!

[red94chev]

Nevada Smith, that news report is gold!