Proper winter storage

[patrickt]

I put an extra 10psi or so in each tire and have never experienced even a hint of flat spotting with my Yoko radials even after a six month snooze.

[mdross1]

We stored our SS Chevelle in a car bag for near 10 yrs drying the desiccant every 6 months as Patrick says they Do Not rust. This car also had all the fuel drained before bagging it.
Our Cobra gets covered only with tender and pumped up tires. Sitting on concrete never had a flat spotted tires. Last year did get a mouse nest in one exhaust pipe. This year will add the dryer sheets.

[DanEC]

My garage is dry and well insulated including the door, but in humid weather I do keep a fan going in there to move the air around. Cheap insurance against any condensation forming.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by Tim7139

It is supposed to help if it's off the ground and suspension

Hmmm...there was another thread a long time ago that indicated it isn't good for the suspension to leave it hanging. Pros and cons perhaps?

[DanEC]

Kevin - I think the caution about parking a car on jackstands and leaving the suspension drooping applies primarily to cars with factory rubber and sleeve type bushings - as it leaves them in a twisted state and is said by some to contribute to their deterioration. Some disagree that it causes any harm. That issue wouldn't apply to poly or bronze bushings as they can rotate.

[motordean]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Right, because that's a viable option for those in the frozen north. Even if I could fit winter tires, an open cockpit doesn't seem like a good idea when the temperature is -20 deg. C, the snow is falling and the wind is howling.

Didn't realize how cold you got there....up here for the most part you will catch above freezing temperatures almost every week at some point. With the heat on and the tourneau on it is toasty in mine! Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Tim7139]

Originally Posted by DanEC

My garage is dry and well insulated including the door, but in humid weather I do keep a fan going in there to move the air around. Cheap insurance against any condensation forming.

It is not just the humidity but the temperature varience in the cold months. Even in summer it happens. This is why when you start up any car that has been sitting you get water out of the exhaust....accumulated condensation. You will not eliminate it with fans, covers, etc. for those of you that think they have an adequate system in place hetre's a nice experiment. The brake rotor deal is not enough because of the composition of the rotor. Take as small piece of tool steel, polish it up, clean it good, and place it on the floor next to the car. I'd bet within 3-4 weeks you're in for a surprise. Ive learned over many years, from a lot of good restoration folks what this issue does and a lot more is going on that you do not realize with fasteners, clamps, hardware, first, then more noticable degradation.
Only two systems absolutely proven to work....dry heated storage or air exchange system.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by motordean

Didn't realize how cold you got there....up here for the most part you will catch above freezing temperatures almost every week at some point. With the heat on and the tourneau on it is toasty in mine! Good luck with whatever you decide.

Actually, our winter extremes get much colder than that. I believe last winter we got as low as about -38 deg. C, but I recall winter lows in the range of -42 deg C. With the wind chill it's been down to the -60 deg. C range on occasion. Any time the wind chill gets into the -40 deg. C / -40 deg. F range there are lots of wind chill warnings and, generally, they cancel rural school bus routes and some services like garbage collection (hydraulics don't work well in those temperatures). Most other things carry on, however, as everything would grind to a halt if we shut down every time it got below -20 deg. C. We have even had stretches of two weeks (or so) where the daily high never got above -20 deg. C.

The good news is that it's a dry cold. Yeah, that's it.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

We have even had stretches of two weeks (or so) where the daily high never got above -20 deg. C.

The good news is that it's a dry cold. Yeah, that's it.

Wait a minute, Saskatchewan... isn't that where the Abominable Snowman lives?

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Wait a minute, Saskatchewan... isn't that where the Abominable Snowman lives?

Nope, it's too damned cold here in winter for him. I think he headed to the left, er, West coast.

[SKINNEDR]

Where can I purchase this bag for my car.
spec. name brand, etc.?

[madmaxx]

ROFLMAO!!!!! Winter in Houston is PRIME driving season. You poor frozen guys. Heck I have been out on Jet Ski in December before without a wet suite. I cannot imagine that frozen wasteland.....

[mikiec]

This will be the first year the car will be put to bed for the winter. I now live in NH. The garage is in the process of being insulated. I will follow Mr. Mustangs advise.

Mikiec

[mdross1]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

ROFLMAO!!!!! Winter in Houston is PRIME driving season. You poor frozen guys. Heck I have been out on Jet Ski in December before without a wet suite. I cannot imagine that frozen wasteland.....

Always get a kick when you fair weather types bash our Northern weather we living here look forward to all the seasons,the very thing that makes us all different.
Have visited the South many times during the steamy season not our cup-o-tea.
It is so much easier to get in out of the cold than to escape the stifling heat with foul smelling air conditioning.

[STEVE-O]

To prevent tire flatspots, I put the car on dollys. Not only can the car be pushed to a corner of the garage closer than I can drive it there but the dolly is made in a V shape so the tire is held on the sides on not sitting on the bottom. For mice, in addition to mothballs, I stuff steel wool into the side pipes.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Tim7139

In you're neck of the woods, I suspect that's just fine. In my neck of the woods, it's insufficient, unfortunately.

This worked in the northeast (various unheated garages in NJ/PA for 25+ years without an issue). I got the idea from a few people in VT,Maine, CT, Illinois, Utah and a host of other areas of the country, seems to work for them as well, long and short term.

Where exactly are you located that it will not work for you?


Bill S.

[mikeylikesit]

but thank God I don't live in Buffalo!!

Although its not as cold here as cycle guy 55, (he has it just about as bad as it gets where he is), except it is a little drier there then where I am.
I am storing my SPF in unheated garage with concrete floor, and here is my routine:
I am flushing and changing out my coolant because its not up to enough freeze protection....and it needs doing anyways.
Changing oil and filter
Filling tank and adding stabilizer.
6 mil vapor barrier on garage floor.
Remove battery and charge and bring indoors
Tires up to max pressure
I purchased a car bag after talking to many folks who use them in my neck of the woods. As long as you have enough and good quality dessicant, their will be zero moisture accumulation in the bag, and car, (as Mr Mustang says, will come out looking as you put it away). BTW you need a soft car cover to be placed before you close her up in the bag...
Spread the dessicant throught the interior, trunk etc.
Stuff cloth rag in headers and then wrap ends with plastic and rubber band.
Leave doors, trunk lid and engine hood slightly open so as not to have seals compressed while she sits all winter.
Do not start the engine or open the bag all winter....if you have to open her up, you will need to add additional dessicant.
I am changing my tires next spring so I am not concerned about flatspotting,
however next winter I will purchase some of the storage discs for tires that support them all the way around instead of then sitting.
I am feeling very comfortable that she will winter just fine.

Regards
Mike

[CBattaglia]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Simple solutions I used to use for my concours trailered show car(s):

For garage space prep
1: 10X20 HD plastic tarp
2: 2-4X8 sheets of 1/2" plywood
3: 4 scrap pieces of carpet
4: Decent (soft) car cover

Place tarp on floor to prevent ground moisture from wicking up from the concrete/dirt floor. Place 2 sheets of plywood on top of the tarp, scrap carpet where the tires will be. Do your maintenance on the car (ask if you are not certain), park it on the prepped storage spot, remove or disconnect the battery (a quality trickle charger will do if you do not want to remove the battery from the car). Throw the cover on (after cleaning the car), and forget about it until spring.

Yes, it is that simple.


Bill S.

For the life of my car I have always run the car for 20 min at operating temp every 3 weeks. Some guys do it more often. I never had any bugs to fix in the spring, so Ill keep doin' that. Im surprised to read that guys are putting them away untouched for so long.

[Tim7139]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Nope, it's too damned cold here in winter for him. I think he headed to the left, er, West coast.

Originally Posted by mrmustang

This worked in the northeast (various unheated garages in NJ/PA for 25+ years without an issue). I got the idea from a few people in VT,Maine, CT, Illinois, Utah and a host of other areas of the country, seems to work for them as well, long and short term.

Where exactly are you located that it will not work for you?


Bill S.

Syracuse....I guarantee you it will not work, I've got 30 plus years storing this stuff.
Over time fasteners will go. Over time you will get that nice powdery aluminum corrosion that is virtually impossible to remove.
What many do not appreciate is that parts and pieces begin to deteriorate and after several seasons.....bingo.....where did all this come from. This is not my opinion, it's proven science, surpassed only by dry heated storage.

[Tim7139]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Nope, it's too damned cold here in winter for him. I think he headed to the left, er, West coast.

Originally Posted by SKINNEDR

Where can I purchase this bag for my car.
spec. name brand, etc.?

Last few years I've been using Car Capsule. Ebay sellers, look for one that ships free, the 14' is perfect Cobra size, runs off 12V computer fan system and you can run an extension for a battery tender through it, the 14' runs about $345, the one I grabbed this year I got from the outfit in Conn.