Winter storage advise needed

[peters44]

This is my first winter with my cobra. Planning on taking it out when ever weather allows but looking for advise on what some of you do to keep your car in top condition over the winter.
I park my car on a rug in the garage should I have some kind of vapor barrier between the rug and the concrete floor to keep moisture from the undercarriage?
Thanks
Peter

[TButtrick]

Stabil with full tank. Run the car so the stabilizer hits the carb.
Battery Tender
Make sure your coolant is topped off with the right mix
mothballs and a mouse trap if you have those issues
cover

I jack the car of the ground with suspension loaded. Carpet is a good idea if not insulated in the garage.

[wtm442]

Peter
I just keep my gas tank full and use Stabil. I make sure that at least once a month I go for a ride (when the streets are dry) and get the fluid temperatures up to normal range.

Thats it ... nothing else for me ... and my garage is NOT heated.

[patrickt]

A fresh oil change, StaBil in the tank (and carb), but unlike Warren I don't even turn the key on it until Spring. I put an extra 10 lbs. of air in the tires and then stick it in this bag with desiccant and pull it out again in the Spring.

[peters44]

Thanks for the advise guys. Warren don't you have a a set of snow tires

[wtm442]

Snow tires are for wimps!

[Mike Brasfield]

I have and idea. Come to AZ where it will be 84 F today and you can drive year round. By the way, what's that white stuff in the photo along the driveway?

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by Mike Brasfield

I have and idea. Come to AZ where it will be 84 F today and you can drive year round. By the way, what's that white stuff in the photo along the driveway?

But when its 84 °F around here, you will be enjoying 174°F heat. Of course, its a dry heat.

[peters44]

Hey up here we can have snow on the ground and 84

[RodKnock]

I can't wait for the Hawaii guys to chime in.

[Venamm]

Originally Posted by TButtrick

mothballs and a mouse trap if you have those issues

.

I found a great little trick. Tested it and it works very well.

Static sheets you would use in your laundry dryer machine (for you gear heads its the tool we use to dry our seat covers after washing them from a wetter)
Mice hate that fresh spring meadow scent (I sound like a bloody commercial) plus when it's time to start her up you don't have that nasty moth ball odor for a month in your car. My wife actually uses them as air fresheners in her car full time.

[Wayne Maybury]

We put dryer sheets in our boat when closing it up for the winter but I never thought about putting them in the cars. I will give it a try.

Winterizing has been discussed here in great detail in the past. Do a search and you will find many opinions, especially on periodic starting versus not starting, a car that is in storage. Personally, I NEVER start a car that has been put away for the winter until it is time to take it out in the spring. I learned my lesson many years ago when I fowled the plugs in a hipo Mustang by starting it in the winter just to hear it run for a while.

Wayne

[TButtrick]

Originally Posted by Venamm

I found a great little trick. Tested it and it works very well.

Static sheets you would use in your laundry dryer machine (for you gear heads its the tool we use to dry our seat covers after washing them from a wetter)
Mice hate that fresh spring meadow scent (I sound like a bloody commercial) plus when it's time to start her up you don't have that nasty moth ball odor for a month in your car. My wife actually uses them as air fresheners in her car full time.

Never heard that. I'll give it a shot.

I stick a sheet down my underpants when I have to wear them for more than two days. No mice yet!

[clarodcobra]

You may want to consider using plastic cups to cover the ends of exhaust pipes. A few years back during the winter, I started my MGB and corn blew out the ends of the pipes as if I had used a shotgun. Apparently, rodents liked the exhaust system to store their food (corn). I kept corn in plastic container to feed deer but learned a lesson and now use a metal garbage can. In addition to above mentioned dryer sheets and mouse traps, I recommend the cups. One can also use steel wool to plug smaller exhaust pipes, etc. Mice cannot chew through this material. However, post a note to remove it come time to start the car!

[Jaydee]

I had a customer who only went away for 6 weeks and rats had made a nest in the valley, with dog poo etc. What a smell. Putting the car in a bag sound like a great idea. Another customer had a cat run up under the car and 2 wild dogs jumped onto the car and scratched the car to bits trying to get to the cat.
I've had to get cats out of fan belts after sleeping on the engine at night.
I've had lots of interesting stuff working for the RAA road service.
JD

[mdross1]

We have been storing our vehicles in an unheated garage over 50 years directly on concrete no issues. We used the car bag with one car for more than 10 yrs.it works as advertized but hated not seeing the car.(will sell the bag one day) Now all vehicles are left uncovered for the visual they all get cleaned every spring covered or not. All on tenders all fluids up to date.

[1985 CCX]

I always.....
A) Change oil, use high zinc type
B) Try to fill up with race fuel and use Stabil
C)
Used to store on ground in heated area.
Now going unheated concrete.

1) Planning to put on stands
2) Spray wheels with oil
3) No cover
4) Dryer sheets in car
5) Moth balls under car
6) Cover pipes
7) Live traps under car

That's it

[mrmustang]

And yet another case of a new user not paying attention to the last time a thread was posted in.

In this case


11-19-2007

[snapier]

You also might want to rotate the crank with socket and breaker bar on crank pulley every few weeks to stop piston rings from setting to long on the cylinder walls.

[trularin]

Turn on the "wayback" machine?