Northern Storage tips?

[Little6pack]

Anyone can feel free to add tips for both indoor & outdoor northern storage.. Sure you southern folks can chime in too..

My tips are based on a unheated attached garage hopefully next year the insulation,walls & heat will be in place.

I leave the battery in place but cover it & pop the hood to vent it. Every few weeks I throw on the trickle charger. As 5 months is a long rest period.

I put blankets on the car, then put car cover on it.

On the cement floor I put those cheap $3- tarps to block any moisture.

packets of silica inside.

Full tank O gas with EXTENDS no not the RON JEREMY Extends ! LOL!

I place 2 magnetic block heaters $9.99 each at advaced auto store. I turn them on when the temp goes way down.

I leave 2 floor jacks under each end & pump them up & turn the tires every few weeks.

I don't change the syn oil until spring.

 

[Mike Mags]

Is it ok to leave the trickle on full time for the winter?
I'm also concerned about rodents, what do you guys do to keep them away? Do moth balls help under the hood?

 

[Little6pack]

RODENTS can get in anywhere!

the chances are upped if the car is outside.

I would stuff the tail pipes real good with cloth.

You can put sticky traps or poison trays in the engine compartment.

I would turn my trickle charger on for 3 days straight.

 

[Ray F.]

If inside a sealed garage, leaving the windows slightly cracked isn't a bad idea.

Consider placing your battery in a climate controlled part of the house.

In addition, a tablespoon of oil down each sparkplug hole, followed by a hand-rotation helps prevent any cylinder rust.

I also place mine on jackstands.

 

[BoostMasterK]

I think the October Popular Mechanics has an article on long-term storage with some good tips.

Mike [

 

[Weazel]

Steve,

I would definitely change the oil BEFORE storage. Old oil has a lot of sulfur and other bye-products that'll corrode your car. If it sits with Fresh oil, that's no big deal. The oil won't "age" anymore than it would sitting in a bottle in the garage, so long as it's got few miles on it.
The dessicant in the car is a GOOD call. I just used a bunch of toilet paper and the car was much less musty this spring than it was last spring.
My battery was deadder than dead in the cold garage once springtime rolled around. Removing it is a good idea.
Jackstands, another good call, especially if you have bias ply tires (like me).
Block heaters is good insurance, but I just run a -40° "mix" of antifreeze and water so I don't worry about freezing in the winter.
Good luck man, I'm in the same boat as you Oh well, if it weren't for the winters EVERYbody would live in New England, so I guess it's not such a bad thing

 

[Little6pack]

WEEZE,

The only reason I don't like Jack stands is if the house ever caught fire I could roll out the GN Quick!!!!

 

[Nick Micale]

Originally posted by littlesixsteve
Anyone can feel free to add tips for both indoor & outdoor northern storage.. Sure you southern folks can chime in too..
............

Thanks for the invite! Since my t-type I bought new in 1987 only has 8900 miles, have a couple comments.

For any extended storage period over a month, disconnect the positive cable from the battery. Expecially in high moisture climates, corrosion can creep inside the sheath and down the cable to ruin it.

Since you probably have antifreeze in it, put in a treatment of RMI-25 to prevent silicate dropout [white crusty stuff] and keep the fluid at neutral balance. Seen low mileage [30k], stored northern cars that had very corroded radiators as they has no additive.

After you add the gasoline stabilizer, run the engine to get the "good" fuel into the rail and injectors.

 

[Robes87GN]

Glad i came upon this, because i soon plan on putting my GN in the garage for the winter. My car will be just a frame though when im done with it. I'm removing all body panels and sanding down the insides and outsides. Insides are getting rubberized, outsides getting a coat of primer for the time being. Entire frame will be sanded and rubberized too. Exhaust will be removed and cleaned inside and out. Engine is being pulled out and put on an engine stand and being diassembled and reassembled, dont know if I will add anything, but it is leaking some oil and im sure it needs a new gasket kit and a good cleaning of the internals. I plan on leaving the gear fluid in, but dont know if i should. If anyone has some more tips for it, let me know.

 

[Little6pack]

wow already this time of year again..

i been driving the old gn so much it is up to 21,000 miles

 

[BlownZ]

The best storage tip you can get......rent a UHaul and move south.....

 

[NASSTY]

Originally posted by Mike Mags
Is it ok to leave the trickle on full time for the winter?
I'm also concerned about rodents, what do you guys do to keep them away? Do moth balls help under the hood?

I've been told that Bounce fabric softener sheets keep rodents away and they don't stink up your car like moth balls will. Mothballs are ok for under the hood but if you need something for the trunk and interior and don't want the interior smelling like mothballs try Bounce or a similar fabric softener sheet.