Pete6114

Got a cover, but I'm contemplating on whether to buy 4 jack stands and get the car off the ground or not. Going to be stored in my shop, which i keep at around 42 F/ 8 C.
Just wondering what others do.

TripleBlack14

I don't think it's necessary for such a short period of time. I'm planning on hibernating my Mustang under a cover as well, but there are those rare days in the winter months where the weather gets nice....I'll need an excuse to take 'er out with the top down if possible.

And regardless of temperature, as long as there's no snow, rain or ice, I'll want to run it at least once a week...maybe not for longer hauls, but certainly around town and some quick high RPM spurts on the entrance ramp to Rt 80.

Pete6114

I wouldn't be that lucky around here. Even if the roads get to be snow free, there's still tons of salt on them. Figure it'll be in storage from Nov. to April,

TripleBlack14

Salt is used in NJ also, but I don't think it's a problem unless it's wet. Perhaps someone can clarify that if I'm mistaken.

I just think it's good to leave options open. I'll want to run it and drive it on a limited basis as weather conditions allow, if nothing else than to keep fluids in shape.

Glenn

salt does not hurt the newer cars like it use to on the old steel bumper cars. If you put the car on jack stands you surely will not get flat spots on your tires. That would be the only reason I would put it up on jack stands. Flat spots tend to go away rather quickly if they develop at all.

Mickstang

FWIW, salt-- even on dry pavement is problematic. Your tires will pick up the crap and toss it everywhere on your undercarriage, especially the little tight hard-to-see hard-to-flush spots, where it will sit waiting for a bath from rainy streets, a car wash, or even high humidity to set its corrosive properties into effect. Which is why I get a kick out of the local ***** out riding their motorcycles on a bright, sunny winter day, knowing that most of them will do nothing to counteract the inevitable corrosion which will bring out rust spots on steel and heavy pitting on aluminum. But Glenn is right in saying that newer vehicles have more anti-corrosion treatments than the older ones. Do you want to risk it with YOUR car, though?

houtex

Re: storing on jack stands....


Why?

I'm not sure I get the reasoning, beyond not flatspotting the tires. In which case, I'm getting some old rims and decent tires that'll fit and throwin' them on the car for the storage purpose, and storing the 'good' wheel/tires. Then swappin' them back out when it's time for the pony to come back outside.

The car wasn't made to have the suspension hang around in a full 'down' position, and it seems to me that doing that is not going to be kind to it. Between the tires and the suspension, I vote tires get the wear.

But that's me. I'm honestly curious if it's better or not, and am willing to be enlightened.

/Or are we talking a slight raising...? Maybe I'm not getting this...

Pete6114

Yes, my thoughts as well. I took a motorcycle out to early one time after the roads where clear of snow and didnt wait for a couple of good rains to wash the salt away. Had pitted rims from that....even though i hosed it off the same day. Dont take much....

Well...besides getting the tires off the ground, i could spinn them couple times a week to keep the brakes from seizing up. Just got this car and am not sure if thats a issue with it, but on every late model ford i've had, if it sits for just a few days, they do in fact start to seize and can hear/feel them brake loose when i drive off.
Alternative is to start the car weekly and drive back and forth inside my shop couple times to "free" things up, but never reaching operating temperatures. Thinking it's best not to start it at all during storage.
But....i'm not completely sure if my reasoning is on the money...never stored a car before.

houtex

I should have put this in my earlier post, but anyway...

In my family's history we had, I kid you not, 15 cars in various stages of running at our house. 57 Tbird, 66 Tbird, 65 Mustang among them, and those hardly ever went around the block.

They'd sit and sit and sit... we'd get in 'em after a few months, (ensuring the battery was good), take the coil off, spin 'em for oiling, then put the coil back on and fire 'em up, drive off.

Heck, sometimes we didn't even bother with the battery check, just spin' em, then start 'em. Go around the cul-de-sac and ensure brakes work, steerin's ok. Leaks? Nope? A/C works... Good to go! *vroom*

So, to me, cars can sit just fine for a few months. No problem, near as I can tell, in our histories of lettin' them do that. Only problem was the flatspotting.

But again, I'm willin' to learn different! Edumacte me, oh bastion of car knowledge that is this forum!

08gtcslady

Had my first mustang for 12 years & the underneath is cleaner than the 08 i just bought this year. She was a 1999 purchased in 2002 and just sold this year with absolutely NO rust or deteriorating undercarriage, exhaust, or other underside parts. We, in lovely western PA snowy winters, would store her on the ground with two car covers on top & held down by some object. We would disconnect the battery from nov to april & store it in our basement. We would put cottonballs covered in peppermint extract on the top of the tires to deter critters from finding a new home for the winter. Never had a problem with critters, the car was usually almost as clean as when we put it away, & we would reinstall the battery & fire her up to drive into summer. So, from my point of view, I do not see the need for the jackstands. The 08 GT i got this year needs ALOT of underneath cleanup & must have been driven thru winters...not anymore. She will be stored away now. Winter project to get her cleaned up

4 CRUZEN

I have been storing mine 6-7 months of the year for 10 years. Never had it on jacks of any kind. A five mile drive in the spring and all the bumps come out of the tires.