Wildcolt44

I know it is a bit early to be thinking of putting my baby away for the winter, however, I must think ahead... especially up here in the "Great White North" {Canada} I need some advice for all you enthusiests out there who do put their babies away for the winter months...ie car covers , blocks etc. She will be going in the garage and the garage doesnt get below 20 degrees. I already told my wife I will be by my baby's side in the garage to look after her.... Thanking you in advance for your input.

InertialVenom

Storing for fairly decent amount of time frame shouldnt be a problem, and im talking about even if you leave it for a month you should be ok. as long as you start er up once a while leave it running for a bit till the engine warms up a bit. I have my 95GT and i've been doing this since the day i bought her 9yrs ago, and you know or atleast must've heard how the weather in Toronto gets.
Most importantly, as long as you sneak out of your bed to share a sleep with her, your winter will be a breeeze. Now if only your spouse doesnt find out about this love afffair.

Good luck.

funhog2

Fill the tank with gas and put in fuel stabalizer.
Disconect the ground cable from the battery.
Put on a good car cover if you like and your are done.

In the spring charge the battery and off you go.

I've done this for 32 years with my old 56 tbird and know it works well.
I fear battery maintainers could catch fire and the battery still wears out in 4 years with or without it. No tires have ever developed a permanent flat spot from not being jacked up. The motor runs fine without the need to remove the spark plugs and fog the cylinders with oil. I no longer even cover the car. It is too much fun to look at and the small amount of dust washes off easily in the spring

Wildcolt44

thanks a bunch!!

Wildcolt44

thanks a bunch!!!

KB9KHM

I've got a '79 T/A WS6 with 34K miles. It lives in the garage in a car capsule. I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these. It will keep the dust off the car, will keep it from getting scratched, will keep out mice and bugs, will prevent any condensing humidity, and will amaze all of your friends. And, unlike a regular car cover, you can look at your baby all winter long.

http://www.carcapsule.com/

Badsnke98

Fill tank adding sta-bil. Put a few extra pounds of air for cold (and to help with any fear of flat spots.) Disconect the - battery cable. Add favorite wraps or covers.

Kiss Good Nite-Nite.

Badsnke98

Yeah, look yes, but you can't touchy feely. Just kidding those are nice.

tom_vilsack

Wouldn't it be better to take wheels off and place on jack stands?

Montrose

With all the electronics in this car, would disconnecting the battery do any harm, or require some special procedure once you start the car up in the Spring?

I'll be storing mine for the winter also.

ponyboy66

The short answer is no.

It will be just like when you bought it new.
The computer will have to learn your driving for the first few miles when you get her out in the spring.

As far as jacking up the car. The old rule of thumb used to be absolutely get the tires off the ground. That was when tires had glass or bias-ply belts. They would deveop flat spots that would make a hellatious sound and shake the car. With todays steel belt technology I don't believe it to be necessary. I am not an expert (ok, but I did stay at a Holliday Inn Express last night), but I have been storing my vehicles without jacking them up for a number of years now and have not had a problem. If you want to be sure, jack her up.

funhog2

No, not really.

It was polyester bellted tires of the 60's and 70's that had the tendency to develope a "flat spot" if left on the car during storage. Today's radial tires are not prone to this problem.

Spirit

I was looking for the same advice. I don't have a garage, any issues leaving it outside during the winter? Temperatures can get quite low here, -20 to -30 deg C. What do the car dealers do, with all the cars on the lot? (I am thinking way ahead, I ordered an '06 and hoping to get it after 2005/06 winter).

Ripstang

As funhog2 /jeff says plus if you wish remover the tires and clean the inside rubber ,I found that the dirt and road film you don't wash off will cause the tires to rot or crack on the inside after a few years of service shortening the tires life .Wash the tire with water and then use "knights spray 9" (this can be found at Canadian tire in the automotive section )and a good stiff scrub brush and wash off .Plus this will give you a chance to check the brake pads for wear and hoses for cracks .Once you are done wash and clean the car and throw on a coat of wax if you can before storage this way you car will be fresh and new ready to go in the spring.

Ripstang

Can dealers don't worry to much about the cars in the great outdoors because stock is always moving ( sales and lot cleaning) but for you a very good outdoor car cover would be a must on top of what has been said here and don't let the snow pile to high on the car ,frost and the added weight can do damage to your car .When you put your cover on make sure its secure but not air tight ,use the bottom hook that runs through the middle and use a good strap and lock to keep it on .Dont wrap the rest of the cover with other ropes :nono: it need that air movement to stop frost/ice and water build up.

hunter

After I searched the TMS forums, I kepot looking and found this from a local storage firm, thought it might be useful to others

Classic Car Vault

Pre-Storage Checklist

To minimize deterioration during storage we recommend:

Raise tire pressure to 38-40 psi - helps prevent flat spots.

Wash you car before storage to remove road grit, acid rain residues and, in winter, road salt.

Clean out interior making sure to remove crumbs, food wrappers, etc. (You may be amazed by what you find under the seats.)

Just before storing, run your engine fully warm to evaporate moisture from oil pan and exhaust system.

Make sure you have copies of radio and other codes for use when your vehicle is reactivated.

Disconnect battery — modern cars are prone to parasitic draw. Older cars with electric clocks will also draw batteries flat. Flat batteries tend to sulfite and die.


If storing a vehicle for more than a few weeks also:

Add fuel preservative to prevent gum and varnish formation. Modern fuel formulas break down quickly.

Fill your gas tank to minimize in-tank condensation.

Then run engine 5-10 minutes to insure treated fuel is distributed throughout the fuel delivery system.


For longer-term storage consider the following:

Change engine oil and filter as combustion by-products trapped in your “used� oil contain moisture and are measurably acidic.

Flush and replace coolant to renew the antioxidants used in modern anti-freeze.

Flush and replace brake fluid as it is highly hydroscopic and contaminated fluid can cause costly corrosive damage in precision brake systems.

eighty6gt

I'll go through this in its entirety, though most has been mentioned.

1) Change oil
2) Fill tank, add stabilizer
3) I actually remove the battery and store it elsewhere.
4) Rodent proof the car. This is the most important thing around here, as without it they may move into the cowl and other areas. One year I had them in the fenders, ahead of the doors. I now remove my cowl, and place poison in there, as well as all around the building the car is in. I have to maintain these measures throughout the winter.
5) Clean the car. I actually spray WD-40 or fluid film on many areas to keep moisture away. Stuff like suspension components, some exhaust stuff, wherever I think it would be a good idea.

I live in Canada, the car is off the road as much as it is on it.

When I buy tires that cost me a grand for all four I will take them off and clean them up for winter, and toss some junk rims and tires on for the car to sit on.

adrenalin

You think you can get 4 tires for a grand for the new stang. Wish I knew about that

Pitch Black

Why store them.. They look so pretty covered in snow