winter storage

[zhead240]

yea- already did forum search on subject, didn't find anything related.summer's over time to think about putting car away for winter( although i don't have a zed yet, wife has a 68 mustang) my bro built a garage( heated, for his two cars) and is letting me store vehicle.any tips on what to do and what not to do greatly appreciated.been asking knowledgeable car people for tips and getting conflicting advise,such as -change oil before put away or in the spring?-put on jack stands or not?-use fuel stabbleizer or leave tank 1/8 to 1/4 full and fill with new fuel in spring?-disconect or take out battery?-use a battery tender?-start car once every two weeks or so to lub engine?-park tires on carpet or wood?( cement floor) use moth ball for mice? for u lucky %astards in california florida and the desert quit grinnin this is mostly for us northerners, although your tips would be welcomed.

[Chino 240Z]

B-e-a-UTIFUL cool days are in the forecast! Perfect for a Z! Sorry to hear you putting your toys away for the winter, I'm getting ours out & ready for days at the track!

Love, One sorry California Bastard!

[240ZX]

zhead240,

It seems to me that your buddies heated garage will pretty much protect your car. You have to ask yourself, how long will it be sitting? 6 months maximum, maybe less! Maybe some fuel stablizer (or drain the tank) and tending the battery should cover it. Or, you might consider moving to sunny southern California. It's a damn nice place to live.....wouldn't you agree Chino 240Z?

[Fun_in_my_z]

If you put it on stands or atleast jack it up it will keep your tires from getting flat spotted.

Tell ur bro to come here and build me a garage

[TomoHawk]

Battery: A newer battery should be OK for several months on a full-charge, but disconnect it any way. Remove & Charge/trickle charge a bettery stored in Cool/cold temps (cold hurts the battery). That old "store on wood" myth is wrong- we argued that last winter. I still like to store on some 2-inch pink foam covered with plastic (thermal barrier).

Definitely remove & charge trickle an older battery, so there's no surprises in the Spring.

Tires: I've never had any flattening of newer tires stored with proper pressure. A heated room should keep them flexible (cold temps facilitate the flat-spots). Use jacks when storing in a cold room or extremely long periods.

Oil: For short lengths of storage, no special treatment necessary. A fresh oil change is nice, and gives you piece-of-mind.

Fuel: Again, for short-term storage, nothing special. Longer times might need a stabilizer. I would recomment stabilizer if you think your gas tank is rusty inside, or the fuel might attack the liner/tank. Gasoline stored in a sealed tank shouldn't lose potency (nothing vented). Storing part-empty is up to you- consult your psychic?

[Marty Rogan]

Zedhead,

You will likely get all kinds of opinions. Everyone has them, that's why they are called opinions.

So, here's what I do. This applies to short term storage of 6 months or less. Clean the car thoroughly inside and out. Put in fuel stabilizer, then fill the tank. Drive the car at least 20 minute to get it up to operating tempurature and all the moisture out of the exhaust system. Pull it into the parking spot and turn it off. Don't start it again till spring! I used to put the cars up on jack stands, but with todays radial tires and a short term it doesn't matter as much. If the Mustang has biased ply tires, you can put carpet under them and jack it up just enough to take the weigh off the tires. So people claim that the springs can sag if you let them hang down. I haven't seen any permanent sag in my experience. Stuff a rag in the tailpipe and the air cleaner snorkle if you have the stock one. Mice love those kinds of places. If there is a lot of moisture where your car is, place some desicant inside. Pull the battery out and put it in your basement on a thick piece of would. throw a charger on it once a month. Get a decent quality cotton car cover. Forgetabout it!

Get a subscript to Sport Magazine and hang out here. Plan your next Z improvement project and buy a bunch of parts over the winter. Or if you are real lucky and have a heated garage, you can do those projects over the winter.

Well, that is what I have been doing since 1980. I have never had problem with a car in all that time.

Enjoy!

Marty

[Bambikiller240]

Not sure why your search didn't bring up any info as this subject has been discussed every fall season for a few years at least.

Here's two thread that I found for you

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4006&highlight=Storage

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4047&highlight=Storage

[Chino 240Z]

All are good to do for short term, even here in California. Longer is different, I put a car away for 2 yrs. up on blocks, had someone run it once a month, till battery went dead, then came back pulled her out and so many things went to crap after that, sold it, end of story. Short term is the key word, you should be ok.

PS California is getting crowded, smogy, traffic jamed, and you wouldn't like the earthquakes . . .but if you own a Zed, come on over it's great.

[zhead240]

bambi- did search again,found geo guy's post near bottom of page. i perused the top 5 or 6 threads and gave up. next time i'll try to be more persistent.

[Chino 240Z]

PS California is getting crowded, smogy, traffic jamed, and you wouldn't like the earthquakes . . .but if you own a Zed, come on over it's great.

I told you that you wouldn't like the earthquakes! :nervous:

No More STRIKE-SLIP! :eek:

[TomoHawk]

I just had a neat thought.....

If you grounded the car, would it help prevent any rust, or what would it do/ what could you do to reverse rust while it's sitting there. This would be the best time to use such a 'therapy.'

My electrical system seems to get better, the more you useit- the headlights & dash lights seem to be brighter than when I first got the car.

[zhead240]

my buddy bought a new mazda truck last year.he got some kind of electric charge on the truck (extra $350) that prevents rust guarantee.first i've ever heard of it.some way of telling when charge gets low to have it recharged ( not necessarily ever year either)