Gambit69

Okay, I finally got another car to drive in the winter so I dont have to drive the Firebird this winter so I will be storing it at my parents house in the barn with the tractors. Don't worry it has cement floors on it. I am just wanting suggestions on what I should all do with the car. Here is a list of things that I have gathered so far searching this site.

FIll the tank and put Sta-bil in it, make sure to drive the car with it in there to get it though the entire system.

Change the oil and filter.

Check and top off all fluids.

Put car cover on it.

These are the main ones but I have a few questions about a few other things.

What to do with the battery so it doesn't go bad over the winter?
I have an Optima battery and I don't want it going bad on me.

What to do about mice?
I was thinking of putting glue traps in the car to help catch any if they get in. I will be checking the car every couple weeks so if one gets in there I will get it out fairly soon after it dies. I am not putting a cat in the car if anyone is thinking about suggesting that.

What about storing on ramps?
I plan on working on the car this winter as well so I figured if I put it up on ramps, and not stands, so I dont have to lift it up evertime I go to work on the underbody of the car.

Any other helpfull hints would be appreciated. Everytime I have any questions about what to do with my car everyone here has been very helpfull and I hope everyone is helpfull with this as well.

Brisk

iTrader: (25)

consider jacking it up and placing it on jack stands... decently high so you can easily get under it and still be able to bend over the fenders to work in the engine bay. pull the tires off.

then the car will be 12"+ off the ground.. perhaps mice won't be able to jump that high? lol

kyles88bird

the drier sheets u put in the drier. stick one in the vents, they hate the smell for some reason. or use the freebrez sheets. we do this for all my boss's classic cars and it works

IROCThe5.7L

I do not understand why everyone says "Change your oil, you don't want acidic oil sitting in it all winter". But there is acidic(used) oil sitting in it right now, theres acidic oil sitting in my daily driver all the time, year round.


Maybe I missed something? Just curious.

BulliTooth

i put my battery inside, keep it off cement floors.

kyles88bird

disconnect it(- terminal) and every couple weeks, put it back on and run it for like 20 minz to keep the egnine lubed

phoenix305

pull out the battery and set it on some wood or some sort of insulation otherwise it will ground its self and go bad. And i agree about the oil i really don't think it makes a difference, just make sure you change the oil after you get done storing it.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

this puts an un-natural load on our cars or any unibody car for that matter. if you wanted to put the car on ramps where the suspension is loaded that's fine, not jack stands. jack stands with a thirdgen should be temporary.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

the reason most people use to suggest changing the oil is because of how oil was. with todays oils this isn't as importnat but it is still a decent idea. the reason behind it is as oil breaks down and gets contaminated this sediment can settle in your car and basically turn to sludge... this would take quite some time but any chance you can keep such eliments out the better.

same reason it's smart to put stabil in your gas when you store something... gas breaks down, the sediment can adhere and clog your tank as well as fuel lines... just not smart to not put stabil in your gas.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

best thing you can do unless your garage is heated, either way with a drycell particularly there are completely different rules for maintenance. it would be a smart idea to pick up a special dry cell charger to keep it good over the winter. maybe put the battery in your daily driver, this would be better then letting it sit.

if none of these options sound good then keep it stored in a warm place and try to put some sort of 12volt trickle charging system on the battery at least once a week. i have a drycell trickle charger i leave on it all winter long. this was only after loosing a battery every winter due to cold and letting it sit out in the garage not knowing on a shelf. the following year i brought it inside but if it isn't fully charged and it drains too far you can't save it. if you can not afford a trickle charger take the battery to where you purchased it. they should have a drycell specific trouble shooting box/charger. have them run a test to check the battery to see if it's good (they can work and still have a bad cell or two). if it is good ask to have them charge it properly which takes about 1 hour on a good charger and then keep it in your house on something dense like carpet or wood.

BAD91CamaroRS

I read somewhere in a RV magazine that if you put Comet (Dry soap in Green container) all around the car and under it the mice won't go near the car. I guess this is because the mice get the soap on there paws or fur and lick it then they die so they stay away. I also fill the take and put stabil in it and run it for about 10 min to get it into the whole fuel system. I also put multiple dryer sheets in the car. Plus it smells nice when you get back in it.

1982TA

iTrader: (1)

DO NOT start the car over the storage!! It can do more harm than good. Not only will moisture get in the exhaust, you will put thermal stress on the engine and components that have been sitting out in temps 30 degrees and below. This can cause more moisture and acids to develop. Also it can wear the engine due to oil not circulating quick enough. Will 20 minutes of running burn off the excess moisture?? It's best not to start it over the winter. 5-6 months will not hurt it at all.

First clean your storage area as best as possible. You said it will be in a barn so I'm sure it can get dirty, but you have cement floors which is good. Just sweep them off real good.

Get a plastic dropcloth or tarp. This will create a moisture barrier to keep moisture and condensation forming on the bottom of the car.

Change all fluids, oil, coolant, etc...

Get some fogging oil and fog the cylinders and intake. I didn't do it to my car last year but I will this year. It doesn't take long for flash rust to form on the cylinder walls and intake. Spray the oil into the intake and remove all spark plugs and spray the oil in the cylinders. Place sparkplugs back.

Completely clean the interior. This will keep out mold and musty odors, and can keep out rodents. DON'T use armor all on the dash. It contains water that can crack the dash over cold periods. Some people use dryer sheets or mothballs to keep rodents out. Also I use some moisture absorbing pellets you can get a home depot or lowes. Just leave them in the container.

Completely wash the exterior and wax it very good. This will protect the paint.

I wouldn't recomend putting the car on jack stands. As mentioned before it will not keep a load on the suspension. People debate this but you should keep the weight of the car on the suspension. If you want to put it on ramps that is ok.

OVERINFLATE the tires. This will keep flat spots from forming.

If you want, plug the tailpipe with something like steel wool. Keeps out mice if they want to get in there.

Don't use the parking brake. The rear calipers could seize.

Disconnect and remove the battery. I have an Optima battery also and I still remove it. Store it on wood, not cement. Don't know if an optima can be stored anywhere since it is sealed but I store it on wood anyway.

Use a car cover. Don't use a tarp! You want a cover that will let the car "breathe"

This should cover pretty much everything. Hope it helps.

a mack6

iTrader: (1)

I am putting my car away for the winter this weekend and i will be following the above tips...howeveri want to confirm one thing. My car will be stored outisde (with a car cover, of course), so is it stil alright to use a plastic dropcloth/tarp. I originally planned to get like a tarp and put rocks over it and park the car on that, but if its all the same ill just do the tarp and save money (i'm a very poor HS student). Can somebody tell me whether it would be better to put rocks on top of the tarp/dropcloth or it wont do anything.

Also, where do i get a good plastic tarp/dropcloth? Home Deport maybe?

MetalliCamaroRS

iTrader: (15)

You can store your battery on cement, wood, metal.. it doesn't matter. A modern battery does not discharge through the case, thats a myth. However, do make sure the top is clean to prevent surface discharge.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Here are a few steps that I abide my every winter.

Leave the battery in. If there is a fire the car is hard to start without one.

Leave the oil be and just change it in the spring

Use Bounce dryer sheets. Use only bounce. There are many lab reports that conclude their rodent repelant effectiveness over all other dryer sheets. They work.

Do not start the car. Turn it off when you park it in the fall and start it up in the spring when you take her out. Over time all the oil drains to the bottom of the pan. There is no need to subject your motor to anything less than one oil-less start-up.

Do not use jack stands. Just let the car sit on a few pieces of carpet resting on the tires. Radial tires will not "flat spot" like old bias plieds and they can sit for years on one spot and return to threir normal shape. The carpet squares will keep your tires from sticking to the concrete. This typically only happens if you store the car for longer than a year. I just moved my car after two years of storage and a few of my tires left behind a thin layer of fubber that adhered to the floor.

Leave the fuel tank full and put some stabilizer in it. There is no need to run the car with the stabilizer in it. You will burn out that bad fuel in the lines in the spring upon initial start-up.

1982TA

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't use a tarp if your outside...I know alot of people do it and I see it all the time. Spend the extra money and get a good car cover, one that is breathable. A tarp will just trap moisture underneath it.

a mack6

iTrader: (1)

No no, you dont understand. I HAVE a car cover. A damn good one too (cal car cover stormweave)...thats not what im asking. What i am asking is about what to park my car on....

My question is will just a tarp/dropcloth have the same effect as rocks over a tarp?? I mean my main goal is to keep as much condensation off the undercarriage as possible, and if thats attainible by JUST using a dropcloth/tarp i'd do that instead.

1982TA

iTrader: (1)

oh, I misunderstood you...parking your car on that would be fine

phoenix305

Not to knock you or anything shifty but evertime you let your car sit for even a couple of hours it is starting without oil. It takes a while for the oil to get pumped up through the push rods and into the vavle covers.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

No its not. Not even close.

A couple of hours doesn't nearly drain all of the oil to the pan. There is still a tremendous amount of residual oil that does not drain to the pan and oil is still present in the pushrods. A film is present for months. After extensive periods of time this residual oil creeps off of surfaces and succumbs to gravity. This is nothing in comparison to leaving your car sit for a few hours. Just take a motor apart during various periods of inactivity and you will see.

a mack6

iTrader: (1)

Where can i get a plastic tarp? To park my car on and how much would it cost approximately?? I wanna do this all either tommorow or sunday.

Stevo

iTrader: (45)

wish i could store my car for the winter...