Storing Christine for the Winter
 

within two weeks, i will be putting my car away for the winter in my uncles garage at his landscaping shop, dirt floors and not that worthy of storing a car, but hes letting me do it for free, so i am going to make a floor out of marine grade plywood and i have a $250 car cover for her also, what precautions can i do so i have a succedful "storage story" haha, i know im going to be buying stable, but what else should i do?

-full gas tank?
-empty the car out?
-tune up before or after storage?
-oil change before or after?
-should i go there at least 3-4 times a month to make sure that she still starts up?
-i want to make a great effort so i can start her right up when i want her out.

So i ask you this also, when i am going to start her up for the first time after winter is over, is there anything special i should do to make a great start up with out damaging anything???

thanks all :)
~Josh~

Wash and wax the car really well.

Add fuel stabilizer to a FULL tank.

Put a tarp down OVER the plywood to help fight moisture from the ground.

Take the battery with you.

Put some mothballs in the engine bay (in a sock) to help keep critters from finding a home.

When you are ready to take it home, change the oil.

thank you very much, sounds like you know what you are talking about!

-should all of the other fluids be ok?
-should i do plugs, wires etc. when i am ready to take her home?

plugs and wires and everything should be fine if nothing bites into them lol.

Other fluids don't really break down as much like fuel and oil. Hence why you don't even flush them as often.

Also, I didn't state in my last one, but store the battery someplace warm when you take it with you lol. Maybe even have a trickle charger set up in like a basement or something?

What Mike said. Before I had my trickle charger I unhooked the battery. I also take plastic bags and rubber band them around the exhaust tips to prevent moisture to get in that way. I have no idea if there is a purpose to this but it can't hurt.

Again, can help against small rodents seeking shelter.

I've done this process for years with an '84 Camaro (which is now in pieces in the garage) and now with my '04 Monte and the wife's '01 Mustang:
- If storing over dirt, gravel or other areas where prolong sitting may cause it to sink into the ground, use patio blocks under the wheels. Yes, I've parked the cars on the wheels over the winter. You have that covered with a decking surface.
- Clean up the inside, pop either a couple air freshners in or dry sheets (they help prevent rodents and other undesirables).
- Wash the outside before covering.
- Throw in fuel stabilizer
- Park it, disconnect the battery, cover it.
I have not done anything beyond that for storage. Using mothballs as suggested, not a bad idea, I have never done it, but again, not a bad idea.
I have NEVER started my rides over winter (outside storage makes that just a pain the mess with, also having the battery disconnected adds to the challenge).

Come spring, for prepping:
- Fresh Oil Change BEFORE first starting.
- Check tire pressure (I usually see about a 2-4lbs drop)
- Check all other fluids, top off if needed
- Spray lube door locks and hinges
- Hook up the battery, all good to go.

mine runs quite a few times a month during the winter so i'll be changing the oil after a couple hundred miles, going to do some seafoaming!

So my ? do you have to change the oil after storage if you basically just changed it before winter storage?

My rule of thumb.... YES!

For cars in my "fleet" that are driven year round, I change oil every 3000-5000 miles. And I also use conventional oil in ALL my cars (the Monte and my 210,000+ mile '94 Grand Am).

For the cars that are stored during the winter, I change the oil and filter regardless of mileage. Perhaps it's overkill, but I consider it a good practice. My logic is:
- Any sludge, gunk, crud in the engine oil has had a chance to settle to the bottom of the pan. Perfect time to get it OUT of the engine and NOT re-circulate it (and now that it's dislodged from it's previous home and in the bottom of the pan, it may be worse to let it circulate).
- Any moisture from condensation in the oil can now be removed.
- The filter sat inactive for a few months with oil in it. The condition of the filtering element is unknown (has the material suffered any break down and generated loose particles).
- Some claim the oil becomes "acidic" sitting in the engine that long. Truth be told.... I don't believe that one, but you can decide for yourself.
- By the time I store the cars, there is usually about 2000 miles on the oil anyways.
- Since I only have one oil cap, at least one head gets fresh oil flowing over top of it.
- And the last reason.... Engine oil is the most important fluid change to the longevity of any engine. Why not change it after that long being idle.