Storing your car for the winter

[BNCHIEF]

Good ways to store your car for the winter may be we could compile the tips for a good checklist.
1. warm engine drain oil add fresh to remove all contaminants.
2. clean engine block and radiator if needed ( the Tom W. method) add fresh 50/50 anti-freeze and check protection level
3. Mothballs inside to ward away mice, I also use an electronic device.
4. Jackstands under axles, get the weight off the car. and glue traps at the wheels
5. Drain gas out of tank and carburetor
6. cover car up

Those are some things I would think would be good, any more ideas to add to protect our cars. I will not put mine up until the end of november.

[Captndan]

Remove the battery and store it in a warmer place.

[BNCHIEF]

Good point had not thought of that one and thanks.

[Michael M]

Don't forget the soup can over the tailpipe. Someone else puts a second can on the shifter to remind himself of the tailpipe can

[BNCHIEF]

Another good tip

[DaWizard]

What I do for winter is simply change the oil and fill up the tank, check the fluids and off I go.

Right now my autumn/winter temperature is 107º!! Doesn't take much to get ready for winter out here.

[Grit Kid]

I hope to drive a few times over the winter to make up for lost moments this summer. I usually would store her but not this winter.

I will throw some Tomcat under her for mice protection.

[Patrick]

1. fresh oil
2. charge battery, disconnect
3. check coolant
4. seal up carb throat [ or use filter]
5. seal tailpipe
5. set on stands
6. dry carb/ fill fuel tank
7. dryer sheets in car
8. cover car with breathable material

[Mitch]

I can't stand the smell of moth balls and would never use them in my car.
The smell never leaves and contaminates the inside...JUST MY OPINION

[Mitch]

Some other thoughts are is a full tank of gas prevents moisture from forming and rusting the tank.
But i never leave mine full>

[DaWizard]

Hey, in lew of a full tank, I have seen TV commercials with some kind of tank saver that minimizes the vapor action. Sorry, can't remember the name right off the top, but food for thought.

[Mitch]

Wiz
I use it on my 1/4 tank,,,, Marine stabil 360 it's supposed to protect above the fuel level line

[Michael M]

To add to the school of thought on having a full gas tank to minimize rust, don't forget fuel stabilizer.

what are the thoughts on carpet squares under the wheels (assuming you're not using jack stands)?

[BNCHIEF]

The purpose of jackstands is to take the wight off of the tires when the car sits so long.

[Curly]

•Wash
•change oil
•fill gas tank and add Seafoam stabizer
•top off radiator with 50/50
•grease
•get on lift (I’m hoping my mice are not
ambitious)
•detail engine and underside, it only gets
this once a year. This is how I find
potential problems.
•sit speedo cable lube on drivers seat so I
remember to lube cable before next
season.
•check diferential lube and tranny too.
•cover with cotton car cover.

[Mitch]

I use battery tenders over the winter on my cars and the mower as well.

[BNCHIEF]

I thought about draining the gas to keep from varnishing up,but a full tank and staybil would work. I did use mothballs last year they came in a plastic container that you can hang and they never touched anything, My wife has a machine that will freshen air and take away smells so I do not smell it now. I do not put ethanol gas in my car.

[Captndan]

We all should know that ethanol attracts moisture.

[BNCHIEF]

I think many know that but ethanol free gas is not available everywhere.

[1931 Flamingo]

I drive it into the garage and disc the battery...........................
Paul in CT

[Jeff/Illinois]

Paul, don't you get tired of doing body work every spring?? I guess it depends on how fast you hit the garage!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[George Miller]

I,am lucky here in the south we get to drive them all year long. I use my pickup to haul the garbage to the dump every week.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Don't have to wurry, I sold Vermin to Chuck, last week. Soon, he'll have it for sale on MAFCA, if anyone is looking for a GREAT '29 5 Window Coupe. It's pictured on my Avatar.
Dad Nottowurry

[Michael M]

Bill, I'm glad you found a buyer at last for Vermin, but I'm sad you had to let it go. How are you doing with that?

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Not SAD with Vermin gone. Their's a time when we must move on! NOW, I have CASH to PLAY with!
Bill Flush

[Grit Kid]

I can't stand the smell of moth balls

Neither do I but I love the smell of napalm in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolling

[BNCHIEF]

Could explain why the smell of mothballs does not bother me, Ed we are gonna have toughen ol Mitch up he missed out on all the fun times we had at less than minimum wage.

[cpf240]

I can't stand the smell of moth balls...

How do you get their little legs apart? :rolling

[DaWizard]

I think, knowing Mitch, he just tears the wings off first!

[Curly]

Lol!!!

[P.S.]

My Model A's get used all year long, no such thing as "putting it up for the winter". They are not toys, they are cars. They get used like cars, as the creator intended.

If you live in an area where year-round use is truly not possible, then it's time to move.

[BNCHIEF]

I cannot imagine moving with all the stuff I have but I can live without driving my car for 4 months out of the year.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I wouldn't subject any antique car to road salt, but P.S. is probably right, that I should have moved to a better climate years ago.

Funny how the government is worried about pollution, but dumps one of the worst pollutants all over our roads. Bet that salt good for our ground water that we drink, besides all the rust it causes, thus new cars, roads, and bridges have to be built and that takes lots of refining, etc.

[Grit Kid]

I bought a de-humidifier today and put cat litter in containers. My garage weeps at times over the winter.

[Rumbler]

My clutch stuck a month ago, so I included a board between the seat riser and clutch pedal to keep it partially depressed for storage.

[1crosscut]

If you are going to put it up on jack stands consider putting the jack stands in 5 gallon buckets so mice can't climb up the jack stands. You would probably need to pull the wheels off unless you have very tall jack stands to prevent mice from jumping the distance from the floor to the tires.

Rather than putting moth balls or other repellents in the car I would put plenty of mouse bait/poison in the car. Mice after eating poison get to feeling rather bad (surprise) and will retreat to a place they are familiar with and feel safe. If you start off with poison in your car any mouse that makes its way in there will be in "unfamiliar" territory. They will eat the bait and most likely will leave the car very soon after starting to feel bad and go to their safe place. If you let them get established in a car, building etc... and then later put in mouse bait they will stay there, die and stink it up.
I keep bait set at all times just inside the entrances to my outbuildings, shop and garage and never have troubles with mice. Any mice that come in are in new and unfamiliar territory. After feasting on the bait they go back outside to die.

Seems to work for me.

Dave

[Mitch]

I'm with that Dave
I use the mouse poison blocks in those bait stations, all around my house outside. At the shop I put them inside the interior walls. We have found that they'll come out into the open after the poison takes effect. Very rarely do they perish hidden out of sight.

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

I use the mouse bait as well. BUT ,...... a word of caution.....

That stuff will kill PETS as well as mice! I found out the hard way when a feral cat that I was trying to help got into what I had put in my carport. I had to bury it after it came to my back door, laid down on the step and died there. Kinda like "Well, Dad, you tried but now take care of me." That was a tough thing even though the cat wasn't yet a pet.

Now I am very careful that the mouse poison is only where the mice can get at it.

[Mickey]

Bill the problem is worse than that, especially with a farel cat. If the cat finds and eats the dead mouse it will still kill the cat.

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

I threw the carcass of a dead rat that was full of the stuff out on the hill-side below the carport. It was still there a week later. Even the varmints wouldn't touch it.

[Bill G]

This winter my Model A won't be bothered by mice, but I sure do get my share of them. I set some traps tonight as the nights are starting to get cold and the mice come in. Last year I set some traps in the car but never caught any in it. Next year I hope to have upholstery.

[Jim Mason]

Many mouse and rat poisons use coumarin. it causes internal bleeding, which makes the mouse thirsty, and they go to a water source. bottom line keep the water source outside the building.

[jordanka16]

I intend to drive mine this winter, so unless we get a big snow which is not common here, my winter prep will be buying a warm pair of gloves