Storage Tips, My car hates me.....

M

Makdaddymac

New Member
May 28, 2005
323
1
0
orlando
#1
With all that has been going on with college and work, and final exams and my car getting stolen along with family visiting and me wanting to g out of state fro some visits i literally haven't even started my car up in about 2 months:notnice:.....

But anyways as of right now half my car is parked on an old beat up piece of wood(enough for the front end of the car) which lets me look out for leaks.
And its shaded by a tree, with a cheapo beat up car cover on,which is way past it expiration date..
As of right now thats it, i just keep it parked and covered, when i do start it up, i always check the fluids first and have to charge the battery(need new one)..So what
is recommened for a car, weekly start ups? how long to let it run. etc etc.

Eventually it will be garaged at my uncles nice well constructed garage that could probably hold 6-8 cars...i am just waiting for him to get his 66 on the ground so we can move it and i can drive mine right in....
Now i its parked over there i will probably forget about it. so i was wondering about that fuel stabilizer stuff? maybe disconnecting the battery? do i let air out the tires etc etc...just some good ol storage tips from those that have experinced bad things by letting a car sit too long...
 
#2
Honestly....I gas my cars up full, wash them dry them, cove them and don't worry about them til spring. They sit in the garage, but I don't do start ups or short drives or anything. Been doing that to the Cobra since 2001 when I bought it.
 
#4
I was raised by a boat mechanic, so I'm anal about putting things away for winter the RIGHT way.

1. Fuel stabilizer. Old gas is nobody's friend. To be sure you have it in all your lines, put it in the tank, wait a day, then run the car for a few minutes.

2. Make sure your coolant has enough antifreeze in it. There are testers for this. You want to make sure your coolant won't freeze inside your block on those really cold nights.

3. Either run the car once every week or two, or fog the cylinders with fogging oil before you let the car sit. This keeps the cylinders coated with oil and fights off condensation and corrosion.

4. Disconnect the battery (if you don't plan on running the car) and put duct tape over the positive terminal for peace of mind. I sometimes just remove the battery from the car, but hey, I'm OCD.

5. Jack stands (or blocks) help avoid flat spots on the tires, but that's never been a problem for me.
 
#5
Nik has excellent advice. If you are really worried about it, I'd do what he suggested. I personally don't use fuel stabalizer. My Cobra sits for about 6-8 months every year, and it's ran fine.

I never worry about the tires either, because every year it seems my Cobra goes through a pair of drag radials...lol. I should consider some crappy roller wheels and tires for Hack Job though...I've got some nice Goodyears around that car, I'd hate for those to go bad.
 
#6
I have been storing my 87 LX for 21 years and my 65 K code for 12 years this way:

Add stabilizer, fill the tank and drive for 10 or 15 mins
Inflate tires to 36 psi
Change oil and filter (Use Mobil One for what its worth)
Clean the exterior
Add 3 or 4 marine dessicant bags to the interior to control moisture
Remove and store battery
Park the car and cover up - I don not start/run the car from mid November until April. Have not had a single startup or run problem with either car over all this time
 
#7
mine sits for a month or 2 at a time, all i do is try to wash it before i leave it, and wax if i have time. i make sure theres atleast 3/4 of a tank in it too. but i can call home and ask my dad to start my car for me if i feel like it. i have him start it and let it idle for like 10 minutes every week or 2.
 
#8
SVT32VDOHC said:
Nik has excellent advice. If you are really worried about it, I'd do what he suggested. I personally don't use fuel stabalizer. My Cobra sits for about 6-8 months every year, and it's ran fine.

I never worry about the tires either, because every year it seems my Cobra goes through a pair of drag radials...lol. I should consider some crappy roller wheels and tires for Hack Job though...I've got some nice Goodyears around that car, I'd hate for those to go bad.
Click to expand...

Bad gas is a like mythical beast for me. Its never happened to me, but then again, I've never LET it happen to me. I use Sea Foam like its going out of style. I did rebuild a go-kart carburetor once that had suffered from bad gas. It had sat for several years though, and bad gas was the least of its concerns haha.

I was once told that fire trucks (or other big trucks) can develop flap spots on their tires in just a matter of days if they aren't used, but the flat spots "work themselves out" after driving a few miles. I can't verify that, and I don't know how similar the rubber compound of a light car street tire is, anyway.
 
#10
NikwoaC said:
Bad gas is a like mythical beast for me. Its never happened to me, but then again, I've never LET it happen to me. I use Sea Foam like its going out of style. I did rebuild a go-kart carburetor once that had suffered from bad gas. It had sat for several years though, and bad gas was the least of its concerns haha.

I was once told that fire trucks (or other big trucks) can develop flap spots on their tires in just a matter of days if they aren't used, but the flat spots "work themselves out" after driving a few miles. I can't verify that, and I don't know how similar the rubber compound of a light car street tire is, anyway.
Click to expand...

I agree. I haven't ever had bad gas in a car. I've had bad gas in my dirtbikes and small trail bikes though. They sit one winter and they are bad. Maybe it's not sealed as well as a car??...who know...:shrug:

I'm sure flat spots have a lot to do with the weight of the car and the brand of tire too. I see cheap tires come in on cars here at work and they don't last long at all. The tires look new, but they are choppy. Belts break pretty easy too.
 
#13
25thmustang said:
You got me beat... Mine is sitting in the gravel driveway, uncovered, in front of a 25' boat on the ET Streets and Bullitts. It gets rained on, snowed on, frosted over every morning...

It's a sad sad sight right now!
Click to expand...

i agree your car is was to nice for that! i don't believe it!

i've spoke with some local mechanics here recently, and they've said that with this new gas with ethanol in it separates in two weeks tops! i'm not sure what kind of gas you guys have where you live, but i know all the stations around here are putting ethanol in the gas because its cheaper and they're making more money! it even says right at the pump that the gas may contain up to 10% ethanol. i'm not sure if a stabilizer would help prevent this separation or what. just figured i'd let you guys know!
 
#14
Man, I don't even worry. I filled up my Cobra and Teh Hack for 1.61 a gallon. I didn't want the tanks to sit with 3 gallons of gas, then get boned in the springs for $3.50+ (if it goes back up that high...which it prolly will)

I don't use fuel stabilizers either, because I don't trust them with my blower, tune etc... I know it's only a few ounces, but one winter a friend of mine had problems with his car after using that....at least that's what I blamed it on.
 
#15
Yup thats where it sits, dirty, messy, might have a flat tire on it. Its going to be stored under a cover in the enclosed trailer, but my father wants to lay a floor fown in there first... Needless to say we haven't done that, and the car sits outside.
 
#16
I think I win for cars hating us... :D

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#17
Eh, snow doesn't hurt a car any more than rain. Its the toxic salty slush that builds on the bottom of your car if you drive it through the winter. It eats it from the inside like meth does to an addict.

25th, I can stand the car sitting in the gravel under the weather if you get rid of the sticker, haha.
 
#19
yeah you win! hey 25th what is the name of your bottom grey color. i decieded to keep my car silver but i want to go a little darker than just broing ol metallic so i was thinking like a shadow silver/grey:nice:
 
#20
yeah you win! hey 25th what is the name of your bottom grey color. i decieded to keep my car silver but i want to go a little darker than just broing ol metallic so i was thinking like a shadow silver/grey:nice:
 
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