Winter storage questions.

[chromehorse11]

It looks like i will probably store my II in my Mother's garage this year, (whoo hoo, i'll actually have breathing room in my garage this winter!!). My problem is this, her garage is dirt floor. I have never winterized a car for a dirt floor before, should i put the car on something? say a tarp or something like that? My concern is that the moisture from the dirt will collect on the bottom of the car. And we all know that ain't a good thing!!!

 

[Dano78]

Eh I dunno. I figure as long as the garage is all the way on to the ground (on a foundation) and is totally enclosed, the dirt floor will stay dry, even throughout the winter....provided that there is no runoff directed tward the garage. This neck of the woods, Washington, is one of the nastiest, wettest states and we still have guys here with dirt floors. (getting much fewer though) and I know a couple of them and thier garages stay pretty darn dry even through the winter. Now, if the garage isn't fully enclosed, then you will have excessive moisture and may experience a little corrosian or rust in very small places. My Mustang sat out in two winters in one of those auto shades and it did see a little rust on a few bare or lightly painted metal surfaces and because it didn't circulate air well, it got a little moldy in the engine bay area. Other than that, for the most part, it was just fine.

 

[76_Cobra_II]

I dont know where you can get them at, but there are these tubs (like a large tub of butter) that people use in their basements to collect moisture from the air, you could get a few of those and place them around the car, heck, I would place one IN the car.....Or, go to a place that sells Bowling Supplies and get a few rosin/resin (however its soelled) bags and throw them in the car.
Just my $.02

 

[76_Cobra_II]

In addition!

I want to know how to winterize my cobra II. I didnt do anything last year to it and it was Tough gettin those fluids going again! Do I need to add anything to the radiator, gas, oil?? Have you guys heard anything or used any of those Engine Restore cans in your engine? How about that Royal Purple motor oil? Thanks in advance!

 

[chromehorse11]

Thanks for the replies guys! :worship: Someone has suggested that i lay down a tarp under the car as well, what do you think?

76_Cobra_II....Among other things, i make sure that the rad is topped up and check its strength, make sure the fuel tank is FULL and have a fuel stabilizer in it, i change the oil just before putting her away (and change it again in the spring), pull the battery( i also wrap the cable ends in oil soaked rags), put the car on stands under the suspension and leave the wheels on , open the windows and cover the car with my carcover. (note: up to now, the car has been in a rodent free enviroment, hence the open windows and lack of rodent deterrent, someone also mentioned plugging the exhaust pipes to stop critters from nesting there and i thought that sounded like a decent idea. )

 

[76_Cobra_II]

Well, the Radiator, fuel and oil ideas will work, But Im in an Apartment complex with NO garage, so I cant leave my windows down, I DO have a car cover though! Im not worried about the rodents as much as the Neighborhood kids! Oh, and I probably wont put my car on stands, apt. complex might not like that, plus I dont have any stands! I went out today and started her up (first time in a few months) and BOY have I missed the rumble of those Dual Flowmasters :-D I noticed I was leaking fluid, come to find out its a Rad. Hose.....I think I might go ahead and replace them with the Metal type hoses. Anyone have any experience with those? I want them to look nice, function, and also be inexpensive.

 

[Wart]

Thanks for the replies guys! :worship: Someone has suggested that i lay down a tarp under the car as well, what do you think?

That's a good idea. A tarp or visqueen, whichevers cheaper.

Before I concreted the garage I would look under the cars and see they had condensation on them. After getting the floor I would check and they would be wet but not as much. I put a fan in the overhead blowing down and left it run on low, that seemed to take care of the problem.

Something you can do to see if there is a water problem is to put a waterproof item on the floor, say a 2'x2' piece of plastic. Leave it set for a few days or so, then look under it. If it's darker than the surounding floor you've hit water.

I did this to my floor, it failed. Think 5" of concrete is an effective vapor barrier? Nope.

 

[chromehorse11]

Your checking for moisture idea is a good one Wart, i'll give it a try! BTW, what is visqueen?

 

[Wart]

Your checking for moisture idea is a good one Wart, i'll give it a try! BTW, what is visqueen?

Visqueen is a trade name for polyethylene film (sheet). Not to be confused with polyethylene tarps as tarps are woven and have gaps, the less expensive tarps can allow moisture to pass. The more expensive tarps seem to have a coating but are too good for me to put under a car.

Visqueen, also known as plastic drop cloths, comes in thicknesses from flimsy 2 mil to pretty sturdy 6 or 8 mil (and probably thicker). The stouter thicknesses are used as vapor barriers in construction.

Visqueen comes in 'clear' (actually milky) and black, and some is UV stabilized. Not that UV matters where you would be using it.

 

[77sleeper]

you might want to pose this question in the canada east forum, those guys are pros, their cars sleep 6-9months a year

 

[chromehorse11]

Ummmm...sleeper did you forget, i am from Canada East!!!!


I have lots of experience winterizing cars (my own and professionally) but as luck would have it, never for a dirt floor.

 

[Cool Wheels]

West Canada gets plenty of precipitation too. Believe me! Must have something to do with that big ol' Pacific Ocean. El Nineo again this year they say though...

Due to circumstances, I am yet faced with anouther year of winter driving my II. I just strap on the soft winter treads and pray like hell. 5W30 and sandbags help too!

You should be fine just running the car with fresh 50/50 or even 60/40 antifreeze (good to about minus 39 celcius - I rarely gets that cold even way up here!)

And bring your battery indoors!

 

[Dano78]

Visqueen is a trade name for polyethylene film (sheet). Not to be confused with polyethylene tarps as tarps are woven and have gaps, the less expensive tarps can allow moisture to pass. The more expensive tarps seem to have a coating but are too good for me to put under a car.

Visqueen, also known as plastic drop cloths, comes in thicknesses from flimsy 2 mil to pretty sturdy 6 or 8 mil (and probably thicker). The stouter thicknesses are used as vapor barriers in construction.

Visqueen comes in 'clear' (actually milky) and black, and some is UV stabilized. Not that UV matters where you would be using it.

Also want to add, Visqueen in alot of cases depending on yout state/county regs, is required to have in the crawlspace area of your typical house foundation. Meaning, you can probably pick up some visqueen at your local home improvement place.

Wart- Alot of the concrete gurus around here lately have been laying down the Visqueen and then dropping in 4-6" of crete w/fibermesh. When I have mine done, I'll have to let you know how well it works out.

 

[Wart]

Wart- Alot of the concrete gurus around here lately have been laying down the Visqueen and then dropping in 4-6" of crete w/fibermesh. When I have mine done, I'll have to let you know how well it works out.

When the floor was put in I was told fibermesh would run another $20 a yard, and it took 25 yards. the 6" square was a bunch cheaper. And I was cutting it into 8' squares anyhow.

I was thinking about visqueen, was told it wouldn't be needed. Come to think of it, the first summer I couldn't set anything on the floor without it growing a dark spot, I would move a car and there would be 4 spots. This year I haven't seen a spot anywhere. Mayhaps the concrete cured enough to not be so much a frigging sponge.

With the materials available today and your living in North Americas Rain Forest you don't have much choice other than non ferrous mesh and a vapor barrier.

Anyone try talking you into putting styrofoam down?

 

[Dano78]

Styrofoam? No, not yet. First I've heard of that to be honest with you. Of course I'll be putting a ton of screenings and spoils and a soild layer of 5/8 minus in underneath all of it to 'fill in' the ground to make it slightly higher than grade as I'm already sitting on 3 wonderful freakin' feet of fill dirt as it is. (reason why I'm forced into a pole building rather than the stick-built I already invested $1500 into and lost) Sooooooo I may be adding steel mesh rather then the fibermest (or both) because of the crap-o unstable garbage soil I was blessed with.

Like you were saying, those spots in your crete could easily be the concrete still curing. They say concrete still hardens sometimes up to 10 years or more.

 

[Smitty]

winter storage

good idea when storing a car for the winter is if you have a dirt floor, lay a tarp down, then some inexpensive cheapo carpet-used or new. Then roll the car onto that. Carpet will keep moisture from condensating onto the undercarriage of the car. Prep the undercarriage with WD 40 or other lubricant to fight moisture. Tarp under the carpet will HELP keep carpet from soaking up any extra unwanted rain or melted snow trickling in.
Top off all fluids to eliminate space in the reservoirs for condensation, & FILL the gas tank & put Stabil in it. Don't leave it half full. Put dessicant pouches or dry paks in the interior (on a cloth or towel) to keep it dry inside. Spread out a box of moth balls around the floor of garage to help keep mice out. Also I spray undercarriage AND motor compartment both with WD 40 to displace moisture. Buy a new can & use the whole thing; $2.50 is cheap insurance against rust. Also be sure to take the battery out & keep it indoors & NOT on a concrete floor.