Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

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Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby marco_1978_spyder » Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:53 pm

WHat are your winter storage plans, I might buy a tarp tomorrow for the garage floor. Not sure. I'm going to throw the car cover on and over inflate the tires a bit. I want to put it up on the ramps this year but might not have the chance this weekend with the weather here. icy conditions by the AM. Lots of snow now, and don't want to run the engine in the cold if I don't have to to avoid another condensation cycle.
1978 Monza Spyder V8 4speed, posi
1978 Sunbird Formula V6, 5 Speed, Hatchback
1980 Sunbird Hatchback 4cyl, 4spd.
2006 Chevrolet Aveo 5 speed Hatchback
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby cosvega76 » Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:20 am

Marco,

Both the Vega and my wife's Mustang get a fresh oil change, filled full with gas so the tanks don't rust inside, and hooked up to the Battery Tender. The Vega gets a set of steel wheels and junk tires to sit on (the good wheels and tires go in the basement), the Mustang gets put up on jackstands to keep the tires from flatspotting. Both get car covers and mothballs underneath to keep the critters away.


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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby marco_1978_spyder » Sun Dec 18, 2016 10:58 am

Speaking of tanks full, I think my Monza has spent the last 16 years without a full gas tank over the winter... I'd probably hate to know how bad the inside of the tank is.
1978 Monza Spyder V8 4speed, posi
1978 Sunbird Formula V6, 5 Speed, Hatchback
1980 Sunbird Hatchback 4cyl, 4spd.
2006 Chevrolet Aveo 5 speed Hatchback
Yes, you can refer to me as Mark
Please visit my blog... http://chevymonza.blogspot.com/ Follow if you like!
Featuring special guests; Carl Beraytor and Ray D'atore

My Red spyder now has a youtube channel please Like and Subscribe!!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzzSR ... ISuing7KLA
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby CDA » Sun Dec 18, 2016 3:47 pm

I never fully store my car. I try to start it at least once a week and if the roads are dry take it out for a spin. It's worked for me for the past 37 years. Just like your body, a car needs to run. Use it or lose it.
Reality is like a bar of soap. Sometimes it's hard to get a grip on it.
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby BillB1210 » Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:37 pm

I have been storing my cars since 1976. What has worked for me is this: dry indoor storage. Drive vehicle to operating temperature before shutting it down. Fill tank with ethanol free fuel. On these older cars, just disconnect the negative battery terminal. Rodent repellant in the car, moth balls under the car and a few under the hood. Car cover optional, does keep dust and the occasional bird droppings away from the paint.

Never had a problem in starting in April/May. Pump throttle and it starts in a few turns.

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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby EVL VEGA » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:36 pm

Keep it in garage and drive it when we have a warm weekend.
You gotta be careful storing your cars here in San Diego.
I mean we almost had some frost last night. It got down into the 40's last night and is only going to be 70 degrees today. :wink: :lol:
Should be 75 by Wednesday.

Seriously though..i don't know how you guys do it. :th:
I've never had to experience cold like that. I didn't even see snow falling (saw it on ground before that) until i was in my early 20's.
It was about 45 this morning and around here you'd think it was Antarctica. I had 2 jackets and a scarf on.
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby spencerforhire » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:13 pm

My drag car usually sits in the enclosed hauler all winter. Solar panel on the roof acts as a battery tender, rear suspension blocked up(because the slicks leak). But I got to get the thing inside asap; it "sweats" inside the hauler, even with the roof vents open. Weather here has been on a roller coaster this month; -20c(-4f) on Saturday, and +12c(54f) on Sunday. I opened the hauler door to get something yesterday morning and it looked like it had rained inside. Every metal surface was soaked.
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77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby Monza Harry » Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:40 am

Spencer you might try another solar panel [small one if only hooked to the fan] hooked to a small computer fan in your cracked open roof vent to force some air exchange and hopefully dry some of that up, and will help with the heat gain in the summer too. Marco I am storing mine all wrong so don't keep yours in one of those "Tarp Garages" there is air flow but still lots of UV light and condensation issues, but it is marginally better than outside uncovered. :oops: :cry: Harry
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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby beakerztoyz » Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:46 pm

My winter storage plans were to let the sunbird sit in my garage here and leave the monza outside again, then an opportunity came up so now the monza sits in a garage across town where my plan was to go over and work on it occasionally... that hasn't worked out well so far but at least the car is inside and out of the elements. I'm thinking this year I'm going to have to build a 2nd garage here because it's apparent that renting one across town isn't working out. On the bright side because it also contains some stuff a friend is storing I'm only out 100 bucks a month. :bang:
1980 notchback sunbird... 355
1980 monza spyder.... v8

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Re: Winter Storage.. whats your plan?

Postby leander » Wed Feb 01, 2017 6:36 am

A battery tender is definitely handy. Not only during winter, but I use it when leaving my car in the garage for a few weeks due to my work.
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