Cold Storage - Car cover or not?

[Chateau Slate 66]

I'm sure this subject has come up before but I could not find what I was looking for when I did a search.

I will be storing my car indoors, unheated (Minnesota) for the winter and I was wondering if it is best to cover it or leave it uncovered. I am concerned after reading on the net about moisture build up even with covers that say they are "breathable". Critters are not a concern and I can't spend the money for the air dome covers.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[camarojoe]

Covering them is definitely better than not covering them for winter storage, even indoors... Just get a decent breathable cover and you'll be fine. I've always liked the Evolution material as it's nice and thick, but I recently got one made of "Noah" fabric for my hotrod and while its alot thinner, it's supposedly just as water/weatherproof and takes up 1/4 the space when its rolled up and not in use. Regular old cotton is actually fine if its stored indoors... just dont use anything plastic. You'd be amazed how much filth can build up on a car in 6 months when left uncovered, even indoors!

[68l30]

I say cover it.....I like to remove anything that can also act as a moisture barrier (floor mats, trunk mat)and be sure to use a barrier under the car for the same reason. Plywood or plastic sheeting works great.It keeps all the moisture from the cement from forming on the underside of your car..I've been using a Car Jacket with a California Car Cover (duststop) for years. The car looks as nice coming out as it did going in...I also like to tape the exhaust shut,bag the carb, and add a few bags of rat poison and some Irish Spring soap to the garage/car...Rodents hate the smell and if they do show up they don't last long..Ever see a rodent eat up a car? Not a pretty site...Remember to fold down the sun visors. They make a nice table for unwanted guests that like to eat headliners and stuff...I've seen this dozens of times in junk cars..Been doing this for almost 25 years and never a problem...Good luck!

Steve

[Xplantdad]

Steve, Good info...I would have never thought of a lot of those pointers... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

That would explain the picnic table on my passenger side sun visor http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[68l30]

Better safe than sorry...I have a friend who stored his Chevelle in his home garage,safe you'd think...Not....A critter free garage had critters.Ever smell mouse pi$$ from the heater ducts? It stinks!I like to remove all the "paper" from the car as well. Ever see a glove box nest? I've seen spiders, snakes, bee's, rats...even a groundhog..LOL..Pay attention to cars that have sat for a few years. You may never feel safe.. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Steve

[Xplantdad]

And here in AZ we get everything you listed above. Good tips! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

[JQ]

Snakes! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif Great tips

[Johnny Horsepower]

cover it! and to add to other suggestions: I like to throw a couple of fabric softner sheets in my boat in cold storage..keeps it fresh. And for underneath the car I would do flattened cardboard boxes. Wipers should be seperated from the glass with small pieces of wood, so rubber doesn't stick and if you are not going to put it on blocks I like to over inflate the tires by 5 psi or so to keep flatspots down. don't forget to disconnect the battery or have it on a good float charger. and stabil the fuel remembering to run it for 15 mins or so to get it through the system.
That's all my brain can dish out now. There are more elaborate things to do but you can decide on what you deem neccessary.
Good luck.

[Chateau Slate 66]

Thanks again for all the help! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Mr. Chevy]

Invest in a dehumidifyer.. I bought an LG Model last year and it works great. I spent a little money, it is the "flagship" of their fleet, but it can work in temperatures as low as 32 degrees. Hang a couple cheap 4 dollar humidity/thermometer gauges from Home Depot around the garage and you will be amazed at how much the humidity level drops!! Thats the key to keeping the moisture OUT!! I keep my dehumidifyer running all the time on high and have it set at 35% humidity level. This keeps the entire garage at about a 40% humidity level which is considered in the dry range. I would also suggest "sealing off" the garage. Use the garage soley for the car storage. Do not open and close the door during the winter or have your everyday driver parked with your classic car. I think this is the most detrimental to the car!!

All of the listed tips are great! I have a partially insulated, non heated garage that is sealed off entirely for the cars/bikes. I layed huge sheets of plywood on the concrete floor and put down an indoor/outdoor style carpet over top of same. I leave it like this all year and it looks nice also. As for the covers, I just use a cheapy Budge car cover that you can buy at Murray's Auto parts for the car. I did not cover 2 of my Harleys last year in the garage and I did not notice any difference believe it or not from when I put them away. Because the garage is sealed off it does not get dusty. I'm not saying that it does not matter if you cover or not, it all depends on your set up. I would suggest a cover.. As for Stabil in the gas I think if you use a good grade of gas and the car does not sit for longer than a year, you will be ok.. Make sure the gas tank is filled up all the way. Get glue traps for the mice. Home Depot sells them and they work great. Once they get in those things they can't get out and eventually die there. If you use the pellets or cubes, this will not kill them right away it may take a day or two and then can crawl in somewhere and die and then stink to the high heavens!! "Knock on wood" I don't have a rodent problem but I always take precautions!!

Rich

[camarojoe]

One thing my grandfather taught me about rodents is that they won't go where they don't have anything to eat. Don't keep any type of food, be it dog food, birdseed, etc. in the garage. Also don't let pizza boxes, McDonalds bags, empty beer cans, etc. in the trash, and especially don't keep your week's worth of filled trash bags in the garage, as this is one of the main reasons the rodents come in. They smell that stuff from 3 blocks away I think! If there's nothing in the garage but your car and tools, they'll usually find a better place to take up shop where the dining is better.

[budnate]

some good tips I have not been doing, but you guys really should look at Sea Foam in your fuel, stuff is great. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Johnny Horsepower]

"The problem begins with today's modern fuels. These so-called "clean" fuels typically deteriorate at much faster rates than fuels made 20 years ago. While all fuels suffer from the problem, most at risk are the EPA mandated reformulated gasolines (RFG) that contain oxygenate additives, derivatives of methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol. We've seen gasoline have shelf life as little as a month--particularly if it is subjected to heat and moisture. "

"The shelf life of gasoline depends on the type of gas and the storage conditions and can range from a couple months to a couple years. One wild card is that gas you buy at the pump may already have been in storage for anywhere from days to months."

A couple of quotes off the net.

[camarojoe]

I have a very hard time pouring anything into my gas tank but gas. I have stored cars for 6 months a year every year since I was 16 years old, and have never done anything but fill them to the top and forget about it. Usually it's either straight 93 octane or a blend of 93 and 115 racing fuel, depending on the car. In the spring they always fire right up and I use the 6 month old gasoline with no noticible difference from when I put it in there in the fall. Maybe i'm just lucky, but I've never used Stabil, or anything of that sort, and have never had a problem. Maybe if it was stored for a year or more things would be different.

[DarrenX33]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a very hard time pouring anything into my gas tank but gas. I have stored cars for 6 months a year every year since I was 16 years old, and have never done anything but fill them to the top and forget about it. Usually it's either straight 93 octane or a blend of 93 and 115 racing fuel, depending on the car. In the spring they always fire right up and I use the 6 month old gasoline with no noticible difference from when I put it in there in the fall. Maybe i'm just lucky, but I've never used Stabil, or anything of that sort, and have never had a problem. Maybe if it was stored for a year or more things would be different.

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly I haven't either. My 69 has been stored in cold storage and most recently heated and never a problem with the fuel.

[SSJunkie68-69]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing my grandfather taught me about rodents is that they won't go where they don't have anything to eat. Don't keep any type of food, be it dog food, birdseed, etc. in the garage. Also don't let pizza boxes, McDonalds bags, empty beer cans, etc. in the trash, and especially don't keep your week's worth of filled trash bags in the garage, as this is one of the main reasons the rodents come in. They smell that stuff from 3 blocks away I think! If there's nothing in the garage but your car and tools, they'll usually find a better place to take up shop where the dining is better.

[/ QUOTE ]

An older friend of mine has a 74 Vette that he bought brand new and has never been touched and is a survivor. He has been planning on one day getting NCRS Survivor certification. He was showing it to me and I noticed the a mouse nest in the engine compartment and asked if that was original too. We took the nest out and the next couple of days he put some pellets around the garage. This was mid July and it was a little warm to say the least. About a week or two later he goes to take the car for a ride and climbs in and just about pukes from the smell of 4 dead mice that climbed back into his car aftering eating the pellets and died. They pulled off the ultimate F.U to him. He had to remove all the carpets and padding, send them out to be cleaned and de-odorized and then re-installed. Those mice cost him a pretty penny when it was all said and done.

The moral of the story is to use the old fashion spring activated traps that break their backs.

[Mr. Chevy]

QUOTE: The moral of the story is to use the old fashion spring activated traps that break their backs.

You got it brother!! Thats what I use in addition to the glue traps!! Stops them DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Those darn things can get in anywhere also. Did you ever watch one crawl underneath a garage door or other small space. They can collapse their bodies almost totally flat to crawl under something!!

Rich

[ktownkid]

Joe and Johnny.......
I aways use Stabil, even in the lawn mower. I learned the hard way, my 79 CBX with six carbs would not start after winter storage, had to have carbs cleaned.

Seems like gas isn't what it used to be.....because it isn't!!!!

ktownkid

[jannes_z-28]

Make a google search on: "winter storage car" and you will find a lot of information on what should be done.


Jan

[x Baldwin Motion]

one word. or is it two? MOTHBALLS!! I crush a few around the doors of the garage and put them in the ashtrays and glove box. no rodents come near the car and I always get to cruise by myself in the spring !! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Allen]

[ QUOTE ]
one word. or is it two? MOTHBALLS!! I crush a few around the doors of the garage and put them in the ashtrays and glove box. no rodents come near the car.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably because they're scare of what you'd do to them after seeing what was left of the moths.

[Keith Tedford]

Mothballs seem to work pretty well but not entirely. Ask my wife what she felt under a seat when pulling out the old mothballs last spring. At least the furry little critter was dead. Dale wasn't impressed. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Mouse traps are for sure.

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

Does anyone use those clear plastic car capsules that you seal your car inside.I have a friend that uses one and he loves it.His setup even has a dehumidifier setup that keeps all the moisture out of the capsule! Thing looks like a large bubble blowed up!Also about the mice ! I like the old spring traps also and the glue traps work well too.

[SmallHurst]

I have also heard that the green Irish Spring bars will do a good job of keeping mice out of cars. My grandpa always left the hoods open on the trucks at the farm. Mice will not make a nest if it is not dark and closed off.

[black69]

I just thought I would throw out my 2 cents on car storage. I do have cars stored all over the place because I don't have one big fancy garage with forced air heat. What I came up with is I use the 220 hookup at the airconditioner and wired into that for baseboard heater and set it at 40-45. I put that in 3 garages over a weekend, the trick is to mount the baseboard heater on the opposite side of where the 220 junction box is for the airconditioner, to keep the 220 wiring short. Clean easy and safe. No new breakers to install. You can get the whole set up at home depot and its easy to install. No gaselines, venting issues.
I put the standard cover on and 4 mouse traps (one at each corner of each car.