longterm storage car do's and dont's please...

Post by **lewd lude lover** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:38 pm

hey guys, so its coming to the end of the summer and i have found a free garage to store it in.

it might be there for ... a while.. so are the any things i should do or not do to keep it all good?

so far i will:

jack the car up and remove the wheels

take out the battery

leave the handbrake off

Put a large bag of silica gel inside to prevent mildew etc.

give the car a good wash and sealant

pressure wash the undercarrage before storage

cover the car with soft cotton sheets.

is there anything else you might advise i have a bash at?

Post by **Pushki** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:45 pm

Sounds like a good list.

How about taking off the radiator cap just in case it freezes? *Shrug*

Post by **paul bristol uk** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:52 pm

Pop in and look at it from time to time and have a check round that no vermin,rats mice or pigeons have moved in as well. Also the Hedge Monkey's have not nicked it(edited as it is not PC to call anyone pikey anymore!)

Post by **Merlin** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:57 pm

I take my car off the road every winter and its stored in a barn. All I do is make sure that I dont leave the hand brake on. I give it a quick run every month.

judderod · Post by **judderod** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:00 pm

Make sure there's enough screenwash concentration, or empty it, in case it freezes and splits the bottle.

If it's likely to be more than a year or it's damp at all in there you might want to remove and protect the brake discs as they will slowly rust.

Maybe treat the tyres with dessing to prevent cracks/drying? Same with leather if you've got any.

There's a really good list for this somewhere on the interwebz I saw a few years ago. Not got time to search for it right now tho...

Bio · Post by **Bio** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:16 pm

I left the Corrado out, exposed to the elements for 2 years. Didn't start it once and never kept it covered.

What happened was;
Tyres were flat.
Battery was shot.
Coolant had the glycol separate and crystallize.
The break discs are pretty damn rusty.

However;
No mould or mildew and the door cards had been off and the Corrado uses a wet door. Didn't put any sachets of stuff in there.
The battery was replaced and it turned over first time
It's no more rusty really than when I left it. Of course it's no better

The tyres hold air but leak due to rim corrosion.

So you don't HAVE to go to extremes if you don't want to, but what you are suggesting sounds good

Just remember that some garages are more humid and damp than storing outside, and can actually cause corrosion due to the humidity.
I'd be inclined to pressure wash and de-grease the floor of it if possible to ensure there are no extra salt deposits that can be mixed with water and evaporate.

Post by **Pushki** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:39 pm

I found this for you Lewd. Some of it may seem OTT, but it'll give you ideas.

http://www.rochestercorvetteclub.org/do ... cklist.pdf

Dino · Post by **Dino** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:43 pm

I understand your thought process James.
Your 5th gen is like a caterpillar, your garage over winter is the crysalis and youre hoping it will emerge as a beautiful butterfly (4th gen)

judderod · Post by **judderod** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:18 pm

Wooo

Post by **paul bristol uk** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:46 pm

Love it, rep points for Dino