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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
Storing your Car- Tips to Minimize Damage
by D.Demetre
So you now have the car of your dreams. You've sunk a
huge amount of time and money into restoring it and
keeping it in pristine showroom condition and running
smoothly. But wait a minute- winter is coming. You want
to drive your car in the snow, through road salt, sand
and corrosive chemicals? I thought not. You want to
store it for the winter s inexpensively as possible? You
also want to be able to put it back on the road with
little or no hassle and have it ready for spring in the
same condition it went into storage in? Read on. .
Indoor storage is, of course, the best way to go. And
it's really your only option if you are going to be away
for a couple of years or longer.
You don't need a garage, as indoor storage facilities
are plentiful. Most "mini-storage" type places will
gladly rent storage spaces big enough for vehicles.
Additionally, try to find someone who can "exercise" the
vehicle every month or two. Although it's an additional
expense in your vehicle budget, proper long term storage
will save you money on restoration when you're ready to
drive your dream car again.
You can never be too clean for storage, so the first
thing you want to do is clean the vehicle. Wait for a
dry warm day and give your car a complete wash and wax.
Be sure to get the underbody as clean as possible too-
particularly wheel well areas. Any dirt will hold
moisture and combine with air, causing rust propagation.
A thorough cleaning is in order for the interior, also.
Use a shop vacuum or household vacuum cleaner, getting
into all the little nooks and crannies. All crumbs,
pizza crusts, French fries etc. must go. Otherwise small
creatures will be drawn to it and make their home inside
your vehicle. To go the extra mile, a good carpet will
help discourage them. Do all this early in the day to
allow time to dry before putting the car in storage.
Take the spark plugs out and put some oil into the
cylinders. This prevents cylinder walls, pistons and
valves from rusting. Regular motor oil is fine or get a
spray can of fogging oil from a marine supply store.
Turn over the engine by hand half a dozen times to
ensure the oil coats everything. Next apply a little
anti-seize compound on the spark plugs and reinstall
them. Make sure the gas tank is full. This will decrease
the amount of water available to be absorbed by the
gasoline.
For the electrical system, remove the battery cables
(negative cable first) and lift out the battery. Wipe
the battery with battery cleaner to take away any
moisture-holding dirt or grease. Place the battery on a
clean, dry surface, like a block of wood or a stack of
bricks. Now hook up a trickle charger. These are
designed to preserve the battery's charge over a long
period of time. While the battery is out, inspect the
battery rack for rust or corrosion. Clean and repair any
damage as necessary.
Lubricate hood latches, hinges and door hinges white
lithium grease to keep air and moisture out. Have a look
at the brake fluid. Brake fluid will soak up moisture
from the air, causing your brake system to rust and
corrode. Get it flushed and filled with clean, fresh
fluid if it hasn't been done in two years or more. Check
the coolant level- ensure it is topped off to the proper
level. Also check the coolant's protection level. It
should be low enough to protect the cooling system from
winter temperatures.
Because rodents and other small animals like to chew
ignition wires and wiring harnesses, stuff clean rags
into the engine air intake, fresh air intake under the
windshield and tail pipe. A neat trick a mechanic told
me about is to get a big box of mothballs and spread
them out around and under the car- for some reason the
smell works wonders at keeping undesirable creatures
away.
Tires are prone to developing flat spots if the vehicle
will be sitting for longer than five or six months. To
prevent this you should get a set of four jack stands.
Jack up the vehicle and place the jack stands under the
lift points of the vehicle (usually the lower control
arms or under the frame) If you have a dirt floor, place
pieces of 1" plywood under the jack stands to prevent
them sinking into the dirt.
Remove the wiper blades from the wiper arms to prevent
them from becoming glued to the windshield and leaving
marks. The last thing you need to do is- nothing! That's
it. Lock up and enjoy knowing your precious car is
sleeping in suspended animation, awaiting your return.
About the Author
D.Demetre is an author and webmaster at
http://www.caroom.us, where you can read about car
restoration. |
