[Excelcier]

For those of you who store your cars for the winter, do you put it up on blocks and take the wheels off for concerns about the wheel bearings or do you just park it and it's not really a problem? I'm getting mixed opinions from people and I want to hear what people are really doing!

 

[Jorgen]

well i used to have a car i stored before i bought the cougar..

and would always start it like once a week and move it a little bit so i never had a real problem but that was just me...

 

[Excelcier]

I intended to start it periodically, however, I will not have the ability to move it at all. The garage is about one foot on each side and half a foot on the front and back larger than the car itself and the doors will be frozen shut from ice in the winter.

 

[ChrisF]

I would put some fuel stablizer in/ get it up off the wheels or you have a good chance of flat spotting your tires.

 

[Zalec]

you could always put a plow on your Coug and use it to shovel peoples driveways make some extra cash why just have it sit in storage? :shrug:

 

[Excelcier]

Zack.. Zack... Zack... you have me speechless.... there are just no words to discribe my thoughts on that... hehehehehe....

 

[EricF]

Flat spotting of tires isn't as much of an issue with radial tires, it used to be with bias tires..

I'm curious how your doors are going to freeze shut with ice when its in a garage.. not sure

Mine will be stored this winter, but I will take it out from time to time when the weather is nice...
But make sure you have no french fries lost in the seats, might want to put moth balls in the car to
eliminate the chance of mice... fuel stabilizer like someone said, and a full tank of gas. I would change the oil before putting it in, and again shortly after bringing it out in the spring... do a search on google for winter storage tips http://www.google.com/search?q=Winter+car+storage+tips&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 some interesting info to ponder.

 

[Zalec]

I can see it now

 

[Excelcier]

Yeah, I guess I worded it poorly Eric, I meant to say that my garage doors freeze shut in the winter as my crappy driveway slopes down into it so the snow / ice pile up and it will trap the car in there until it all thaws. I have a small door on the side just to enter the garage but that's the best I have.

Zack..... :kick:

 

[AtomicInternet]

My first two years of storage I jacked it up just enough so the weight was off the tires, but not so much that the tires were off the ground.
This year I'm going to jack it up and take off the wheels entirely. Primarily because I'm getting them bent back into shape during the winter and will be too lazy to put them back on.

Only things you really need to do for long-term is disconnect the battery and make sure you have a full tank of gas (avoid moisture condensation). You can put in stabilizer if you want, but only carburated engines really need it. Fuel injected engines don't have much for varnish to form on. My motorcycle on the other hand gets the full stabilizer treatment. The carb bowls in that thing attracts varnish like a magnet.

My friend had his 89 Firebird (barely fuel injected) stored for three years. He didn't do anything to prepare it. After installing a new battery and new tires it started right up with 3 year old gas in it. Other than battery drain, fuel injected vehicles really don't get affected by long storage periods.