Winter Layup

[Rick]

Being from the north contry i was wondering what the rest of you guys do to lay your cars up for old man winter.I for one do not have a heated garage just a torpedo for when i want to do something in the cold(which isnt very often).

 

[der Spieler]

I didn't do anything much when I had mine. I'm in northern Iowa and it does gt cold here in the winter. I have an unheated 2-car garage. I would get fill up the tank and put some Stabil in and then start the car every few weeks and let it run for awhile. If there was a day when the temp got up to 45 or 50 and the roads weren't to bad (and I didn't have a big drift in the driveway) I would take it around the block a few times. I made sure the coolant was okay. I had an 1100 amp dry cell battery and it held a charge real well so keeping it charged was never a problem. I think the key was starting the car once every three or four weeks and letting it come up to temperature.

 

[Rick]

What about all the chrome?Last year i sprayed W-D 40 on every thing and it worked pretty good

 

[der Spieler]

I didn't have much chrome. My complete exhaust system was Jet Hot coated as well as my intake manifold and brake pedal. My windshield frame, shifter, e-brake handle, alternator never showed any ill effects. I can't think of any other chrome I had on the car. All of the billet aluminum bits were fine too. Most of the winters here during the time I had the car were pretty dry. There was one winter where I had a lot of moisture and condensation but I didn't have any noticeable damage. I just wiped the car down when necessary.

 

[Q-4000]

well im in GA so... but here is what i do i pull or disconnect the battery change the oil and filler up! thats about it gas tends not to go bad as fast as it use to due to all the additives (fill it up with chevron gas) so i have never used stabil in any of my cars but again im in GA. let my 71 Jeep sit for 2 years with a full tank fired up on the first try! the only things i can think of that may have a problem are belts but again im in GA where when we see the first flake fall we CLOSE EVERYTING!!!! so....

 

[Telman2]

I add stabilizer to my gas tank before filling it and then drive it around to make sure it's mixed well and works it way up through the fuel line and into the carburetor. I leave a smart charger hooked up to the battery (just picked up a new Ctek). I resist the temptation to start it in mid winter because it sits in an unheated garage and I'm afraid of not being able to burn off any condensation I might create. I put a good coat of wax on everything and cover it with a breathable soft cover and pray for an early spring.

 

[norseman]

Here in my neck of northern minnesota I dont do diddly squat.
clean things up, wash/wax everything, change my oil, fill the gas tank and cover it up. no additives, just good gas. I wont start it between about halloween and mid april sometime unless we get some freakish warm weather.