Plan so far is:

Cars in locked garage

Battery disconnected

Oil change

Stable in the gas

Fresh Brake fluid

Cover

On jack stands

Am I missing anything?

Nick

Leave doors and hoods on first latch.

Mothballs under and in car.

Cover intakes and exhuast.

Make sure fuel is full.

Vaccum and Wash. Make sure it's dry.

Battery Out.

I heard some people put some oil on the pistons throught the spark plug holes. This will keep the rings from going bad on top where condensation builds and once you put the oil in and the plugs are out, just turn the engine over a couple of times to coat the top side of the cylinders. I would also put STP oil treatment in the oil and make it run a while before you store it so the valves/rockers are coated.

"Leave doors and hoods on first latch." - You should always do that, except in public parking.

"Mothballs under and in car." - Good idea "under" - forget inside - you'll NEVER get rid it the smell!

"Cover intakes and exhuast." Absolutely - critters love these areas.

"Make sure fuel is full." Disagree - drain the tank & all lines - leave everything dry.

My 2 cents & my garage queen prospers on it.

Reduce tire pressure?

I agree with draining the gas. Bad gas is bad news. It turns to varnish. I don't how long stablizer is good for.

You could just drop it off at my home and I'll take care of it.

Don't know about the storage but I hope you enjoy your trip.

Hope its not a barn with mice since they love to chew wires up.

Leave the keys with Ed and I ? We'll be gentle


Mike D.

Wouldn't it be better to put it up on jackstands?

Your tire will be toast in two years if left on the ground. PERIOD.
(Flat spot)

You could pull the wheels and put em in plastic garbage bags to protect the rubber. (layed flat, not on tread)

In some areas of SoKal, the night air is so full of acid. Tires will start to breakdown just sitting in a garage after a couple of years. EEEEch

You have carbs or injection?

If carbs. Pinch the fuel line and let the all of the fuel be gobbled up by the engine. Till she runs dry.

If you have rats in your area. They seem to love wiring. Do what ever you can do to alleviate this.

NOTE:
I have used fuel stabalizer before in my BMW. (12 banger)
It worked great to keep the rust out of the tank for a year. As soon as I got back to it. I siphoned the gas out and replaced it with new stuff. Cause it ran like shit with the stabalizer in the fuel. Ran the stabalized fuel in a garden tractor in Chicago. Sucker smoked. But what else can you do with 18 gallons of gas?


OH... Fresh oil change before placing on blocks. This makes sure there is no fuel in the oil from ring washing. Fuel and/or water eats bearings after a time.

Then put her up on blocks.

Thats my thinking anyway.

Clayton

I've broken every rule in the book many times with no ill effects. Do all you can do and leave it at that.

The Stabil web site says:



Your best bet is having a trusted friend or relative drive it once a month or so.

This is a great thread. I've wondered about this from time to time myself. And I'm coming up on my annual 5 month storage here in New England.

Also, I've heard people recommend applying wax but then not rubbing it out.

The real challenge is how to find a garden tractor in Chicago....

Jim

I certainaly would not put wax on and not rub it out. That can cause all kinds of paint issues.

For fuel, everyone has their things. I like stabil or race fuel. Many of the high end restoration shops around here use CAM2 for storage. Some of those cars sit for over 2 years. Either Stabil or empty will work.

Matt

Best advice I can give you: Store your car on a large drop-cloth, rather than naked concrete. Concrete is porous and can let moisture up. Use a plastic dropcloth as a vapor barrier.

Other tips:

Get the car as clean as you possibly can... inside and out. Yank the seats and the easy to remove carpets and clean under there.

Put drip pans under your engine, transmission and master cylinder. Leaks spring up... uhhh.. down.

If you don't have a sealed Optima-type battery, then just remove it from the car. Wash that area with a baking soda solution, then rinse and dry well.

I agree with draining the fuel on storage more than a year.

I've heard that some people put mothballs in the tailpipe and cover it with windowscreen material. I would probably do the same with the air filter.

Also... make yourself a list of all these "storage tasks"... and put it on your dashboard!! That way, when you come back to your car, you remember what you need to reverse before you drive it!

Be safe and enjoy your extended trip!

Cheers,
Lawrence

More thoughts...

Keep your baby insured!!!

Or some jackass, probably transplated from Manhattan, Kansas... will crash into your car that should have been safely tucked away.

Seriously, if whoever controls that storage space needs to do maintenance in there, accidents can happen.

Unless you're romantically attached to the tires, take the car off jackstands and leave it rolling. That way, someone can push it out in case of a fire.

-Lawrence

I currently have a vehicle classified on my auto coverage as "in storage"...
The cost for that coverage on that vehicle is $5 a month -

I did, too. I called my insurance company and they told me that the "storage" insurance was good for no more than 5 miles a month to charge the battery, etc.

"Comprehensive only if specified."

I didn't specify... told them I wasn't going to drive it at all, and wanted to change to storage only.

I should have asked more questions. Hope you learn from my mistake.

Hey Nick, I used steel wool in the exhaust opening to keep mice out, they won't chew through it.