First Winter Storage & Spring Restart tips

Alas, it will soon be time to put Natalie away for the winter. I would really appreciate some tips for storing her and bringing her back to life in the spring.

move to california and no need to do anything

Clean and wax it, fresh oil, cover it with a breathable cover, fog the cylinders, take battery out and store in a non-freezing location with a battery tender hooked up and consider storing it with wheels off the floor. Think about moving to California or the sunny south.

John listed some good tips, but I'd leave the wheels on the ground. Just bump up the air pressure in the tires.

Top up gas tank and add Sta-bil to gas --- especially important with ethanol laced gas. Be sure to run thru system so it gets to carbs. Fabric softener dry sheets will discourage mice from nesting (and chewing wires, carpets and seats).

Tires raised off the ground don't absorb moisture from ground (even cement) contact plus they don't crack at bulge or flat spot. Recommendation on storing travel trailers is to raise or remove them and cover them with tire cover to prevent UV exposure. Plus don't set hand brake - shoes could rust to drums.

What's opinion on starting ever week or month? Difficult if basttery removed but if you have an alternator it would keep it charged some.

Snow bird idea sound like good idea! Lots of cheap property in FL and they need the tax $$$.

Whatever you do, do not move to California....It's bad here...
The Smog, crowded freeways, expensive housing, gas prices, Hit & Run drivers everywhere, It's no fun let me tell you....
It may be true that there are 6 foot blondes everywhere, but don't kid yourself, unless you look really good, they won't look at you anyway, and I've seen what you guys look like, forgetaboutit....

Throw some cheap charcoal briquettes (not fuel impregnated) in a aluminum cooking pan and put it in the interior for odor control.

If you do the other stuff, you really shouldn't need to start it and warm it up more than once half-way through the winter.

Thanks guys. The best advice is to move somewhere warm :). I'm working on it! Currently 49 and living in Detroit. I'm going to either make one last career move in the auto industry or gut it out until 55 and bail out and do something else entirely. In the meantime, I've stared my research on where to buy vacation/retirement property. Last year, we tried SC. This year, I'm thinking Hot Springs, AK. Any other ideas. I figure that those of you that don't winterize have a good handle on where to live. From the events page, CA DOES seem like the place to be, Jim. Look, I've hijacked my own posting :)

Tom--did you mean Hot Springs AR? Google it and see what a paradise we live in! Mile winters and all I do is a warm up drive weekly to keep the Speedster in shape.

Yep. Oops.

Consider western NC or eastern TN as well. Absolutely beautiful country, incredible roads, and plenty to see and do. Reasonable cost of living as well. That's certainly where we want to end up.

FT Walton FL - fish and shrimp are pre-greased (thanks to BP) - just pop on grille and enjoy! You don't remodel - you rebuild after each hurricane. No income tax - ok no jobs to produce income either (other than service industry and military). Property goes for 1/4 what it was 4-5 years ago. Regretfully I favor ocean over mountains and deserts.

Tom - Was watching Top Gear other day (Season 15 Episode 6) and they had nostalgic trip in last of British sports cars (Jensen Healey, Lotus, and TVR) where they stopped at the now closed/boarded up factories of Lotus and TVR. I missed stats he gave but back in late '70 he mentioned the numbers of cars churned in late 70's (vs the handful that the UK imported). Totally reversed now of course. Sad situation both for UK and US - as car companies are sold off we lose jobs and our vast industrial base. Seems like majority of new cars are completely soul-less - no character. Probably the reason "we" covet our quirkey less than perfect replica Speedsters!

We use to drive VA to FL and stop at all the textile outlets in NC and NC --- those too disappeared 3 years ago. The US Steel Fairless Works in Fairless Hill, PA where I worked summers while in college is long gone.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe8goc_top-gear-season-15-episode-6-30f4_auto

Wolfgang, I agree with the "souless" comment. I've been in the U.S. Industry since 1984 and I can count on one hand the cars that I think we got right. The new Mustang, for one. People will pay a premium for style and performance. We knew that in the 50's and 60's but lost our way after that. On the other hand, we're producing some marvelous technology with increasingly better quality. It just seems to me that we could do better if there was more focus on design rather than engineering. I'm an engineer, and I can tell you that this industry is run be engineers and bean counters and not designers.

Tom
What do you do in the auto industry?

I used to draw lines (pre-computer) for Fisher Body at the GM Tech Center in Warren. Door hinges and door inner panels on the original Camaro are my meager claim to fame.

Raising the tires off the ground and letting the suspension sag is a bad idea.

Tom. My weather is the same as yours. Add 3-4 pounds of air in tires trickle charge with Battery Tender. I never took battery out of car. You can disconnect he battery cable too but end up losing memory to radio and such. Fill with good gas and a little Stabil like mentioned. Should kick over every year.

I agree about no emergency brake, I don't ever use it in the garage, just leave it in gear. If you do jack your car up, support it from the axles and front trailing arms with jackstands, that way the suspension won't sag. Alternatively, buy those curved car skates or similar to support the tire with a rounded base. I just roll mine forward and then back every other month. It is only away for 4 months anyway, by March it gets some road time.

I use marine Stabil, for the last three years. Too much Stabil is better than not enough. Since I ran mine yesterday, I have to add more Stabil and gas too. I always take the battery out and put it on a float charger inside.

Thanks for all of the tips everyone. Here's my plan:

Before winter:

1) Air up the tires more
2) Top off gas and stabil
3) Turn off fuel pump and run until it dies
4) Put battery tender on battery
5) Do not set park break
6) Stuff steel wool in exhaust tips
7) Put dryer sheets in engine, passenger, & trunk compartments
8) Spray Sea Foam on linkages
9) Cover

During Winter:

1) Tum engine over once per month with wrench
2) Cycle clutch once pet month

After winter:

1) Undo Winterization
2) Fog cylinders with Marvels Mystery oil and turn over without plugs
3) Lube
4) Adjust valves
5) Make a b-line to Bill Demeter's for carb adjustments and tune-up
6) Drive it like I stole it to Carlisle

Making me glad I live in the hot and muggy lowcountry, guys. My winterization plan:

1. Put up top if needed to shield from chill
2. Drive
3. Repeat step 2

I never bother with turning the engine over with a wrench, nor do I cycle the clutch and never had a problem with either.

All I do is add Sta-Bil when filling the tank of gas and drive it back home to distribute, then sea-foam the cylinders (Evinrude or CRC cylinder fogger works equally well), park it and hook up a trickle charger, cover the car and walk away til Spring. Come Spring, turn on the fuel pump for 1 minute, pump it a bunch and it usually starts right up. I LOVE the idea of steel wool in the exhaust tips!!!!

Sometimes I take it out around Christmas if the weather is nice (didn't last two years) and then just repeat the above, adding enough Sta-Bil for whatever gas I have to add to top off the tank when done.

Running it dry w/o the fuel pump running is intriguing. On the one hand it gets any alcohol out of the carbs and saves the little rubber bits. On the other hand it allows those same rubber bits to dry out and potentially crack.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I think I would leave gas in the carbs but find something (Sta-Bil??) that would counteract the alcohol.

My winterization plan;

1. Start car - cruise coastline on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
2. Repeat daily (or as needed -PRN) throughout the year.

...I'm just saying...

I wouldn't use regular steel wool. It'll just turn to a lump of rust. Cut up some stainless steel pot scrubbers and use those.

Justin. Good tip! Jim & Lane, you're killing me!

Hey Jim! On three..

1...

2...

3...

BWAH HAH HAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just started my engine for the first time and a whole lot of mouse debris came out of the tail pipe.

Debris in - debris out.
Quick - check your air cleaner!

Instead of steel wool in the tail pipe, I'm going to try stuffing them with dryer sheets. If they work as rodent deterrent in the car, I figure that they'll work well there, too. Gordon, I pretty much plan to follow your plan, except for turning over the engine and cycling the clutch. (It will give me an opportunity to visit her during the winter :)) I bought some cylinder fogger, too. I figure that it's probably better to do it before than after.

Not quite ready to put Blackie up for the winter. The heater is good for driving down into the 40's.
Once winter hits, I mostly do the Sta-bil treatment getting it worked into the carbs good, put on the Battery tender and cover her up.
But I do start it once per week and let it get good and hot along with the M/Home and it's Generator. I fire up the house back up generator also. Usually do this whilst putzing around doing an outside task...such as today.. blowing and composting all the leaves that have fallen.

In the Spring, I just do an oil change, check the valves and grease the front beam good. Then a good cleaning.

~WB

I understand that Bill goes out and visits Blackie from time to time when they've got 3+ feet of snow on the ground. He sits there, tears in his eyes, and tells Blackie that, soon...real soon, they'll be back out there together, hurtling over the roads and scaring squirrels out of the way.

"Any day now, Blackie....."

And the blizzard howls around outside.......

What's the best way to get the fog into the cylinders?

The stuff I bought came with one of those short red tubes.

I did't work well for #1 & #3.

Finally I taped a long, flexible tube to the short red tube. I suspect it was liquid, not fog coming out the end.

Ja, that about sums it up, Gordo! Sad but true!
The only thing else to do is build a snowman.

~WB

When I forg a motor I spray the fogging oil into the carb and it coats the whole valve train, Seafoam works great!

I was trying to spray into the spark plug holes.

my old motorcycles i would put in 2 oz of oil into cylinder, and turn motor over for awhile with no plug wire and then reinstall plug only, springtime just reverse and finally hook up wire and fire it up, smokes some but just temporary.

Mike:

Yeah, it's a PITA to get the tube into the plug holes, but if you bend your arm and wrist at un-natural angles you can get it in there. Then just give it a blast for 1-2 seconds and you should be all set.

;>)

Forget the steel wool. Just leave the cat in the garage..........

I don't have mice in my garage, but I guess I am lucky. Drove her today and will repeat tomorrow. Winter schminter!

After atending the Vista Valley Cruisers Show in Valley Center last weekend, I checked my Email and I see we have the following up-coming car shows:

Nov 14 - JBA Performance Center
- Pal Joey's Restaurant in San Diego
- Muscle Car Show and Shine in Oceanside

Nov 21 - Elks Lodge, Escondido

Dec 4 - Albertson's Parking lot in Alpine

Dec 8 - Parade of lights in ElCajon

Jan 8 - Burger Run to Pepper Tree Frosty in Vista

OOPSs, I see this is the wrong forum, so sorry (heh, heh).

Yer an evil man, David. Yup, my kinda guy.