Putting Your Car Into Storage

Overview

You can’t really talk about bringing a car out of storage without talking about how to put it up for an extended period. The process of bringing a car out of a vehicle storage unit will depend to some extent on how long the car has been idle. It is obvious that a car that has been sitting in a barn for 30 years will need more than a car that has been up on blocks for 6 months. It is perhaps less obvious that much depends on how the car was put away. If you’re going to store your vehicle in your garage, make sure that it has a secure garage door installed by a garage door company. You may also need a garage door opener repair service if you’re having issues with the garage door opener.

Putting a Car Into Storage

If you’re covering the vehicle, use a car cover that will allow moisture to escape. Any plastic or other waterproof material will trap moisture on the paintwork. If you are storing the vehicle outside, be advised that no car covers exist that will replace a garage. Cars stored outside also become a haven for all kinds of creatures, most of whom will be lousy tenants. Make a list of the steps taken to ready the car for storage, and leave it in the car. Not a bad idea to include your notes for “bringing it back to life.” That way, you won’t be searching high and low for the information when that time comes.

Tune Up

Why on earth would you tune a car that is not going to be driven? The purpose here is to stop the guessing games that come next time you try to start the car. If everything is in good working order when you stop driving the car, sorting out a problem next season will be easy because you know the basics were in good order.

Battery

Disconnect the battery, and remove it from the car. Inspect the area where the battery lives. Clean the area carefully with a solution of baking soda and water (2 tablespoons in 2 pints of water) to neutralize any battery acid. Rinse it well. Dry the area completely with a hair dryer. Take care of any rust you discover. Back to the battery. Clean the battery case and terminals with the baking soda solution. Find a place that will remain cool (but not freeze) and dry. If you have a non-sealed battery, top up the electrolyte level with distilled water if needed. Do not overfill. Use a battery maintenance device (like the 386-245) to keep the battery(s) fully charged. These are essentially small battery chargers (about the size of a paperback book) that plug into a normal 110V outlet. If the battery voltage drops one volt, it will come on and stay on until the battery is fully charged again. The alternative would be to hook the battery up to a “regular” battery charger once or twice a month for an overnight charge at 4 amps. Either way, keeping the battery fully charged will prevent sulfation, which can render a battery useless in a matter of months, and it will eliminate the possibility of the battery freezing, which would also ruin the battery.

Brakes

Release the handbrake and chock the wheels. Brake shoes can become firmly rusted to the drums in a matter of months. If you are using glycol based brake fluid, be aware of the incredible ability it has to absorb moisture out of the air. Glycol based brake fluid should be completely replaced every 18 to 24 months. If the fluid has been in the car for over a year, drain and refill with fresh fluid before you put the car in storage. (For a comprehensive article on brake fluid, click here.)

Cooling System

The coolant should be no more than 30% to 50% antifreeze. Pure water transfers heat much better than any antifreeze/water mix, but antifreeze raises the boiling point and, as the name implies, prevents the coolant from freezing. The protection provided is dependent on the age of the coolant; as it ages, it becomes less effective. If the coolant is over 1 year old, drain and refill the system using a name brand antifreeze designed for use in older cars. (Some modern anti-freeze formulations designed for aluminum engines or radiators adversely affect old British engines.)

Body & Paint

Carefully remove accumulated road grit and dirt from the nooks and crannies in the fender wells. Left alone, rust and corrosion will be the inevitable result. Wash the car thoroughly, including the underside of the car. Dry the car completely. Use a top quality automotive wax and apply it to all the painted and chrome surfaces, polishing with a soft clean cloth. The wax is essential to keeping moisture away from the chrome and the bodywork. Use wax on the chrome trim, not a “chrome polish.” Most commercial chrome polish has some abrasive elements and they are to be avoided. Minute scratches in the chrome are where rust and corrosion attack first.

Regular maintenance and care are essential to preserving the paint and chrome of your car. Neglecting to remove accumulated dirt and grit from the fender wells can lead to rust and corrosion, which can quickly spread to other areas of the car. Similarly, failing to wax the painted and chrome surfaces can leave them vulnerable to moisture, which can cause damage over time. Taking the time to properly wash, dry, and wax your car can help ensure that it remains in good condition and retains its value. Remember, the key to maintaining a beautiful and long-lasting finish is to start taking care of it here and now.

Oil & Lubrication

Oil has an effective life, and even if a car is not driven it will deteriorate over time. Perform a complete oil change with a new filter. Drive the car for at least 30 minutes on a dry day to drive off any moisture that has collected in the crankcase before putting it up for the season. We recommend oils that are formulated for classic cars that are idle for long periods. These special oils will coat and protect the internal surfaces of the engine better than modern oils. For an article on oil and classic cars, see this tech article.

Lubricate the suspension in accordance with the factory workshop manual.

Upholstery & Interior Trim

Clean the interior thoroughly. If any of the carpets or padding are damp, take them out and dry them. Treat all leather with Connolly Hide food or AutoGlym Leather Care Cream. Vinyl trim can be treated with AutoGlym Vinyl & Rubber Cream. Put the top up and give it a good cleaning, and treat it with a suitable protectant. The line of Renovo cleaning and preservative products for both vinyl and fabric tops are excellent. Leave the top up and either roll up the windows or fit the side curtains. Leaving the top up will help prevent the development of permanent creases in the material and plastic windows.

Belts

Slacken the tension on the fan belt and any auxiliary belts.

Tires

If the car will be sitting for the winter, jack the car up and place jack stands under the rear axle and the front suspension. With the tires off the ground, they will not develop the flat spots that cause an unpleasant vibration when the car goes back on the road. If you choose to place the jack stands under the frame instead of the suspension, take a look at the bump rubbers up front. After several months of being compressed with the full power of the front springs, the bump rubbers will be ruined. Depending on the car, you may be able to fit wooden spacer blocks between the upper arms and the frame to keep the bump rubbers from being squashed. In the rear, if the axle is left hanging from the limit straps, the straps may fail, and if they don’t break, they certainly will not last as long as they should. Placing the jack stands under the rear axle instead of the frame will work better. Some air will leak out of the tires given enough time, so overfilling them by 10 pounds is generally a good idea. Check the tire pressures every couple of months. Keep the tires out of direct sunlight.

Wheels

With the car on jack stands, you can leave the wheels on the car. Some people prefer to remove chrome wire wheels and bag them with desiccant to keep them clean and dry for longer term storage. If you plan to leave the wheels on, remove them long enough to thoroughly clean the splines on the hub and in the wheel. Carefully inspect the splines for signs of wear. Apply an anti-seize compound (like Copaslip) or grease to the splines and re-fit the wheels. Replace and tighten the knockoffs.

Exhaust

Plug the tail-pipe(s) with a rag or rubber ball and tape it in place. It will keep the mice from building a nest in the exhaust, or worse, in the engine. Although unusual, I know of one Healey BN2 that simply would not turn over after being stored for several years. When the cylinder head was removed, #4 cylinder was found to be packed with walnut shells, acorns, string and upholstery stuffing. A mouse (with a real need for security, apparently) had climbed all the way through the exhaust, through the open exhaust valve and into the cylinder. When the car was eventually started, the amount of debris coming out of the tailpipe was impressive.

Engine Air Intake

Depending on the length of time the car is going to be out of service, consider bagging the air cleaner and taping it to prevent moisture laden air from finding its way into the cylinders through the open intake valves. A bag of silica-gel desiccant inside the bag will absorb whatever moisture gets in, reducing the chance of rust building up in the cylinders.

Heater/Fresh Air Intake

Cover or plug any vents or openings. My 73 MGB GT had a mouse nest inside the heater box, which I did not discover until I tried the fan. The fan would not come on and when I pulled the motor I found a mouse bachelor apartment.

Fuel System

There are two basic approaches: drain the system or fill it up completely and treat the gas with a stabilizer and/or products that deal with ethanol related issues. To store a car for the winter, draining the tank is not generally done. If the car is going to be off the streets for years, I’d drain the tank and lines completely.

Gasoline is not stable, and it is common knowledge that it deteriorates over time. Volatile elements evaporate. Deposits form over time, often described as “gum” or varnish.” Modern gasoline is frequently blended with ethanol, and these fuels remain useable for 90 days in a sealed fuel system with a full tank. Sealed fuel systems were required by law in the US in 1970. (If you have a “carbon cannister” in your engine compartment, you have a sealed system). If your car was built before 1970, the fuel is exposed to atmospheric moisture and the ethanol in the gas will absorb water relatively quickly. The higher the humidity, the faster it happens. There are products designed to increase the useful life of ethanol blends (E-Xtend, E-Zorb), and products specifically engineered to prevent the formation of gum and varnish, like Stor-n-Start.

Wiper Blades

Remove them and store them inside the car. They have a tendency to stick to the glass and if left long enough, the blade edge will deform from being pressed just one way.

Humidity and Ventilation

There are two ways to go. Either ensure that the garage has a supply of fresh air and roof vents to promote air circulation, or seal the garage and control the humidity. A room de-humidifier will take less energy than actually heating the garage, which is generally totally out of the question.

Alternatives to Storage

If the preparation of the car for storage seems impractical, you have options. One is simply to use the vehicle once or twice a month in dry weather (assuming registration and insurance are up-to-date). Simply driving the car will help keep the engine and other systems fully functional. Barney Gaylord (mgaguru.com) has pointed out that the time and effort required to prepare a car for storage, plus the similar amount of time and effort required to get It back on the road make storage very unappealing. He is very much of the opinion that driving the car regularly as conditions permit is just plain easier. However, if you do decide to drive the car every so often, make sure you go for at least 20 minutes to get all the systems fully warmed up to minimize condensation. As an alternative, there are also companies that will, for a fee, store and look after your vehicle. Some enterprising shops will take your car and the list of work you’d like to have done, and they do the work and store the car, spreading the expense over several months.