Clean the entire car, even underneath and in the wheel
wells.
Fill the fuel tank to prevent condensation and add fuel
stabilizer. Drive a few miles to get the stabilized fuel
into the carburetors/injectors.
While the engine oil is warm, drain it and refill the
crank case with fresh oil.
Clean the entire car, even underneath and in the wheel
wells.
Fill the fuel tank to prevent condensation and add fuel
stabilizer. Drive a few miles to get the stabilized fuel
into the carburetors/injectors.
While the engine oil is warm, drain it and refill the
crank case with fresh oil.
If you change the oil filter, pre-fill the new filter
with fresh oil before installing it to help prevent
premature wear and tear at startup.
Change brake/clutch fluid and coolant.
Set the tire pressures.
Park the car on a sheet of plastic to keep moisture that
may come up through the concrete away from your car.
Remove, service, clean, and charge the battery. Clean
the battery tray and cables. Store the battery in a cool,
dry place off the cement floor. Check its state of charge
every month. Use a good quality automatic trickle charger.
Cheap chargers may over-charge your battery which will
damage it.
Fill several old gym socks with moth balls. Place them
in or near the air filter, in the tail pipes, in the trunk,
in the heater air duct, under the seats, and in the glove
box. This will help keep rodents out.
Make a note to remind you where you put the mothballs.
Use a cotton car cover that can breathe. Never cover
cars long term with plastic, particularly out of doors.
Plastic will trap moisture under it and sunlight will bake
it onto the paint.
Once per month roll the car forward or backward a foot
or so to prevent flat spotting the tires. This is
particularly important for older cars with bias ply tires.
If the car is to be stored for an extended period, you
might want to consider jacking it up and resting the frame
on stands. Just keep in mind that in the event of a
catastrophe such as fire or flood your car will be difficult
to extract quickly.
A heated storage area is nice but it should be
ventilated or dehumidified. Cold but dry is better than hot
and humid. Remember that standard dehumidifiers don't work
under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. For low temperature storage the
thing to have is a desiccant dehumidifier.
