Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

Park ours month or two at a time. No battery tender, no cover, top down. Start it and go. No problems in nearly 10 years and 12,800 miles..

what? no......

[toysax]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

Move south and drive it all the time.

[steelblue5505]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

Or move to eastern Washington & drive it all the time.
Yes we get some snow, maybe 7 inches for the entire winter & it will hang around for a few days then its gone.

My 05 Bird hasn't missed a day on the road since purchased November, 2004 and it is as shiny and new looking as the day I bought it.

300 days a year with sunshine, guaranteed!

[Ray]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

My 05 Bird hasn't missed a day on the road since purchased November, 2004 and it is as shiny and new looking as the day I bought it.

That is a big 10-4! It absolutely looks like it's brand new!

[vagent]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

One thing one should watch for -- tires. Sitting for prolonged periods can cause tires to "fail". Tires on my truck (which was seldom used--sat for couple months at a time) failed inspection -- they had cracked--across the tread, not on the sidewall! You could actually see the steel belts through the crack. So there does seem to be something for putting a vehicle "up on blocks".

[buddman]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

After reading several articles on winter storage, and taking a little bit of info from each, I'm trying this format. Changed to fresh oil, fresh coat of wax, filled gas tank and added stabil, cracked windows open one inch, left car on ground, inflated tires to 40 lbs, (supposed to stop flat spots), hooked up battery tender charger, placed car on plastic sheet, vapor barrier, (and pulled excess plastic up around car, covers about 1/2 of wheel) and lastly, put on car cover. Car is in a unheated, dry garage, and come spring, I'm hoping all is well.

Buddman

[tbird6t4]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

One thing one should watch for -- tires. Sitting for prolonged periods can cause tires to "fail". Tires on my truck (which was seldom used--sat for couple months at a time) failed inspection -- they had cracked--across the tread, not on the sidewall! You could actually see the steel belts through the crack. So there does seem to be something for putting a vehicle "up on blocks".

I find that odd but sure it is true in your case.

I have a 1964 Thuderbird that I have owned sicne 1967 and over all those years I have never had a problem with winter storage in a dry unheated garage concrete floor with tires cracking despite the car standing sometimes for 7 months at a time. Flat spots occasionally, but usually a good run in the spring straightens out that problem. I have had my 02 Retro for 5 1/2 years and store it next to the 64 standing on fully inflated tires and haven't noticed any tire problems due to standing for up to 5 months.

Maybe because the rubber is frozen over the winter? Who knows?

Of course I do all the cover ups, windows, Stabil, battery tender etc too.

I know we Northerners are all looking forward to spring to get rolling again, it's kind of like being a T-Bird junkie isn't it?

[jerrym3]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

Same with me, Gord.

I bought my 64 Galaxie in 1967 and have never done anything special to keep her "cold weather ready". No battery tender, fuel additive, cracked windows, etc. Just started her every few weeks even if it meant just backing her out of the garage to let her idle for a while.

From 1967 to 1980, she never saw the inside of a garage. Then she became my car show queen.

Now, she has 212,000 miles on the body and 110,000 on the motor.

As for my 2003 Bird, I don't do anything except use her (when the streets are pretty clean) and back her out of the driveway when they're not. When the roads are really bad for a long period, I might take her out of the garage, do a u-turn, and put her back in so the tires are not on the same flat spot.

[Carmino]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

• fresh oil change with Syntec
• Sta-Bil in the gas
• Battery Tender & cloth car cover over car

O And its in the garage.

[Chuck]

Re: Garage Queens & Long Term Storage: What to Do?

I’ve actually had issues with cracked tires, not on a car but on an RV & a log splitter. Both sat in the garage on a concrete floor for extended periods of time. As a precautionary measure for the winter I inflate both birds tires to 42lbs and put a piece of 2 x 12 under each. In the summer I just leave them on the concrete floor inflated to their normal PSI. To prevent moisture I put them in a car bag and put 5 4”x4” descant pouches in the bag – 2 on the floor, 1 under the hood, 1 on the console and 1 in the trunk. I crack the hood, leave the windows open an inch & crack the trunk.