[rick112]

Ok so I live in Ontario. I have no plans of driving my Sky in the winter which means for 5-6 month of the year the car will basically sit in the garage with me looking at it.

What should I do to properly prep the car at the end of a driving season?

Should the top be left up or down? Should the car be blocked and the tires removed? How often should the engine be turned over in the winter? Should the battery be removed or at least unplugged? Should the car be covered for the winter even if it is in a garage?

Any other recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[bubbacc]

Winter Care for your Sky

Ship it to Texas & I'll take care of it for you ... NO CHARGE!

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

This is a question I am going to pose to my BIL who has the 1965 Vette. I want to find out what he does for storage.
Good point about the top too....

I will post what I find out in this forum

 

[tiger20005]

Not sure how far you want to go but this is an okay article I found within minutes. I do know about the oil and gas additives that you can use during storage but here is some more info:

http://autorepair.about.com/od/carcare/a/storecar_2.htm

Hope this helps: :thumbs:

P.S. Even though storing probably a good idea to take it for a spin once a month (pick a nice sunny day and make sure no salt is on the road)...

 

[agirltrucker]

Ill be glad to keep it here for ya in Arizona, plenty of warm weather here. :lol:

 

[rick112]

Thanks! I'm still looking for more info if any of you have anything to add.:thumbs:

 

[Snowy_Beast]

Ok so I live in Ontario. I have no plans of driving my Sky in the winter which means for 5-6 month of the year the car will basically sit in the garage with me looking at it.

What should I do to properly prep the car at the end of a driving season?

Should the top be left up or down? Should the car be blocked and the tires removed? How often should the engine be turned over in the winter? Should the battery be removed or at least unplugged? Should the car be covered for the winter even if it is in a garage?

Any other recommendations would be appreciated!

Great post.... I need the answer.... but

I would turn on the engine once every two weeks, and I would put the tires on wood block. Rubber won't like your garage.

Thanks! I'm still looking for more info if any of you have anything to add.:thumbs:

Indeed, me too! I live in Quebec, worst weather than in Ontario!

 

[rick112]

Thanks for all the offers to keep my Sky safe for the winter.

 

[marlboromike]

I loved those answers ...to keep Rick's car safe for the winter...at least there is a sense of humor in here...

MarlboroMike

 

[andrewplanet]

bah... I'll be driving my Sky all winter long in Ontario

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

Not sure how far you want to go but this is an okay article I found within minutes. I do know about the oil and gas additives that you can use during storage but here is some more info:

http://autorepair.about.com/od/carcare/a/storecar_2.htm

Hope this helps: :thumbs:

P.S. Even though storing probably a good idea to take it for a spin once a month (pick a nice sunny day and make sure no salt is on the road)...

I did not read the entire doc, but to do all that means you are storing it for "some time" At least a few months. In Chicago, my biggest fear is SALT. But on mild, clean days I still plan to use her. Today it will be 50+ and sunny -- Ya think I'd let that go by??
I guess I will make it my Summer car and "light use only" in winter. Bet it would never sit for more that 2 weeks with out SOME kinda drive.

 

[TastyBake]

I saw classic car restoration and they made the following recommendations on how an old 65’ T-Bird Convertible should have been stored. Given this is “years” vs. “months” but the same rules apply.

- The top should be up but do NOT close all the way. Have it so it touches but does not lock into place and compress any rubber seals. You want rubber seals to stay uncompressed so they do no loose their effectiveness.

- Apply a good conditioner sealant for the top. Another forum had a recommendation of which to use.

- Close doors up to the click point. Do not fully close them. Reason is the same as the top. You do not want to compress the weather stripping.

- Apply a non-silicone based sealant to all the weatherstripping.

- Place the car on 4 jacks so the tires don’t start to bald and the suspension doesn’t sag.

- Use stabil per instructions. Fill gas tank to the very top to prevent condensation. Adding cheap dry-gas won't hurt either.

- Perform an oil change. Old oil can become acidic.

This is starting to go into the “years” category:
- Place a tray of mothballs in the passenger seat. Rids any creatures or bugs from nesting.

- In each spark plug entry, squirt a little motor oil down each piston.

 

[Druid-2]

Great post.... I need the answer.... but

I would turn on the engine once every two weeks, and I would put the tires on wood block. Rubber won't like your garage.



Indeed, me too! I live in Quebec, worst weather than in Ontario!

rick112...you don't say where in Ontario you live...so I'll presume T.O.
storing it 6 months...come on I lived half my life in Brampton
you could run most years right up to Xmas and have it out by Easter.

any hooo....starting the engine DOES NOT keep the battery charged.
You have two choices...take it out and run it around the neighborhood for about 15 minutes whenever the roads are dry....or buy a battery tender.

I run whenever the roads are dry. On slushy days MERLIN stays home
and then the tires get some exercise too !!!

tomorrow we are going on a run of about 200 cliks in 10 celcius temps and yes...THE TOP WILL BE DOWN

You only go around once in life.....if you get hit by a bus tomorrow do you want people to say...oh too bad...but his car was mint.
who will care?
hope I didn't piss you off

 

[rick112]

I'm origionally from North Bay. Where winter is winter. Not like T.O. where it rains in January. This is a fun nice weather car for me. I want to enjoy driving it on beautiful warm sunny days with the top down. My wife sure as hell won't drive in the thing with the top down in January! I almost never used my NX in the winter. I want Goodyear F1's for the car and when I put them on the car will be a curling stone at the hint of snow or ice. Don't want to end up :angel: :lol:

 

[boots]

Winter, what's that? It's seventy degrees down here and it's January! Ugh!

 

[Ernest]

Winter, what's that? It's seventy degrees down here and it's January! Ugh!

I don't know,buit I have heard stories & seen picktures in that thar
ncilopeedia buk that I seen at the libary in skuul onest, ya naw wut I meen??:willy: :yesnod: :crazy:


ERNEST:thumbs: :jester:

 

[Fformula88]

I added the following storage tips I received from Pontiac Historical Sevices to Solsticeforum:

http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2595

What I do with my Fiero... I change the oil before I park it, wax it, and put it up off the tires. Usually I put a second set of wheels and tires on it (that I can drive on if need be, but are still old and worn) and then try to run it at least once a month (drive if possible, idle if not).

 

[boots]

I don't know,buit I have heard stories & seen picktures in that thar
ncilopeedia buk that I seen at the libary in skuul onest, ya naw wut I meen??:willy: :yesnod: :crazy:


ERNEST:thumbs: :jester:

Vaguely! You crack me up!:jester:

 

[peeksdad]

I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have lots of rain in the fall, winter, spring, but we also have lots of sunny days. So....Put it in the garage on the bad days and when the sun shines.... top down and on the road. A car like the Sky needs to be on the road to let everyone know what it is like to be "Young at Heart".
ps. I'm 62 and waiting for my Sky!!

 

[todaresqSL2]

I don't know,buit I have heard stories & seen picktures in that thar
ncilopeedia buk that I seen at the libary in skuul onest, ya naw wut I meen??:willy: :yesnod: :crazy:

ERNEST:thumbs: :jester:

You guys in the south would probably love to have snow piles as tall as

:cheers:

Would hate to drive my SKY in the winter up here... there are actually climate controlled car storage places up here... of course, fuller in the winter...