MakoJoe

Hi all,

While I have my own concoction of stuff I do to my cars before you park them for the winter always wonder what others do since it that time of year to put our toys up for the winter.

This question almost always comes up every fall on the other forums I visit for my Miata and this is my first year on the Corvette Forum.

Change the oil if I am running conventional oil even if I only drove it 1500 miles that summer or have over 3000 miles on Full Syn Oil. This year only have about 2000 miles on Full Synthetic Motor oil so do not need to change it.

For me I fill the gas tank all the way up with fuel.

Next I use the recommended dosage of Sta-Bil Storage treatment, can of HEET and 4 ounces Marvel Mystery Oil. This year instead of using HEET in the tank Sta-Bil came out with an Ethanol Treatment for storage. Drive it around for about 30 miles to get it good and mixed than run up into the engine


I live in an area where almost all gas has 10% Ethanol so I always stick something in the tank to reduce the amount of water the Ethanol attracts to reduce tank rust. Then I spray down the suspension bolts and other bolts with a penatrating oil to reduce rusting. I start the car every once in awhile and let run until it is fully warmed than on warm days in the winter then might take it for a short drive to keep the seals from shrinking too much.


Give it a good bath and 2 coats of wax is the final touch than I cover it up for the winter months.

My toy cars generally sit from sometime in October till at least April or May depending on the Snow fall that year

71coupe

I change the oil, regardless if it's syn or reg.

I also fill up the tank will 100LL airplane gas & sta-bil. When I park it, I pinch off the fuel hose while it's idling so the carb runs dry & the car stalls

I park mine for the same duration, but I don't start it.

spjrr

I don't do anything that drastic. Change oil 1500 miles or every other year if not driven that much. Fill tank with the fuel now available and add stabil if I remember. Put top up and leave windows cracked a bit cover with light weight nylon cover to keep wood working dust off over winter (Minnesota). About once a month if I remember crack the big door and fire the old girl up and let it run until warmed up. Keep battery minder on all winter. The only real picky thing I do is, if it has set for more than a month when starting it I don't hit the gas pedal so it doesn't set the choke. Then I crank it until it has built oil pressure. Then I set the choke and start her up. Shop/garage is heated. Never freezes in winter and is usually around 60 degrees. Keep the big doors closed as much as possible. Never have had problems with this scenario.

Mark Smith

Mike Ward

Don't start the engine unless your going to DRIVE the car for a good 20 minutes.

Use a battery tender.

MakoJoe

That is a good idea since this is the first year I will be parking a carbureted car for the winter. My 1992 Miata is fuel injected and does not have the same problems as a carburated car just need a little Marvel Mystery oil to lube up the injectors in the fuel system while they sit over 6 months.

My snow blower I used to do the same thing for summer months drain it dry and with an ounce of Marvel Mystery Oil to lube it up on the last tank to keep it from drying out. The First year which was 2012 I did not drain it and the Ethanol Fuel ate thru the seals and ended up replacing the carburetor. Well not yet the new carb is still sitting in my car ready to replace it for this winter. The Snow blower is sitting a buddies house will not go into divorce story but could not drain the fuel that spring. I will throw a new carb on it so he can use it this winter. He had fuel everywhere in his garage last winter after it sat all last summer. He could not use my snow blower while storing it for me. I need to get over there this month and install a new carb on it. Ethanol is bad stuff which is why I am going to use the new Sta-Bil Storage for Ethanol fuel this year in my Vette.

I do need to rebuild the carb on my 1977 so I will wait till spring to do it.

MakoJoe

I have a battery disconnect switch on the Vette and battery tenders are great also use them. The battery will get deposits on them if not used in long periods of time than decrease the life of the battery. My Miata is also parked every year and I disconnect the battery and put a tender on it to keep it hot or working with a few milliamps of a battery tender.

By disconnecting the battery and using a tender on my Maita the 7 year battery I bought for it is going on 5 years old and still pumping out the amps every spring. This is the first year I am parking a Vette and bought this spring.

AdamMeh

Winter means we finally get to drive our cars lol. Winterizing is putting gas in it and fixing without dying in 110 degree heat

MakoJoe

Thinking I will run it dry Ethanol is really bad for seals if they sit for long periods of time. As one of the other dudes say and I say

Wishing I lived somewhere they did not put it into the fuel. Eats away and causes damage. Darn fuel regulations in high Altitiude regions of the country. Colorado only has a few gas stations that do not put Ethanol in the fuel and it is only on high Octane fuels. Asked this question months ago and the list is small then nowhere near where I live. Everything else is 10 % Ethanol mixture.

MakoJoe

Yea I wish but up here in Colorado we get winter and lots of it with lots of snow

When I was younger and did not have to deal with city traffic used to love to take my rear wheel drive cars out in the winter and just spin them around in a parking lot sliding around to practice. Now a days when I want to play in the snow I turn off my traction control and pull the hand brake on my Mazda 3 and can perform a complete 360 on ice and snow. If no other cars are around me I just play to practice on surface streets so when a situation comes up will not hit any one. Play mostly in parking lots on snow and ice. Too much fun.

Once applied to Bridgestones driving course in bridgestone driving school steamboat springs Colorado and they rejected me because I told them what I was going to do to their cars while they were attempting to teach me how to drive in the snow

I wanted to know how I could use their cars to Drift in the Snow.

daanbc

For me it's taking the T-Tops off and not using the A/C.!

MakoJoe

When I lived in JawJa "Georgia" That was the deal no A/C enjoy the sun and fun till December through March. Few cold days in there but Cold regions of the country park for 4 to 6 months

We have to winterize As much as we hate it till the winter months are over

Mike Ward

I've been storing my car over the winter for the last 20 years with a full tank of E10 in it and NO stabil or anything else..............

Carb shows no signs of the sky falling. Starts first turn of the key every spring.................