Its getting close to that time of year for us Northerner's and I'm new to game. What's the best way to winterize my 1982 Corvette so I have no problems out of the gate next spring. I'm looking for recomendations on gas stabilization, trickle chargers, moisture protection, finish protection and any other suggestions.

 

Drive it on the nice days!

 

buy a big bottle of Stabil for the gas. depending on the winter sometimes I never put mine away, as long as there isn't any salt on the street. and even if it gets snowy and crappy, I still start mine up and run it up and down my snow-cleared driveway just to keep all the seals in the tranny from leaking, etc. Some years some months are very mild, I have driven my Vette w/o the T-tops in every month during the year thanks to warm, freak winter days, maybe a little chilly but not freezing my **** off either.

 

Here in Michigan, we do get some good days without salt dust on the roads, but for the most part, it sits. I use Stabil in the gas, try to run it at least once a month - somehow - out of the garage, and long enought to dry out the exhaust system. A short run will cause a lot of water to collect in the exhaust and oil. Better to just not run it if that is the case. Storage ills include leaking power steering seals and frozen brake calipers.

Stabilize Fuel.
Change oil and lube chassis.
Wax finish and keep under light cover (bedsheet or car cover that breathes). Treat leather seats with conditioner.
Push on brake pedal weekly to keep calipers free.
If it's on blocks (advised), rotate wheels to keep bearings "fresh".
When starting (if you do) turn steering full left and right a few times to keep seals pushed up and oiled. If not it may take a few drives before the drips stop in the spring.
Keep the mice out of the interior and engine area (more important than you think!!
Move battery to warm spot and top up charge monthly, or keep an eye on it in the car. Or use a maintainer (cheap at places like Harbor Freight, but watch the water level anyway).
Pray for an early spring !

That should get you by
Pray for an early spring.......

 

All good suggestions above. For you chrome bumper guys, I always spread a thin layer of a good quality chrome polish on all the exterior chrome, but don't entirely remove the haze. Here in the midwest...condensation in an unheated garage always collects on metal parts.
Eddie

 

I live way out in the country on a farm where the mice and shrews like to eat apart your wiring, make nests in your airclearers, give birth under your seats, and like to crap in your dash (giving you a reason to take it apart in the spring). My question is, what, if anything, can be done to prevent them or deter them from infesting my car.

Thanks,
David

 

Inside a garage ??? Just rat-proof the wall vents,especially the low ones(fine mesh screen)then install rubber seals on doors to close gap at bottom...Mice/rats can come through a 1/2" opening...use glue traps along base of walls....

 

I always stuff rags in the exhaust pipes. I had a montorcycle once where the exhaust was viewed as a nesting cave to the mice.

 

I've seen what is essentially a big plastic bag that you drive the car into. I'd think that this would work. Actually the bag comes with a electric powered dehumidifier I think. Don't much more details because I don't do much more than glance at the ad.

 

Get a cat!!!

 

Poison helps. I also use traps, and check them frequently to reset them and get rid of the dead. Some say those electronic pest deterents work, but the jury is still out on that. Dead mice can't get into the car. It's hard to close off a garage that is used daily, because they WILL get in. Check the car often! Winter isn't that long.

 

I don't anything particularly different in the winter months.

I wait for a dry day over 40F degrees and fire it up and take it for a 30 minute ride. Get it up to highway speed for part of that time.

In between these rides, I simply disconnect the battery to prevent needless drain.

That's it. Nothin' special. I don't believe in storing it in a coccoon for 6mths.

 

Forgot to mention in the above message...

I change the oil in November to 10W-40. During the summer months I use 20W-50.

 

David,
Sheets of Bounce (the fabric softener for clothes dryers) located up the tailpipes, under the seats, in the engine compartment, etc.) will deter some rodents. They don't like the smell.

 

I had to deal with this in the last couple of months and the wife wouldn't let me use the .45.... Once I chased the little critters out of the car, I put Bounce sheets and mothballs around and they have stayed out of the usual hiding places...so far...

They really like that nice big cavity under the Parking Brake console.

 

Thanks for the mice advice. I personally have had negative experiences with mice posion in the past (dog got into it once and had to give him some hydrogenperoxide to make him throw it up, and once it killed the mouse, only after he found a nice home in the dash of my minivan). My grandpa also told me to put fabric softner sheets in the car everywhere to keep them out, but I never heard that anywhere before, guess it can't hurt. I will also try the mothballs, again, can't hurt any. Got a few stray cats that come and go, so hopefully they like the taste of mice. Maybe I put a few dozen traps all around the car too, kill the mice before they get in.

Thanks for the tips guys,
David

 

David another thing to remember, even though it's winter, is to run the A/C for little bit when you crank up the car. Another thing you may want to consider depending on how long you are going to let it sit is something to protect tires from flat spots. I don't think they will be hurt in a few months, but I really don't know how long it takes either. If you want to avoid all of this, move down here where I live, then you just have to worry about hurricanes, but you can drive it year round other than that. Speaking of that there is another one out there right now and it ends in "A" katrinA ritA wilmA I think I'm seeing a pattern here .

ltlevil
~30 miles west of where New Orleans used to be.

 

Move to Florida, or Texas or Arizona and keep on driving it.

Orville

 

Or move to the capital of Texas-Baton Rouge

ltlevil

 

Hi,
All of the above is good advice. I also pull my battery out and connect a "float" charger to it. Keeps the battery from going dead. Also, the ECM in the 82 is located in the battery compartment. Keeping the ECM away from battery acid for the winter probably isn't a bad thing.
Regards,
Tom