When you guys go oversees or on deployment for extended periods of time how do you un-store your car? I know its good to get it in a stable climate garage with a fuel stabilizer/ battery tender. Anything else here?

But when it comes time to fire her up again after 5 or 6 months what is the procedure? I know its bad for seals and things to sit for so long but sometimes their isn't any other way. Is their a procedure to get her going again without putting to much stress on everything?

Thanks

Trace

 

Here is what I do;

1) Pump tires up to 35 psi to avoid flat spots.
2) Fill tank, add gas stabilizer
3) Change oil
4) Disconnect battery

When I get back
1) Reconnect battery (charge overnight)
2) Check tire pressures
3) Pull coil wire or HEI battery wire. Crank till you get oil pressure. Reconnect coil and fire it up.
4) Drive it and change oil.

I have had mine sit anywhere from 4-8 months with no issues. On my sixth time doing this.

 

I'm not in the military but both of my vettes sit in the garage in storage all winter long. They typically sit 5-6 months (beginning of Nov to March or April depending on weather)

I fill the fuel tanks to full, park them, put on the battery tender, put the car covers on and they sit.

in the spring i uncover them, drive them to work where we have lifts and I change the oil. drive them home and do my yearly "tune-up". The '65 gets new points and condensor, I check dwell and timing and she is good for the year. The '78 I check the timing and she is good for the year.

Storage for periods of only approx 5-6 months or so, basically less than a year, is no big deal at all. Just keep the battery charged up is the biggest thing really. Other than that there is no major concerns to worry about. Seals/gaskets, etc are not going to dry up and be destroyed in that amount of time.

 

Six months is not a long time to let a car sit and I agree with the above recommendations. BTW, congrads on your graduation and thanks for serving.

 

We used to store our cars in a hanger on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I had a Holley DP carb so I would loosen each end bowl to drain them. I put fuel stabilizer in the tank before the short drive to the base. Disconnect the batter cable. Jack stands are a good idea to let your suspension and tires get a rest.


Make sure that you have good antifreeze to keep corrosion down.

 

Another item to consider is to drive the car a few miles before you park it. That will heat the exhaust system up to get rid of any moisture that would otherwise sit in the pipes during the storage months.

 

when i left for overseas for 13 mos. i didnt do anything besides fuel stabilizer, which i heard loses effectivness anyway after that long.

 

I stored two C3's for three years in a warehouse. I drained the fuel from the carbs removed and removed the batteries. Came back three years later, installed new batteries and drove home. Never had any problem with either car nor had any indication of degradation.

Helpful hints. After draining the fuel bowls, retighten the bowls. I only tightened one cars fuel bowls finger tight. Of course when I returned I had forgotten all about that. Driving the car home, I had fuel flowing over the top of the engine. Lucky it didn't catch fire.

When you store your car, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right (i.e. turn right). This tucks up almost all of the chrome shaft, of the PS power ram, into the ram cylinder. This is to prevent corrosion of the chrome shaft.

I stored both cars with pure antifreeze for collant. No water.

I would have liked to store both cars with a full tank of gas to prevent condensation. However, the people that ran the warehouse wanted me to store the cars with the gas tanks at near empty. They didn't want anything with large amounts of gasoline in their warehouse.

 

It would be great if you can get anyone (you trust) to drive it every month or so. I make sure that I have a full tank of gas with stabil, fresh oil for acidity reasons, fresh anti-freeze, and disconnect the battery. If you can get a battery tender great, if not, a few months will not hurt the battery if it's disconnected.

That's what I do prior to my deployments.

 

Change the oil, fill it was gas to prevent condensation, check the radiator fluid. Call home when I can and get the wife to go start it and run it for awhile. That doesnt work, I get my brother to come over and start it. Last time I was in Iraq, everytime I called home I asked my wife had she started the IROC, and she said yes. I came home on leave after about 6 months and found where the mice had chewed through the wiring harness on the engine. She said she had been starting it with no problems..... hence, I give my little brother the keys to my shop now.

 

Great topic and couldn't be better timing. I was about to ask a similar question. I just got orders for Yokuska Japan. I'll be there for three years. Great tips on the storing and unstoring. But WHERE do you store it? Apparently the Navy has some storage facilities where they will run your car every so often just to keep the fluids moving around. My brother has also offered his caretaking services. I don't necessarily trust a storage facility, although I have spoke with people that used the service and had no problems. While my brother is a car guy I know the way he drives, and I just hate to let other people drive my baby. So anyway, did you guys just rent a storage facility and let her sit?
-CR

 

I've done this more times than I care to remember during a 31 year tour in the Marine Corps.

My last long term storage involved a 1985 Corvette that had just over 5k miles on it. I purchased a 22' Wells Cargo to store the car in and left it at my Dad's shop. I assumed that he would start it periodically for me so I did nothing with the gas tank, just left it half full but did disconnect the battery. Well he wasn't inclined to start the car and after 12 months I had the trailer moved to another location where it would be a bit more secure.

My 3 year tour turned into another 3 years and finally after this I returned to the states. Unfortunately I had no room to store the car so it sat in the trailer for an additional 3 years. Finally built a home with a large enough garage to bring the '85 out of storage at that point.

After 9 years total, I found that the fuel pump had rusted solid. After draining all of the gas and installing a new fuel pump assembly and a new battery the car started right up. The only other problem was the clutch slave was passing fluid so I replaced that. It has now been another 7 years and 3,000 more miles and the car performs beautifully.

I had looked into a storage facility for the '85 early on and the best price I could get was $125 a month for inside secure storage. I figured that in 3 years the trailer would be half paid for so that convinced me to purchase it. Needless to say after 9 years the trailer owed me nothing and it has been one of the best investments I made during my time in the service. As anyone who's done time in the military can attest, you never seem to have enough storage for toys like Corvettes and tools so an enclosed trailer is like having your own (additional) garage where ever you go.

Ironically I bought the battery, a new Delco, in 2001 ( ) for the car. Last week while doing some long overdue preventive maintenance on it, I discovered that the Delco was leaking acid out the positive side terminal. It's not the total mess you have with a C5, but it's a mess never-the-less. The battery was still holding a charge when I disconnected it too. I have a Battery MINDer that I rotate between the vehicles every couple of weeks and attribute the Delco's long life to that. But now it's time for an Orbital AGM.

Good luck... GUSTO

 

Good advise. Thank all of you who served and are still serving.

 

I've deployed twice since I bought mine.

First time, I had a garage at my apartment complex, so all I did was simply fill up the tank, put it on jack stands and remove the battery.

When I returned after 4 months, I dropped her back down on all fours, installed battery (not on a tender mind you), cranked her over, and there she ran.

Second time, I parked her in my cousin's back yard, not on jack stands. Removed the battery, and he put it on a tender.

When I returned after 7 months this time, put the battery back in, cranked her right up.

Still runs fine to this day.

Good luck with yours.

 

I just let her sit...not for 3 years straight! Get someone to run her or turn her over. Riding her hard and putting her away wet (someone driving inappropriate) is better than sitting for 3 years.

 

Awesome, thanks for all the help guys. I knew there would be lots of good advice on the topic... It's also very relieving to know how robust these cars/engines can be. Now lets just hope she won't be sitting too long...

Thanks again,
Trace

 

I agree with most everybody on here except, I would put mine on jackstands every time I went TDY for more than a 2-3 month period.

 

I have mine in the garage and have the wife start them for me, as I know she will start them if she didnt my back up is a friend to come over that is a car nut that will do it for me.

I havent had any real problems with storage around here since I have a garage but I did leave the ZR-1 outside and the 68 was in the garage

 

Lots of good info here, but seems like most has to do with a year or less storage. My 71 will be in storage for 3 years. I don't have anyone who can start/drive it periodically (I would prefer this, but oh well...). My plan is to store it in a 10x20 enclosed storage unit (Uhaul, Public Storage, etc). It'll be in Colorado, so at least it's a dry climate. I was thinking it would be best to drain all fluids minus the gas, but reading above is making me think. Here's what I was planning on doing:

1. Draining the anti-freeze/water and oil I have in it right now
2. Leaving full tank of gas with stabil, trans and rear diff fluid (both changed very recently)
3. Just taking the carb off all together and draining it (seal it up in plastic/box)
4. Seal up the intake and exhaust with plastic to prevent moisture from getting in
5. Put car up on jack stands to take pressure of suspension/tires (the only thing that worries me about this is 3 yrs of this causing body flex, frame damage/stress, etc?)
6. Protect interior with moth *****
7. Place mouse traps around outside of car
8. Cover it

Is there anything I'm missing or you guys would recommend doing differently? Any steps I'm doing that are unecessary? Thanks for all the help!

 

Let me start by thanking you servicemen for your service and keeping our country great, with that said you can feel free to leave your cars with me I will drive them all you want. I'm out of garage space but I would drive them.