Just wondering what other folks north of the Mason Dixon are doing to prepare for winter. I was going to go with a shot of Stabile and an oil change. As far as the oil change goes, I was told I don't need to stick with the same expensive oil I run in the car, since I'll be changing it out again when she comes out of storage. If that's the case, what's a safe alternative? I currently run Valvoline's VR-1 20W-50.

Any other tips?

Bring on the snow. I'm ready for sledding.

 

i would drive it on a cold clear day for a while.... fuel stabilizer is a great idea, definitely check the antifreze to make sure its got the correct mixture, top off all fluids,may be disconnect battery, make sure you have rodent protection around the car....... but most importantly i think regular exercise is good for it. ican see not wanting to drive it in the snow or salty roads but there are plenty of days that are just cold with clear roads... pick one every 3 weeks and go out for a 30 minute drive...

 

I drive mine througtout the winter and I think this is one of the main reasons why I've had so few problems with my car...it runs great year round. When there is no snow or snow runoff on the streets (and hopefully little salt) I take it around the subdivision a couple of times. I first let it warm-up in the garage for 5 or so minutes (with the garage door open!) and then just cruise the sub. Generally, this means I drive it at least every two weeks or so. In late fall I change the oil and check the radiator fluid.

 

This is what I would do:
Change the oil just before you put it away. Run the car up to full operating temp and just park it. You do not need to change the oil again in the spring as it has not been in there running long enough to get contaminated. Check the anti-freeze and add the Stabil to the tank right before you top it off. Use a battery tender if you have one. Removing the battery is hard on the clock I believe. Pump the tires up a few pounds over pressure and that's about it.

I probably will not store my car. We don't get much snow here and sunny days happen once in a while.

-Mark.

 

A. Best if kept in a heated garage

B. Change oil and filter just prior to putting the car up. This gives the motor a good oil film protection internally

C. Wash and clean car completely, including the wheel wells. Clean the interior really well, make sure of no food scraps.

D. Check antifreeze protection for minus 30 strength. Flush and add fresh coolant if dirty.

E. Clean garage or storage area where car is to be stored, and keep no mouse food available, such as bird seed or dog food. Put plastic sheeting on the floor for a moisture barrier.

F. Best to install a good quality car cover

G. Don't use the car as a storage shelf.

H. Disconnect the negative battery cable when not in use.

I. Do not start the car weekly or monthly. It is NOT good for the motor. Just let the motor sit until spring, it will be just fine.

J. Make sure the gas is fresh when storing. Add stabilizer if storing for more then 6 months.

K. Inflate tires to proper pressure or 5 lbs. above proper pressure

 

I keep seeing conflicting info on storing. I was told not to change the oil, because it'll just need to be changed in the spring, and also was told to start the car in the winter, and to pump the brakes a little, for the brake seals? So should the car be started or not? Why or why not? Also should the oil be changed, I changed it in the spring May, but only drove the car about 1500 miles? Sorry if I'm robbing the post. I guess I'm confused.
Thanks for the info.

 

The reason you change the oil is because driving the car will cause contamination of the oil especialy if the car is driven on lots of short trips. The old oil should not be allwed to sit in the crankcase for the winter because the contamination will hurt the engine parts. That is the reason for the change anyway. You change it not because of the miles but because of the stuff that accumulates while running is corrosive. The reason you change it right before you store it is so you get the contaminated oil out of there. The oil does not degrade during storage so there is no need to change it in the spring when you take it out of mothballs. It has a very long shelf life and there is no difference if it is in the bottle or in the crankcase as long as it is fresh.

Do not start it periodicaly. The most engine wear occurs at cold startup so why aggravate the situation? You probably will not run the car long enough to get it to full operating temp anyway so this defeats the purpose of protecting the engine. Leave it sit and fire it up again in the spring. No spring oil change required this way either.

As for pumping the brake pedal, it sounds like a good idea for the seals. Can't hurt and it is free so have at it.

Hope this helps,

-Mark.

 

I agree that cold starts are hard on the eng but you do it with your daily driver most everyday so once a month or so isn't going to shorten the eng life drasticaly. Besides I like to drive my vette so why not drive it as many times as possible?

 

My opinions on this were pretty well stated in my post. The one concern many people have is starting the car once a month. To each his own, but keep in mind every time you shut it off moisture will collect in the engine and exhaust system. Doesn't matter if you run it for an hour or only a couple minutes. Change the oil, top off the tank, and store it. The engine will be just fine for 6 months or so. If you expect to store it for several years it might not hurt to fog the engine with marine fogging fluid. The wetted surface of the brake seals are always wet, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to me that you would need to periodically pump the brakes, but I don't believe it could hurt anything. The brakes would be the least of my worries, the biggest is critters getting in the car and making a mess, See part "E".

 

I agree with most thoughts in this post, except for the heated garage.
It is my opinion that a heated garage can lead to unneccesary
corrosion and rust. Warm air tends to hold more moisture.
Cold air is inherently dry (unless it is snowing). Also, below
freezing, and the moisture is in a form that won't form rust (ice).

So, I would say a cold garage is better in that respect.

Most peopel will use what they have (heated or not).
I can't see someone heating that garage just for the vette.

That said, I need to drive my friend's 73 back to his garage
before the rain and snow set in tonight.

 

Sorry, but I have to repectfully dissagree. Keeping a steady temperature will prevent condensation from forming. Changes in the weather can cause the garage to warm up faster then the steel components on a car, so condensation may form on those cool surfaces. Heated garages will also stay dryer. I keep mine at a steady 55 day and night.