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Time to Winterize

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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 03:27 PM
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Default Time to Winterize

I am going to put her away in a couple weeks and I was wondering if I'm missing anything. I have been storing her for the Chicago winters the past two years and this is what I have done. She gets to rest in one of my father-in-law's outbuildings on his Farm in WI. It is a steel building and he keeps his mint 67 Corvette and some equipment.

1. Fresh oil change
2. Stabil in a full gas tank
3. Wash
4. Remove Redtop battery and store it in a heated basement
5. Put a brick of steel wool in each exhaust outlet (mice protection?)
6. Cover

This year I am afraid of mice because they ate into a bag of seed that he was storing in there. I don't know how they got in, the building is very nice. I am now worried about my baby.

What can I do to keep them from making a home?
Should I think about putting some sort of desiccant in the interior?
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 03:37 PM
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If your father-in-law doesn't have cats or other animals in the garage, but some rat poison under your Vette's engine bay . Apparently little critters like making homes in the A/C system.
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 03:44 PM
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Does anyone use these???

http://www.goldenroddehumidifiers.co...ifications.htm
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 03:45 PM
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You've made a good start. But if it's an "out" building on a farm, I'd do a little more for mice control. I pull my fuel rail covers off (seems like that would be a good place for them to nest), then I lay a few dryer sheets around the engine compartment. Some suggest spreading mothballs around, but I don't want that odor in my garage. But in a farm building, maybe could spread them around and under the car.

I would also recommend parking on wood boards, and pumping 5-10 extra psi in tires. I also put 4 bags fo dissicant in the interior, one in each foot area and one in each rear corner of trunk. New for this year, I'm also going to lay a dryer sheet on top of each tire!

Good luck.
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 03:54 PM
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How about this?

http://www.zorb-it.com/usermods/faq.asp
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Quick Silver Z
I have one in my Gun Safe!
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Old Oct 26, 2007 | 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted by CHUXDRM
You've made a good start. But if it's an "out" building on a farm, I'd do a little more for mice control. I pull my fuel rail covers off (seems like that would be a good place for them to nest), then I lay a few dryer sheets around the engine compartment. Some suggest spreading mothballs around, but I don't want that odor in my garage. But in a farm building, maybe could spread them around and under the car.

I would also recommend parking on wood boards, and pumping 5-10 extra psi in tires. I also put 4 bags for desiccant in the interior, one in each foot area and one in each rear corner of trunk. New for this year, I'm also going to lay a dryer sheet on top of each tire!

Good luck.
This is an outstanding strategy
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 12:55 AM
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Default minus 20 degree winters................

For your situation I would place a blue plastic or equivilant trap on the floor under your Vette then add the risers. This keeps moisture from seeping up.

I use dessicant bags but a couple of plastic pans with baking soda will work as well for moisture in the interior.


Decon mice bait works well when placed under the hood. We don't have mice but my RV friends , who store during the winter swear by it.


Add maximum tire psi or remove the tires. I raise the car slightly, just enough to remove some weight off the tires and leave the tires on.

The other suggestions added to your own will help you thru the winter.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 05:28 AM
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I agree with everyone else.

For the mice, go artound the whole building outside and check for cracks in the foundation, check doors, garage doors etc for anytype of crack over an 1/8 of an inch that is open. Mice have cartalidge(sp)not bone. If they can get there head in they can manipulate there body to squeeze in.

I had a mouse problem in my garage about a week ago, put out traps etc and they continued to come in. I called pest control and found they were coming in in a crack by the garage door. I put some steel wool there and the mice are gone.
If your going to lay traps, set them along the walls of the inside of the building, mice have poor eye sight and will use the walls to find there way.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 06:40 AM
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I've been putting bars of Irish Spring soap in my car and around the engine compartment for several years and haven't had a mice problem. I'm not sure if it'll work on Wisconsin mice, but it's worked well for me. My only concern about using poison is that the mice will eat it and then die somewhere in the car, leaving a rather unpleasant odor come spring.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 04:14 PM
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Its been recommended to me, and I have used electronic mouse deterrents after having trouble w/mice in a garage. Just plug one or two in ac outlets and they seem to work.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 06:32 PM
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Here's a very well kept secret to keep mice away..............Bounce dryer sheets. Put them around your car, in your car, anywhere you don't want mice. They'll eat through the steel wool in the exhaust. I didn't believe that Bounce sheets would work till I tried it. I live in PA and store my car from Nov to April and the Bounce sheets really do work.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by CHUXDRM
You've made a good start. But if it's an "out" building on a farm, I'd do a little more for mice control. I pull my fuel rail covers off (seems like that would be a good place for them to nest), then I lay a few dryer sheets around the engine compartment. Some suggest spreading mothballs around, but I don't want that odor in my garage. But in a farm building, maybe could spread them around and under the car.

I would also recommend parking on wood boards, and pumping 5-10 extra psi in tires. I also put 4 bags fo dissicant in the interior, one in each foot area and one in each rear corner of trunk. New for this year, I'm also going to lay a dryer sheet on top of each tire!
Excellent advice. Do the above in addition to what you normally do and you should be all set.
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Old Oct 27, 2007 | 10:59 PM
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I did the winterization thing these past 3 days. Drove from Chicago to OKC to Las Cruces to Tucson. Came down for spring training 3 months early.
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