Long Term Storage

[Bill B.]

My job is taking me the middle east for 18 months. I have a 65 coupe, 327/300. I can find plenty of advice in the archives for winter storage but nothing about long term storage. The Vette will be in my unheated garage. Temps get down to only 25 or 30 degrees in the winter and that is the extreme. Summer temps are around 90, lots of rain in the winter and dry and unhumid in the summer. I am seeking advice on how to store the car. I plan on disconnecting the battery and not having the car started at all during my absense. Should I use a car cover? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Bill Bonnichsen

[Duke W.]

Re: Long Term Storage

I consider short term storage to be up to two years, so follow the advice for winter storage, plus a little more. Change the antifreeze (use Zerex G-05) and brake fluid, full fuel, fresh motor oil, TP to the maximum placarded on the sidewall or at least 35 psi. Disconnect the battery, and if you charge it monthly or leave a Battery Tender installed and the battery is no more than four years old, it will probably be serviceable when you return. If you don't maintain the battery, just count on buying a new one when you return.

Use a "breatheable car oover, and as you probaby read in the archives the most IMPORTANT storage prep is to protect the car against rodents.

Hopefully you can arrange to have someone inspect the garage periodically to check for rodent activity and top up the tires.

Duke

[Dale S.]

Re: Long Term Storage

We store a Nordic boat and a 64 volkswagon car in our garage in Canada. We use the bottom third of a plastic pop container. We put moth balls in them. We put them in the car, under the hood(trunk) and in the engine compartment. We put 2 containers under the boat cover, one in the engine compartment and one in the passenger seating area. We also use this in our house in the cabinets and around the rooms. We have had no rodent damage or nests in the past 11 years. The smell does air out. We put out baited traps to see if they come in. Hope this can save someone some of the upolstery and wiring damage we previously had. Dale

[Bill E.]

Re: Long Term Storage

Bill, you might want to consider using a fuel stabilizer and a crankcase oil stabilizer for aditional protection. These are readily available at marine stores. Also, there have been some recent posts about the new gas blends affect on fuel tanks during storage that you might want to check out. Bill