started to snow here today for a little. and the roads were salted i may have to rush and get the camaro into my buddys farm garage early.

im planning on getting gas stabelizer and the fluids changed (oil, diff, coolant) and pulling the plugs and shooting oil in there, as well as putting bounty sheets inside and around the car to keep mice and squirrels etc out. what else should i do?

 

remove the battery and keep it in a dry and warm place.

make sure your tires are inflated properly

a good wash and wax or basic polish is a good idea.

a cover if you feel it's necessary. i don't use one but i don't really have to leave it anywhere there could be problems.

there are many other things that can be done but really only the basics are worth doing like the stabilizer, new fluids, etc.

 

Ive never had to store a car over a winter before (im 17 and just bought the car this summer go me!) And im probably only a couple weeks away from having to do it....Okay so you say a gas stabilizer is a good idea and that makes sense....As far as fluids go within the last 3 weeks i did the differential fluid should i bother doing it again? And when you do the oil change do you need to do the filter? And when you put the new oil in should you let the car run with it in for a minute or two or just let the new stuff sit in there....Walk me through everything i should do guys i dont want to mess this up.

 

This is what I do

wash her 1st and dry then dump stabilizer in gas tank

start it up pour oil down the carb till it stalls

jack her up put jack stands under the rear frame and front frame and put a sicor jack under the engine cross member

take wheels and tires off and put them in garbage bags and lay them in cool dry spot

plug all enterences and exits to the motor wrap air breather in bag and put it back on carb

put box of baking soda in the car to suck up oders

oil and wrap brakes in plastic bags

disconect battery

cover her with her car cover for the winter

Oct 31 is when my Zed is going to sleep for the winter



I hate winter

 

Chris:

The love you have for your car is just phenominal. Hahahaha...to do all that for winter. Kick ***, bro.

As for me, winter is the best time to cruise in the southeast. The air is colder (50s and 60s ) and dense, and the humidity is real low. Yeah, that snow, ice and salt must SUCK!!!

(i lived up north for 12 years too, i know how it kills the toys)

Keep 'em SAFE!!!!

 

Thanx it`s better than letting her rott out in the snow at least she can spend the winter in a garage this year

Must be nice to drive your baby all year round. At least I can save money by going to a 2.8L S-10 for the winter

 

where are good frame locations to put stands by? When i usually jack my car up i put stands by the front suspension and rear axel but i wouldnt want to leave it up like that all winter....nor would i want to leave the suspension unloaded during the winter.

 

I have two camaros that sit out side during the winter months around here.
This is what I do.

First of all wash the car & clean it in side & out.Make sure that there is no water or wettness in the car before I lock her up. I also get a contaner that has some catlitter poke holes in the bottom & put them in diff locations through out the car. (even with the car covers my car seems to draw moistness)
fill the tank & put gas stablizer in her. Cover her with a soft sheet then the car cover (making sure I use the lock.)

then once amonth I go out unlock the car make sure there is no dampness in the car if there is & the roads are good then I take the car out for a fast 20 mile drive.

 

don't worry about the diff.

the only reason you would want to change fluids is typically to keep contaminated fluids from sitting which could cause damage. fresh fluids are just a better idea. i change the oil unless it's recent and make sure everything is topped off well.

depending on the situation putting things like cilica packets or baking soda to contain any sort of condensation isn't necessary but it's easy to do so it's just an added step. putting your car on jack stands doesn't help in any way. making sure your tires are inflated properly is just fine. sure you could go on and on with things that are better suited for long storage over a few years but for winter you don't need to go that in depth.

look at it simply. you add stabilizer because with all the new chemicals in gas it doesn't last as long so while it sits the stabilizer helps prevent the gas from turning into sludge which causes problems. you disconnect the battery to kill power to vehicle. there is always a slight drain on the battery and the cold will really kill a battery so it's best to disconnect and put the battery somewhere warm. lastly you inflate the tires to keep them from getting flat spots and i already explained what the fluids were for. don't stress so much over it!

 

where can i get some cilica bags?

 

i always have some from packaging....some stores that sell packaging material will carry them as well. other then that i couldn't tell you.

 

well my garage is attatched to the house. so all i did last year was start her up every night. i always let her run till the radatior fans kick on. the thing im wondering about is should i oil the brakes i plan on taking it out a few times to get it to and from performance shops but changing the fluids all but coolant is what i will do.

 

starting the car for short periods of time in cold weather isn't a good idea.....

best chances are if the weather breaks enough and you feel you can drive it for an extended period otherwise leave it alone. the winter months aren't long enough to cause seal problems and if your engine is in bad enough shape that it can you still aren't helping. running the engine for short amounts of time in the cold can cause more harm then good.

storing a car in the winter doesn't have to be a hassle, a few simple things are all that's needed.