I need to store my 99 TA for 12-18 months in my garage. Whats the best way to do it?

 

You will want to fill the tank before it is parked. This prevents moisture from being able to enter the tank (some STABIL wouldn't hurt either). It is also recommended that you change the oil because as oil is used it becomes slightly acidic and you don't want it sitting in you pan for months on end. If you can, take the weight off the suspension too. What I like to do is get some cinder blocks and rest the frame on those (with a board between the blocks and frame). You can also lower the tire pressure to about 15 psi, assuming that the weight is taken off of them.

Will this car be outside or in a garage? Regardless, I like to keep it covered so that dust doesn't build up and you are less likely to get scratches or fading/dash damage due to the sun. Make sure to clean it inside and out too so that there isn't anything inside that could attract rodents.

 

When I store my car, I usually change the oil, top off the gas tank, add some Stabil to the gas tank, air up the tires, and give the car a fresh coat of wax.

 

The car is designed to sit on its suspension, so that is where I leave it when I store it. I start by filling the gas tank and then put down a large piece of visqueen and park the car on top of it. Once the car is parked indoors, I remove the antenna and battery, cover it with a nice car cover and then I pull up the edges of the visqueen and duct tape them over the top of the car. This prevents moisture from the ground working its way up into the car. I only store my car 5 months at a time, so I dont bother with sta-bil. I've never had problems with my tires getting flat spots either. It comes out perfect every spring. I unwrap it, install the battery and antenna and bring it home, change the oil and it is all set to go. I store the battery at home in my warm basement on a shelf under a work bench, not on the concrete floor. I put it on a charger for a couple hours prior to going out to get the car.

If I was storing it for a longer time period, I would put it on 4 donut spares and store my good wheels seperately. I might even coat them in petrolium jelly to prevent them from dry-rotting. I'd also put sta-bil in the gas. You can also consider getting some silica packets and placing them in the interior. For extended time periods you could also remove the spark plugs and put some marvel mystery oil in the cylinders to keep the rings fresh.

 

Won't the fuel damage anything sitting in there for 18 months and what about the coolant?

 

Thats the whole point of using the Stabil (fuel stabilizer). As for the coolant, if it is very old, then it wouldn't hurt to flush it and put in some fresh stuff before storing it away.

 

marvel mystery oil who sells this stuff?

 

pretty much any auto parts store should have Mystery Oil.