I've never have done anything to my Cobra for storing it(garage) over the winter, but I think I should be. What do you guy's do(if any) to prep your car for about 4 months of storage over the winter?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
How to prep car 4 winter/storage?
- Thread starter KC/COBRA
- Start date
I keep my cars garaged, under a cover all year, as well as winter, check the water levels in the battery, disconnect the battery, fill up the gas tank, pour some sta-bil into the tanks, check the tire pressure, and then put a can of damp-rid on the inside to absorb any moisture. I have done this for a lot of years and it seems to work very well. During the winter I will also uncover it and wipe it down when/if the weather gets nice enough. 4-6 months is a long time to go w/o saying hi to the stangs. I also keep my garage heated to around 58-62. Hope this helps.
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Why do you fill the tank? So the inside of the tank doesn't rust?
I do it for two reasons. 1 - prevent as much condensation in the tank as possible (more gas, longer it takes to go bad etc). 2 - I feel a little better having less area for fume build up during the duration that my car is in storage.
My winter storage routine is very similar. Wash, wax, vacuum, change oil/filter, run tank down and refill with fresh fuel (add sta-bil), remove battery store in warm place (unheated NH garages get mighty cold), air up tires, place fresh bar of Irish Spring inside car (believe it or not, it seems to keep the mice out and it doesn't stink like moth balls), cover and forget about it until spring.
Regarding mice, I generally will put a mouse trap in the car about a week before I do all of the above. This allows me to see if any of those little bastards have found a new way in. If you do this, be sure to put the trap on a rubber mat or something that will prevent mouse blood from staining your carpet or mats. You may say, I don't have mice in the garage, so I've got nothing to worry about. If you think this, set a trap in the garage and see. In the past 3 years, I've only had one where they weren't.
Regarding mice, I generally will put a mouse trap in the car about a week before I do all of the above. This allows me to see if any of those little bastards have found a new way in. If you do this, be sure to put the trap on a rubber mat or something that will prevent mouse blood from staining your carpet or mats. You may say, I don't have mice in the garage, so I've got nothing to worry about. If you think this, set a trap in the garage and see. In the past 3 years, I've only had one where they weren't.
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Hey, where can you buy Damp-Rid?
Lowe's
In regards to the battery, I see most are saying disconnect and remove. I have found that wherever the battery is stored, in the car connected or disconnected, out of the car, however it is stored, a battery tender plus is the best purchase that can be made to extend the life of a battery. The "plus" model monitors and adjusts, to keep the battery at its optimum charged level which keeps the plates clean. 3 out of 5 of my Cobra's still have their original Motorcraft batteries that still start the cars on a somewhat regular basis (every couple of months), 2 of the original batteries are 13 years old, the other is almost 8. <<<For original assy. line batteries that are supposed to be 3/36 warranty, they are doing well (knock on plastic!!). All of my cars get their battery tender attached once the engine cools down, shut the hood and cover the car. They are usually stored for extended periods of time.
There is a lesser model battery tender, I think it is about $10 cheaper. It is more like a regular charger with a shut-off limit. The difference with the "plus" model is that it cycles during storage.
R
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Robert, good catch. Maintaining battery condition is an absolute must.
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