| Zero | -- 11-27-2018 @ 6:12 AM |
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It's winter in the Midwest and this is the first time storing my 37. My garage is unheated but I insulated the walls which should help a little. Antifreeze is good to 35 below. Should I put the car up on jack stands and run it occasionally with an exhaust hose out the door? Should I remove the tires or leave them on? Battery out of the car and then back in when I want to start it? Always appreciative of your suggestions. John Z.
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| juergen | -- 11-27-2018 @ 6:32 AM |
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Every one has a different opinion. Most of the people in our Iowa car club just let the cars hibernate from December to March. I don't like starting them without getting the engine hot as the rich choked fuel does not get cleaned out. My 6 volt batteries usually last 6 years as the battery is still charged in the spring. On a car with a working clock (battery drain) I would remove the battery or install a battery tender.
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| TomO | -- 11-27-2018 @ 7:44 AM |
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As Juergan said, running a car without taking it on a long drive is not good for the engine. Fuel produced some water vapor that condenses in the oil galleys and this makes sludge. You are much better off leaving the engine off until you can drive the car. Raising the car prevents flat spotting the tires, which is not a big problem with the current tire construction. If you support the car with jack stands under the frame, it will allow the suspension to relax, but the best reason to raise the car is to prevent rodents from living in the car. That would also be my only reason for removing the tires during storage. You should disconnect the battery any time that you are not going to use the car. I have a disconnect switch on my Lincoln,because the battery is under the floor. On my Mercury, I just remove the grounding cable. I leave the batteries in both cars for the winter. I connect a battery tender to the battery and use it one day a month, to maintain full charge on the batteries. I don't like to leave electrical appliances operate when I cannot monitor them. To keep the rodents out of my garage, I buy small bottles of ammonia and p;ace a piece of cotton rope in each of them, to act as a wick. I place them near the door and around the car. The odor keeps the critters away from the garage. The fumes cause a burning sensation in their nostrils. I have sealed all openings with coarse steel wool backed up by expanding foam, except the roof vents and that has 1/4" chicken wire backed up by galvanized screening to keep out the critters. Tom
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| nelsb01 | -- 11-27-2018 @ 1:41 PM |
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Here's the reply from the frozen north. Yes to raising the car up. Cold concrete and rubber give you a great thump in the spring if you don't. Rodents -- for added protection, put renuzit "after the rain" in the car --- smells great and in the spring you won't notice it, but the critters hate it. I had a friend put decon in the car..............don't do that. It draws the critters in. Then, don't forget about the gas. I highly recommend Yamaha Yamalube fuel stabilizer --- all those people with boats and jet-skis swear by it -- and I have never had a bad start in the spring. It costs more at the boat store, but worth it. The snow is gone here by May 1. (maybe) The -35 for anti-freeze is OK. Pull the battery and keep it someplace safe. I set my electronic calendar to remind me to connect my battery tender every 6 weeks for 24 hours. If you think that is too much, I got 9 years out of my last 6 volt. Of course, you did change the oil before the winter sleep..................... There are other opinions -- but this is what works for me.
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| MG | -- 11-27-2018 @ 2:51 PM |
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Why not drive your car during the winter? When I lived in Minnesota, I didn't let the winter conditions prevent me from driving my '34. I never considered prepping my car for storage. I just made sure the antifreeze and oil were up to snuff. - This, just as the people who owned these cars did back in the 1930's winter months. If the streets are clear of ice and snow, 30+ degrees below zero should not deter you from driving your car. The streets are not always clogged with ice and snow during the winter. These cars were designed and engineered to be driven year round. Why deny yourself the joy of driving you baby? I always looked forward to driving my '34 during the winter months. Storage is hard on a car, especially starting it after a long period of inactivity. If you don't drive them they will go to h*ll on you much faster....
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| TonyM | -- 11-27-2018 @ 7:12 PM |
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MG, I drive my 1937 Ford during the winter months as long as there is no snow, ice or other adverse conditions. Here is my 1937 Ford on Super Bowl Sunday a few years ago (Chicago / Northwest Indiana region). . . . 78-730B
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| MG | -- 11-27-2018 @ 9:03 PM |
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Tony....I love the looks of '37 Fordor Slantbacks!
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| mfirth | -- 11-28-2018 @ 4:28 AM |
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Tony, i too love your 37. Nice nice car !
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| ken ct. | -- 11-28-2018 @ 5:30 AM |
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Looks good Tony, drove my 36 in winter also as long as no salt on roads. They were not ment to be sunny day cars. ken ct.
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| c-gor | -- 11-28-2018 @ 8:53 AM |
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Tom Life in Northern Ohio is also cold. My vehicles are all in one garage that is reserved for them only. To combat moisture, i purchase 12-15 disposal aluminum "turkey size" pans . I fill each one with about 3/4" - 1" of Calcium Chloride. This is a desiccant that absorbs any moisture in the garage. after about 2 months the calcium chloride turns to liquid after soaking up any moisture. I dump this and add more Calcium Chloride to the pans. When I open the garage in spring, no moisture on the vehicles.
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| Drbrown | -- 11-28-2018 @ 6:24 PM |
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Regarding storage and moisture ..... Cold air itself, at or below freezing temperatures, is so dense it holds very little moisture. The major source of moist air is from adjacent warmer spaces, a warming trend in outdoor weather, and routinely from concrete floor slabs laid on the warm earth below. I cover my concrete floors under cars with 6 mil poly sheeting as a vapor barrier .... most older slabs don't have a vapor barrier, or it was poorly installed. However, one MUST be very careful about walking on this material. Aside from damaging its integrity, any condensation on it or moisture on your shoes can result in a disastrous slip i.e. once fractured my knee cap and couldn't drive standard shift for several months - that really hurt ! Dehumidifiers don't work below about 45 degrees. Concrete can hold a fair amount of moisture too. It contains salts which attract and hold moisture. Otherwise, I favor driving once in a while for an extend time provided roads are dry and free of wet salty water. What's a heater for ? This message was edited by Drbrown on 11-28-18 @ 6:41 PM
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| Zero | -- 11-29-2018 @ 8:41 AM |
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Never really thought about driving in the winter but I do like that idea. Now to find a heater for the car? Thanks again for all the suggestions.
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| MG | -- 11-29-2018 @ 10:39 AM |
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Heater? What heater? We don't need no stinking heater! Get yourself a scr*per to clear the frost (from your breath) off the inside of the windshield.... :o)
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| Zero | -- 11-29-2018 @ 3:42 PM |
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LOL. I'll get two. One for me and one for a passenger!
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| TomO | -- 11-30-2018 @ 6:57 AM |
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Think about what you want to do with the car before you install a heater. If you intend to have the car judged by the EFV-8 Club, the only authorized heater was the hot air (manifold) heater. Any other heater will result in a point deduction (about 5 points, 2 for the accessory and 3 max for the additional holes in the firewall, there may also be additional points deducted for the hoses for a hot water heater and fuel line for a gas heater). If you intend to enter the car in the Touring Class, the heater won't make a difference. Tom
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| pauls36fordor | -- 11-30-2018 @ 9:05 AM |
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A question concerning changing the oil for the winter sleep. Do you put in a heavier or lighter oil during the hibernation period and then change it again in the spring, or is it the oil you will drive with next year. I have a 36 and I planned to use 20-40. Thoughts? Also to the rodent factor, I've had excellent results with fabric softener sheets. Each winter I put a dozen of them under front and back seats and leave them all year. Freshens the car smell during show season.
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| len47merc | -- 11-30-2018 @ 10:44 AM |
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Being both a preservationist and an originalist I never liked the smell of anything other than mohair and wool in an original car and strove to ensure that smell always existed during judging or when driving. Bag of mothballs in the front and rear floorboards during long-term storage only for me. Steve
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| len47merc | -- 11-30-2018 @ 11:17 AM |
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Edit - removing double post. This message was edited by len47merc on 11-30-18 @ 11:19 AM
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| nelsb01 | -- 11-30-2018 @ 11:42 AM |
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pauls36fordor: I change the oil with the same that was in it. 30W. I run it up to operating temperature before storage so that the new oil gets run through. Then in the spring -- its air the tires, add the battery back in, oil the water pumps distributor and generator, check the lights, and go have a drive.
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