By Mark Misercola
Storing your classic car for the winter is an annual event in the Northeast that I look forward to and dread all at the same time. I look forward to it because the break from cruises and car shows gives me time to catch up on overdue repairs and cosmetic enhancements that I can’t always get to in the warmer weather. But I also dread it because older cars (particularly mine) don’t like to sit. And while some of my cruising buddies have no problems reviving their hibernating classics cars in April, I prefer to keep mine running and on the road throughout the winter as long as there is no snow, sand or salt to contend with.
Why? A wise auto mechanics instructor once told me, “Older cars don’t like to sit. They need to be run.” My cars would have liked him. They get cranky after being idle for just a couple of weeks, let alone a few months. Two of my cars sat for long periods before I bought them and both were plagued by the classic symptoms of underuse – worn seals, rusty gas tanks, rotted rubber moldings, flat leaf springs, sticky brakes, and uncooperative carburetors. Of that list, finicky carbs are what I really want to avoid most because they almost always lead to hard-to-start engines in the Spring.
Even if the roads aren’t clear, I will still start my cars up once a week in the winter months and run them to keep the fluids moving and the batteries charged. This is a point of contention among some of my colleagues – they don’t believe in running cars in place in the off-season – and feel that short, cold starts will do more harm than good. I don’t disagree, but I also make it a point to run my cars until they are fully warmed up.
Clay Bar Anyone?
Storing my cars has become an annual ritual, akin to steering the starship Enterprise into space dock for repairs every Thanksgiving. It starts with a good cleaning. There’s no better way to burn off calories and work up an appetite than by giving your car a rigorous clay bar bath to remove impurities from the finish and restoring that original shine. In fact, my daughter and I once spent most of Thanksgiving Day giving the convertible a clay bar bath in the afternoon. That’s usually followed by an application of Meguiar’s 34 Mirror Glaze Final Inspection. It’s easy to apply and the silicone base gives the finish a glass like shine.
This year’s main event involved cleaning up all the buffing compound dust that settled under the hood of my Toronado while it was in the paint shop in October. Granted, this wasn’t as cozy as sitting by the fireplace and watching football, but for me it was classic car bonding at its best.
As with any project, preparing the space for a long hibernation is crucial. In my garage I move any hanging tools or nearby shelf items (especially paint cans) away from the car in case anything should fall. (Note to Farmers Insurance: I saw your latest commercial and have no plans to do exercises in the living room right above the garage.)
I also check the batteries every few weeks. As soon as the voltage dips below 12.84 the charger goes on. But be careful you don’t overcharge them. I fried one of my reproduction antique batteries a few years ago, because I left my charger on too long, and have vowed never to let that happen again. Many modern trickle chargers turn off automatically when the battery is fully charged, but even still I frequently check the voltage when they’re on.
Battery turn-off switches are also great for eliminating power drains from clocks and other accessories in the off-season. But I removed them from my cars when judges started taking off points at shows. Now I simply disconnect the clocks in the fall.
I also change the oil right before the cars go into storage. This is really important because the last thing I want is dirty, weak oil to sit in a cold engine all season long and give the engine one more reason not to start. I try to keep the gas tanks full, just in case I can’t get to the gas station before spring. This year might be an exception, but usually gas prices are lower in the fall than going into the heavy driving season in the spring.
I know many owners who put their car on blocks for the winter to prevent flat spots on the tires. Since I drive in the winter, I don’t feel the need to do this. But it’s not a bad idea if your car is going to sit for more than three months. If the car isn’t sitting for a prolonged period, the flat spots will usually go away with a short drive.
Finally, it goes without saying that rodents and classic cars don’t mix. Rats and mice can wipe out a car’s wiring system, chew up the upholstery, and cause all kinds of havoc in classic cars that offer warm nesting places in the winter. So if your garage has visitors, do whatever you have to do to keep them outside.
The Last Mile
If you missed my guest interview last week on Every Car Has a Story on 106.7 FM in Wilmington, N.C., you can listen to a replay here. You’ll find the interview about 16 minutes into the show. A big shout out to legendary co-hosts Joe Pepitone and Bill “Dusty” Lincoln for having me on.
REO Speed Blog 