Winter Storage

tunafish

When does everyone typically put their Z away for the winter and bring it out in the spring? I don't want to store it too soon. Basic plan is to run injector through it and hook it up to a batter tender unit after I wash it one final time. It always sucks because you don't want to put it away too soon or take it out too early due to salt.

122554

I'm confused, guess because I've never lived anywhere they use salt on the roads. They do have weather forecasts that tell you when it's going to snow. Isn't that when they put down the salt? I would guess that would be the time to put your car away.

__________________


I don't normally drink beer, but when I do....i drink a lot!

Arrvaxx

Drive it any day without frost until the first snow (or whenever you see them put down salt). Like rain the OEM tires aren't awesome in frost conditions. I don't drive my car or motorcycle until after the first heavy spring rain (to remove salt) and after the roads have been swept (to remove crap).

Don't forget to put carpet pieces under your tires or put the car on jacks to prevent tire issues, start your car and let it run for a while every few weeks just to keep some oil on things, and put fuel stabilizer in the tank then fill it up.

__________________

NS370Z

The Z is strictly a fair weather toy for me. I'll drive mine just up until they put down the first salt and or snowfall. Or when the temperatures consistently fall below 5 Celsius. Then it's in the garage until spring with a full tank of fuel with Stabil, battery maintainer, full detail both inside and out, remove Weather Tech mats, plastic vapour barrier sheet under the car on the cement, tires on 2 by 12 boards and cover the car with an ultra plush Sparco cover. Oh, and new oil unless it's been changed very close to storage. I'll back the *** end out of the garage and start it a few times through winter and let it warm up good just to keep things from sticking/seizing.

I envy you guys who can drive these things comfortably all year round or nearly all year long.

skidad62

Oct 31 is last day for me - we have seasonal plates here Apr 1 - Oct 31 (allows us not to run a front plate). Weather is closing in fast by then for us anyway.

I do an oil change, fuel stabilizer, full detail, carpet under tires, dryer sheets in the car (helps deter mice), crack the windows 1/2 inch, put a few containers of opened baking soda inside, steel wool in the exhaust tips (again to keep mice out), unhook the battery, car cover. Turn the lights out til spring.

If you start your car periodically be sure to bring it up to full operating temps - otherwise creates water in the cats that will sit otherwise.

... it gets cold n snowy up here in the North lol

__________________

2010 370Z Black Cherry Roadster Touring Sport
2003 Mustang Vortech YSI 640 rwhp - sold but not forgotten

chii370

dont drive it during winter. I have lots of hard learned experience with storing the Z in the winter. do not cover it, the changes in temp when the car is covered in or outside for long periods of time cause it to sweat "condensation" if you want to know what this does, go ahead and do it for yourself and regret not listening. put it inside a garage, even one of those temp tent style garages are ok as long as it keeps out all snow and rain and closes on all sides. preferably a normal car garage though. you will need to keep mice out of it as well REGARDLESS IF ITS IN A NORMAL GARAGE. also, do not use those green pellet mouse/rat killer, they just carried it all into the car last time i tried it and they will die INSIDE IT. put sticky traps, and those inclosed snap traps around it and some moth balls under the car and you will be ok. you can ether unhook the battery, or start it once or twice a week "i did". But if you unhook the battery the auto window up/down when you open and close the door wont work after you re attach the battery. To fix this, open the door, roll window all the way down. close door. then roll the window all the way to the top but DONT LET GO of the button, keep it pulled up until you here an audible click sound. do this for the passenger side too and it will function normally. this resets the windows auto function. If you can afford to do it, put a halogen light under the car too. this helps keep moisture from building on it while it sits for months.

oh, your key fob honk/lights when you lock/unlock also resets when bat is unhooked. hold both buttons down "not alarm" until it honks. done.

kenchan

first sign of salt use is when i usually put my hobby cars away. if you do wash , make sure the car is completely dry if you plan on putting a cover on.

i started using fuel stabilizer too along with the battery tender(manager), flatstoppers with 42psi, DiCon under my cars, and car cover. 6months hibernation with no start, absolutely no issue.

NS370Z

LOL, I can relate to those snow depths. Those are good points with the dryer sheets. And steel wool deters mice too?


kenchan, what is DiCon?

skidad62

Yep the mice can't chew through the steel wool.

__________________

2010 370Z Black Cherry Roadster Touring Sport
2003 Mustang Vortech YSI 640 rwhp - sold but not forgotten

Arrvaxx

Good point.

__________________

blackcherry20

I'm not Kenchan (obviously) but DeCon is a mouse and rat poison.
I followed Kenchans advice last year (except no battery tender) and the car started right up in the spring.
I stored it in an enclosed unheated garage, under cover (and it did get condensation at least twice, ugh). used the Stabil, and bounce dryer sheets in each tail pipe and scattered under the car. storage started about the last of November (out first snowfall) until the last part of March (southern Ohio).
BTW-I didn't start mine in that time period. at all. Kenchan and hubby both recommended NOT doing that due to the condensation/moisture that collects in the exhaust.
GL OP!

__________________
Grand Sport Corvette Arctic White

chii370

Im telling u man...... dont use those rat/mouse pellet poison. It doesnt kill them quickly.i had to pay 1500$ to have the dealership completely rip out my dash, take out all the aircon/heating ducts and clean them, take out the heater core, discharge the AC. And know what they found inside all through the ducts and on top of the cabin filter? About 6 handfulls of that rat poison, and a dead mouse. USE ******* STICKY AND SNAP TRAPS. Or you will pay the price as i did. I did the dryer sheet thing too, thats a myth, mice dont give two ***** about a scented piece of fab, they will just move it out of the way and keep going. Ive used mothballs with varried results and honestly i dont think that works ether. Just block EVERY entry into the car, inside and out with steel wool thats the best, because they cant chew through it. Ive also thought about trying to soak some rags in ghost pepper or trinidad scorpion pepper and letting it dry and using that. Im sure that would deter a mouse pretty fast. Dont forget your intake boxes. Ive looked and looked and i cant find an entry point into the car that would lead straight to the vents, especially from the tire arches as thats the only possible way for a mouse to get into the engine bay or INTO the car. Also covering the car will have over long term effects, it might be ok for the first few years but u will regret it. This is from experience of owning old restored muscle cars. And if your going to start it you have to do it constantly, not once or twice. Anyone like myself with a SS or TI exhaust dont have to worry about condensation. Besides, a lot of condensation builds in them while driving anyway, especially if its under 70 degrees outside, ever see water dripping out of the exhaust in front of u at a red light? They are designed to last under that condition.

skidad62

Stored mine for the winter again today

Oil change, fuel stabilizer, full detail, dryer sheets in the car (sure smells good in spring), crack the windows 1/2 inch, container of opened baking soda inside, steel wool in the exhaust tips, added a battery tender Plus, and swapped my car cover to a 40th Anniversary cover (love this new cover - picked it up for $50 and it had never been out of the OEM bag). Storage facility is heated and has security.

__________________

2010 370Z Black Cherry Roadster Touring Sport
2003 Mustang Vortech YSI 640 rwhp - sold but not forgotten

MacCool

If you have power for a halogen light, you have power for a Battery Tender. It seems like it would be a lot simpler to just leave the battery hooked up and plugged in. Then you wouldn't have to risk condensation by starting it periodically.

NickD

How long can gas be in the car before using stabilizer? Like if I had gas in the car for 2 months can I use stabilizer now or should I run it down and put fresh gas with stabilizer for winter?

__________________
2010 370z Touring Roadster Monterey Blue
My Z Photo Library