I am being transferred for 2 1/2 years out of the country due to my current military orders. I do not want to sell my 1946 Ford Coupe or my 1958 Chevy Apache. I am having them stored on the Washington State coast where the weather is usually cool and wet. I am going to have to pay out of pocket to keep them stored in an inclosed storage unit. I would prefer to store them somewhere else, but I can not afford to ship the cars. The 46 Ford was my fathers and i just completed a frame off restoration. It has a Flathead with a triple deuce. The 58 truck has a crate 350. I have read a lot about how to store a vehicle for a few months, but nothing this long. I have read to fill the tank up and add stabilizer, and i have read to drain the gas and expect to replace everything. I was told that gas has no shelf life because of the ethanol and there is not a stabilizer to help. I was even told i should fog my engine and gas tank. I want to find out what is the best way to tackle this bitch of a situation the Govt has put me in. I need to know how to keep my rides in great condition from paint to fuel system, to engine. Thanks in advance.
I have seen those plastic bubbles that can be used for storage of vehicles and keep them from rusting, etc. I think they are hooked up to some kind of pump or little a/c unit which keeps the air dry. No idea on the cost. Stay safe during your deployment!
My buddy used to go south for the winter. He'd warm his 40 Ford up and dump tranny fluid down the carb until it died. He also went to Japan for a couple years and did the same. Came home, replaced the battery,changed the oil and it fired right up. He swore the tranny fluid stopped rust on the valves, etc.
If you decide to leave the gas in them add Marine Stabil to the gas. Try to find gas with no ethanol and fill the tanks as full as you can get them. Flush the cooling system and refill with fresh anti-freeze and distilled water. Wash em and give em a coat of wax. I'd cover the floor of the storage unit with cardboard or carpet. Pull the plugs and squirt some heavy oil in each cylinder. Crank the engine over so the oil gets distributed good on the cylinder walls. Re-install the plugs. Pull the valve covers and loosen the rockers so none on the valve springs are compressed. Re-install the valve covers. Open the windows about an 1/8 of an inch. Just enough to let the interior breathe. Put em up on jack stands. Disconnect the batteries. If the storage unit has power get a couple of Deltran battery tenders. The small model will do fine. Lube the hood and trunk hinges, hood latch, etc. IF you cover them do not use plastic. Use something that will breathe. Put several packs of D-Con in the interior, trunk, and several places under the vehicles. Put motballs in the storage unit too. Radial tires don't like to be stored so you may be looking at buying new tires when you get back. If you have bias ply tires take them off and store them in the dark in garbage bags. Get contractor or leaf bags, they're bigger. If you feel the need run a log chain through the wheels and lock them. Secure the storage unit overhead door by putting wood blocks between the top of the door and the ceiling. Bolt something to the tracks so the door can't be raised. Do anything you can do to slow down potential thieves. Make sure your insurance covers long term storage!
I'd run them out of gas just like a lawn mower in the winter time. I stored my roadster for a few years and I would start it up periodically. If finally ran out of gas. It sat that way for a couple of years. I added some fuel and waited for the electric pump to stop ticking. It fired right off and idled great. I attribute this to not having any dried up varnish in the carb left over from the dried up gas. I'd remove the battery from the car. A cheap Sears battery tender/charger will keep the battery up but if there is no one around, I'd just let it run down and charge it up when you return. They put them on sale often for around 20 bucks. My battery went completely dead and I figured I'd need to replace it. I topped off the cells, I put the tender on it and was shocked when it was fully charged the next day and have been using it ever since. It probably wont last as long as it should but I did not have to replace it after a 2 year sleep. I thought that it was just a tender until I used it over night and the battery was fully charged. I looked at it and it indeed said tender/charger. When you get back squirt some oil in the spark plug holes, turn it over, put the plugs back in and start her up. JMHO
In addition to everything above... Wash and wax the cars. Leave the dried wax on the chrome without wiping it off. This helps keep the chrome from rusting.
I would put them on jack stands with the tires off to help keep the theives away , Drain the gas tank & put some oil in the tank to keep the bottom of the tank from rusting ... fill the bowl of the carb up with oil ... As the others said take the spark plugs out put oil in and put the plugs back in...Take the batterys out give them to a friend their not gona be any good buy the time you get back any way ... Put a couple bars of soap under the seats in the trunk under the hood ... Rats hate soap ... And one more thing !!! THANKS FOR YOURE SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY ... Where are they sending you for that long ???
They are sending me Atsugi, Japan. As far as the brakes, I am running DOT 5. Does that help??? What kind of oil should i put in the tank and carb if I go that route?
I stored two cars in a two-car garage for three years, back in the early '90s. I, too, got orders overseas, but I had a two-car detached garage on my property that I stored mine in. It was nothing special, just a new two-car uninsulated garage built on a concrete pad. Here is what I did... First, I wash and waxed both cars. Then FILLED the fuel tanks full and added one quart of transmission fluid to each (same as Sta-Bil, basically), this action helps prevents rust from forming and acts as a fuel stabilizer. Ran both cars for about fifteen minutes to get them nice and warm, then parked them inside the garage and disconnected the fuel line at the inlet side of the pump. I then restarted the cars until they ran themselves out of fuel. This gets the fuel bowls in the carb drained, as well as the fuel pump. While they were still warm, I plugged the exhaust pipe ends each with a hand towel and then put tape around them. Helps keep critters from making a home there. Next, I jacked the cars up, then sat them down ON the suspension and with the tires off the ground maybe an inch or so. After that, I covered all four tires with RV-style tire covers. The covers and darkness keeps the tires from ozone degradation and cracking. DO NOT "treat" your tires with Armor-All or any other such crap!!! Just ensure they are clean, that's all! Check your brake fluid and bleed them, if you need to. Next, remove the coil wire and the rotor as something to keep a thief guessing why the car won't start! Plug any open holes, such as an air cleaner, as yet another critter deterrent. Make sure the crankcase has the right amount of oil in it. Check the coolant! Make sure you replaced it with fresh coolant and ensure it's good to the coldest expected temps in your area. Remove the battery completely and give it to a friend, as it'll be no use to you in three years! As for the interior and trunk areas, there are several different ways to go here. I put a handful of mothballs in the trunk and on the carpeting, as well as a box of rat poison. A bag of moisture dessicant is a good idea in both, too. Lock and shut your doors and trunk lid completely and securely. Do NOT store anything at all in your cars, like clothes, household goods, and such. These are just more things that attract critters and such, and are just added crap to deal with. Store these things separately, or better yet, have a yard sale or donate them. You'll be amazed at the stuff you do NOT miss after a while. I also put a large 36" x 36" x 6" deep drip pan under the engine and transmission, as well as a smaller pan under the differential. That way, your floor stays good and any fluids that may drip out are caught. Lastly, even though the cars are inside, invest in a couple of quality car covers and use them. Take pictures of your work, for your peace of mind as well as for you insurance records. Let the insurance company know where they are stored! You can keep comprehensive-only on both for dirt-cheap. To insure mine, it was about a hundred per year, together. And, WRITE DOWN everything you did on both cars, because you will NOT remember everything after three years! How did I fare after three years of storage? Both cars took about 45 minutes worth of work, putting things back the way it was. No critter or bug problems at all! After checking all of the fluids, and with a new battery and a carb prime, both cars started on the first try. Of course, fuel in 1989 was a damn sight better than today's, but an empty tank will suffer condensation, and you'll likely have a tank full of holes if you store the cars empty. After running the fuel out of the tanks about halfway, I filled them back up with fresh fuel, and the cars ran fine. The brakes needed nothing. The mothball smell took a bit to go away, not a big deal.
Out board 2 cycle oil is what I used ... Keeps gaskets from drying out ... Thers a filler tube on the top of youre carb pump that baby full ... When you get back take the carb off and pour the oil out . It dosent have to be 2 cycle oil its just what I had plenty of ... I dont think any kind of brake fluid will keep them from sticking ... Youre probably gona have to put new wheel cylinders on and rebuild the calipers when you get back ... Thats no big deal !!! I would dang sure pump that carb full of oil tho and pour plenty down through the carb ... When you get back home take the plugs out and turn the motor over til all the oil comes out ... If you can get some one to go by there and pump the brakes several times every 3 to 6 monthe that will keep them from sticking ... We all have our different ways of doing things and this is what worked for me ... Dang what a tour of duty you have ahead of you , that really SUX !!! I know the feeling I stayed away from home 1969 & 1970 in the Army ... My car was a M 60 tank ... If you get sick or hurt while youre over there make sure you got it on youre records ... You will dang sure need it if you have some kind of cLaim with the VA ... Good Luck and let us hear from you while youre gone ... Oh ... Maby you should call the place where youre gona store the cars ... They may not let you store a car with gas in the tank if thats the way you plan on going ... What if there was a fire !!! Two cars sitting side by side with a tank full of gas ... That spells trouble .... I would be thinking about the other people that had their stuff stored there too ... Would hate to know some one lost all their belongings because of me trying to save a gas tank ... The guy that owns the storage place will be the one that decides how much gas is left in the tank I would think since hes the one paying the insurance ...
there are some good ideas here. here is something that might help, I have several engines setting around and i pour them FULL of used oil. pull the plugs and pour the top end full till it runs out!! now plug every hole you can find!!
2 1/2 years is no big deal. Jack it up so it sits on suspension not the tires if at all possible. Not a big deal if you cant. Fill the tank and put like two to three times the stabil in it as recomended. Start the car and make sure the stabil gets into the entire fuel system. Check the antifreeze.. take out the battery and wire bait bars all over the car and inside the car and trunk. Ive been doing this for years and years. Some have sat for longer with the above method. 2 Years is no big deal. Dont waste time with moth balls or dryer sheets or any gas tank snake oil. The above will get you by fine. As for seals and brakes, anybodys guess..... some winter well some dont. Youll be ok
With "corn-squeezins", you'll want to drain the fuel before you try starting the vehicles. Ethanol is good only for about 30 days from refinement, whereas the old gas from 20 years ago was still decent enough to run, even if it stunk like hell! You might want to install a drain provision on your tank with a petcock, like a radiator has, so you can completely drain that crap that passes for fuel these days. Once you are done draining the tanks, you could install a regular brass plug to replace the petcock. Makes the job a damn sight cleaner and easier!
[/IMG] I have added some pics of the car. If they dont show up, then you can see them under my profile. They aren't $100K cars, but they are mine. I have a couple of California Car Covers for the up coming storage and the storage units are inclosed. They do not have much insulation, but the temperature out here doesn't fluctuate more then 10 degrees between day and night usually. The winter fluctuate between 40-50 degrees and the summers fluctuate between 60-70 degrees. It doesn't rain a lot in the summer, but it is always wet during the winter.
I like all the above advice. I would also have someone check on the cars every couple of weeks just to keep an eye on them and show the storage people that they are being checked on. Storage units may be prone to leaks or critter infestations too, it would be a good plan to keep on top of that. Bob
While youre in Japan if its possible try to go to the Atomic Bomb museum in hiroshima & nagasaki ... Bet that would really be something to see ... My biggest concern about going to Japan would be the water youre gona be drinking ... After the earthquake they had at the nuclear plant who knows whats in the water ...
What you do with the cars depends a lot upon what resources you will leave behind in Washington. I stored a car for almost three years when the Navy sent me to Japan. The best thing I did for it was to store it near my father in a commercial storage unit. He agreed to start it and "drive" it once a month for me. I changed the oil, put it up on 4 jack stands, and ran an exhaust tube from the tail pipe out to the garage door so that the storage unit would not fill with exhaust fumes. I backed the car in so that the battery would be accessible in case the car ever needed to be jump-started. Filled it with quality gas and Stabil. Threw a cotton cover over it. Once a month, my dad would uncover it, start it, let it warm up for 20 minutes, "drive" it up and down through the gears to make sure the trans and axle seals were lubricated, pump the brakes, turn the steering lock to lock a few times to exercise the power steering pump and gears, run the vent fan and heater, and rotate the front tires by hand a few times. When I came back, car was perfect. If you are leaving behind someone you trust who will do this for free or for a small monthly fee for their time, it less risky than having someone drive it on the street but gives you most of the same benefits. You can also reduce your insurance coverage.
A new kick around here is "ethanol free" gas. Has a white handle on the pump and we are seeing it more and more. I know of 3 stations just within a few miles of me. I really think some people are going completely overboard on suggestions. For a storage time of 2 1/2 years the only things I would really take the time to do is: Put it up on jackstands, make sure they are placed under the suspension. Fill the tank completely full. Worst case fuel is only 10% ethanol, that means if the ethanol goes to shit you still have 90% regular fuel. Don't leave it empty, condensation will wreck the TOP of the tank, not the bottom. When you put it back on the road it may stink a little, but it will run fine, when its half full top it off again and you are good to go. Definately put Sta-bil in it, or like someone else has suggested 1/2 to full quart of ATF works good too. Let it run long enough to get it in the carb. Do put a little oil in each spark plug hole. Don't use WD-40 or anything similar, it just evaporates. I use 3 in 1 oil in aeresol. The only purpose of this is to keep cylinders from flash rusting and keep rings from sticking. Marvel Mystery oil works great too. Moth balls in and around the car, especially in areas close to the ground where the little buggers may try and find a way in. Take out the battery. They may or may not be good when you get back but at least if they leak it wont be under your hood. Your done, they will be ready when you get home. I worked at a classic car dealer and helped people prep for storage all the time and helped people get them going again. For 2 1/2 years you just don't need to do all that much, its a fairly short time frame in car years Be safe, Scot
That's what I did every time I went on cruise...28 years in the Navy, and my Dad did most of that for me for my first 5 deployments. After he passed away, I did the Stabil thing in full gas tanks, put the cars on jack stands (on the suspension), and oil down the cylinders. Only thing I remember having to replace was the fuel pump on the 56 Chevy once. A good coat of wax does wonders for the paint, and a good car cover. Have fun in CAG-5!
It does in Maryland and Pennsylvania, I wish we didn't have it, it's garbage. Drain your tank and run it till it dies. Change all the fuel lines when you get back. I'd put it up on jack stands. Pull the battery. Squirt some Marvel Mystery oil in the cyls. and turn her over a few times by hand. A bag of charcoal like you make you burgers and hot dogs with on the grill, put one in the trunk and one in interior and just cut open the bag , it really draws up the moisture & is inexpensive. I had a car sit 9 years like this and it really wasn't that hard to get her running again.
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