Locking Up the Car for a Year

[pmdbruin]

Hey Guys. I'm going to be locking up my car (hopefully in the garage after it gets cleaned out) for about 10 months. I'm going to school in the East Coast and won't be bringing it for the first year.

What would you guys recommend I do before it gets locked up? Any specific regimen for protecting the paint? I was thinking of the following in the specific order:

Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash
Zaino Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray
Zaino Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes
Zaino Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray
Zaino Z-CS Clear Seal
Zaino Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray

I might be overusing the Z-6, but it helps to remove some spots and stuff between products. That should protect the paint for 9 months or so.

Also, I'm going to disconnect the battery. Anything else I should do? Most likely not going to buy a car cover since it's so expensive.

[MM49]

You live up north? MAKE SURE it is a garage!..Disconnect the battery, but have somebody at least start it once a month and also take it for a short spin(very important specially if left outside) so brakes, bushings, etc are in good shape.

[pmdbruin]

Originally Posted by MM49

You live up north? MAKE SURE it is a garage!..Disconnect the battery, but have somebody at least start it once a month and also take it for a short spin(very important specially if left outside) so brakes, bushings, etc are in good shape.

Haha I live in sunny SoCal. The garage is currently packed full of stuff, so it's going to take me at least a few days to clean it up...even then most of the stuff is my dad's so I'm not even sure I can make enough room.

If I leave it in the garage, will I still need to take it out for a spin every month? How long does it need to be driven for monthly?

[DFigueroa619]

Originally Posted by pmdbruin

Haha I live in sunny SoCal. The garage is currently packed full of stuff, so it's going to take me at least a few days to clean it up...even then most of the stuff is my dad's so I'm not even sure I can make enough room.

If I leave it in the garage, will I still need to take it out for a spin every month? How long does it need to be driven for monthly?

I live in SoCal, and personally I'd drive it around once a week. If you cant have arrangements to do so, at least twice a month. If your putting it outside, Have it parked under shade when the suns out, with a car cover and or sun deflectors. Its almost summer time here in San Diego and it will be hitting high 90s - 100 degrees so protect the inside.

[coupe7]

Battery tender. Oil change.

[ilovelamp]

I second what was already mentioned, but leave the battery in and ask your folks to drive the car every so often. This is the best way to keep it while you are away.

[racerex]

Originally Posted by coupe7

Battery tender. Oil change.

+ add stabilizer to the gas, fill your tank and drive it few miles to make sure the stabilized fuel makes it through the fuel system, top off your other fluids......I also fill the tires to their max pressure to avoid flat spots.

Since you're in SoCal, I would think that mice are not an issue. I've been storing muscle cars for 5-9 months at a time for years with no issues in both semi-heated and un-heated garages. I'm a little extreme....I do all of the above, plus the following:

- wash and polish
- remove battery (no electronics in car)
- steel wool in the exhaust pipes (just remember to remove it)
- dryer sheets in the interior, trunk and the heater vents
- one desiccant bag in the interior and one in the trunk
- crack the windows open
- flannel car cover
- place car in a total car bag (i.e. the Car Jacket)
- three desiccant bags under the car
- two trays of mouth balls under the car......then zip the car bag closed

I have to worry about mice and moisture, thus the car bag, desiccant, dryer sheets, mouth balls, etc.

FYI, it feels like Christmas morning each time I take my toy out of winter storage

[DOOM]

to OP, remember to update your insurance to reflect the car being in storage.

[glen e]

My cars in storage right now until September 15. I did extensive research here and at a few of the detailing sites before I stored the car.
Here's what I did:
1. wash and sealed the paint with black fire crystal seal
2. bought a car cover from autoanything that is for internal/ interior use. Very soft on the inside,with crystal seal I'm not worried about it printing on the car. Numerous detail people told me the same thing.
3. plan to drive the car about once every six weeks
4. Took the tire pressure up just a few pounds, just make sure that it wasn't seeping out.
5. Stabilized fuel

That's it ..I realized that I was completely overthinking this, to be stored in a garage in Florida in the summer . my garage is never more than 90-95° or so. So it should be perfect when I get back.

Battery is only about six months old , is oversized for the car, it was completely charged when I left, I'm not worried about it becoming dead.

[MM49]

Originally Posted by pmdbruin

Haha I live in sunny SoCal. The garage is currently packed full of stuff, so it's going to take me at least a few days to clean it up...even then most of the stuff is my dad's so I'm not even sure I can make enough room.

If I leave it in the garage, will I still need to take it out for a spin every month? How long does it need to be driven for monthly?

Well if you can't make room for it in garage then make sure you park it in shaded area like someone suggested. Yes you still need to take it for a spin even if its in garage.Once a month is good enough, take it for a good 15min drive so it fully warms up and everything gets good exercise....When I was overseas for 6 months my car was parked in garage so my brother would take it for a one or two circles around the block. I had my brother in laws car with me which was parked outside in winter harsh weather so I would start it every two weeks and take it for my nights out

[pmdbruin]

Thanks everyone for the help. Basically it looks like I'm going to have to:

• Seal the paint
• Buy a car cover
• Disconnect the battery
• Use fuel stabilizer
• Try to garage it if possible
• Have it driven at least once a month

I looked up the Blackfire Crystal Seal and that is some pretty expensive stuff. I think it's like $38 on autogeek.net. I'll probably pick up some Zaino Z-CS since it works well with the other supplies that I already have. The Blackfire Crystal Seal seems very promising though.

For the fuel stabilizer, do you guys recommend STA-BIL? Or is there another fuel stabilizer that is better?

Lastly, coupe7 mentioned oil change? Is it recommended to get an oil change before storage or after storage? I had my last oil change about 1000-1500 miles ago and I'm assuming I'll probably drive the car another 2000 miles or so before leaving.

Thanks again for the help guys!

[glen e]

Originally Posted by pmdbruin

Thanks everyone for the help. Basically it looks like I'm going to have to:

• Seal the paint
• Buy a car cover
• Disconnect the battery
• Use fuel stabilizer
• Try to garage it if possible
• Have it driven at least once a month

I looked up the Blackfire Crystal Seal and that is some pretty expensive stuff. I think it's like $38 on autogeek.net. I'll probably pick up some Zaino Z-CS since it works well with the other supplies that I already have. The Blackfire Crystal Seal seems very promising though.

For the fuel stabilizer, do you guys recommend STA-BIL? Or is there another fuel stabilizer that is better?

Lastly, coupe7 mentioned oil change? Is it recommended to get an oil change before storage or after storage? I had my last oil change about 1000-1500 miles ago and I'm assuming I'll probably drive the car another 2000 miles or so before leaving.

Thanks again for the help guys!

read a bit closer...crystal seal is $18 in the 4 oz size which will do about 15 cars.....It's a gen ahead of Zaino

http://www.autogeek.net/blackfire-crystal-seal.html

Another good one is Ultima paint guard plus

[MM49]

Originally Posted by pmdbruin

For the fuel stabilizer, do you guys recommend STA-BIL? Or is there another fuel stabilizer that is better?

Lastly, coupe7 mentioned oil change? Is it recommended to get an oil change before storage or after storage? I had my last oil change about 1000-1500 miles ago and I'm assuming I'll probably drive the car another 2000 miles or so before leaving.

Thanks again for the help guys!

Honestly I don't see the need for fuel stabilizer. I didn't use it when my car was parked. Oil change is not necessary for now but once you return you might wanna change it then but again I changed it when maintenance minder told me too.

[pmdbruin]

Does anyone have any experience with eBay car covers? I know higher-end ones are recommended, but just curious to know if people have bought ones such as this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Layer-Wate...ht_7553wt_1139

If I use that indoors in my garage, do you guys think it'll be okay?

I wanted to order the Coverking Triguard custom cover for my coupe, but it doesn't seem like I can find a place selling it at $128 that can ship it to me within a week.

[Aviography]

That seems fine especially if you are storing the car indoors, it looks to be similar materail of the cover I use for my summer toy car while storying during the winter, as long as it breaths and has no chance of scuffing the paint from wind buffeting, then you will be just fine.

But you should do all the things others have said:

- hook up battery to a battery tender
- add fuel stablizer to the tank per instruction
- pump up tires to 50 psi to prevent flat spotting, in fact I would suggest you get 4 of those foam shop floor tiles to have them under each tire to provide added help
- change oil just before you store it
- good wash/wax and LET IT DRY before putting the cover on

No need to start the car and run/drive it if you do all the above.