Gen. TECH: Seasonal Storing of your Mustang help/tips

Dan04COBRA · 08-17-2005, 06:07 PM

Storing your car for the winter? Going on a long vacation?

Post all your tips, information & questions here!

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sowaxeman · 08-17-2005, 06:14 PM

I NEED a tip! Can somebody tell me the life of synthetic oil vs regular?? I put 1000 miles on my car this year, and probably won't do much more than 1500 total. I put synth in it at 500 miles per the Saleen Manual. Before I "store" it this winter is it best to change it again, or leave it and change it in the spring, or just leave it altogether until I reach 3000 miles??

firestarter · 08-25-2005, 12:10 PM

damn , and i was wondering why mustangs get stored for winters , im getting one in the next couple of weeks , and i wanted to know , 'is it impossible to drive it while raining?'

ShadowDrake · 08-25-2005, 02:39 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: firestarter

damn , and i was wondering why mustangs get stored for winters , im getting one in the next couple of weeks , and i wanted to know , 'is it impossible to drive it while raining?'

I haven't had too much of a problem in the rain, but with the stock tires, you definitely lose a LOT of traction on wet roads... I really couldn't imagine it on an icy road.

FWP! · 08-25-2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: sowaxeman

I NEED a tip! Can somebody tell me the life of synthetic oil vs regular?? I put 1000 miles on my car this year, and probably won't do much more than 1500 total. I put synth in it at 500 miles per the Saleen Manual. Before I "store" it this winter is it best to change it again, or leave it and change it in the spring, or just leave it altogether until I reach 3000 miles??

You shouldn't leave oil in your crank case for more than 3-4 months. Even if you only put 1000 miles on the oil. Especially over winter. But, if you plan to park it until spring, don't worry about it but do put fresh oil in it before you start it in the spring. If you DO plan to run the car over winter and you're in a colder climate, change the oil. Starting your engine and warming it up to 220+ degrees from 30 causes a lot of condensation which the oil absorbs and turns into different types of acids, actually corroding your engine from the inside even faster than it does normally in warm weather. H2o production is a normal part of the engine's combustion process and most of it is burned off through the PCV system which also scavenges other gasses from the crank case, but not all of it is illiminated.

In short, if you plan to park your car all winter and never run it, don't worry about the oil change till spring. If you plan on driving it a few times, change the oil and change it again at some point during the winter if you want to take excellent care of the engine.

pgervais · 09-06-2005, 07:35 PM

Between high gas prices and Icey/Snow covered roads (during the winter) I have decided to store my Cobra for the winter.

Any suggestions on how to keep the battery from being drained?

The car will be stored in a heated garage but i do not feel like jumping it when I am ready to roll in the spring.

sowaxeman · 09-07-2005, 06:10 PM

Put a trickle charger on it once a month for a day (or however long it takes the charger to tell you it is charged). To avoid flat spots on tires and other "storage" issues, you're best bet would be to get it out once a month on a dry sunny day and take a short jaunt in it to get everything flowing and moving. If you do this it will most likely keep you from having to trickle charge the battery.

AmericanMuscle · 09-27-2005, 05:20 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: sowaxeman

Put a trickle charger on it once a month for a day (or however long it takes the charger to tell you it is charged). To avoid flat spots on tires and other "storage" issues, you're best bet would be to get it out once a month on a dry sunny day and take a short jaunt in it to get everything flowing and moving. If you do this it will most likely keep you from having to trickle charge the battery.

Here's my situation: I will most likely have to move my car out of my garage to do some work (manafacture in my garage) maybe as much as every other day or every third day. I just have to back it into my drive way so I don't scratch the **** out of it with sheets of fiber glass + metal bars. So should I do anything special? Should I let it run for 5-10 minutes or longer on days that I have to move it? I plan on getting a cover for it while it sits idle... and what about the oil? Since it's getting moved should I leave it till spring? I'm at 200 miles right now, haven't even had my first oil change.

72MachOne99GT · 10-23-2005, 01:56 AM

i put my car in a 'carbag' (actually called that) and so does my dad with his 72

we roll the windows down a crack, get the car in position, pull the battery and store them in the warm building(no, the cars dont fit[:@])

we just change the oil first thign in the spring

im wondering about psi in the tires for this winter

any help?

HC_CrAzYHoRsE · 10-25-2005, 09:17 AM

i put extra coolant in it, then i go and start it evey 2-3 weeks for about 20 mins, while it's running i push on the front end and then the rear end for about a minute each, just so the suspension moves a bit, then i roll about 1/2 a foot forward to avoid bald spots in the tires. that's it ...worked pretty well till now. i have the oil and filter changed when i take it out.