I stored my Lightning in the garage for 3 different winters and will do the same things for my Mustang GT which is:

Heavy duty plastic tarp on the garage floor, which stays there year round. The reason for the tarp is water moisture can and will seep through cement. The rubber tires don’t absorb it up, or draw it up through the cement. The plastic tarp acts as a moisture barrier so under the car don’t rust.

Noah Covercraft car cover which is great protection. It’s a breathable fabric so there is NO possibility of keeping moisture in or creating problems for the vehicle.

Cover the exhaust pipes with tin foil, or put tennis ***** in if they fit to keep mice or other critter out of the exhaust. If they get into your garage they could make a home out of your exhaust.

Cover air intake with tin foil so critters don’t crawl in there and make a nest.

REMOVE ALL food sources from the garage, human food or animal food (dog/cat food). If you store garbage in the garage insure it’s in tight bags and in a tightly seal garbage can.

HIGHGLY RECOMMENDED is to use some fabric softnare sheets like Cling free etc. and put them around the openings of the garage door and under each tire. I put one on each side of the tire. The first 2 winters I never got any mice in or on my truck but had approx. 10 mice traps and caught about 5 each winter with the traps. Last year after trying the Cling free sheets from a recommendation I never caught one mice and had absolutely no signs of mice.

Change oil as used oil can break down over time and create corrosive problems within the motor.

Fill up tank with regular fuel. I don’t really see any need for a higher octane because one octane does not stay better then another higher octane. DO put a fuel stabilizer additive into the fuel. It’s best to put the additive in and then fill up and drive for at least 10 minutes to insure the additive gets mixed well in the fuel and circulated in all fuel lines, injectors, etc.

Before finally putting the car away run the motor and run the A/C and then turn the car off with the A/C on. This will insure mice can not get inside the car through the ventilation. Also insure you roll your windows up the entire way. Do not leave a crack in them as a mouse can fit/squeeze into a space of about ¼”.

Check your vehicle at least every two weeks or weekly if possible for mice etc. Insure to check under the hood as mice will chew up electrical wiring etc.

Most experts do NOT recommend putting a car on jacks as it’s not good for the suspension to be “unloaded”. It will take a good 3 – 6 months to get half way decent flat spots and even if you do they will go away within a few miles of driving. Biased tires use to be a problem for flats spots and radials are not affected by flat spots, while they can get them, as I stated within a few miles they are gone.

Can’t think of anything else other then to point out again how IMPORTANT it is to insure there are NO food sources in the garage. Mice can do some major damage to a vehicle in a short amount of time. They won’t make a home where they are not able to feed

 

ALSO:

If you have chrome rims, make sure you clean them well!!! Any residue brake dust may cause pitting in the chrome.

 

I have a Dodge truck that I rarely drive now. I put 77 miles on it last year between inspections. The one or 2 times I took it out I made sure it was run at least 30 minutes at normal operating temp. In addition, I change the oil and filter 1 time per year if it needs it or not! I keep the gas tank chock full and I add Stabil fuel stabilizer to it. I add gas to it from a 6 gallon fresh can each time I drive it.

I thought of fogging the cylinders on it. It is easy to do yourself. Just remove the fuel pump relay, take a can of WD-40 and have someone crank it over for about 30 seconds while you spray WD-40 down the throttle body and that should do it. It should help prevent rings from sticking and all.

Mike

 

+1 on setting the mousetraps and the comments about mice.

I read a board one time where a squirrel got into the garage and made mincemeat out of the fuel injector wiring harness and all on a truck!!

I have 6 mouse traps that I will bait and set as soon as the weather starts to turn. I caught one of the friggin things last year too!

Mike

 

Since you mentioned rodents; I don't know where you live but here in MA (or anywhere in NewEngland no way would I cover the car. Why cover it? Dust? ...not a good enough reason. The mice are praying that you will cover it. Even for me now where I'm driving the car only once or twice a week I have a small box of moth ***** cut in half (one half goes to outside of tire and one to inside) so mice won't go near the only 4 points where they can climb up. The moth ***** will not have any affect on the interior smell of your car; they will last about 3-4months. I had my 61 Fairlane covered and they ate through the headliner above one sun visor; never again. Don't give them a dark place. I even keep one florescent on 24x7x365 (costs nothing). You cover around here and you had better have a good reason and frankly I can't think of one. One mouse dies in your car and you are really in for it. ..never mind what they might eat, which is just about anything.

OK just saw the comment on dryer sheets; I'd park the car on dryer sheets and stll use the moth ball boxes as well.

 

+1, them sonsabitches climbed in to our headers, and filled em with dogfood, on our dirt car. They camped out in my buddies' HARLEY SEAT, and destroyed it.