Question on what to do over the winter?

Nabco

Nabco

Senior Member
Gentlemen....my car has been in Florida for the last 29 years, it is now in Ohio, I drained the radiator already and replaced with 50/50 antifreeze/distilled water mix.

So what do you guys recommend for a strategy over the winter, for my modern cars that are not driven over the winter I've always started them and brought them up to temperature weekly, if the roads were clean I take them out and drive for 15 or 20 minutes. Is this a good plan for the Model A or is it better to just let it sit....it will be in an unheated garage.

I'm pretty sure I will get answers from one extreme to the other, but maybe not...

Thanks guys,

Nick
 
If you have a trickle charger, you might want to put your battery on that. I'm also a fan of the the big wash/wax prior to winter. If you aren't driving, you may want to put the car on jackstands so the tires don't develop a flat spit. If the garage is not rodent proof, you may want to start setting traps early and doing some mothballing. I've heard of guys also setting up small fans to circulate the air so things don't get stale and to help avoid condensation on the car.
 
mine is stored in a heated shop, sits atop 4 jack stands (jacks sitting in aluminum disposable pans to ensure mouse proofing) all winter, filled full of gas, started monthly to charge her up. Never had a mouse problem - knock on wood
 
Thanks Seth, it's always washed and waxed and covered, good idea o the trickle charger, I have a quick disconnect on the battery on my AMG Mercedes, thought about the tire thing, I always put crap tires on the Benz to avoid flat spots, plenty of mouse traps so that's covered.

Based on the trickle charger Recomendation my guess is starting it and driving it when possible is probably a good thing with the understanding it needs to get up to temperature...was going to also add some Marvel Mystery Oil to the gas tank.
 
Last edited:
I never drive on salt, so my car sets untouched for 6 to 7 months each year in an unheated garage. No starts and no cranking. Most years I put it up on jack stands. The one year I didn't use jack stands the right rear tire went flat and cracked the sidewall. I don't like to leave any kind of charger on an unattended battery, so the past couple years I will put my 4 amp charger on the battery for an hour every couple months if I happen to go to the garage. Most years I never charged the battery and it still fired right up in the spring.
 
i dont use a trickle either as the model A has no parasitic drain. i try and drive it around the development once a month to roll the tires. i dont jack it up.
 
Last edited:
First of all, stay warm!(you) Then I think the guys have given you most of the ideas on what to do. We live in Oregon and the temps may get down to 10. So I make sure my antifreeze will go that low plus(minus) a few degrees. Then I leave both of them in my unheated shop, the huckster covered with a light covering and the coupe just sits there. Batteries seem to hold up over the winter but if they don't, it likely means I need a new battery.
 
Thanks Tom, kind of agree with you leaving a charger on an unattended battery, I travel for business 95% of the time, all I'd do is worry about it...we will get a snow in central Ohio but it also rains several times over the winter so the roads will get cleaned off...I won't take the Benz out if the roads are salty...be had that car for six years and it's only been rained on once.

Thanks Mitch, I think that will be my plan to drive it at least once per month....I also have about 5 feet clearance front to back n the garage s I'll plan to roll it a little to keep the flats spots off.

Thanks Fred....as always a wealth of information on the Barn!!!
 
I put the cars on jack stands. Take the battery into my attached garage and use a trickle charger on it maybe twice during the winter to keep the charge up. I cover the cars and also add fuel treatment to the tank to keep the gas from going bad.
 
Back during the war, Pop and Grandpop stored a bunch of cars for servicemen heading overseas. They would run the carbs dry, squirt Marvel Mystery Oil in the spark plug holes, then spin the engine over to spread it around. Then they would take the weight off the tire, and put a stick on the clutch pedal to keep the disc from rusting to the pressure plate.
 
I drive mine into my unheated garage in September run the carb dry, and don't start it up until the following June and have been doing that for 28 years. No jacks,no mothballs etc. No mice.

It has 50/50 antifreeze which I change every 5 years.

I just replaced the eight year old Interstate battery (6 volt) and never had to put it on charge all that time.

If it ain't broken, don't fix it ! Don't fret over it. It has survived the past 80+ years.....
 
I changed my oil and antifreeze two weeks ago. I plan on starting the car at least twice a month and let it run for 15-20mins... I agree not to leave a batter tender on overnight.. A battery cutoff switch I installed I now use when the engine is not running....

I keep traps year round...

Here's my can reminder:
picture.php


To remove this:
picture.php


No Mice up my tail pipe
 
Last edited:
Does anyone put Stabil or Sea Foam in their tank? Because ethanol is hydroscopic and will absorb moisture? Or do you drain the tank completely?

Just curious. Being in SoCal I can drive my car year round. Except in the rain I won't. Oh, wait. Does it rain here?? :eek:
 
Mikeinnj said:
I drive mine into my unheated garage in September run the carb dry, and don't start it up until the following June and have been doing that for 28 years. No jacks,no mothballs etc. No mice.

It has 50/50 antifreeze which I change every 5 years.

I just replaced the eight year old Interstate battery (6 volt) and never had to put it on charge all that time.

If it ain't broken, don't fix it ! Don't fret over it. It has survived the past 80+ years.....
Click to expand...

i agree, i store my modern 34 year old car on blocks of wood to prevent flat spots and disconnect the battery (does have a slight parasidic drain) and it sits there from about nov - after first major rainstorm of the year to wash the roads of salt. usually April it gets back out. i dont use any sabil or oil anything. usually after about 10 gas pedal pumps it starts right up in the spring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top