how bad is winter for an old car?

[jasonmrenda]

i know that sound extremely dumb to ask. but here's my scenario,

i have a good sized garage that can hold 1 car plus all my tools etc but with the car in it, i can't work on anything but that car. i have a few projects going on and i am thinking of getting one of those "car tent" things to keep the Dart in.

now new england winters can be brutal. deep cold, lots of snow, salt ice. obv the car would be covered and protected from elements but not as well as if it was in the garage.

the car is a driver - nothing super fancy. not to say i don't like the car - far from it. i dont want it to deteriorate. but as my neighbor said - it's already 42 years old, i am sure it has seen rain and snow. and judgng from the rust underneath, i'd say he is right.

anyway just curious as to what you all think.

 

[DRENO]

When I put mine away and I'm sure a lot of other members do to for the winter,I put it up on jackstands,remove the battery,make sure the tank is relatively full ,with some fuel stabilizer in it(Stabil),check the anti freeze,I need to -50* to be real safe. I think your car should be fine.8)

<----------42 years old also

You want brutal cold come up here in January,lol.:sign10:

 

[1MeanA]

It should be fine with a few preventative measures.

 

[dustermaniac]

Be careful with that tent style garage. I had one set up when I lived in Massachusetts and had the Duster under it and we got a good ole noreaster' blowing through and I went outside one morning after the storm to find the tent style garage had collapsed down onto my Duster. causing one of the support poles for the tent to hit the roof line on my car where the rear side window pillar and roof line behind my vinyl top get dented right at the curvature of the metal. Just a warning. These poles were cemented into a 5 gallon buckets and I thought the weight of the concrete supports would hold it down, but no way. Mother nature was too powerful. :spiderma:

 

[Flatlander]

They do make car "baggies" that you can zip your car up in. I thought about getting one before I had my shop built.

 

[pettybludart]

I have my car in a new shelter,it came with 4 auger/ankers and I went and bought 6 more that are longer/stronger.This is setup behind my garage(major work going on for the 66 Dart,need garage)I,ll be keeping a close eye on it for snow buildup,wind.Hopefully the garage blocks most of the hard elements.

 

[69B-Cuda]

make one of these to put in there, it will help keep it dry so it doesn't mold. Basically, it's a cheap light socket and bulb on an x made out of 2x4s screwed inside a metal lacquer thinner can... a home-made chicken-coop heater. I put a 100-300watt bulb in it.

 

[res1vw21]

like a few others have said watch out for snow and the elements but you should be ok with preventative measures.

 

[mshred]

make one of these to put in there, it will help keep it dry so it doesn't mold. Basically, it's a cheap light socket and bulb on an x made out of 2x4s screwed inside a metal lacquer thinner can... a home-made chicken-coop heater. I put a 100-300watt bulb in it.

that thing is wicked! i need one of those for the garage this winter!8)

 

[yellowdartdave]

Remember to cover the ground with plastic to keep the moisture from coming up and attaching itself to all the bottom surfaces on the car.

Also, when you place it on jackstands, place them under the control arms and rear axle. If you let the suspension hang down, it puts a lot of strain on the bushings that will tear them in time.

Or you could just move to Florida....I know, easier said than done!!

Good luck.

 

[72_Durstya]

from what ive been told dont put a tarp or anything like that over it cause it will keep the moisture in the car.

 

[memike]

I have mine tied to the tree's around it and tied to my tool box one one side and a pallet on another side, when the wet cold weather started moving in I put a vapor barrier down under her, Mine has windows that can be opened for ventilation and it went through the worst ice storm we have had in years last year, I do not have a shop yet so this worked good for me.
My 66 Valiant did not have to be out in the weather last year and for $200 it was well worth it.
And I enjoyed keeping her in it this summer to keep tree sap and bird boo off of her. staybild in the tank and on nice days I open the window and door.
It has already paid for it's self