The Proper Way To Winterize Your Mopar, According To Me!

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MobileCustoms

MobileCustoms

You can twist perceptions, reality won't budge
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Rush City, MN
Well, it's late November here in Minnesota and we had a beautiful 55 degree, sunny day, and it happens to be my birthday (62). So I decided to take her out for one last cruise. Made a 75 mile round trip to Taylors Falls on the St. Croix river after warming her up a bit first. It was also a test run after changing out my front jets and swapping to a 10.5 power valve to address a lean spot at partial throttle.



20251123_131538.jpg

20251123_142222.jpg
 

How fun.

My winterizing is driving my 67 convert every month of the year. My record is -10 with the top down getting Sonic Ice tea!
 
When I read the above, I realise how lucky I am that I live in a climate [ Sydney, Australia ] that is mild all year long & I can drive my car 365 days a yr.
 
I just put mine away for the winter up by Pine City, a little north of you. I miss it already not seeing it in my garage every day. Hopefully the mice don't do too much damage over the winter. Lol. Happy birthday, I just turned 72 November 17th. Here's a picture of it in the pole barn.
IMG_20251001_130524.jpg
 
Scamp Rhonda said:
I just put mine away for the winter up by Pine City, a little north of you. I miss it already not seeing it in my garage every day. Hopefully the mice don't do too much damage over the winter. Lol. Happy birthday, I just turned 72 November 17th. Here's a picture of it in the pole barn.
View attachment 1716482027
Click to expand...

As a precaution for Mice Invasion, don't leave your Crotch Cooler Vents or any other vents open for that same reason. I put 1/4" screen at the Cowl Panel drain that is just behind the fender. You can get them in there if you are handy by reaching in from the doors at the hinge areas. Once they get into the Cowl panel it's game-over especially if you leave the heater box vent open. Then it's up on into the headliner to build their Winter residence.

Don't wish this upon anyone... Ounce of prevention is worth 1,000 lbs of cure.

Good Luck, I roll out bait packs too to try and kill them before the get near the cars. You will see the weak mice walking across the shop floor like a drunken sailer, scoop them up and send them out the door...


* * * * *
 
George Jets said:
As a precaution for Mice Invasion, don't leave your Crotch Cooler Vents or any other vents open for that same reason. I put 1/4" screen at the Cowl Panel drain that is just behind the fender. You can get them in there if you are handy by reaching in from the doors at the hinge areas. Once they get into the Cowl panel it's game-over especially if you leave the heater box vent open. Then it's up on into the headliner to build their Winter residence.


* * * * *
Click to expand...
Agreed! That's exactly what happened to Bazza's VG when it was in long term storage, before I managed to talk him into letting me get it running for him. When I got it to my place I looked at the holes in the headliner, right above the visors, and was wondering, "How the hell....?"

It was only after I got under the car and started looking around that the 20 watt bulb in my head starting burning.
 
My last cruise of the season was last weekend. Congrats on your birthday. How did the carburetor adjustments work out?

IMG_20251115_105153780_HDR.jpg
 
Scamp Rhonda said:
I just put mine away for the winter up by Pine City, a little north of you. I miss it already not seeing it in my garage every day. Hopefully the mice don't do too much damage over the winter. Lol. Happy birthday, I just turned 72 November 17th. Here's a picture of it in the pole barn.
View attachment 1716482027
Click to expand...
No, I meant it was 81 degrees today, I am old but not that old. :rofl:
 
Scamp Rhonda said:
I just put mine away for the winter up by Pine City, a little north of you. I miss it already not seeing it in my garage every day. Hopefully the mice don't do too much damage over the winter. Lol. Happy birthday, I just turned 72 November 17th. Here's a picture of it in the pole barn.
View attachment 1716482027
Click to expand...

George Jets said:
As a precaution for Mice Invasion, don't leave your Crotch Cooler Vents or any other vents open for that same reason. I put 1/4" screen at the Cowl Panel drain that is just behind the fender. You can get them in there if you are handy by reaching in from the doors at the hinge areas. Once they get into the Cowl panel it's game-over especially if you leave the heater box vent open. Then it's up on into the headliner to build their Winter residence.

Don't wish this upon anyone... Ounce of prevention is worth 1,000 lbs of cure.

Good Luck, I roll out bait packs too to try and kill them before the get near the cars. You will see the weak mice walking across the shop floor like a drunken sailer, scoop them up and send them out the door...


* * * * *
Click to expand...
FWIW, I place Downy dryer sheets all over my car in the winter. Someone told me years ago to do that with our camping trailer and we never had any signs of mice once I started using those. I place a couple in the trunk, 2 or 3 in the engine compartment, and 1 in each footwell of the interior. I also usually stuff one in each exhaust pipe and duct tape them shut and I stuff one in both snorkels of the air cleaner. I've been doing this with the car for 8 years and have never seen any signs of a rodent. Once removed in the Spring, there is no after-odor like with mothballs.
 
qkcuda said:
My last cruise of the season was last weekend. Congrats on your birthday. How did the carburetor adjustments work out?
Click to expand...
Thanks! The carb adjustments helped a ton. I still feels like maybe I could use an even higher number power valve than the 10.5, as it cruises around 2800-3000 rpm with about 17hg of vacuum, but I'm pretty happy with how it runs overall now.
 
Here in S E Texas, we drive our old classics 365 days a year, except for the sissies that say too hot because they have no AC. All the sissies have AC so go figure!?
I have no AC and never say its too hot. Therefore I am either NOT a sissy or too stupid to know if it is TOO hot!! :thumbsup: :rofl::confederateflag:
 
MobileCustoms said:
Thanks! The carb adjustments helped a ton. I still feels like maybe I could use an even higher number power valve than the 10.5, as it cruises around 2800-3000 rpm with about 17hg of vacuum, but I'm pretty happy with how it runs overall now.
Click to expand...
I made the same two changes with mine. The tip in at part throttle is where the power valve helps, and it cured my flat spot. I'm not sure they make anything higher than a 10.5 anyway?
 
Irish spring has worked around here
Chop it up and put it in a tea strainer
Anyone try the sonic rodent repellant
 
qkcuda said:
I made the same two changes with mine. The tip in at part throttle is where the power valve helps, and it cured my flat spot. I'm not sure they make anything higher than a 10.5 anyway?
Click to expand...
Thanks, I think you're right about that 10.5 being the biggest power valve. It's running really good now, I just noticed a couple of times on my long cruise where it seemed like it was maybe a little bit on the lean side until some light throttle, like when going up a gradual hill during my cruise. I'll probably try bumping my primary jets one more size and see how that feels and where the AFR is at. It's not bad at all, I just keep trying to tweak it a little, here and there. The 10.5 definitely cured my minor flat spot at tip-in.
 
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