Winter Storage ... Give us One Trick or Treat You Use

[Black 03 Z06]

Just give us one of your tricks that may help someone else putting their car to sleep for its long winter nap.

Clean everything out of the interior that those little grey beasts can make a nest out of. Use heavy amounts of rubber lubricant on the rubber door seals then lower the windows about a quarter inch so it is not putting pressure on the rubber seal (especially the top corner). The seals are expensive and a bit of a job to replace. This certainly applies to C5's not sure about the other variants but it seems to work for my car.

 

[butsy]

I keep mine inside garage, Fuel stabilizer, Bounce sheets inside the Exhaust pipes & cover pipes with Tinfoil, and underneath the car in multiple places. Place large bag of Desiccant in the Interior to help with any moisture, connect battery tender and Cover the car, & leave til Spring....Doing this since 2019, no issues yet....(fingers crossed)

 

[Driver_WT]

I disconnect the batteries on all cars that I store for the winter, including C8 Corvette. Gave up using battery tenders. Garage is heated to 60 degrees F over the winter (at least until the heat pump does not restart after a power outage). I then stick the battery charger on in the spring, but it is not required as the battery charges up very quickly. I have been doing this for the last 5 years now, all vehicles start right up in the spring. Some reports of fires caused by battery tenders as well, which also factored into my thinking. Some years previously the battery tender would malfunction and not be working in the spring. I store 6 vehicles for the winter, so this is just simpler for me.

 

[Roughrider]

My wife found the stinkiest smelling fabric softening sheets lol that I put in the car and on each wheel, steel wool in the exhaust pipes and on the tender. I forgot the car cover as well lol.

 

[Murray20c8]

A friends car wintered on my property outdoors under 2 car covers. Liberal amounts of Bounce sheets in, under and around the car. Windows cracked 1/4 inch and the wee beasties got in and chewed a hole in his head liner (The Firebird roll bar part)
Just sayin, I don't think bounce sheets work.

 

[Rruuff Day]

I had mouse issues in an RV once. The dryer sheets did nothing but collect mouse s**t. Irish spring soap was all the rage then too. Until I checked it one winter and the mice had eaten half of the entire bar. Then came the plug-in ultrasonic pest controllers. Had three of them in the RV and every time I checked, the mice were having parties and dancing to the ultrasonic music. Luckily my man/Vette cave is tight and mouse free so I don't have to worry unless one sneaks in when I open the door. So far so good.

 

[Sturmgewehr]

I've battled mice around our large farmyard for years and years. The ONLY thing that works on the mice population are cats. Lots of cats. Or at least a couple of good ones. Not the whiny type that hang around under feet and want to be your friend. I'm talking about the ones you see at a distance skulking around hunting and earning their keep, lol.

 

[1st Vette]

I had mouse issues in an RV once. The dryer sheets did nothing but collect mouse s**t. Irish spring soap was all the rage then too. Until I checked it one winter and the mice had eaten half of the entire bar. Then came the plug-in ultrasonic pest controllers. Had three of them in the RV and every time I checked, the mice were having parties and dancing to the ultrasonic music. Luckily my man/Vette cave is tight and mouse free so I don't have to worry unless one sneaks in when I open the door. So far so good.

LOL , too funny. I have heard of using moth balls but they must be pretty tiny so not sure how well they would work. Not to mention pissing off the moth .

 

[1st Vette]

Just give us one of your tricks that may help someone else putting their car to sleep for its long winter nap.

Clean everything out of the interior that those little grey beasts can make a nest out of. Use heavy amounts of rubber lubricant on the rubber door seals then lower the windows about a quarter inch so it is not putting pressure on the rubber seal (especially the top corner). The seals are expensive and a bit of a job to replace. This certainly applies to C5's not sure about the other variants but it seems to work for my car.

There are storage bags available for cars as well.

PermaBag®: Climate controlled storage bag for long-term moisture protection of cars

PermaBag®: Long-term climate controlled protection and storage of cars, to prevent rust, mould and theft, without the need of electricity.

www.autopyjama.com

 

[Dave91TM]

LOL , too funny. I have heard of using moth balls but they must be pretty tiny so not sure how well they would work. Not to mention pissing off the moth .

Had a friend who stored his Z4 at his dads barn. Now my friend was in a rush, and asked his Dad to put a few moth balls in it for him. His dad put in so may that you could not breath inside the car with the roof up for about 2 months...but he didn't get any mice.

 

[1st Vette]

I've battled mice around our large farmyard for years and years. The ONLY thing that works on the mice population are cats. Lots of cats. Or at least a couple of good ones. Not the whiny type that hang around under feet and want to be your friend. I'm talking about the ones you see at a distance skulking around hunting and earning their keep, lol.

You bet . Yet another reason why cats are number one on YouTube! They were Gods in ancient Egypt for that reason and others. And unlike some dogs they don’t eat their own poop and then lick your face. Not to say I don’t like dogs as well , just that part.

 

[Murray20c8]

You bet . Yet another reason why cats are number one on YouTube! They were Gods in ancient Egypt for that reason and others. And unlike some dogs they don’t eat their own poop and then lick your face. Not to say I don’t like dogs as well , just that part.

Dogs don't eat their owners when trapped in a house with the deceased owner. Just sayin

 

[1st Vette]

Dogs don't eat their owners when trapped in a house with the deceased owner. Just sayin

I didn’t say they were smarter than cats. I guess that story was making the rounds on, of course, social media but it does kind of sound like an urban legend. Although I’m sure you’ve heard of the Franklin Expedition. Just saying. Lol.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Good grief did this thread go off course or what. I am proud of all of you.

 

[1st Vette]

Good grief did this thread go off course or what. I am proud of all of you.

Can you say Dexos II ?

 

[Hanko_]

LOL , too funny. I have heard of using moth balls but they must be pretty tiny so not sure how well they would work. Not to mention pissing off the moth .

Yes, animals don't like mothballs. Had a momma and 2 baby raccoons in an unused chimney once, dropped in 5 or 6 mothballs, momma took the kits out within 5 minutes. I also used them in my boat. Punched 12 ¼" holes in a Pringles container, filled it with mothballs, lid on & set in the boat. It lets out just enough fumes to deter the critters but not become obnoxious.

 

[1st Vette]

Yes, animals don't like mothballs. Had a momma and 2 baby raccoons in an unused chimney once, dropped in 5 or 6 mothballs, momma took the kits out within 5 minutes. I also used them in my boat. Punched 12 ¼" holes in a Pringles container, filled it with mothballs, lid on & set in the boat. It lets out just enough fumes to deter the critters but not become obnoxious.

For heaven’s sakes don’t let Jack hear this.

 

[Hanko_]

For heaven’s sakes don’t let Jack hear this.

It's ok, I ate the Pringles first.
It didn't seem to harm the raccoons at all, they just wanted to get away from the smell.

 

[YFCvii]

Having my Corvettes on maintainers is my take for being “carbon neutral compliant”. 6 months unrestricted on high octane 93/94 fuel followed by 6 months of electricity only.

 

[Paul C7 to C8]

I agree with Hankos response (above)..... in the 2 cars that I store for winter, I place mothballs in small plastic containers by my wheels, and one moth ball into each of the rear exhaust tips and a few mothballs generally scattered beneath the car . I also place mothballs in 3 areas within the engine bay....... no mothballs ever in the cabin of the car. I have been doing this for years and so far no issues with mice. One of my neighbors had the misfortune of having mice set up shop inside the engine bay of his Audi. Pretty much all of his wiring was chewed through...... thousands in repair costs.... luckily covered by his insurance.