Long Term Storage

[LiquidVX]

I wanted to write a thread yesterday saying how much I love this site and all its wonderful people with their big VX brains, but I had no internet. So I say it now. PRAISE VEHICROSS.INFO AND ITS MEMBERS! Now for my questions...

On October 4th I will be travelling to the Portugal's island of Madeira to stay in Funchal for a year or two. I cannot bare to part with my VX forever so I will NOT be selling it. What can I do to prepare it for a long sit?

I recently moved into a house with a bomb proof underground garage that can be sealed and only I know the passcode. I even installed a motion sensor activated camera to record people outside it. SO I AM ALL SET WITH SECURITY, but should I drain the oil? empty or fill gas tank? I have heard car covers leave marks on the paint over time, but is that just in the sun?

Also should I put it on blocks to take strain off shocks? At first I thought that was a good idea, but I remembered what happened to the support shocks in my old hatch back. I left hatch open for a year and the shocks had no resistance when I came back.

Is there something I can spray on the tires to prevent drying? I know if it sits on ground the tires won't be round when I get back.

I want my baby to be just like I left her.

Thanks in advance for your help guys and girls.

[Mantronix7]

A friend of mine left his old porsche in his garage for a couple of years. He recommends to:

- remove the battery
- remove the tires ( tire rubbers expire after some duration )
- sit the car on concrete blocks
- leave gas and oil inside ( rust appears if steel is dry )
- cover with fabric ( sheets will do )

Upon your return, you will need to drain the oil for particles especially in the transmission and engine oil, buy a new battery and tires.

Some rubber and plastic parts had to be changed due to decomposition such as door seals, window seals and the windshield wiper. You might want to remove the windshield wipers too.

Rats got to his wirings though. LOL!

[Triathlete]

You may want to add oil and fuel stabalizers. That will prevent the fuel and oil from breaking down and forming varnishes which can dry and be harmfull also. If you can't find them in an auto store try a marine shop. They are commonly used for boats while they are stored.


Oh yea...and rat traps! :thumbup:

[LiquidVX]

Thanks guys. My tires are fairly new so I will take them off and see how they hold up sitting on their sides. Just seems like such a waste, they still have the little hairs on the side.

The garage is pretty rat proof, but I will get the traps just in case. Wouldn't be the first time they proved me wrong.

When I put the car on blocks, I put the frame on blocks, not the suspension?

Thanks for the great tips guys!

[Ldub]

Another thing you can check out : I think it's Sta Bil that makes an aerosol "fogger" to coat metal parts such as cylinder walls etc.
Ldub

[Mantronix7]

Thanks guys. My tires are fairly new so I will take them off and see how they hold up sitting on their sides. Just seems like such a waste, they still have the little hairs on the side.

The garage is pretty rat proof, but I will get the traps just in case. Wouldn't be the first time they proved me wrong.

When I put the car on blocks, I put the frame on blocks, not the suspension?

Thanks for the great tips guys!

I would advise to sell the tires as they do have an expiration date ( they harden ). Frame on blocks.

[LiquidVX]

Oh yeah. I didn't even think to sell them. Good idea. Thanks.

[Bulldoggie]

As mentioned above, fuel filled and stabilized, fogging the cylinders, batteries, and protect from freezing are most important, but I have friends that even pull their valve covers and back off all the valve springs, since some are compressed and some are not.

[Triathlete]

Or you could just bring it to my house and I will gently drive it around the block a few times a week just to keep things functioning properly! :naughty: :naughty:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3014/medium/28gsp3.jpg

[nater]

Gas stabilizer (Sta-Bil) is a must. Add double the dose, as per the instructions on the bottle. (The bottle says double the one year dose for two year application).

DRIVE THE VX AROUND AFTERWARDS. You must get the stabilizer mixed around and into the fuel lines or it won't do you any good.

I don't know anything about oil stabilizers for storage, I've never used them.

However, for the engine, I would use the Sta-bil fogging oil.

http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/products.htm

Here's what I would change when I got back:

-Oil + Filter
-Fuel Filter

Consider the following:
-Trans Fluid
-Brake Fluid (absorbs moisture over time anyway, which lowers the boiling point)
-Coolant

Speaking of humidity, is your shelter climate controlled? Can you control the humidity? I'm not certain of the optimum point, but it's somewhere in the middle to balance drying of rubber parts and corrosion of metal parts.

This looks pretty cool too:

http://permabag.com/auto.htm

Nate

[JAFO]

...Rats got to his wirings though. LOL!

I've heard that if you leave shavings of Irish Spring bar soap in or around the car that roadents don't like the smell and will stay away.

A friend of mine has a plastic travel soap box filled with Irish Spring soap shavings in his classic Chevy Impala. When he leaves car for long periods of time in his garage he leaves the box open on the seat. When he takes the car out for a drive he closes the box and puts it in the glove box.

[JAFO]

Another friend of mine has a car bubble.

http://www.carcapsule.com/CarCapsule_Car_Cover_Images/CarCapsule_Step_3.jpg
www.carcapsule.com/

[AlaskaVX]

I think you should leave me your lattitude and longitude and your combo to get into the bomb garage... 'cus God forbid the lower 48 gets nuked to a pile of sand and you don't seem to make it/want to come back from Portugal.... I mean what will the poor VX do? Stay locked up underground for eternity? No I will not let this happen, now send me your info! ;)

[LiquidVX]

Lots of good info guys! I didn't really want to take her apart, so i don't think I will back off the valve springs. Can I just spray the fogger into the air intake? That car bubble is pretty cool, but a bit on the ridiculous side, and I am limited on space.

As for the VX's where abouts and driving it off a cliff....





NO WAY! :p

LOL

Hey Alaska, I bought the same post apocolyptic tires as you, so she will be waiting for ME after the dust settles. Mickey Thompson's Baja Belted, THEY ROCK. Too bad I have to sell them. :mad:

[VehiGAZ]

Portugal Kevin?!?! Where did this come from? What are you going to be doing there?

Hey, I'll swing by 'Staven and take her around the block every month or so if you want. That'll keep everything nice and fresh. Seriously... it would be no problem.

And, I'll probably take those tires off your hands, too. Are they 16s or 18s? And what do you want for them?

[LiquidVX]

I am going to work and stay at the Montado dos Aviceiros on the island of Madeira. I will be helping with their harvest and chopping wood for winter. When spring time comes I will be planting trees to help rebuild the forest that was devastated last year by fires, and also tend to the crops on the farm. I just decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of CT, USA. On the mountain there is peace and quiet, I like that. Living off the land, no pressing deadlines, no electricity, no telemarketers, no unwanted visitors (unless they wanna hike 3 km up a mountain). A true paradise. Views like these are an everyday thing:

Those are the tops of clouds...
http://www.liquidproduction.net/vehicross/arieiro_sunset.jpg

This is Curral das Freiras ('Nuns Valley'). The picture doesnt do it justice...
http://www.liquidproduction.net/vehicross/curral.jpg

Thanks for the offer to take care of my VX, but I have since moved to Westbrook, so its a little far from you. And the garage is actually built into the hill the house sits on and there is a tunnel that goes from the garage to the house basement. So letting anyone in would be the same as giving them the keys to my house. Thank you very much for the offer though I really do appreciate it. As for the tires, they are 16s but my friend Tim already gave me a down payment. Thanks again George.

[dkmiller68]

I would probably wipe down all rubber components (door seals, cv boots, etc)with silicone spray to help keep them from drying.

[dkmiller68]

I would probably wipe down all rubber components (door seals, cv boots, etc)with silicone spray to help keep them from drying.

[Mantronix7]

And the garage is actually built into the hill the house sits on and there is a tunnel that goes from the garage to the house basement. So letting anyone in would be the same as giving them the keys to my house. Thank you very much for the offer though I really do appreciate it.

Sounds like the Batcave to me. If your Vx was an ebony..... :p

[LiquidVX]

Yeah I was going to do that. I would really rather not replace everything when I get back.

[LiquidVX]

Sounds like the Batcave to me. If your Vx was an ebony.....

LOL I never thought of that. Now I have a cool name for it. Thanks! ;Db;

[VehiGAZ]

Wow, Kevin, that sounds amazing! Such a bold change of lifestyle, too! Sounds like a bit of a spiritual retreat. I wish you the best on Madeira!

You're right - Westbrook is a bit far for me.

[thebear54]

Running away Kevin????? I hope your girfriend is going with you :)
Follow all the advise on this posting and you should have no problems when you come back. Don't cover the VX up though...block the windows in the garage to keep those nasty UV rays out and you should be golden (paint needs to breathe so it doesn't crack (I found out the hard way when I put my 1970 Datsun 2000 roadster in storage for two years and put a cover on it).
Hope to see you on October 1st in Brookline and we all hope you can log on a few times from there to keep us posted.
John

[LiquidVX]

Thanks for the advise John. I will go to Funchal probably once a week and use the hotels wireless internet from the cafe' in their lobby, I can log on from there.

Sadly Tara and I have gone our seperate ways. I am just not ready to settle down. We are still friends and I will see if she will come to Brookline, but I doubt it. My schedule has been moved up a tad and I might not even be able to come, but I will do my best.

The only windows in my garage are on the door, and they are already covered with stainless sheet metal I had left over from an old job. So no UVs will be eating my paint. ;)

Thanks for everyones help and advice.

[thebear54]

Kevin,
That's too bad about Tara....thought you two made good couple.
Anyway, I hope you can still take the VX out for one last excusion on the 1st before you block her in the "tomb" for two years.
If you can't make it I'll understand but do keep in touch from th mountain side once in a while.
Hope to see you before you go....John