With most Lower Mainland car shows over and rain clouds on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about putting your classic car down for the winter.
You shouldn’t, however, just park your baby on the driveway, throw a tarp over it and walk away for six months. Greg Wagorn, co-owner of North Vancouver’s Silk Cat Automotive and organizer of the annual Sea to Sky All-British Car Rally, shared some of his tips for keeping classics in mint condition through the winter.
Priority No. 1 is to get it indoors out of the elements if at all possible. If outdoors is the only option, a breathable cover is a must.
“The last thing you want to do is put a cover on that’s going to smother it,” he said. “Then you’ll get mould and everything else, damage to the paint. It has to be a breathable cover.”
Here are some other tips for keeping your classic warm and cosy for the winter.
Check the oil
If you haven’t done a recent oil change and the dipstick is looking a little dirty, it’s best to do it before you put your car away for the winter. “Oil actually traps a lot of the unburned gas,” said Wagorn. “If you just leaving it sitting in the sump, then your bearings and everything are just sitting in the old gassy oil.”
Clean it up
A dirty car in the fall can become an even nastier mess in the spring if left all winter. “Make sure there isn’t all the grime on it from the summertime,” said Wagorn. “Don’t put it away filthy.”
Add a fuel stabilizer
Top up all your fluids, including gasoline, and add a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. A stabilizer “stops the gas from ticking off, from going bad,” said Wagorn.
Take care of the battery
“The ideal thing to do is put a battery tender on it. It slowly maintains it,” said Wagorn. “If not, make sure it’s fully charged and just disconnect it.”
Inflate the tires to the max
This helps prevent the tires from developing flat spots. It’s a better idea to keep the tires on, fully inflated, then to take them off and lift the car, leaving the suspension hanging.
Crack a window
A little ventilation keeps the air circulating and prevents moisture from building up inside the car.
Keep pests out
Dryer sheets tucked into nooks, crannies and corners are a safe way to keep pests out. “Mice don’t like the smell of it,” said Wagorn, adding that the fabric softener plan is an upgrade on a spicy old mechanic trick. “We used to say put cayenne pepper around the engines and stuff like that. Then we actually found when you’re working on it in the spring, you’d be touching it and then if you rubbed your eyes it would just burn like everything.”
Don’t use the parking brake
Park on a flat surface and use wheel chocks so the car can’t roll. Put it in neutral if possible. Most importantly, don’t apply the parking brake. “It can seize up,” said Wagorn. “The brakes can just stay locked on.”
Leave it until spring
Some owners like to fire up their cars periodically, but Wagorn doesn’t recommend that unless you’re prepared to take it for a spirited drive and then go through the winterizing process again. “If you fire it up, unless you take it for a good run, you’re putting too much moisture in the exhaust,” he said. “You’re not burning off all the moisture.”
Those are some of the basics to keeping your classic looking sharp year after year. It takes some extra work, but it’s worth it. Why would you own a classic if you aren’t ready to give it some TLC?
“It’s kind of like tucking away your baby when it goes to bed at night,” said Wagorn. Summer will be here again soon enough.
Sweet dreams.
