Storing Your Classic Car For Winter
Winter driving conditions can be precarious for any car and classic cars can struggle in icy conditions. If you don't plan on driving your classic car over the colder months, then you might want to think about storing it. However, there are some precautions that you should take when storing your car over the winter months, as leaving it idle can lead to damage. To make sure your classic car remains in good condition and is ready to drive, read through these quick tips on how to store your classic car over the winter.
Raise the Vehicle and Lower the Tyre Pressure
When left for a while in the same space your classic car's tyres can get flat spot. This is when the shape of your wheels changes due to the tyre pressure reducing over time, and the weight of the car making the wheels go flat on the bottom. This will cause damage to your car as flat spot can permanently make all your tyres the wrong shape. If you were to get a flat spot on your tyres, they could be expensive to replace. Nevertheless, there is a way to prevent this from this happening to your car. What you should do is raise your classic vehicle on jack stands. In doing so the wheels are no longer taking any weight of the car and instead the jacks are. Under the jacks be sure to place wooden slabs, as this will help to prevent damaging the floor. Once you have done this you need to lower the tyre pressure in your wheels to 25 psi for the winter.
Remove the Battery
When leaving your car over the winter you can run the risk that your battery might lose its charge. If a car battery is left idle and in cold conditions then it could lose its charge or freeze. For this reason, you should remove your battery and store it indoors somewhere warm. This way it's not being used, and it will not get frozen. Another way that you can preserve your battery is by plugging it into a battery maintainer and keeping it fully charged so that it stays warm and doesn't freeze. This will ensure that your battery is ready to use when you take your classic car out of storage.
Avoiding Rust
When leaving your classic car, you must make sure that you avoid it rusting. By making sure that you store it in a dry and sheltered location you should be free from rust on the outside. One place in the car that can rust is the fuel tank. When storing your classic car, you might think it's best to store with minimum fuel, so you can save money and because it's not needed when it's not being driven. However, when storing your car you should give your car a full tank. This will prevent condensation which could lead to rust.
Top Up Fluid
Before storing your car you should make sure to top up all of the fluids. It is important that you make sure your engine oil has been topped up and that all other fluids on the car have been checked. If you are planning on storing your car for more than a couple of months, then adding fuel stabiliser to the engine tank can help to avoid corrosion. Make sure you take your car for a short run once you have topped up the fluids to allow them to circulate.
If you have any further questions about classic cars make sure to check out https://etypeuk.com/news-and-events for any help or to just deepen your knowledge of classic cars.