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Here's a seasonal and somewhat depressing picture.

For those of you who experience winters that preclude old car activities for a few months, I'd be curious what you winter layup procedures are.

My own have changed a bit over the years. The cars are washed, vacuumed inside, and preferrably waxed though not this year. Windows closed on the 34 and moth balls inside to protect the wool. Rear center arm rest pulled down. For the 56 the windows are left open for a bit of air movement.

I prefer the motors to winter with fresh oil, so they've both had their cil changes, chassis lube, distributor, generator and the like lubricated. All other fluids topped off. Batteries topped off with water and charged to full charge. I used to remove them to the house but since they are now both on thin rubber sheets to eliminate parasitic drain, I just disconnect the cables. I'll put the trickle charger on each probably about February for a few hous. New IAT antifreeze every other year. Fresh washer anti-freeze in the washer jag (56). A few extra psi in the tires to minimize flatspotting. I used to block the clutch on the 34 but no longer see it as necessary for just 3 or 4 months of storage.

And then the long wait until late March or early April.

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Dave, I put my collector cars away in October until May. I do all that you do. Oil and grease, anti-freeze every other year as well as brake fluid flush. I also loosen drive belts. I "fog" the engine" with engine storage oil spraying it down the carb until it stalls the engine. I then remove spark plugs and spray the oil into each hole. I used to use engine oil but now use a storage oil spray. I put sheets of fabric softener on the seats , carpet and wiring loom under the hood. Finally I cover the car and put a couple of mouse traps on the floor. Probably overkill.

For a garage like the one in the picture, it really isn't a very big job to cover the walls with high R value insulation, a vapor barrier, and sheet rock. Then for the ceiling there are a number of methods to reduce required BTU's for 40-50 degree heated storage to something very economical.

On top of that the space can be brought up to indoor living on weekends and the property value would be enhanced.

For what it costs to maintain lacquer paint and chrome this option would pay for itself and can be done by the owner to boot.

The only downside is that if the property is in a termite infested area, the garage should really be jacked up and a barrier put under the sills.

Thanks for the thought, Tim. The 34 has been living in that garage for 48 years now and the mostly original paint and some original chrome are still very presentable. Unlikely at my age that I'll do as suggested, logical as it may seem. There is no investment value, when I leave this place will be bulldozer bait for a developer for multiple dwellings. Hope I don't live to see it.

Clipper47, you've got about 2 months more winter storage than I have and I think your extra steps are well-advised.

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Owen I have a question for you. Where did you get the information regarding the "parasitic drain" of a battery? Do you have an engineering report from someone about it? If so I would love to read it.

Bob, no engineering reports, just 50 or so years of personal experience, putting batteries to sleep over the winter under various conditions, and tracking mostly acid specific gravity during storage and when I put them back in service in the spring.

O_D, in addition to what you have described, do you remove the gas filler caps and tape over the openings to reduce evaporation? Also, I would guess you store with full or near full fuel tanks and use a gas stablizer.

No winter storage here in central Texas, but the Packards do stay stored for months at a time while doing longer term work on one of them. I have two in a storage unit and the I am working on at home. With most of the major work done on the '47 and '55 I hope to get into a rotation schedule next year so they are being driven and enjoyed a month at a time each.

Thanks for sharing your storage tips.

(o[]o)

I don't bother anymore to tape over the gas filler. The idea was that expansion and contraction of the gas could draw in air + moisture, but the humidity in the winter is so low that I don't bother anymore. I try to put them away with full gas tanks. I've used Sta-Bil for the gas in the past, but now I usually use some 2-cycle motor oil (pint or so per tankful) and the run the engine with that mix for a few minutes before shutting down.

I do usually put a aluminum foil cap over the tail pipe to keep out any rodents.

I used to put a plastic baggie with rubber band over the air horn and crankcase breather pipe but haven't been doing that recently, but I probably should resume it for the little effort and $ it costs.

I change oil just before I put it away for the winter. I have small tomato paste cans I slip over the dual tail pipes. And I cut a bar of Irish Spring soap into quarters and put it on the floor front and back.
Year-round I always keep a full tank in the garage to cut down on condensation. I use Stabile during the winter.
I like the idea of the baggie over the air horn.

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Owen, Maybe I have you mixed up with someone else on here but I thought you had an engineering or an electronics background.

I heard that stuff about car batteries a long time ago. I remember seeing a battery sitting on a piece of wood on the floor of a guys garage. When I asked why he did that his answer was that the battery would discharge through the cement but not the wood. I thought that was a strange answer so I brought it up with my dad who was an electronics engineer and was told that that was an old wives tale and not at all true. I went on to a career in electronics myself and am now retired. The truth of the matter as I see it is that no current will flow through the case of the battery to anywhere. The case material is selected because it doesn't conduct electricity. The case material is classed as an insulator. It doesn't matter what you set the battery on. There are reasons why a disconnected battery may discharge itself when in storage but what it is sitting on is not one of them.

This is just my educated opinion that it is not necessary to put anything under the battery when you store the car over the winter. Disconnecting one terminal however is a good idea.