Storing A Classic
 

Hi all-
I have a 1987 Porsche Carrera 911 that I'm looking to put away for the winter. I've been on a few sites looking up information on winterization, but everything was about winterizing a newer car. Are there any specifics I should know about storing a 20 year old that are different? Any sites I can visit that might help? I figure I'm not the only Porsche owner who stores their car in the cold months here in Pennsylvania, so I thought I would ask the experts. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
It's a 1987 Porsche Carrera 911 Cabriolet. Non-turbo.

Thanks.

Putting it up on jack stands to prevent flat spoting of the tires is an option.

Also want to pick up a battery Tender to keep it charged while it sits there.

You might wan to also crank start her up 10 minutes atleast once a week so the oil gets a chance to recoat the stems of the valves, cams, crank bearings and cyclindar walls. Thats about all you need todo.

If you start the engine, run it until the oil and muffler reach operating temperature or else you'll be doing more harm than good. When you shut down a cold engine you precipitate lots of unburned HCs and various other partial combustion by products that are highly corrosive and will drastically shorten engine and exhaust system life. It is usually best not to start the engine at all during storage.

Hemingway35, here is a good recent thread about your question.

http://www.986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14072&page=2&highlight=winter+sto rage


And nowhere in my owners manual does Porsche recommend starting the car once a week/month nor do they recommend jacking the car up.

Google "storing classic cars" and you'll get a large number of hits. They all pretty much say something like this:

"10 Tips for Long-Term Classic Car Storage

Make sure your gas tank is full. This will reduce the amount of water that can be absorbed by the gasoline and it also slows the rate at which it turns to varnish. Use and additive like "Sta-Bil", "Dry Gas" or similar. Make sure it's well mixed and run the car for a while to make sure it's in the entire fuel system.

Freezing temperatures naturally dictate that anti-freeze be used. But even if it's not freezing, put it in. Many of the newer 'coolants' have excellent corrosion inhibitors that will help protect and lubricate your cooling system. A 50/50 anti-freeze/water mix is fine. Again make sure to run the car so it's mixed throughout the entire system.

Change the engine oil. Dirty oil is contaminated with acids and water that can cause premature bearing failure and rust inside the engine. If the car is likely to be left for a very long period of time unattended, remove the sparkplugs and liberally squirt some form of 'upper-cylinder lubricant' into the cylinders before replacing the plugs. This will help stop the piston rings from rusting to the cylinder walls.

Make sure the Brake and Clutch master cylinders are full of brake fluid. Brake fluid can absorb water very quickly. By reducing the exposed surface area of the fluid, the water absorption can be reduced. If you can, bleed the brake and clutch systems. It is recommended that you do this on an annual basis anyway, to purge the system of old and possibly contaminated brake fluid.

To inhibit rust in the engine area, use a lubricant spray such as WD40 to coat all exposed metal surfaces. The volatile carrier in the WD40 will soon evaporate leaving a protective film on the hose clamps, coils, carb bodies etc. 'Wax-oyl' is also good, but you'll want to hose it off at a 'car wash' in the Spring.

Wash the entire car and apply a good wax. Don't forget to clean the inside. Do this early in the day to give it plenty of time to thoroughly dry before putting it in storage.

If you have a convertible top, leave it up and the windows and vents closed. A convertible top can develop nasty creases when folded for long periods, especially in cold climates. Treat Vinyl tops with Silicone or similar. Keeping the windows and vents closed keeps small creatures from entering. But buy some desiccant sacs from a storage supply house 'Dry Pac' for example and place them inside the car on the floors. This will keep moisture from damaging the interior if it is damp or humid where you are.

Ensure that the boot is clean and dry, The boot seal is not always positive and some moisture can collect and condense in the inner fenders and floor. Air it out well for a day or so, then place a desiccant sac in here too before closing it up.

Finally, take the car on a good 30 minute run. This will evaporate all the moisture in the exhaust and in the engine. Then park the car with the hand brake off and either 'chock' the wheels or leave it in gear if necessary. Over inflating the tires can help guard against flat spots. Disconnect the battery.

The best thing to do for a stored car is to visit it once a month and take it for a short drive. This keeps everything in good shape, preventing things from getting corroded and seals drying out. At the very least have some one start it up periodically. If you are going to cover it use a proper Cloth car cover, not a Plastic one. If you find the concrete floor in your storage unit gets damp or 'sweats' use cat litter, or lay plastic beneath the car to prevent the condensation from reaching your floor pans. "

Also, check this out http://www.carcapsule.com/. It is much better than a regular car cover in a number of ways. First, there's a small fan which supplies a constant supply of fresh dry air. It will protect your car from inadvertent impacts, and lastly you can see and enjoy the car all winter. I keep meaning to get some of these. Maybe Santa will bring me one.

They also recommend changing the oil every 20,000 miles... I sure dont follow that rule. I did say jacking it up was an Option, not the word of god LOL. I've heard of people doing it.
That will probably prevent him from asking "Hey just took my car out of storage and i have alot of vibration through the steering now.. why?"

Man I don't miss storing my car for the Michigan winter anymore. Hopefully it will be a light winter out east. Good luck

And I realized that I never stored my car in the winter months correctly. This is a good thread

I wonder where my Moostang is nowadays?

Ill tell you how i would store my 67 mustang in the winter.
Step 1, Park infront of house
Step 2, Roll windows Up & Turn off Headlights
Step 3, Lock Doors


Done LOL

Here is the list I came up with when storing both my 914, and 911sc

* Full car wash
* Oil change
* Brake Bleed
* Remove nice wheels and tires, install beater wheels and tires.
* Store good wheels on their side in the basement
* Container of baking soda in the passenger cabin
* Remove battery and store with wheels in basement
* Plug holes (intake, exhaust, etc)
* Fuel Stabilizer on a full tank
* Install cover, lock garage

Hope this helps, it worked great for me for a number of years.

-Eric