Storing the Mustang

[CManT1914]

Well guys, I'm moving on in my life, and am getting into bikes more than mustangs now. My current bike is my daily driver, so the stang rarely gets driven anymore. I don't see a point in paying insurance on it since I don't drive it. But I have decided NOT to sell it, but rather to store it in our barn for a while.

Now here's the questions: What all do I need to do to store the stang? I'm talking for at least a year or better. Although it will get driven at least once a month just around the back roads out here a few miles to keep it running. I suppose I need fuel stabilizer. Empty or full tank? What about tires, how do I keep them from flatspotting? Oil system, anything need to go in there? Electrical system? It's gonna be inside and under a car cover, so the elements won't get to it. Let me know guys!

 

[super302]

1. Protect your fuel system. To keep the gas fresh and the system safe, add a container of fuel stabilizer to the gas tank, and fill the tank to the top right before putting the vehicle into storage. Take the car for a brief drive before putting it in the garage so the stabilized fuel will circulate throughout the system.

2. Drain the cooling system (including the radiator) and refill it with a rust-inhibiting antifreeze.

3. Change the oil and filter. Make sure the oil contains corrosion protection.

4. Hook up a battery charger/maintainer to keep the battery alive.

5. Protect your tires. If you can’t store the vehicle up on jack stands and don’t want to remove the wheels and tires, let some air out of the tires to reduce strain on the shocks and other suspension components.

6. Protect the paint. Give the vehicle a good end-of-season washing, dry it thoroughly and apply a protective coat of wax. Cover the car with a breathable cloth cover (plastic covers will trap condensation and provide a fertile breeding ground for rust).

7. Protect vinyl, leather and rubber. If the vehicle will be stored in a dry climate, it's wise to apply a preservative to prevent seats, armrests and dash pads from cracking. Likewise, a good coat of rust inhibitor applied to unpainted metal surfaces will prevent rust.

8. Provide critter protection. All kinds of small animals find vehicle wiring, seats and carpet delectable, and they think cars and trucks make a nice den, too. To keep critters out, place mothballs inside a vehicle, including under the dash, and cover the tailpipe. Or, for total protection, store the vehicle inside a cocoon that seals it completely from the elements.

9. Store convertibles with the top up. Convertible tops can actually shrink if they are left in the down position for an extended period of time.

10. Check your insurance and be sure your car is covered.

 

[bimmertech]

if you want to saturate your evap cannister then by all means keep your gas tank full. if you don't want to replace the cannister then keep it empty. as for the stabilizer, just make sure it is intended for a car, as most of those have alcohol in them which will eat our little plastic clips up over a period of time. you could go hog wild and pickle your motor, but if your gonna take it out every month not a good idea.

 

[DFG 5OH]

 

[xr8d302]

Can I borrow your heads?

 

[94gts]

My current bike is my daily driver, so the stang rarely gets driven anymore.

im sorry, not to be an ass, but i looked at the pics of that bike and cannot figure out why anyone would drive that 250cc thing at all. especially when you have that mustang crapola

 

[HISSIN50]

Chris, I would continue to drive it at least once a week. Stuff starts to take a dump when not driven much and if the bike needs repair, you are back to the stang (or is the truck available?). Plus if you want to haul something bigger than what fits in a backpack, you are outta' luck. Or maybe the truck works for all this.

I bet you have contingency plans worked out car-wise......

Glad to see you like the bikes so much!

 

[94MustangGT5.0]

I store mine from Sept. to June every year with nothing more than an oil change and a car cover. Honestly, other than some surface rust on my rotors and a dead battery at the beginning of each year, it stores perfectly. The battery is a champ to, it goes dead and then charges up once and never gives me any problems. About the battery charger thing... trickle chargers are BAD for your battery. They will cause them to build up a dependence on the charger, and kill the cranking amps the battery has. Instead, if you want to keep the battery alive and kicking, spend some cash and buy a charger that you leave on just like a trickle charger, except it has a build in meter that is constantly measuring your battery charge. Then, the battery only gets charged when it needs it. BTW.... Motorcycles < Mustangs... just my opinion! Are you going to the bike because you never got your car running right or just honestly like the bike better. I just find it odd you never took that thing to the track when you got done.:Track:

 

[94-302-vert]

After all that work you are going to park the car???

Someone needs to slap some sense into you man...

Honeslty, look at dropping the level of insurance (it is a calculated risk) then try to drive it every week or two for a decent run. That will keep everyhting in good working order... I do that with my truck over the summer and my car over the winter...

So far so good on both (but it has only been 14 months since I bought the car)...

 

[CManT1914]

1. Protect your fuel system. To keep the gas fresh and the system safe, add a container of fuel stabilizer to the gas tank, and fill the tank to the top right before putting the vehicle into storage. Take the car for a brief drive before putting it in the garage so the stabilized fuel will circulate throughout the system.

2. Drain the cooling system (including the radiator) and refill it with a rust-inhibiting antifreeze.

3. Change the oil and filter. Make sure the oil contains corrosion protection.

4. Hook up a battery charger/maintainer to keep the battery alive.

5. Protect your tires. If you can’t store the vehicle up on jack stands and don’t want to remove the wheels and tires, let some air out of the tires to reduce strain on the shocks and other suspension components.

6. Protect the paint. Give the vehicle a good end-of-season washing, dry it thoroughly and apply a protective coat of wax. Cover the car with a breathable cloth cover (plastic covers will trap condensation and provide a fertile breeding ground for rust).

7. Protect vinyl, leather and rubber. If the vehicle will be stored in a dry climate, it's wise to apply a preservative to prevent seats, armrests and dash pads from cracking. Likewise, a good coat of rust inhibitor applied to unpainted metal surfaces will prevent rust.

8. Provide critter protection. All kinds of small animals find vehicle wiring, seats and carpet delectable, and they think cars and trucks make a nice den, too. To keep critters out, place mothballs inside a vehicle, including under the dash, and cover the tailpipe. Or, for total protection, store the vehicle inside a cocoon that seals it completely from the elements.

9. Store convertibles with the top up. Convertible tops can actually shrink if they are left in the down position for an extended period of time.

10. Check your insurance and be sure your car is covered.

Exactly the stuff I needed to know! Thanks!

:Zip2:

Can I borrow your heads?

Ummmmmmmm................ no, lol

im sorry, not to be an ass, but i looked at the pics of that bike and cannot figure out why anyone would drive that 250cc thing at all. especially when you have that mustang crapola

Have you ever ridden a bike before? Sounds like you haven't. If you ever do, then you'll quickly realize that they a a BLAST to ride even if it is a smaller bike. Or maybe I should have bought a Busa to learn on and killed myself the first week of having it? Besides, the stang costs $1600 a year to insure, the bike costs $50. The stang gets 14mpg, the bike gets 65. Need I say more?

Chris, I would continue to drive it at least once a week. Stuff starts to take a dump when not driven much and if the bike needs repair, you are back to the stang (or is the truck available?). Plus if you want to haul something bigger than what fits in a backpack, you are outta' luck. Or maybe the truck works for all this.

I bet you have contingency plans worked out car-wise......

Glad to see you like the bikes so much!

JT, I will definitely be driving it every other week or so, just not to get around in. Just around these back roads to keep everything running. My dad told me I could borrow a truck anytime I wanted/needed to as well. Plus, I'm sure you already know this having bikes, but it's amazing what you can learn to do without carrying when you're on a bike as opposed to a car!! lol

I store mine from Sept. to June every year with nothing more than an oil change and a car cover. Honestly, other than some surface rust on my rotors and a dead battery at the beginning of each year, it stores perfectly. The battery is a champ to, it goes dead and then charges up once and never gives me any problems. About the battery charger thing... trickle chargers are BAD for your battery. They will cause them to build up a dependence on the charger, and kill the cranking amps the battery has. Instead, if you want to keep the battery alive and kicking, spend some cash and buy a charger that you leave on just like a trickle charger, except it has a build in meter that is constantly measuring your battery charge. Then, the battery only gets charged when it needs it. BTW.... Motorcycles < Mustangs... just my opinion! Are you going to the bike because you never got your car running right or just honestly like the bike better. I just find it odd you never took that thing to the track when you got done.:Track:

Good info on the battery Garrett, thanks. FWIW, I did get the stang running pretty good, not 100%, but pretty good. I just don't have time to tune it anymore after getting a new job. But it still runs good enough to beat an LS1 (Z28 with a prick driver, lol), an 05 GT (also a prick driver, beat him pretty good), and a few other quick cars (RAPED an SRT4, lol). I've just done what I wanted to do with the stang, so now I'm moving onto new things. But it's not like I'm selling it, it will still be there when I decide to return to stangs. I might try to get a track day before I park it, but honestly, the track just isn't as important as it used to be.

After all that work you are going to park the car???

Someone needs to slap some sense into you man...

Honeslty, look at dropping the level of insurance (it is a calculated risk) then try to drive it every week or two for a decent run. That will keep everyhting in good working order... I do that with my truck over the summer and my car over the winter...

So far so good on both (but it has only been 14 months since I bought the car)...

I'm trying to move out next year, so I'm trying to save some money. The stang costs around $4200 a year between insurance and gas. The bike costs around $880 between insurance and gas.

Thanks for the comments guys, even though some of them were smartass ones.

 

[bjl95mustang]

you will be stuck at home 4 ever. I will never give up my 12mpg beast.

 

[SeventyMach1]

I'm concerned with your barn, lol. Is it a safe/sound structure? Reason I ask is that last year my uncle stored his '70 Ranger XLT show truck in his barn .... & it looked safe. He had to put it there because the Chevelle project & all my Stang parts were filling up the garage. After a few months, he went down to take it for a spin one day and found that the barn loft had broken & was about 2" from hitting the truck cab. We couldn't move the truck, or it would just hit it and break completely. After a few hours, we finally got it outta there & put it in the garage after cleaning up. Another few hours in there & his show truck would have been TOAST! Keep her in a SAFE stable, lol.

 

[94gts]

Have you ever ridden a bike before? Sounds like you haven't. If you ever do, then you'll quickly realize that they a a BLAST to ride even if it is a smaller bike. Or maybe I should have bought a Busa to learn on and killed myself the first week of having it? Besides, the stang costs $1600 a year to insure, the bike costs $50. The stang gets 14mpg, the bike gets 65. Need I say more?

actually i have driven bikes. I believe a a gsx 600 is a bike? Anyway while being unbelievably fast and getting good gas mileage there is no room for error on one. I have freinds who have been severely injured on them and it wasnt always their fault.

But honestly did you buy the mustang for gas mileage or cheap insurance? Me no think so. Then why did you do H/C/I?

Im with BJL, ill stick with my mustang:Word:

 

[1990LXDropTop]

Why would ever want that old bike as your daily driver? I'd take the stang in a heart beat! I guess you'll be the "easy rider" of your town.

 

[DFG 5OH]

chris you better put your flame suit on, this could get ugly

 

[94-302-vert]

Chris,

Cut the insurance on the mustang to a minumum (liability only, etc), ask about a higher deductible, (i went from $500 to $1000 and it is saving me $300 a year, it has now been almost 2 years so the added $500 is already there...), jsut some thoughts... but you gotta have more than jsut the bike ready to go if you need it...

 

[CManT1914]

I'm concerned with your barn, lol. Is it a safe/sound structure? Reason I ask is that last year my uncle stored his '70 Ranger XLT show truck in his barn .... & it looked safe. He had to put it there because the Chevelle project & all my Stang parts were filling up the garage. After a few months, he went down to take it for a spin one day and found that the barn loft had broken & was about 2" from hitting the truck cab. We couldn't move the truck, or it would just hit it and break completely. After a few hours, we finally got it outta there & put it in the garage after cleaning up. Another few hours in there & his show truck would have been TOAST! Keep her in a SAFE stable, lol.

Wow that sucks man. Our barn is plenty safe though. We just built it a few years ago, so it's not falling apart yet, lol.

actually i have driven bikes. I believe a a gsx 600 is a bike? Anyway while being unbelievably fast and getting good gas mileage there is no room for error on one. I have freinds who have been severely injured on them and it wasnt always their fault.

But honestly did you buy the mustang for gas mileage or cheap insurance? Me no think so. Then why did you do H/C/I?

Im with BJL, ill stick with my mustang:Word:

Psshhh!!! GSX-R600! J/K, that's the bike I'm gonna be buying in a few months. No I didn't buy the stang for gas mileage, or for cheap insurance. I also did h/c/i knowing full well gas mileage would suck hard afterwards. But you can NOT tell me that if you could drastically reduce the amount you're spending on gas and insurance, and still enjoy driving whatever vehicle that does it (like the bike) that you wouldn't do it. I'll stick with the mustang too, that's why I'M NOT SELLING IT!!!

chris you better put your flame suit on, this could get ugly

Yea really Matt, funny how nobody flamed Travis for SELLING his stang and buying a bike. Is anybody flaming Caldwell? I don't think so! I guess maybe too many people on here know my age, and I MUST be young and stupid to be doing this!

Chris,

Cut the insurance on the mustang to a minumum (liability only, etc), ask about a higher deductible, (i went from $500 to $1000 and it is saving me $300 a year, it has now been almost 2 years so the added $500 is already there...), jsut some thoughts... but you gotta have more than jsut the bike ready to go if you need it...

Chris, I already have liability on it, and it's still $1600 a year. I do have more than just the bike if I need it. My dad has a truck, a bike, a 72 cutlass, my mom has a truck and a 66 mustang. So it's not like we don't have enough vehicles for me to get around in.

Seriously guys, if all you have to say about this is how dumb and stupid it is and how I'll regret it; it's not, it's not, and no I won't, so please keep the rest of your opinions to your goddamn selves.

 

[DFG 5OH]

Yea really Matt, funny how nobody flamed Travis for SELLING his stang and buying a bike. Is anybody flaming Caldwell? I don't think so! I guess maybe too many people on here know my age, and I MUST be young and stupid to be doing this!

chris dont take everyone's comments to heart, we're just trying to get you to come to your senses. I have never rode a bike, cept for a Honda 80 Dirt Bike, its fun as hell, but doesnt compare to the stang. But do what do you wanna do, and if you sell your engine parts, i got first dibs:SNSign:

 

[94-302-vert]

Chris,

Does texas require the insurance? if not maybe your insurance would be cool about you adding and dropping the car from your coverage a lot? If you get married your insurance goes down as well... pretty sure that doesn't help you though....

Just keep it running and getting soem use every so often to drive the moisture out of the exhaust, gears, trans, engine, fuel and it will be fine.

Kinda sad to hear though man, But i hear ya about saving $$... that is real money to save...

 

[anothergt]

A Mustang and a Motorcycle, well that's just ridiculous. ..........NOT
Enjoy the bike as much as you can, just don't totally neglect the stang. I haven't played with my Mustang as much as I used too since I bought my bike either.