If you have read my post in the Performance And Brainstorming forum, you know I will be scratching at the surface of my engine. I won't be driving the car all winter, and chances are, won't be turned over until spring [going to be tough, to avoid turning the key ]. In preperation for the tear down, I will be draining the coolant and oil, but should I keep some of it in there? I don't need my block cracking because I left coolant in there, or lack there of. The transmission fluid needs to be flushed, but I was thinking of waiting for spring to do that, should I keep holding off? She will be outside, unless I clean out my garage enough to park her in there to work, which I doubt. I know to put in a full tank of gas.. but that is all I am sure of.


-justin

My car sat for 16 months, from July 2002 to Fall 2003...

no preparations whatsoever (I know, I know... that'* not right at all)... and it cranked at will during storage. A weak battery here and there, but otherwise, nothing.

I think the then-leaky rear air suspension (I've since got new Monroe air shocks) kept pumping up every so often as the car sagged, which may have contributed to the dying battery.

My compressor is unplugged, because she usually sits all week, and you got it, don't want the battery to drain .

Since you live in the great white north, did you keep her covered, garaged stored, or just outside in the open?


-justin

just sitting in the garage.

... at least it wasn't outside.

(yeah, I know, kill me for that)

But other than a whole lot of dust (that a wash/wax could easily fix), it was fine.

lucky.. garaged!

That is a hell of a lot different than outside.. although mine is getting a good car cover [comming sometime this week, I hope], so its not fully exposed.. but still exposed to the temp.


-justin

Anyone else?

I have an empty tank of gas [DIC "Low Fuel" came on about 2 miles ago]. Should I fill it up and have crappy gas in spring, or leave it empty and have just enough gas to get to the gas station to fill up in the spring?

I'll be flushing the tranny before doing this.. so there will be fluid there

I'm draining the oil and coolant for sure, since that is pretty much required for head/intake removal.

Anything else I should add?


-justin

As far as the gas goes, sorry to say but you want it full not empty. The goal here is to keep as much of the inside of the tank covered as possible to prevent rust. If its empty you have all that metal just waiting to get rusty. You can add some "Stabil" if you feel its going to go bad, but gas actually stays good a long time in the conditions it sees in your tank over the winter (cold & dark).

Pull the battery out & bring it inside to the heat, or disconnect it & get a "battery tender." I use one on the Z28 over the winter & it always keeps it charged up great. Since your going to be working on it for a while, it would make more sense to just throw it inside the house.

You got big ones buddy, to be working on that outside in a Michigan winter Ever since I got my garage done i wont even work on a car outside in the summer!! My poor Camaro has to sit out 6 months every year because of our winters, its hibernating inside, on jackstands & covered!

Haha! Yeah, it'* going to be kinda hard.. but i'll survive. As soon as the first snowfall, i'm going to bring the heads, intake, and headers into the basement [after removal] to port them. Once I have them off, I really don't need to do a whole lot more work. I will replace the fuel filter before I start her in the spring.. so I don't need to be under the car. The rest of the stuff will come in the spring before she'* started up, so I won't be outside too much, but i'll still be out there for several hours, i'm sure. All the other stuff can just be done inside.

I figured as much for the gas. I've got that gas line antifreeze crapola that was put in the car all the time during the winter. The stabil sounds good, but does it have any negative side effects?


-justin

No way one winter will give you bad gas. 16 months and my car fired up every. single. time.