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Storing My TGP


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I will be putting my TGP into storage this weekend, and it will likely sit there for approximately 2 years. Anyone have any tips for storing it?

 

I am looking at:

 

Wash & Wax

Clean interior

Change oil and oil filter

Fill gas tank with 1-2 gallons of non-oxygenated, non-ethanol premium and add fuel stabilizer, let car run to get stabilizer through fuel system

Flush cooling system and refill with 50% green coolant, 50% water

Check all fluid levels, top off if needed

Air up tires

Spray engine bay and tires with silicone spray

Park car in garage and put on car cover

 

 

What am I missing?

 

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Would it really be worth it to do that? My struts are all shot, and the frame cradle bushings look to be toast.. I'm kinda afraid to lift it off the ground to be honest lol. Is there anything else I can do to keep the tires from flatspotting?

Thanks!

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Are you storing the car out west or out east?

 

Will you (or a friend) have access to the car. To start it up, run it a little - or are you just planning on storing it sans maintenance.

 

I keep on hearing horror stories about putting car's in storage and having them come out . . . . not the same car.

 

For the last 2 years, I've been effectively storing one car or another 2nd car insurance here sucks!

 

My cars usually had a run or simulated run every couple of months.

 

If the car is going to be in the garage without being disturbed for over a year, put it on blocks, not old wheels, blocks.

 

I'm shocked no one mentioned: disconnect the battery, but I would do that as well.

 

Best of luck to you, there'll be a home here for your ride if you want to insure it for me to drive on summer days only.

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I am storing the car here in Minnesota, since I am going to Arizona for 2 years.

 

Yes, the car will be accessible, but I would rather have it so the person (my mom) doesn't have to worry about doing anything to the car while it sits in the garage. I would like it if nobody had to touch it at all.

 

We will be taking the insurance off of it since it is going to just be sitting.

 

Yes, I will be disconnecting the battery, forgot to write that one down.

 

Where are the best spots to place jack stands underneath the car? All I have now is 4 jackstands to use.

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4 are fine...

 

I would put 2 under each side of the front cradle, but not under the control arms.

 

The rear two you might put under the rear trailer arms...Just to keep it from tipping over in case someone gets near it.

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mouse bait for sure around and in the car. sticky traps and poison.

 

nitrogen in the tires. instead of regular air might help.

 

silicone grease on all rubber seals.

 

just remove the power steering fluid and brake fluid. then start fresh when you go back to it. relieve pressure from pm III unit.

 

water collectors that they use for RVs. remove water from the air inside the car.

 

neatsfoot leather conditioner.

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Definitely disconnect the battery, and definitely put some stabilizer in the gas tank and take it for a spin to mix it up. But do you guys really think the tires will flatspot over the course of a year or two? Have you heard fishtails or have you experienced this first hand?

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Consider using cinnamon sticks instead of decon. It keeps the rodents away, and keeps your car smelling fresh...just make sure you set the stick down on some cardboard in the event it would leave residue.

 

Nick, I can always start it up whenever I'm up there.

 

You may also want to consider not dropping your insurance, but finding out what your insurance company will do for storage insurance. I know I can keep insurance on my...old TGP...well could before...and basically as long as I wasn't driving it, they'd allow not paying it. I think they check the miles before you do this, to be sure that if something does happen, they see you weren't driving it, and that it was in fact stored.

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Consider using cinnamon sticks instead of decon. It keeps the rodents away, and keeps your car smelling fresh...just make sure you set the stick down on some cardboard in the event it would leave residue.

 

Nick, I can always start it up whenever I'm up there.

 

You may also want to consider not dropping your insurance, but finding out what your insurance company will do for storage insurance. I know I can keep insurance on my...old TGP...well could before...and basically as long as I wasn't driving it, they'd allow not paying it. I think they check the miles before you do this, to be sure that if something does happen, they see you weren't driving it, and that it was in fact stored.

 

I'm sure that when he says drop the insurance, he means, leave fire & theft on. That is what I do when I "Drop" mine all of the time. Effectively you're dropping liability and collision (those are 90-95% of the value in insurance).

 

It's about $60-100 a year for that here, probably less there.

 

silicone grease on all rubber seals. X2.

 

Take the offer to start the car up, or like I said earlier, you might not come back to the same car.

 

The last time I had my GP in the garage for about 5 months, the outline of the car had thin little brittle sticks everywhere all around it.

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Well, I let the car sit for 9 months this past year and everything was okay. I even pulled the top end apart and all the valvetrain was still soaked in oil, despite not being run in 9 months.

 

Mice shouldn't be a problem, the car will be in an inside garage, and I have 2 kitties that like to hunt. There are never mice in the garage or in the house. I will be putting a ton of dryer sheets inside the car just in case though.

 

I was thinking taking the insurance off the car completely. That is usually what I do when the car is stored for the winters. I'll check with insurance and see what they think and how much it will cost. Basically if its not free, insurance is getting taken off though.

 

I might have my mom start it up once every summer. That should be plenty enough. It sat for 9 months before and was completely fine.

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Well, I let the car sit for 9 months this past year and everything was okay. I even pulled the top end apart and all the valvetrain was still soaked in oil, despite not being run in 9 months.

 

9 months is nearly 1/3rd of the time you're talking.

 

Send car, live with me. It'll be indoors all of the time. Amy will room with it (him) in the garage and they'll even get a name, and if we're luck they'll have relations, and by the time you get back Amy might be prego with some sort of B4U/B4M hybrid car.

 

I start car up every couple of weeks. Take car for ride though neighbourhood when it dry & bare road in winter.

 

Swap crappy X-laces on and steal your good ones & hide them.

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THE HOOKERS MAN! WHERE ARE THE HOOKERS?

 

I was kind of hoping that they hung out in the TGP section of the forum, that's why I infiltrated to start with!

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If no one is going to be starting it, why put in brand new oil and a filter? You'll want to just change the oil anyway once you start using it again.

 

I would suggest against a silicone spray as it is sticky and will cause an extra dirt/dust fest when you get back. The "browning" that happens to tires after the "tire shine" has gone away is from the silicone based sprays. I would suggest something like Optimum's Tire Shine, it has no petrolium based products.

 

Put on jack stands indeed. It will over time cause damage, we know, our Trans-Am's suspension was completely collapsed when we got it, yeah, thats a lot longer but just proof that yeah it'll take a toll. While you are at it, just take the wheels off. Less stress on the suspension.

 

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Wow this thread got really off topic :lol:

 

Yes, the garage floor is concrete.

If no one is going to be starting it, why put in brand new oil and a filter? You'll want to just change the oil anyway once you start using it again.

 

I would suggest against a silicone spray as it is sticky and will cause an extra dirt/dust fest when you get back. The "browning" that happens to tires after the "tire shine" has gone away is from the silicone based sprays. I would suggest something like Optimum's Tire Shine, it has no petrolium based products.

 

Put on jack stands indeed. It will over time cause damage, we know, our Trans-Am's suspension was completely collapsed when we got it, yeah, thats a lot longer but just proof that yeah it'll take a toll. While you are at it, just take the wheels off. Less stress on the suspension.

 

The spray I am using is for rubber and plastic, it is kinda a conditioner I guess. Its not some generic spray, and I use it all the time on my mx bikes.

 

You really think that I don't have to change the oil? This oil in it right now is Mobil 1 synthetic and has 925 miles on it and is 2 months old. Its still clean, but I thought if I was going to let it sit for that long that I should change it.

 

I'm just wondering about the reasoning behind doing some of these things.

 

Thanks

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