As crisp breezes waft the joy of pumpkin spice across the Northern Hemisphere, scores of car enthusiasts face the bittersweet realization that fall’s colorful cruises eventually become winter’s frigid confinement. For many classics, that means a months-long refuge in a sealed garage. The simple fact of the matter is: seasoned car buffs who have invested countless years and a stack of hard-earned capital into their dream car just don’t care to risk the potential damage or wear and tear of winter. But fear not, my friends, storing your collector car does not have to be a stressful and dreadful affair.

THE BASICS

The first thing to consider when successfully storing any classic is basic mechanical maintenance. More specifically, there are three general rules to follow to keep a healthy engine and drivetrain: fluids, electrical and holes. Yes, holes, but more on that in a minute. While fluids are fairly easy to monitor, fall provides an ideal opportunity to not only check and top off the usual suspects but also perform a yearly oil change. New oil in the pan means less risk of contaminants damaging your engine if you decide to perform weekly or monthly cold starts – something this author absolutely recommends for the sake of your seals and gaskets. Speaking of cold starts, it is essential to idle your car long enough to bring it up to operating temperature so our next subject, antifreeze, can successfully perform its task. Successfully checking antifreeze requires more than looking at coolant level. Any parts store worth its name can sell you an antifreeze tester that will provide a visual representation of what temperature your engine is protected to. But remember, if you do change or top off your coolant, be sure to idle your classic long enough to open the thermostat to allow the fresh mixture of antifreeze to make its way into the engine it’s supposed to be protecting. Of course, if you’re going to idle a stored car, you have to think about that hallowed fluid every car enthusiast either loves or hates -- Gasoline. Some experts recommend storing your car with a full tank of gas, and some recommend a mostly empty tank. The idea behind a full tank is that more fuel allows less room for harmful water vapor to accumulate as the gas starts to degrade, which happens almost immediately. The idea behind less fuel is that less degraded gas, and subsequent water vapor, will ultimately be passed through the engine. Either way, fuel stabilizer is a must. And, as with antifreeze, it is essential to fire the car so the stabilizer can cycle to the engine and treat all the fluid in the system.

While it might be common knowledge that batteries generally do not like the cold, knowledge about battery tenders seems to be fairly uncommon. Tenders are essentially chargers that can top off or maintain a battery as needed. Which not only maximizes starting power but also, just as importantly these days, prolongs the financial pain of battery replacement. If you don’t have access to electricity, no worries. Simply disconnect the battery and store it in the car or on a shelf in the garage. Now, about those holes… As you might imagine, the concept is as simple as it sounds. Be sure to cover any potential nesting spots, like exhaust pipes, air cleaners and carburetors, that might be appealing to mice or any other animal that can breach the storage facility.

THE BEAUTY

The next major consideration for collector car storage is paint and body. As we all know, the most visible sign of wear and value loss on any classic is bad paint and a weak body. But fear not, there are ways to beautifully preserve your ride’s crucial first impression. The ideal storage space is somewhere climate controlled with a dehumidifier and a concrete floor. But, if you’re not lucky enough to have heat, 60% humidity and a concrete floor, you’re not totally out of luck. Plastic and tarps act as relatively good and relatively cheap vapor barriers, especially if applied over gravel. And while heat is nice, the real key to preventing rust is air circulation. Running a shop fan will work wonders for the moisture in your space. And if you want to get more technical, you can even link the fan to a timer or humidistat that will ensure regular intervals of air circulation based on hour or humidity level.

It’s a good idea to wash and wax your classic before storage, that way it’ll be easier to keep clean with spray detailer, waterless wash or even a simple leaf blower. If you want to skip the upkeep and cover your ride, keep it covered. Driving a car will, at the very least, attract dust to its paint. Re-covering the car with that dust on the paint is bound to leave scratches. And, speaking of uncovered cars, while the intense winter sun might be a nice mood enhancer, it will certainly leave faded ‘speed stripes’ on your stored car -- especially if your classic hasn’t been clear coated. We’re big fans of static cling window tint or simple blackout curtains to allow sunlight at your leisure.

THE EXTRAS

The final major considerations for collector car storage are interior and chassis. Along with tint and/or curtains, a good interior detail will help keep your car’s vinyl or leather from cracking and fading. Many enthusiasts stash baking soda packets in their classics to suck up excess moisture. And if your space is secure from mice and pests, leaving the windows cracked ensures good airflow and, as a result, less moisture. Moving back to the outside of the car, make sure all tires maintain the proper air pressure to avoid flat spotting and, ultimately, cracking. And if you’re really emphatic, and have a sturdy concrete floor, you can put carpet squares under the tires or even place the car on jack stands to avoid settling its suspension for long periods of time.

There you have it. Most of these tips and tricks can be performed over a couple of weekends and, whether financial or intrinsic, the importance of our dream cars simply cannot be overstated. Here’s to a short winter, happy storage, and an early spring!

Images courtesy of adamgindtphoto, 9403544, REFLEX_PRODUCTION and Fritz_the_Cat