Winter hibernation pics

[dadeo1852]

For those that have to deal with 'Old Man Winter', was curious to see how others store their beloved Mopar for the winter. Here's my bagged sixpack Challenger sleeping in my dinky 2 car garage.
How 'bout yours?

 

[seneca]

I have mine under a California Car cover all year long when not in use. Even in this God forsaken climate ( Michigan ) there a enough days of no snow and no salt residue on the road that I fire it up and run it up and down the expressway for a few miles 6 or 7 times in the winter.

 

[moparleo]

Did you put jack stands under the suspension to take the load off of the tires ? Drain the fuel system ? Wash and wax before putting the cover on ? Disconnect or better yet remove the battery ?

 

[DetMatt1]

I'm still driving my Imperial daily and I think the convertible has one more spin left in it on Friday as it's going to be near 70 degrees. Once they spread the salt once I won't drive them again until the spring rains wash the roads clean again. Mine live in my shop through 12' x 12' hole in that wall. I don't cover mine though, I still like to see them a couple of times a day. I'll put stabil in the tanks and disco the batteries and that's it.

 

[dadeo1852]

I never put mine on stands, until last year I used to swap the polyglas tires with these old tires I got from a neighbors' 65 Mustang for winter storage 'cause I was worried about flat spotting but last year I left the polyglas tires on and no problem, so same this year. Battery goes in the basement, I used to fill the tank up but now whatever is in it stays. I use bags of desiccant in the bag to control humidity and garage stays closed all winter. Wish I had a heated shop (and a conv. Challenger and a pImperial), I'd be in heaven.
Oh, and in the 7 years since restoration I've never really washed or waxed the car just lots of Meguiars Final Inspection.
Seneca - you're a braver man than me.

 

[TC_Cuda]

The weather here in Utah has been unseasonably warm and I been enjoying a little extra driving time but, when I do put it away I put it on jack stands, open the trunk the hood, pull down the sun visors and fill the car with direr sheets... all this is to try to keep mice out of the car, also I never cover it as mice like it dark and quite
and of course disconnect the battery

 

[mmissile]

I rotate positions in the shop, depending what I'm working on. I work on 2 cars in the front half[heat/carpet/AC], and cold store[about 40 degrees] in the back half. I stack them in the back. Other than making sure there's anti-freeze in appropriate vehicles, and covering the ones I don't want any dust on......I put battery maintainers on the batteries.[in or out of the cars]. Mouse traps and moth-balls are SOP in the dark/cold storage. Someone told me to put dryer-sheets in the unused vehicles, but I found a mouse nest in one roller, made out of the shredded sheets. That put an end to that idea.

 

[dadeo1852]

Funny, same here, I used drier sheets only to find a mouse nest in my lawn tractor and I was also getting chippies bringing in their nuts and camping for the winter. Enough of that, I bag the car, I use baited (peanut butter) rat traps to control the chippies and mouse traps. Living in a rural area on 2 acres I see everything if you know what I mean. 69 degrees today and flurries forecasted for tomorrow, Michigan!

 

[DetMatt1]

I wish I could afford to heat the car hobby part of my shop full time but I tried that for a month or 2 when I first moved in to the building and the $600 + gas bill left me in disbelief. It rarely drops below 40 degrees back there and if I decide I want to work on them during the winter I can turn on that furnace while I'm back there. I haven't seen any signs of critters in here for 3 years but that is another reason I don't use car covers.

 

[mmissile]

Funny, same here, I used drier sheets only to find a mouse nest in my lawn tractor and I was also getting chippies bringing in their nuts and camping for the winter. Enough of that, I bag the car, I use baited (peanut butter) rat traps to control the chippies and mouse traps. Living in a rural area on 2 acres I see everything if you know what I mean. 69 degrees today and flurries forecasted for tomorrow, Michigan!

I get that. Gotta move 5 cars around tomorrow, and prep them for storage and work. We're on 2 acres with 100's of acres of farm field s and some woods around. Rodents are always an issue.

For very low attention control, I use a small garbage can with a narrow board running up to the side. I smear peanut butter on the opposite side of the ramp. They can't jump out, once they fall in.

 

[DetMatt1]

That's does it! Can't say I wasn't a little sad as I washed them both for the last time this year. The final tally is 6,625 miles on the Imperial this year, man what a car!

 

[dadeo1852]

I got to tell you as much as I like your vert that pImperial is just way cool. I grew up in my dads' Newport and my uncles New Yorker. One day I may have to spring for one.

 

[moparlee]

..................... I don't use car covers.

But that is quite a car cover you have on your Coronet!

 

[DetMatt1]

Yes, it's turned into storage like every other flat surface in my shop.

 

[DetMatt1]

I got to tell you as much as I like your vert that pImperial is just way cool. I grew up in my dads' Newport and my uncles New Yorker. One day I may have to spring for one.

Thanks dadeo! It has become my favorite.

 

[DJ1967Dart]

Hey Matt - I've never seen your 71 ragtop. Can you post more pics and details? My previous challenger was a 71 and I confess I love the front grill and tail panel. I'll have my Dart and Challenger out tomorrow smokin the tires - 60 degrees and sunny in New York.

 

[DetMatt1]

You guys will have the weather we had yesterday, enjoy it!
My '71 has managed to retain its original engine, transmission and the fender tag among other things. It is an N code 383 4bbl, auto with ac and it's an original butterscotch car with black top, longitudinal stripes and interior. It was a Texas car before being imported to Michigan by Classic Auto Showplace for a client back in the early '90s. At some point over 25 years ago the car was repainted red for who knows how long and then repainted back to its original EL5. At some point during that time the rally hood and T/A spoiler were added and I recently had the engine, trans and third member rebuilt along with fresh engine room paint, new top and converted it to the rally instrument cluster and 3 speed wipers. My dad bought it in '96 and we enjoyed it together for 16 years while he owned it and I bought it from him about 3 years ago and we still are enjoying it together. It needed a lot of work when my dad bought it and we chipped away at it as he used it as a fair weather driver. By the time I bought it the engine was very tired and the trans had an increasingly nasty slip. I put 4K miles on it the first season I owned it and by the end of that season the trans barely worked so it all came apart for a complete rebuild. It has never had any serious rust as far as I can tell and the underside still looks factory fresh although it has some bubbling at the rear of the rockers and it looks like the lower rear quarters have had small patches done. That being said it does need some bodywork and a complete repainted sometime in the near future. Here's a recent resto thread.

Winter project

 

[mmissile]

Moved the hemi-cars to the back, and will be working on the `cuda and my buddies Demon. After the Demon leaves...I have to install the fresh hemi into the WO-car.

 

[DJ1967Dart]

You guys will have the weather we had yesterday, enjoy it!
My '71 has managed to retain its original engine, transmission and the fender tag among other things. It is an N code 383 4bbl, auto with ac and it's an original butterscotch car with black top, longitudinal stripes and interior. It was a Texas car before being imported to Michigan by Classic Auto Showplace for a client back in the early '90s. At some point over 25 years ago the car was repainted red for who knows how long and then repainted back to its original EL5. At some point during that time the rally hood and T/A spoiler were added and I recently had the engine, trans and third member rebuilt along with fresh engine room paint, new top and converted it to the rally instrument cluster and 3 speed wipers. My dad bought it in '96 and we enjoyed it together for 16 years while he owned it and I bought it from him about 3 years ago and we still are enjoying it together. It needed a lot of work when my dad bought it and we chipped away at it as he used it as a fair weather driver. By the time I bought it the engine was very tired and the trans had an increasingly nasty slip. I put 4K miles on it the first season I owned it and by the end of that season the trans barely worked so it all came apart for a complete rebuild. It has never had any serious rust as far as I can tell and the underside still looks factory fresh although it has some bubbling at the rear of the rockers and it looks like the lower rear quarters have had small patches done. That being said it does need some bodywork and a complete repainted sometime in the near future. Here's a recent resto thread.

Winter project

 

[DJ1967Dart]

Thanks for the info Matt - great 71 and I love the color. Took advantage of the nice weather and played with both my toys today.