Car Storage Information

Some things you might want to do before you put your Firebird in winter storage. These suggestions came from Pontiac Historic Services and an information packet I picked up over the years.

Selection of Storage Place

Since extremely high and low temperatures, precipitation, freezing and thawing, sunlight, soot and other conditions found outdoors have very detrimental effect on a car in dead storage, outside locations should be avoided.

An inside storage place should have a reasonably cool, even temperature, a minimum of dirt in the air, and an absence of direct rays from the sun, which might cause uneven aging of painted surface and upholstery and accelerate deterioration of tires and rubber parts. If it is necessary to store cars near windows, sunlight may be effectively reduced by painting the window pains black or blue. Avoid storing in a place where coal, smoke, ammonia or other detrimental fumes are present.

Preparing The Car For Storage

Care should be taken if you are going to store your car less than 30-days or extended storage beyond 30 days.

These are just suggestions for you. This is not a guarantee that you will not encounter some problems. Remember working around a car can be dangerous.

Exterior Finish – Body & Sheet Metal:

Before storage the car finish should be checked over for any foreign substances that might have accumulated on the finish, such as grease spots, oil tar, splotches of mud, etc., which may possibly have a detrimental effect on the finish of a lacquered surface if allowed to stay on. The car should be thoroughly washed and waxed prior to storage.

A cloth or paper cover should be put over at least the roof, hood, and front fenders to keep them free from dust accumulation and also as a precaution against foreign matter falling onto the paint, through windows or other openings.

Exterior Finish – Chromium Plated Parts:

Clean all exterior chromium plated parts with chrome cleaner and polish, and apply body wax or chrome guard as a protective coating. Petroleum can be used as a protective coating, but it collects dirt and is therefore troublesome to clean off when the car is removed from storage.

Interior:

Front floor mats should be left in their normal position on the floor. Apply body wax to the interior chromium plated parts. Precautions should be taken to keep rats, mice, or other vermin from reaching the interior.

All upholstery and floor coverings should be thoroughly cleaned. The entire interior should be sprayed with a stainless moth preventative, such as dichloricide. Apply a high quality furniture wax to the decorative wood inserts in the interior. Make sure to periodically clean the interior to deter mildew and dry rot.

All rubber weatherstrips such as used around doors, deck or trunk openings, and window ventilators, as well as rubber gaskets with exposed edges around tail lights, cowl ventilator lid gaskets, etc., should be painted with silicone grease.

It is also recommended that doors be left closed, and that the trunk and deck lid be locked to prevent rats, mice, squirrels, and children from destroying the upholstery.

Gasoline:

For short term storage: Fill up the gas tank and add gas stabilizer to prevent corrosive water build up in the gas tank and fuel lines.

For long term storage: Drain the gasoline tank. Run the engine until it stops, using up as much as possible of the remaining fuel. Disconnect the carburetor gasoline line at the fuel pump to allow gas to drain from this line. Disconnect tank to fuel pump line at fuel pump and blow line out with air. Crank the engine over five or six times to empty pump. Reconnect both gasoline lines.

Cooling Solution:

If coolant is left in engine, make sure enough anti-freeze is in cooling system and heater to insure adequate protection from freezing. If the anti-freeze is over a year old, replace with new anti-freeze to remove contaminates and corrosive material.

If car is to be stored more than six months, drain the coolant from the radiator, cylinder block and heater (Disconnect hose at the heater to drain completely–reconnect hose).

Engine:

It is not necessary to prepare the engine if the car is not to be stored longer than 60 days. However, for longer period, remove the spark plugs and squirt oil into the spark plug holes. Replace the spark plugs finger tight. When preparing the car to run, remove the spark plugs and crank the engine momentarily to assure that any excess oil is removed from the combustion chamber.

If car is to be stored more than one year, remove the cylinder head and coat all internal parts of the engine (Cylinder bore, combustion chamber, valves and seats, valve stems, etc.) with cup grease. Your local Pontiac dealer can assist you in performing this operation.

Move the generator toward the engine as far as possible to relieve tension on the fan belt.

Place paper bags over the carburetor air cleaner, crankcase ventilator valve outlet, and tail pipe, securing them in place with twine. This is especially important when storing cars in locations near the seashore, where salt air might enter the engine or exhaust system.

Do not drain the engine oil!!!

Battery:

Remove the battery and store on a board in a clean and dry location. Periodically charge the battery with a battery charger to keep the battery in good shape. Note – If car is to be stored for over one year, it might be wise to sell the present battery and purchase a new one when the car is put back in service.

CAUTION

As part of the normal function of a automobile storage battery, hydrogen gas is produced through chemical action. This gas is toxic and extremely combustible when mixed with air. Do not store battery where it will be exposed to sparks or open flame, nor where it is exposed to children.

Tires:

Place the car in the location where it is to be stored and support on jacks or stands at all four wheels to relieve weight from tires.

Six conditions should be observed in connection with the storage of tires, either on or off the car: a cool place, a dark place, no air currents, under no load, a dry place, and no contact with grease or oil.

Normal seepage will soon relieve pressure. Under no conditions should direct sunlight be allowed to reach the tires. If this cannot be avoided, then some sort of light-protective covering should be placed over the exposed tire. If tires have picked up oil or grease on the tread, the accumulation should be cleaned off with a cloth with alcohol. Do not use kerosene, gasoline, carbon tetrachloride, duco thinner or any other petroleum product.

Convertible Cars:

The tops of convertibles should not be collapsed.

Care should be exercised to keep oil or grease of any kind from top. Put paper cover over top, to prevent dust and dirt from penetrating the fabric.

Coat folding top chromium plated parts with body wax.

Do not store in direct sunlight or near radiator.

Less Than 30-Day Storage

  1. Review Preparing The Car For Storage at the top of this page.
  2. Vehicles are best stored in clean, dry, closed or roofed area. If vehicles is subject to corrosive fumes or bird droppings, vehicle should be covered. If the vehicle is to be stored where the wind might move the cover extensively, the cover should be tightly secured to prevent rub-through on paint.
  3. Wash vehicle exterior to remove surface dirt.
  4. Check engine compartment liquid levels and if necessary add more.
  5. Check tire pressure and if low, inflate to recommended pressure.
  6. Check battery and charge if below 1.255 specific gravity to avoid freezing and deterioration. Both the battery cable should be disconnected at the battery to prevent gradual discharge, and the possibility of fire due to short circuits.
    CAUTION

    As part of the normal function of a automobile storage battery, hydrogen gas is produced through chemical action. This gas is toxic and extremely combustible when mixed with air. Do not store battery where it will be exposed to sparks or open flame, nor where it is exposed to children.

  7. (Optional) Reconnect the battery. In a well ventilated area, run the engine until completely warmed up before turning off the ignition (at fast idle for a minimum of 15 minutes). Disconnect the battery and put back in storage.
  8. Make sure that all the car windows are closed.
  9. Leave parking brake in the “off” position. If car is equipped with a manual transmission, the selector lever should be place in reverse. Block the tires to prevent the car from rolling.
  10. Check trunk and glove compartment for personal items that might freeze or deteriorate with time.

Extended Storage Beyond 30 Days

In the event vehicles are to be stored for extended periods beyond 30 days, the following items are suggested in addition to the steps given above for vehicles that are to be stored less than 30 days. Also review Preparing The Car For Storage at the top of this page.

  1. Apply a coat of wax to exterior painted and plated surfaces without rubbing it out. This acts as an extra protective layer. It might take a little more work when you get your car out of storage but it is worth the extra work.
  2. Apply a coat of wax to interior painted and plated surfaces without rubbing it out. Again, this acts as an extra protective layer.
  3. Start and run engine until completely warm. Drain engine oil and replace filter element, refill with fresh oil. After oil has been replaced, remove air cleaner and pour one-half to one pint of 10-W or lighter oil into carburetor air intake with engine running. Pour slowly at first, then rapidly using last quarter to stall engine. Replace air cleaner. If vehicle is equipped with air conditioning, the unit should be operated during this final engine warm-up to lubricate compressor seals.
  4. Drain coolant from radiator, cylinder block and heater.
  5. If freezing temperatures are expected, the battery should be removed from the vehicle and stored in a cool, dry are at above freezing temperatures.
    CAUTION

    As part of the normal function of a automobile storage battery, hydrogen gas is produced through chemical action. This gas is toxic and extremely combustible when mixed with air. Do not store battery where it will be exposed to sparks or open flame, nor where it is exposed to children.

  6. Place blocks under front and rear suspension so that tires do not contact the ground and pressure is maintained on the suspension system.
  7. Drain gasoline from fuel tank, fuel lines and carburetor to reduce the fire hazard and to prevent gumming of the fuel as it evaporates. Another option is to add fuel stabilizer if you are going to store the car less than a year.
  8. Remove windshield wiper arms and blades and store in vehicle.

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