Wintering you E-body

[daves70]

What steps do you take to winterize your e-body?

[Moparal]

Basicly nothing. I park it in the shop and keep the weather out. Then I do drive it on some days. Make sure you got antifreeze. If it's a long cold winter for you and you don't run it once a month or so, put some gas additive in it so it doesnt go bad. Some put their cars on Jack stands for flat spots on tires. Some do varmint preventions.

[71340RT]

I change the oil before the winter sets in and check all the fluid levels and test the antifreeze. I don't fill my gas tank full as I try and drive my Challenger and Cuda once a month during the winter and put a little new gas in and check my tire air pressure everytime I have it out for a drive. I have a battery tender which I hook up once a month to make sure the battery stays fully charged. I do put a couple boxes of d-con out to try and stop the mice from causing any problems and these things have worked for me for years.

[basement]

Same here and I live in Northern Montana. Just top off the gas tank, dust off the paint, remove the antenna and throw the cover on it. Then pray the kids don't run their bikes and sleds along the side of it. I do try to start it and drive it some on the dry clear days.

[RDF]

I've also heard you can throw charcoal bags underneath it (about 2 or 3) and it will help suck up any moisture in the garage.

[vinb]

If it's not apart, I drive mine all year, suns out ,no salt on the roads ,why not. So the air temp. is cold no big deal heater core works fine. Just take out the 160* thermo-stat and put in the 180* , good to go.....

[daves70]

I infalted my tires to max. pressure, filled the tank and put in stabil, the antifreeze is new and I plan on starting it once a month all winter and let it warm completely up. Oh yeah, it's in my brand new garage.

[pink panther]

I've also heard you can throw charcoal bags underneath it (about 2 or 3) and it will help suck up any moisture in the garage.

I heard that too, I have plastic on my garage floor, then Plywood on top of the plastic and the chally on top of the plywood.

[Carlwalski]

You can also put your car on trickle charge. A system used down here for car museums or cars with a bit of electrics. My Challenger recently got one and it starts right up after a day, 1 week, 4 weeks or months. First time every time. With the big alarm system, CD player memory, clock and other gadgets my car would run down after about 2-3 weeks. Not any more.

You just plug the car into the wall. lol What ever you drive in at it will maintain your battery to that level until you start it up next. My connector is neatly behind the number plate. 12v consistently keeping my battery optimum.

[1970hemicuda]

One thing I do when winterizing is to change the engine oil.  It doesn't really have anything to do with the weather, but it's a reminder to change the oil once a year.  Oil doesn't last forever (about 12 months is the best you can hope for) and since the general rule of thumb is to change it every 3000 - 5000 miles, that rule doesn't help those of us who don't put that many miles on our cars per year.  Change the oil, check the antifreeze, pull the battery, fill the tank and add a winterizing product (then a can of octane boost in the spring), and get it off the ground onto jack stands.  Has always worked for me ... have owned "fair weather" cars since 1977 ~

[EVIL72]

What steps do you take to winterize your e-body?

I just roll the windows up when driving  , and make sure I keep a pair of ski gloves in there for cold morning driving. 

[70RTdroptop]

I put my cars up on jack stands, mothballs to fend off the pesky critters, car cover, change oil, check fluids. If it's warm enough, I'll start it up and run it every couple weeks if I can.

[slsc98]

I chose to resurrect this thread in light of the increased prevalence (predominance) of ethanol in gas now; and, to poll any members as to whether or not there is an additive you are adding to your fuel tank before onset of "non-driving weather" (translation: once they put the new-fangled de-icer on the roads here, our classic cars stay PUT.

We'll start 'em once every 10 days or so and let 'em run 'til completely warmed up but, is there anything else we should be doing?

We keep 'em in unheated bays not connected to our house (our retirement home will have AT LEAST a 3-car garage)!

Also, does the fact that we only use premium gas in our classic muscle car engines avoid any problems with ethanol (I read on another forum that premium supposedly does not contain ethanol)?

Thanks in advance for any insight or tricks (or recommended fuel tank additives)!

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Fisrt thing I do is rainX the glass, pack insulation in the shaker inlet and then put the snow chains on the BFG's   

I've been doing the same procedure for years.
Overinflate the tires (45lbs)
A mix of stabil & marvel mystery oil in the tank (full tank)
Battery goes in the house.
And the part that get the most puzzled looks.....
A bed of charcoal under the car... yes thats right charcoal. DO NOT USE THE MATCHLIGHT KIND. I use the cheap in-house brand from the Pik n save. Or get it @ sams or costco
I have 2 reasons
Charcoal soaks up humidity/moisture -maybe not an issue @ 10 degrees but your garage floor does sweat w temp changes
Mice around here absolutely hate it! I have NEVER had a mouse issue on any of my collector cars ever. Now I'm not saying I've never had mice in the garage (I have 2) (rent a space from my neighbor for the BIG GIRL). No cewed wires/turds/condo projects in vents ect.
Another note on the charcoal- It usually lasts me 3 years. You know when it wont hold any more moisture when its real soft an powderery. Often turns a grey color like its been used.
Come sping I crank 'em for 2 minutes to get the oil flowing before start up (take off coil wire)
This is just me, but its worked so far (20+ years) 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

BIGS,

  I can imagine getting that charcoal out of the garage come Spring time doesn't score very high on the fun meter.