car storage

I have 8 cars in storage classic and antique. my farther died unexpectedly almost two years ago, and has several cars and live in Northeast. I worked with him for years but have a lot to learn.

one 1969 car stored in unheated building with wooden floor. He ran this car out of gas before storing it, battery disconnected. covered

two 63 and 65 in buildings that have a dirt floor with landscaping cloth and fabric of some kind, some wood also gas stabilizer and batteries disconnected

three cars 1948, 1962 and 1966 in garage on concrete floor battery disconnected, gas stabilizer these are my concern with the concrete floor.

the other three I am all set one 1965 is driven each summer by my mother, one 1937 has gone by point of coming out (stored for 15 years) in the very back of the garage, and the other one 1933 has been out and stored in a wooden floor garage that is used daily.

all have car covers designed for that car, all have optima batteries

how often should i take these out for lubrication and drying them out. My farther took two cars out a year should i change the oil in them. I plan to take the 48 and 66 out now for a day of charging, wax, and short drive. then restore with gas stabilizer in full tanks.

suggestins would be helpful. I had a friend of my farther suggesting they all come out washed and waxed before restoring them. I am thinking of going to the cycle. they other part of the stroy my mother can not make a decision on the cars.

Well toys4dad,

I think that your questions will probably lead to more questions Dirt and wood floors often suggest small critters, such as squirrels, chipmonks, mice, and even on concrete floors can get into the cars. Have you checked for damage? You indicated a concern for the concrete floor. Do you mean moisture or tire rot. My suggestion is that you take one car out at a time. Fuel stablizer does not have an infinate life, as best I understand, so you might consider fresh gas.

You say your father took two out a year, but one has not moved in 15 years. So, I suggest that you look for advise for one or two cars at a time and give more explaination. When you use the term "restoring", to you mean a full restoration or just bringing them to running condition? Same with "going to the cycle." I am also not sure "gone by point of coming out", but I think it means behiend some other car, or cars.

You mention one of your father's friends, but I would think with 6 cars, he probably belonged to some car clubs in the area and/or knew a number "car people" with whom you can talk. But you will probably get a number of opinions. Did he have a regular mechanic he may have used for service and repair? Try talking to them.

Being over 75 myself, I feel I can make this next comment. i understand your mother has an emotional connection to these cars as the probably much of what they shared together. I suggest that unless you maintain and want to use all six, you perhaps try to get her to part with all but two that you can have some fun with and that she might enjoy, and sell the other four. I am sure I am not the only one that will tell you that the cars are moving peices of art to many of us, but the value can diminish rather quickly and the cost of getting and keeping them running will also increase.

I am also in the Northeast (CT), so if you are nearby, please fel free to send me a Personal Message.

And please, make sure before you go too far, make sure the tires and brakes are good.

John

A PS for toys4dad.

This forum heading usually refers to questions and comments regarding storage facilities, etc. Your concern is more for cars and should probably be reposted under "General" for wider reading and possible answers. Sorry, I did not mention that in myfirst response.

John

John

I believe that toys4dad is referring to "restoring" as actually sticking the cars back in storage vs. doing a restoration on the cars. I think the cycle means washing and waxing, but I too, found it a tad confusing.

Even with that said, many questions remain from your posting...

Are the cars all in running, driving condition currently or are they simply sitting in storage until someone can figure out ultimately what to do with them? Since I don't have a 100% clear picture of your situation, I'm making my suggestions based on my own experiences and some assumptions based on your post.

The first thing I would do is deal with the cars in the dirt floor building as that is probably the worst storage situation of the three. Dirt floor buildings tend to be dark, damp, dusty, and home to critters. At the very least do make sure that there is a plastic tarp or sheet under the car to act as sort-of a vapor barrier. It's always a bit of a lost cause to do that in a dirt floor building because they almost never are heated, cooled, or humidity controlled, but it will help a little bit I. Air circulation is important, too, especially when it comes to covers. Whatever you do, make sure the car is not damp when covered and that the cover is breathable. Do not cover the car in plastic or with a tarp...it does more harm than good. If you can get those cars moved into a better location, do it.

The wood floor is interesting. This is, in my opinion, a great improvement over dirt floors, but the same general statements I made about dirt floor buildings apply here as well.

For the cars in the concrete building, put a vapor barrier down on the floor under the car to help with moisture.

The best advice I can give you is to get the cars into "driver" condition if they are not already and then maintain them in running and driving condition. The worst thing that can happen to a old car is that it just sits. They really need to be driven (not just started) to get up to temperature and correctly circulate fluids and such. Starting and running for short periods after prolonged sitting just creates lots of condensation and can be very hard on an engine, especially with older lubrication systems and fuel pumps.

If the cars must sit (winter storage, etc.), then I would make sure they all have a vapor barrier under them and I would park each with plywood discs under the tires. Lots of folks will tell you to put the car on jackstands...it's great, but is a headache to do and makes it harder to get the car out when it's time to go for a drive. I would recommend completely removing batteries from cars that will be sitting long term. Put them on a wooden shelf (not on a concrete floor) connected to a battery tender or similar. If you have zero rodent issues, crack the windows a bit for circulation. If you do have rodent issues, get good mouse traps and be sure to stick some steel wool in the exhaust pipes so critters don't build a nest there (just remember to remove before driving!). Wash and dry COMPLETELY and then wax before storage. Do not set parking brakes (they can seize up).

Most say that the fuel tank should be full and treated with Stabil. I recommend this, but Stabil doesn't last forever. Try to burn it up within several months. Gas goes bad after sitting for years with or without Stabil. Also be sure to check antifreeze levels and top off as necessary. I would change the oil annually for the cars that are driven.

Before driving do make sure that the vehicle is safe. Check tires, brakes, lights, and other safety items before you set out.

Best of luck! Enjoy them!