Damp garage, storage tips to stop rust?
 

Happy New Year all (late I know)!

This winter I have to store my ROW 1980SC in an unheated garage. It is bound to get a little damp due to the variable climate here in Newfoundland.

Do any of you fellow Pelican's have any suggestions re temporary sprays or coatings to prevent rust from forming on the brake discs, Fuchs, etc?

I have considered purchasing a Car Bag to keep the car dry - do any of you have experience with these, or other similar bags?

Happy Motoring ;)

BEST: Heat it or use a dehumidifier

2nd Best: Use a fan and insulate it to reduce temp. swings at night

ALSO: do NOT use a car "bag' (unless it is one with a fan) that will trap humidity in the enclosed space.

Spray LPS, Boeing T-9 (?) Tectyl or similar over every surface.

Expect the leather to get moldy and fabrics to rot...

Sure you can't put it anywhere else?

Also, keep it as far as possible from the ocean, from ocean winds and salt spray.

Don't worry about the brake discs. Won't hurt a thing.

Fuchs won't rust. If they do, they aren't Fuchs.

Remove the battery.

Put a couple old tupperware tubs of rock salt inside the trunk and floor of the car. Don't fill them full of salt. Maybe 1/2 full. The salt will absorb the moisture and keep the interior relatively dry. You may need to change the salt every few weeks or so. In Florida we used to put a frisbee full of salt on the floor to keep the interior from smelling musty.

Hopefully not an earth floor, although concrete is not a lot better.

How big is the garage? Small one-car? Can you cover the floor with plastic? Heavy plastic drop cloths from Home Depot? That would help a lot.

Having lived on the rock I can appreciate the difficulty you're having. If I was back there with my 911 I'd take it to someplace like Krown and have her treated prior to storage. The thin oil they use gets into all the little nooks and crannies displaceing the water plus it'll also discourage the neighbourhood stray cats from taking up residence :) Treat your leather with a good leather treatment product to protect it. Considering the humidity there I'd fill the gas tank so theres not much airspace in it, Add some fuel stabilizer to keep the varnishs and gums from forming and you ought to be OK.

My buddy uses a bubble bag on his seldom driven '89 speedster widebody. Seems to work; keeps critters and the marine air off the car. How about using a bubble and a desiccant in a cat box?

I keep a window fan on all year. It's not perfect but it helps a lot.

I live on a sandbar.

+1 on Krown products. I've had success with the US equivalent on my machinery that I have to keep covered and out on a slab/car port. Two years ago the concrete became saturated and I ran fans 24/7.

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. At this point I don't want to drive the car on to the local Krown dealer for treatment, but I will try to get some spray cans of their product.

Some of you like Car Bags, some do not. Me thinks a Car Bag might be the best way to keep the sea air away from the car.

The garage is new, 24' x 20', with a concrete floor. In the spring I plan to finish it, with insulation and heat!

I have heard that charcoal works good.

I forget, is Krown one of those places that drills holes in your car when treating it?

Check your PM's

Leave a light bulb on.

Heat is your friend...Ho..and I like you nickname a lot...

I assume you put a vapor barrier under the concrete. If so, just putting a couple of drop lights under the car will do a lot. Make sure you have all your weatherstripping in place around the doors etc. Set mouse traps.

Newfie, I keep the 911 in an unheated barn on a concrete floor deep in upstate NY, near many lakes. We have some humidity here in the winter, but what is especially bad is when the air warms up suddenly after a cold snap, the cold metal of the car acts like a cold sink, and the underside gets all wet from the moisture wicking up through the concrete floor. I successfully ended that problem with a large( I mean Large) sheet of heavy plastic that I covered with some old sheets of 3/8 inch plywood. It acts as a cheap moisture barrier. An old box fan($10 item) in the corner keeps the air moving. No more problem. Glenn

Awesome tips! Please keep them coming!

This thread on garagejournal suggests:

a) Purchase a hygrometer to measure the effects of whatever solution you choose
b) Rock salt bags are simple and effective
c) A properly sized dehumidifier can work well

I'm currently using a car bag with the drying bags inside (both the interior and bag). Pop out windows open, and front windows down a couple of inches. I'm very happy with it so far.

John
(Fellow Canuck)

They sell desiccant cylinders see...........http://www.mcmaster.com/ page 651 item 2202K66

When full you throw in the oven and "recharge" the cylinder.

If your garage has electricity, I have had very good luck with "air dryers" for boats.

For example:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/245832/377%20710/0/air%20dryer/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=air%20dryer&Ntk=Primary%20S earch&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keywor d=air%20dryer&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5002&subde ptNum=12&classNum=380

I use a slightly oversized cotton car cover (the cotton still allows some air movement) and put the boat heater under the car. I have not used one of the heaters that have an internal fan. I didn't want any sparks. The ones I have use about 75 watts, won't burn out, don't have a thermostat--so no sparks and put out just enough heat to create something of a dry envelope around the car. This has worked well with several european sports cars from the 60's whose metal seems able to manufacture rust in a desert.