VERY long term storage

[nine11speedster]

Hi all,
whats your view on this, i have a set of tires thats no good and don't expect to use it ever again. Should i just store the car on its wheels / tires (of course, doing the fuel, battery, etc, etc first) or should i have the car on jack stands? Whats your opinion?

Thanks
Carson
PS - no idea on how long it will be stored, but looking at 5 to 8 years minimum.

[cgarr]

Long term I would take it off its suspension, I also leave the doors open one click.

[Randy W]

Empty the gas tank.

[Mo_Gearhead]

Even with NEW tires, with zero mileage, you would be best to replace them, even if they sat on a shelf after 5-8 years.

If I had to store a car long term, I would leave it so I could roll/move it quickly in an emergency. If (heaven forbid) your shop/garage caught fire you would wish to be able to evacuate all you can inside ...rapidly! JMO

[David E. Clark]

From a guy who knows a thing or two about Porsches!

Storage
by Bruce Anderson

PORSCHE STRASSE'S Bruce Anderson picked up on a message from CompuServe forum member Eric S. Shea about winter storage for his 911:

I am not really much of an expert on storing car because I live in California where we really don't store cars. Because I continue to get questions about storage I have gathered a bunch of information from various different sources. The best way to store your car for the winter is to fill the tank with gasoline just before you put it away. Change the oil and filter as well just before putting the car away for the winter. Either put the car up on blocks just so the tires miss touching the ground or over inflate the tires to about fifty psi. during the storing period. Remove the battery from the car and put it on a piece of wood in a dry warm place and put it on a trickle charger for the duration of the storage. When you take the car out of storage drive the car enough to use the gasoline that it has been stored with over a fairly short period of time and change the oil and filter again. This should be within a week or so of removing the car from storage. If the car is going to be stored for longer periods of time other precautions are required.

Porsche recently put out a technical bulletin on storage of used Porsches:

Technical Bulletin:

In order to address customer inquiries

If the vehicle remains in storage for more than 3 months, remove spark plugs and disconnect coil wire(s) from distributor cap(s). Ground the coil wire(s) using jumper cable(s).

Squirt 3-5cm of engine oil into each combustion chamber.

Reinstall spark plugs and torque to 25-30 Nm (18-22 ft. Ibs.).

Do not connect spark plug wires. Crank engine for 5-8 seconds. Do not operate gas pedal.

Connect spark plug and coil wires.

Do not operate engine until vehicle is put back in service.

Seal the air intake ducts and the muffler tailpipe using towels or tape.

Windshield/Headlight Washer: Check and correct antifreeze/cleaning solution level as necessary.

Electric: The battery should be removed from the vehicle and stored in a cool and dry place, not on a cement floor. Recharge battery every 3 months. If the battery remains in the vehicle with cables connected, it is necessary to check, remove and recharge the battery every 2-3 weeks.

Do not fast charge batteries. Refer to Technical Bulletin Group 2, Number 8801 for charging information.

Vehicle Interior: The interior must be dry, especially in the area of the floor carpets. The use of drying agents (Silica-Gel) is recommended in vehicles with leather interior and in areas with high humidity. The recommended amount is 3 fabric bags of 500 grams each placed on the floor carpets.

Windows, doors, lids and top must be closed.

On cars with manual heating/ventilation systems, air flaps should be open.

Brakes and shifting: Brake discs and brake pads should be completely dry to prevent corrosion. Do not apply hand brake.

Engage a gear on cars with manual transmission to move the shift rod all the way into the transmission to prevent shift rod corrosion.

Vehicles stored outdoors in direct sunlight: Precautions should be taken to prevent sunlight from entering the car's interior. Cover windshield, door, side and rear glass.

Putting vehicle in service: Remove intake duct and tailpipe sealing. Check for nesting creatures under the hood and evidence of fluid leaks under the car.

Install battery. Start engine.

Do not depress the accelerator pedal. Do not run engine at high RPM during warm up.

Should the engine not start after two starting attempts, remove spark plugs and check for oil deposits. If necessary, clean or replace spark plugs.

Caution: Do not crank engine with spark plugs removed.

Switch on A/C at idle RPM and check state of charge. Correct if necessary.
Adjust tire pressure to specified pressure.

Caution: Brakes may not have the highest possible braking efficiency after long storage. Apply brakes several times at low road speed.

Often there are people who specialize in preparing cars for winter storage and the storing of cars. I'm not sure about your area, but I know several people in the east that offer the service to their customers.

Here is the stuff that I send people that ask about storing a car in the winter. Keeping the tank full during storage is a good place to start. You should use unleaded fuel in preference to a leaded fuel because it is less likely to gum-up. Fill gas tank and put a can of Sta Bil in the tank to stabilize the gas during storage. (Sta Bil is available at marine and lawnmower shops.) Also you need to be careful that you don't use any of the fuels that have alcohol bearing additives in the gasoline because gasoline, water and alcohol do not mix. You have to be careful of gasohol or gasoline with alcohol use as an octane enhancer, these are now sold in 45 states. Because of the problems caused by mixing alcohol with gasoline there are now companies producing additives to protect cars from the use fuels with alcohol in them. If you live in a state that uses alcohol in the gasoline you should look into one of these additives, "Alcohol Protector" by Gold Eagle Co. 4400 So. Kildare, Chicago, IL 60632. Fuels containing alcohol have the ability to absorb moisture from the air. Once the alcohol absorbs water to its maximum, about 1%, a phenomenon known as phase separation can occur. The risk is thaing storage of their Porsche, the following information can be made available to them.
Clean vehicle thoroughly inside and outside.

Clean engine and engine compartment.

Under carriage and chassis components should be free of dirt and salt deposits.

If required, apply cosmoline to under carriage.

[EarlyPorsche]

Winter storage and long term are different. For winter you fill the tank for long term you drain the fuel system for example. You could also pickle the engine by filling it completely with oil/atf/marvels mystery oil.

[cgarr]

We also use Desiccant in the bag when we close off the exhaust and intake, you can also get desiccant filled spark plugs to replace your plugs for storage.

[mhoffman]

For winter boat storage there is an engine "fogger"- pull the plugs and spray into combustion chamber- basically an oil film to prevent moisture from causing rust in th ecombustion chamber. I'd also add a fuel stabilizer to your gas.

Also, I'd be very concerned about any electrical items with power applied in your storage area (think fans, heaters, etc) since they generate some amount of ozone which degrades your rubber- a potentially very expensive proposition to replace at the end of the period. Especially if the storage room is closed (no fresh air circulation). I'd spray down all the rubber and plastic with 303 Aerospace Protectant, or maybe search for an ozone inhibitor for the rubber.

Be carefull too about rodent access to the space- if the storage unti is sealed from people or has limited access, make sure that points of entry to the space as well as the car are protected from rodents.

Just a thought, and I am sure you have run through the iterations, but why are you storing it? Between the storage cost, insurance (you are insuring it right?) and potential deterioration issues, why not sell it? Take the proceeds, put it in a CD and when you are ready to get a new one you'll have the $$ to buy a replacement...

Just my $.02...

[chrispilot]

I stored a Merceces Benz for 3 1/2 years and had nothing but trouble with it after retreiving it. Electrical problems, engine problems etc. At least a Porsche is air cooled. Over time, antifreeze and dissimiliar metals found in the radiator begin to break down. Lesson learned: Unless your car means that much to you, I would sell it and get something else upon return. That said, do what the posters have recommended especially! get rid of ALL the gas. I had to replace my fuel pump and filter since they gummed up with the tiny bit of gas I had left in the tank. Pickle the engine. Fill it full of oil or some type of oil, Marvel Mystery or something. Depress your clutch pedal so that it does not leave an indent on the clutch plate. Upon return, you will need to replace all your fluids mainly brake fluid. If you can seal the car, all the better. No matter what you do without sealing it, dust will be big. Your rubber components will probably be dry. Higher end cars, such as Porsche, have good rubber but long term storage won't help. Stuff won't break right away. It just keeps coming back to haunt.