Long term storage procedures

[Potter]

OK.....I have my priorities totally screwed-up.....but I am not able to drive my '73 2.0 baby hardly at all. I doubt I will for the next few years while I build my new company. Sooooo, she will need to go into storage. What should I do to prep this beauty for a Rumplestiltskin sleep (fine, YOU try to spell Rumplestiltskin).

I honestly have no idea what to do. I pay a mechanic to fix it. I pay the neighbor kid to wash it. I turn the key and drive it. That's about it.

Do I drain the gas? Drain oil? Spray with WD40? Pull plugs? Sprinkle with baking soda? Pee in windshield wiper resevoir? Pack the trunks with garlic?

Car will be either in an unheated garage, or in a semi sorta kinda half heated warehouse.

I want to do this RIGHT. Ideally I hop into it in several years, charge the battery, and zoom off into the sunset (making sure to have the targa top on if I have to use the peed-in washer fluid).

Anybody know the correct steps?????

[genrex]

Assuming you will not be driving it for a long time, I suggest that you drive it to wherever it will be stored, then:

Drain the gas tank, and run the engine until it runs out of gas. This will remove as much gas as possible. Drain the oil, and the w/w fluid.

Remove battery from the car entirely, and place it somewhere else. Recharge the battery when you need to use it.

Close all fluid openings, and seal the intake and exhaust with heavy-duty tape to prevent insect/rodent/whatever damage. Place mothballs in interior and in trunks (and perhaps in engine compartment as well) to inhibit rodents and insects. Roll up windows, lock doors, close trunks.

Place car on jack-stands (or equivalent) to get the weight off the tires.

All this doesn't take too long. Of course, if you can possibly take the car for a one-hour drive every 3 or 4 months, then you can leave a little gas in it, because you'll be putting some fresh gas in it each time you take it for a drive.

That's all I can think of.. We'll miss you!

[Scooter311]

I heard that a bar or soap or two (like an irish spring or such) under the seats and trunks would keep pests away, and not leave the mothball scent?

[bd1308]

scooter, that would smell good too!

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I have also heard of not running the car out of gas, but rather using Sta-Bil in the tank. That is supposed to keep the fuel from turning into varnish. If you go that route, park it with a full tank. There will be less air in the tank and less opportunity for water to condense and start rusting the tank.

BTW, my car sat for most of 4 years with a quarter-tank of fuel and still started OK...

--DD

[bd1308]

yeah I'm with dave on this one...I had just gas in my 914 for over a year and it started...

[bd1308]

but i imagine that Stay-Bil stuff works real well. I use my 914 as a daily driver...have to I cant afford another car to drive

[bd1308]

uhoh...wait a tick! If you run the car all thw way empty...do you have to re-prime the fuel pump?

[BigD9146gt]

My boss just picked up a 69 911E that was parked for 6 years. The gas wasn't varneshed supprisingly (and the owner wasn't the type to even know about any stabilizer). After banging on the pump for a few minutes, the baby started right up. All we did was replace the oil, drian the gas (it pinged really bad with the old gas), and put new 91 in. I drive it as much as possible.

I used that stabil stuff for my 82 323i Euro BMW, don't know how well it works, only been in storage about 7 months. But definately fill that gas tank up like Dave said, thats key to keeping it from varneshing and the tank from rusting.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by bd1308
uhoh...wait a tick! If you run the car all thw way empty...do you have to re-prime the fuel pump?

The pump is lower than the tank. So all you have to do is fill the tank, and the fuel should reach the pump. I beileve there's enough pressure from that height difference to prime the pump.

Actually, I'm sure of it. I had no problems at all when replacing my pump.

--DD

[Pete_75]

What should I do to prep this beauty for a Rumplestiltskin sleep (fine, YOU try to spell Rumplestiltskin).

LOL! I usually spell it - Rip Van Winkle

Pete
'75 914 1.8L