# Storing the Goat for winter



## MidWest GTO 5.7 (Sep 7, 2008)

I'm going to be storing my GTO in my garage for the winter. I haven't had a car worth not driving in the snow before so I'm looking for a few pointers on what to do before she sits for the long wisconsin winter. I plan on changing out all of the fluids beforehand and washing and waxing it the day it gets put away. I also plan on taking it for short drives if there are any dry days too make it possible so that the engine gets run atleast a few times. any other tips or tricks? I'm a noob but I'm trying to keep the car in as good a shape as possible.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

MidWest GTO 5.7 said:


> I'm going to be storing my GTO in my garage for the winter. I haven't had a car worth not driving in the snow before so I'm looking for a few pointers on what to do before she sits for the long wisconsin winter. I plan on changing out all of the fluids beforehand and washing and waxing it the day it gets put away. I also plan on taking it for short drives if there are any dry days too make it possible so that the engine gets run atleast a few times. any other tips or tricks? I'm a noob but I'm trying to keep the car in as good a shape as possible.


it's best to not drive it at all once you park it. if you want to do the whole enchilada you should; clean the car, change fluids, fill the gas tank and use StaBil and run it for a little bit to get that treated gas into the injectors, remove spark plugs and spray a little WD-40 in the hole and replace plugs, fill tires with 45#-50# pressure, remove the ground from the battery or get a battery tender 'cause the car will drain it dead in 2 weeks, take measures to keep mice out. they will find a way in and wreck the car. moth balls around the tires work, traps do too. i don't like D-Con as they can eat it, crawl in your car and die. don't leave the parking brake on and cover it and pray for a short winter. i've stored mine every year.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

:agree He covered it all. I prefer to put the car on jacks.


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## MidWest GTO 5.7 (Sep 7, 2008)

awesome. thanks a lot guys I feel like I've pretty good idea of what to do. I'll make sure to head to the store at some point and pick up some stabil a universal car cover and a few mouse traps.

Another quick question is there anything special I should know for when it comes time to take her out or just reconnect the battery and be on my way?


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't do anything special sept to top off the tank and throw on the car cover.


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## alsgto04 (Nov 21, 2007)

Well your not the only one putting it away for the winter as mine has been ready since late august.


:agree on the stabil do recommend that alot and yes it would be a good idea to put the car on jacks. M:cheersouse traps wonderful idea i got mine setup already.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Dryer sheets work for the mice too. They don't like the smell.


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## alsgto04 (Nov 21, 2007)

Wow! I didnt know about the dryer sheets Rukee i guess ill look into that.
What else would be good guys besides moth balls, regular mouse traps and glue traps.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Mothballs do work, but the smell lingers for weeks after you get the car out in the spring. 


Use those under the hood, put them in a plastic spray can lid so they don't stain or burn your paint.


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## Route 66 (May 30, 2005)

I pull it in the garage, shut er off and walk away till spring..........thats it.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

A car cover is a good idea. I only take my car out when there is no ice, snow, or road salt on the roadways just to drive it. When its sitting I put a car cover on it to protect it by keep dust, fingers and anything that may be set on the car. Every few weeks I will put the battery tender on it to keep the battery from discharging past the point of no return.


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## Aramz06 (Mar 2, 2008)

Wish I had the chance to store my car in for winter, instead it gets a cold hard season in rain


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Route 66 said:


> I pull it in the garage, shut er off and walk away till spring..........thats it.


you can do that and maybe get away with it. i can tell you tho that gas goes bad after a couple of months and can develop a gummy stuff and mess up your injectors. i know of two people that have had mice wreck their cars and you will get some rust in the cylinders. you'll also be buying a new battery a lot sooner than you should. just because you've gotten away with it doesn't make it the prudent thing to do. good luck with it.


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## gurkgurkgurk (Oct 2, 2008)

svede1212 said:


> it's best to not drive it at all once you park it. if you want to do the whole enchilada you should; clean the car, change fluids, fill the gas tank and use StaBil and run it for a little bit to get that treated gas into the injectors, remove spark plugs and spray a little WD-40 in the hole and replace plugs, fill tires with 45#-50# pressure, remove the ground from the battery or get a battery tender 'cause the car will drain it dead in 2 weeks, take measures to keep mice out. they will find a way in and wreck the car. moth balls around the tires work, traps do too. i don't like D-Con as they can eat it, crawl in your car and die. don't leave the parking brake on and cover it and pray for a short winter. i've stored mine every year.




i wouldnt fill the gas tank, id try to leave as little as possible in there. seeing as how your not gonna drive it for the winter, the gas is gonna go bad anyways. but for different times of the year we get different gas at the pump, i dont mean octane or anything, i mean actual types of gas. for summer they give us a different blend, then winter, it keeps our cars running right, so you wouldnt want winter fuel when its spring again or anything like that.

also go to radio shack pick up the connector to a 9v battery and a ciggarette lighter thing and u solder them together and put the min the hole and leave it there so u wont lose any of your preset radio stations or memory that the ecu has in its rom


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Why remove the negative ground when using the battery tender?


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

if you use stabil your gas will be fine to use in the Spring...I like and use the Battery Tender, leave the battery cables connected...and Dryer Sheets idea sounds great...
Bill


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

raspantienator said:


> Why remove the negative ground when using the battery tender?


No need to remove the cable(s). Leaving the the tender connected will keep the battery charged, you won't have to reprogram anything like you would when you reconnect the cables(s).


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## Route 66 (May 30, 2005)

svede1212 said:


> you can do that and maybe get away with it. i can tell you tho that gas goes bad after a couple of months and can develop a gummy stuff and mess up your injectors. i know of two people that have had mice wreck their cars and you will get some rust in the cylinders. you'll also be buying a new battery a lot sooner than you should. just because you've gotten away with it doesn't make it the prudent thing to do. good luck with it.


Been doing it for years with any car I store for the winter. Have never had 1 single issue......and been doing this for over 10yrs.


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## ricekiller848 (Oct 24, 2007)

This might sound dumb, but for the dryer sheets will they work better if there used? Aloso how meany would you need. can i suff them in the engine comparment? I dont really know what type of chemicals are really in them.


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## Ram Air IV (Jul 30, 2007)

If the floor is concrete, use cardboard/roslan paper on the floor, underneath car to prevent moisture and rust.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

All great ideas and I will also look for cardboard to protect from moisture. The car cover worked great last winter.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I would think cardboard would promote moisture.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

What about plywood planks?


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I've been storing mine in a shed with concrete floors for years now, never any issue at all with parking on it.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

I had a garage in my other house with wooden floors. It was never damp in there...always comfortable. Oddly enough, my garage floor in this house is blacktop-the double garage was an addition over the driveway. I am looking to move again so who know's whats next. 
I'll just leave the floor under the GTO alone as usual.

Can't wait to drive her this weekend!:cool


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## Route 66 (May 30, 2005)

Lets not forget to grease her down with vaseline to keep her paint silky smooth and cotton balls in the exhaust tips to keep the bad air out. :rofl:


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## badjer1 (Feb 8, 2011)

MidWest GTO 5.7 said:


> I'm going to be storing my GTO in my garage for the winter. I haven't had a car worth not driving in the snow before so I'm looking for a few pointers on what to do before she sits for the long wisconsin winter. I plan on changing out all of the fluids beforehand and washing and waxing it the day it gets put away. I also plan on taking it for short drives if there are any dry days too make it possible so that the engine gets run atleast a few times. any other tips or tricks? I'm a noob but I'm trying to keep the car in as good a shape as possible.


I always store my 05 goat in my garage in Mn. Put a tarp down to keep dampness to a minimum. I fill the gas tank with non alchol gas which fleet farm sells and add sea foam. change the oil,check the tire pressure leave the battery hooked up and trickle charge it every few weeks. put fabric softner sheets under the hood, under the car and in the interior. I also replace the fluid in the procharger supercharger. It is a mean beast and I love this car


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## SWGOAT (Nov 9, 2010)

I stored my car last winter here in Minnesota and this is what worked for me, clean car interior, exterior, tires, wheels, etc. Change oil and filter. Fill gas tank add stabil at gas pump when tank is half full and drive home, fuel system is set. Fill tires to 50psi. Remove battery and store, use battery tender. Remove plugs WD40 in cylinders, reinstall. Put a container of Damp Rid in the interior for moisture issues. Plug exhaust tips. Store car on pads in between tire and concrete floor in garage. Cover with car cover. Set traps for mice in garage. Visually check car every now and then, especially engine bay. Winter can be a great time to work on mods to your car. Pray for an early spring.


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## Rinniss (Dec 11, 2011)

You put the dryer sheets in the pipes??? Never heard that one??


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

You guys are making it too dificult. Its only a few months.... not years. Wash ut, change the oil, then park.


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## LS2 MN6 (Jul 14, 2010)

Rinniss said:


> You put the dryer sheets in the pipes??? Never heard that one??


Keeps critters (mice) out of the exhaust.

If you have a fully enclosed closed garage and no pests you don't have to do that.

The only thing you really have to do is clean it, pump up the tires, add stabil/seafoam to the tank, throw a bag of desiccant inside (this keeps moisture out, you use the same one each year), slap a tender on it, and cover it.

That's what I do to my Corvette. I don't touch the fluids anymore, not even my oil (I change that when I need to, typically it happens sometime in the middle of summer.)


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