How to Properly Store Your Vehicle

So you've just bought an antique or classic car and you need to park it for awhile in between the drives you'll take in it every year or so. Or, you've got a special vehicle you're only going to drive very little. Whatever the case may be, you need to know how to properly store your vehicle.

If you're only going to store your vehicle for a few months, like during the messy winter months, then there's not much you should need to do. Clean it thoroughly inside and out, and park it in a secure, fully closed building, and it should be fine.

However, if you're looking to store your vehicle for several months, maybe even a year or longer, then you need to take special steps first.

If you don't have a garage with a sealed concrete floor, then your first step is to find a suitable garage to store your vehicle in. It doesn't need to be heated, but having electricity would be handy. It does need to be a relatively tidy, secure, fully closed building with a clean, sealed concrete floor. Parking your vehicle on a dirt or stone surface (or on unsealed concrete) will allow moisture to reach the under carriage. Not good. Rust can do bad things to a vehicle.

There are store units everywhere nowadays that will be happy to rent you a space. Or, ask a neighbor, family member or a friend if they'll rent out their garage to you. You'll probably get a cheaper price than leasing a commercial storage unit.

The next step is to wash and wax the outside of your vehicle. Pay special attention to the under carriage. Make sure there's no dirt, mud, snow, ice or salt from the roads on the frame, or in the wheel wells.

If your vehicle hasn't got a full tank of gas, then head to the nearest gasoline station and fill it up. You'll also need to buy a fuel stabilizer so the gasoline won't turn into gunk while your vehicle's stored.

To properly store your vehicle, you'll also want to clean out the inside as well. Remove personal items and sweep out food scraps so they can't turn moldy and rancid or attract unwanted rodents and bugs.