WINTER STORAGE By: Jim Keller
It will soon be that time of the year to put your Marlin away for the winter.
Below are some recommendations for preparing a car for winter storage.

This is for storage inside of as a building Dirt floor or Cement. I have stored
cars in both type of building. In the city an in the country.

  1. Change the oil and filter.
  2. Do not wash the car the day you put it in storage. The car should be washed
    and driven a couple of days before to get the water out of parts, like inside
    the doors. I always recommend that a car be driven after every car cash.
  3. Wax car and the chrome.
  4. Put 30lb.to 40Lb. of air in the tires.
  5. Fill the 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 lawn mower shops auto parts stores).
  6. On a unfinished concrete floor, place a vapor barrier under the car (like a tarp)
    or sheet of plastic and drive the car onto that. This keeps any additional moisture
    from harming the underside of the car.
  7. Remove Air Cleaner with engine running (high idle) pour in about a pint of oil.
    Re install Air Cleaner turn engine off remove keys.
  8. Put a light coat of Vaseline on doors and the trunk for protection.
  9. Spray all door and trunk seals with silicone.
  10. Disconnect the battery or pull fuse for clock to prevent battery drain. If your
    car has a burglar alarm, DO NOT set it unless you plan to charge the battery
    every 3 to 4 weeks. The alarm will drain the battery if it is left on.
  11. Check the antifreeze to make sure that it registers between -20 to -10 degrees F.
  12. Check that your window washer reservoir is full.
  13. Use a good grade of vinyl treatment on vinyl to prevent it from drying out.
  14. Leave doors and trunk closed.
  15. Block windshield wipers off the window.
  16. Put the car in gear instead of using the emergency brake .
  17. Raise car up a little just to remove weight off the spring. This will also kept the
    tires from getting  flat spots.
  18. Push your clutch in once a month.
  19. Use some kind of moisture adsorbed material, I got mine at Wall Mart.
    It's used closets and basements follow there instructions.
  20. Get some Decon this is a rat and mouse killer. Put some in the car on
    a pie plate on the floor another in trunk and lastly one in engine compartment.
  21. Air Cleaner what ever kind tape it shut, that so if mice try to get in you'll see it.
  22. Any chrome goodies under hood spray some silicon on them.
  23. Chrome wheels same thing spray them also.
  24. Here's one don't laugh put note on windshield so you can read it from outside
    to where the keys are.
  25. I do not recommend running the engine because a warm engine creates water
    condensation when it cools down. But if you do start the car make sure it is
    at normal operating temperature before shutting it off.  Jim the (marlin-guy)



back.gif - (25K)