Every fall the same thing happens in garages across Albuquerque. A classic gets one last Sunday drive, rolls into the garage, and the door comes down until spring. In March the owner turns the key and gets a click, a slow crank, or a fuel smell that was not there before. Nothing dramatic happened over the winter. A dozen small things happened quietly, and every one of them was preventable with an afternoon of preparation.

• Fuel, batteries, and tires all degrade while a car sits, and each has a simple fix before storage
• New Mexico’s dry air protects against rust but invites mice, cracked rubber, and dried seals
• Driving the car once a month is often better for it than parking it for five months

Start With Fuel

Modern gasoline begins to break down in about a month, and the ethanol blended into most pump gas attracts moisture and separates over time. Left alone, it leaves varnish in carburetor passages, fuel lines, and the tank. The fix is simple. Fill the tank nearly full, which leaves less room for condensation, add a quality fuel stabilizer at the rate on the bottle, and drive the car for ten or fifteen minutes so treated fuel reaches the carburetor or injectors. If the car will sit longer than a season, ask about ethanol-free fuel for the final fill.

Keep the Battery Alive

A battery left connected in a parked car slowly drains through clocks, radios, and the small current draws every car has, and a fully discharged battery can be permanently damaged. A cold, unheated garage speeds the loss. Connect a quality battery maintainer, sometimes called a tender, that monitors the charge and tops it off as needed. If a maintainer is not practical, disconnect the negative cable and check the battery once a month. Clean the terminals before storage so a bad connection does not look like a dead battery in spring.

Tires, Fluids, and Brakes

Tires that sit in one spot for months develop flat spots, especially on older bias-ply designs. Inflate them to the maximum pressure on the sidewall for storage, then set them back to the normal pressure before the first drive. If the car will sit all winter, moving it a few feet once a month helps.

Change the oil and filter before storage, not after. Used oil carries acids and moisture from combustion that sit against bearings and cylinder walls all winter. Check the coolant freeze point too, since an unheated Albuquerque garage can drop well below freezing on a January night, and a cracked block is the most expensive storage mistake there is. Top off brake fluid and release the parking brake, using wheel chocks instead, so the shoes do not seize against the drums.

Keep the Mice Out

Dry New Mexico air is kind to steel, which is one reason so many classics survive here. Mice are the local threat. A quiet engine bay in a cold garage is exactly what they look for, and they chew wiring, nest in air cleaners, and fill heater boxes with debris. Block the tailpipe and air intake with steel wool or a clearly marked cover, set traps around the car rather than inside it, and skip food or birdseed in the same garage. Use a breathable car cover; plastic tarps trap moisture against the paint.

Or Just Drive It

For many owners the best winter storage plan is not storage at all. Albuquerque has plenty of clear, dry winter days, and a twenty-minute drive once or twice a month brings the engine and transmission to full temperature, burns off condensation, keeps seals supple, and charges the battery. If the roads are dry and the salt trucks have not been out, take it around the block. Just bring the car fully up to temperature; a five-minute idle in the driveway does more harm than good.

Let Us Help Put It to Bed

Classic cars are why Worldwide Automotive exists. Bob Agnew brought his love of the antique and classic car hobby from California to Albuquerque, and we have cared for vintage cars here since 1994. If you would like help preparing yours for winter, from an oil change and coolant test to a battery check and a once-over on the brakes and tires, call the shop. No car too old for us.

Worldwide Automotive
3232 Girard Boulevard Northeast
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107
(505) 881-2722