Best way to store a car outdoors?

[69bronzeT5]

A very close friend of mine has a '69 428CJ 4spd Mach 1 Mustang project that her dad gave her years back. It's a complete car and was in pretty good condition when it was parked in it's current spot. Unfortently it's sitting outside beside their garage under a thin plastic cover. It's not a full tarp or anything like that, just a piece of clear plastic (like used in gardening) just sitting over the roof and hood. The car can definitley breathe unlike tarps. It's sitting on a gravel/dirt mix and has weeds growing around it. It's her dream car and being 18, she has the same problem I do (no $ to restore it right now) so me and her really want to get it stored better until it's time comes to get restored. She isn't as lucky as I am to have garage space as her mom's '70 GTO is in there. The Mustang has been outside for atleast 5 years now and fared pretty well besides the paint wearing out. We also want to hide it a bit better as a few years ago somebody came in the middle of the night and stole the Shaker scoop and the hood pin cables. What's the best way do you guys think to store it? I was thinking of putting something down on the ground so it's sitting on a platform of some type......

[bill440rt]

If he's gonna be storing for any length of time, I would move the car off the gravel for sure. Moisture from the ground WILL cause the underbody & components to corrode. Or, place a big plastic tarp over the ground to keep moisture away.
When I was younger my brother & I both used to have cars while living with our parents. There was only a one-car garage, so we'd keep them outside year-round. During the off-seasons, we'd cover them with a GOOD water-repellent car cover, then cover that with a plastic tarp & wrap it with twine, bungees, or whatever so it stayed put. That seemed to do the trick over the winter season.
Good luck!

[Troy]

Depending on options, that car is worth about as much as a college tuition. I'd find a way to store it somewhere safe. Replacing that shaker is going to be about $1,500-2,000 depending on what all was taken. Mustang sheet metal is cheap but replacing it when you wouldn't have had to isn't very smart. I have proof that plastic sitting directly on a car seriously increases the speed at which it will rust. As Bill said, sitting on dirt/gravel allows all the moisture in the ground to evaporate up into the car's underside. Get that taken care of ASAP. Depending on the car's condition, make sure any covers are tight and not flapping in the breeze or there won't be any paint left. Periodically remove covers and clean off any dirt/grit as well. The next huge issue is rodent infestation. They'll eat anything except the metal and then they'll pee on whatever is left which will rust the metal (and stink!). I use a combination of poison and traps and that still doesn't work 100%. Some people claim that putting Bounce dryer sheets around the interior will keep them away. I don't have personal experience with that as all my cars are inside now.

Troy

[Drache]

Tell her to buy a fully enclose car canopy if you can find a locking garage. Or simply get some wood and build a frame for a car canopy but also build full wooden doors that can be locked with a padlock and wooden sides as well.

[triple_green]

Maybe an RV dryer for the interior?

[Troy]

Oh I just remembered something I saw. There's a car show called "Chasing Classic Cars" and he went to buy some old exotic (Ferrari?) once. The guy had it up on a wooden platform inside one of those portable, enclosed storage tents in his yard. The floor had been covered in plastic before the platform was built. The car was in really good shape after many years - except where the mice had gotten in. Seems like a good way to blow a lot of money and waste a lot of time. You can rent single car garages around here for $50 per month. It may be more where you're at but worth looking in to.

Troy

[440]

Build a temporary shed around it..... lol

[69 OUR/TEA]

Wether its a real nice car,or a project car,if its an emergency case where you have no choice to store it outside for a winter or two,thats fine ,do the best you can to protect it.But,if you have to keep a car outside (from basically the middle of the US and up getting exposed to cold and winter weather)then you should not have it!!!!!!Especially if its a project that was a decent restoration candidate and was nice when you parked it,you will almost forget that its there,and leave it covered up and not to mention the bugs and mice that most likely will get into it and tear it up,the weather will have its toll on it as well.Again,if you have something wrapped up in a cocoon  outside in your yard for a fair amount of time and "think" you will get to it,you should not have it.
I myself as others in the hobby have projects waiting to get started,but they are all indoors.If one of them had to go and stay outside,I would sell it in a minute without thinking!!! Heck,I already have decided that one of my projects that "IS" stored indoors has been sittting there to long with my intent to restore,will be getting sold.Let the guy who "will" restore it now have it.I cannot stand seeing cars that sit there waiting,so I don't want to fall in that category of a musclecar project hoarder !!!!!

[69 OUR/TEA]

Oh I just remembered something I saw. There's a car show called "Chasing Classic Cars" and he went to buy some old exotic (Ferrari?) once. The guy had it up on a wooden platform inside one of those portable, enclosed storage tents in his yard. The floor had been covered in plastic before the platform was built. The car was in really good shape after many years - except where the mice had gotten in. Seems like a good way to blow a lot of money and waste a lot of time. You can rent single car garages around here for $50 per month. It may be more where you're at but worth looking in to.

Troy

Troy,that place(and show )is not that far from me here in CT,drive by it quite often on nice day cruises,some neat stuff sitting out in their lot.Not so much my taste as most are exotics.The owner Wayne Carini is sometimes at shows,cruises here in CT,so have seen him a couple times,now I'm short @ 5'-7'',but TV makes him look taller than he is,he is short 5'-0'',5'-1'' !!!! First time I saw him,my friend said ,"you know who that is"?Was shocked.

[440]

Wether its a real nice car,or a project car,if its an emergency case where you have no choice to store it outside for a winter or two,thats fine ,do the best you can to protect it.

The two winters that my Chevelle sat outside took a noticeable toll on it and that was under fairly ideal conditions, stored on concrete and under a water resistant cover with a tarp on top of that. The car was also a frame off resto so any new corrosion was clearly visible. I would not recommend anything more than one winter, especially if it's in nice shape. If the car has cancer the moisture will greatly accelerate its growth, at least if kept dry and away from moisture it will slow down its progress. Same with the sun bleaching and hardening of trim.

Another good idea would be to store it on jack stands to take the weight off the tires. If it's going to be sitting for years the tires will get flat spots and basically ruin them, that is unless you don't plan to reuse them.    

[gtx6970]

find cheap but to a point secure indoor storage . basically something to keep it dry and out of the elements

Anything more than maybe a year ( 2 tops ) sitting  outside covered is not going to be kind on it.

and to be brutally honest anything longer than 2 years,,, and I would consider selling it , put the funds in a CD or some type of interest bearing account and finding another one later on

[Richard Cranium]

One of these will do the trick....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHVKFCoYFc&playnext=1&list=PLC03C4D2614F4EFC6

[stripedelete]

Greenhouse hoops.  There's always an abondon set somewhere.   Buy some heavy plastic and spend $100-150 on a yard of concrete. Done.

[bull]

Car Capsule: http://www.go-fast-parts.com/5730975.html A friend of mine once stored his '70 Cuda outdoors in one of these for a couple years with no issues.

[Magnumcharger]

My opinion: Dont store a car outside...period!

I have several restoration candidates all stored indoors. Yes, that's a luxury, but having seen the many consequences of outdoor storage, there is no way I'd subject any vehicle I care about to "storage" in an environment that might subject it to numerous hazards, not the least of which would be: atmospheric moisture, hail, snow, wind-driven grit, or even excessive ultraviolet radiation.

In this case, I would advise the girl to sell her 428 Mach 1 and put the money towards a good education! Then after she's grown up and well employed, she can buy a restored version of the same car...if it's what she really wants.

[bakerhillpins]

I heard at one point that you could buy ISO containers reasonably cheap.     Certainly secure.

One of these will do the trick....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHVKFCoYFc&playnext=1&list=PLC03C4D2614F4EFC6

Wow, that's down right cool.

I say she keeps it and does the best she can.

[TUFCAT]

My opinion: Dont store a car outside...period!

I have several restoration candidates all stored indoors. Yes, that's a luxury, but having seen the many consequences of outdoor storage, there is no way I'd subject any vehicle I care about to "storage" in an environment that might subject it to numerous hazards, not the least of which would be: atmospheric moisture, hail, snow, wind-driven grit, or even excessive ultraviolet radiation.

In this case, I would advise the girl to sell her 428 Mach 1 and put the money towards a good education! Then after she's grown up and well employed, she can buy a restored version of the same car...if it's what she really wants.

I agree !!  I would NEVER store a car outside other than a rust bucket basket case!  

I'd sell it before I became "the person" responsible for letting a nice car rot.  No offense to the girl.  But maybe her Dad should take control.  

[Kern Dog]

I started putting poisonous "rat packs" in the cars that I store outside. They can be bought at any hardware or home improvement store. The vermin are attracted to these packs and after eating them, they die of dehydration.

[Old Moparz]

My opinion: Dont store a car outside...period!

I have several restoration candidates all stored indoors. Yes, that's a luxury, but having seen the many consequences of outdoor storage, there is no way I'd subject any vehicle I care about to "storage" in an environment that might subject it to numerous hazards, not the least of which would be: atmospheric moisture, hail, snow, wind-driven grit, or even excessive ultraviolet radiation.

In this case, I would advise the girl to sell her 428 Mach 1 and put the money towards a good education! Then after she's grown up and well employed, she can buy a restored version of the same car...if it's what she really wants.

I have to agree with not storing it outdoors as well, that's one reason I sold a car so the ones I have stay indoors.  

One of my cars stayed in a "Cover-It" temporary shelter for a couple of years until I built my garage, but I had to do a lot of prep work & modifications to the shelter. It seems better suited to use for a few months, or just as a covered work space. I have a gravel driveway so I built a border under the shelter of pressure treated wood, set plastic down with a thin layer of gravel on top of the plastic. I then set the frame on top of the wood & stretched the fabric over the frame. I also cut holes in the tops of both end walls & put vents in to help circulate air. The ceiling still accumulated condensation & it dripped all over the car. I had to hang plastic inside over the car to direct the water away.

One last thing to add, the "Cover-It" brand was a well made shelter I used for several years before I gave it to a friend who used it many years, too. Whatever brand you get, DO NOT EVER LET SNOW ACCUMULATE ON TOP OF IT!! Mine held 6 to 8 inches at times without any trouble, but if the snow is wet & heavy, then freezes & more snow falls, it'll probably collapse.

[TUFCAT]

For those using temporary shelters...you may not be covered by insurance if that thing falls down on your car.  Something to think about....

[Finn]

I'm pretty sure we need pictures to properly assess the situation...

[1970Moparmann]

I thought I would have to store a car outside one winter, so I bought one of these.  Still have it in the box, never used.  I think I got it for $150.   

http://www.discountramps.com/car-pocket.htm

[sixty8charger]

outside is definitely brutal. I have mine outside under a good car cover.  just the body on the wheels.  fenders/doors/hood/trunk lid  and all the pieces that came off are in the "SMALL" garage I have.  Car was media blasted and epoxy primered.  I have small bits of flash rust all over the place from spots that I didn't cover well enough with the epoxy  ..  hand sanding and spraying them with Ospho then rattling some black rustoleum paint over it.  Saving for more metal before I start welding on new stuff.

[Lizey]

I thought I would have to store a car outside one winter, so I bought one of these.  Still have it in the box, never used.  I think I got it for $150.   

http://www.discountramps.com/car-pocket.htm

is that thing good for snow?

[Big Sugar]

Here's a post I stumbled on a ways back..Pretty informative.


http://www.guildclassiccars.com/places_to_store_cars.htm

The Guild is out of Bradford, Ontario Canada.


Ron