I’ve received the following question from an anonymous CC reader, and it’s a good one, about what climate is the least damaging to a car, as well as the different options of storing a car. Obviously, Oregon is fairly benign, as our rains seem to have a preservative quality (chemicals from China?), and our UV exposure is moderate. But I’m sure there are other locations and factors that come into play.
In the 48-state US alone, the varying climates (as well as winter salt, etc.) all “age” a car in different ways. I wonder what the collected wisdom would suggest as the “best” places in the US (i.e., mostly like to preserve your car over the years) would be under one or more of the following conditions (car is simply parked and walked away from for years, in all instances):
1) Car sits inside (unheated/ventilated) garage, which keeps out vermin and rain and sun and wind, but does nothing to regulate temperature or humidity.
2) Car sits outside under a “carport” kind of shelter–i.e., keeping rain & snow off car, moderating sun damage, but open to elements and critters otherwise.
3) Car is simply parked, exposed to all elements, within 100 ft. of any paved road in the U.S. (and not under a tree, in a cave, whatever).
I’ll throw out a fourth scenario: car parked outside, but wrapped up in a tarp or car cover.
So where and how to best keep a CC preserved for eternity?
Silly question. Obviously tthe American Southwest is the ideal place/climate. Old cars live long, graceful lives in the land that rust forgot. 40, 50, 60 year old cars are common on our streets. Long term storage should be out of direct sunlight and a couple miles from salty sea air. But indefinite preservation iis easily aquired.
To give an indication: The Brits are only too happy to snap up rust free examples of British Automobile Excellence in LHD from the US Southwest to return to the UK and be coverted to RHD.
There was a minor industry going at one stage shipping rust free panels from outback OZ to the UK and whole rust free cars like Vauxhall vagabond convertibles and Zephyr utes.
The trade off is that perishable parts like door seals and interior trim can be completely rooted by the climate in dry state and Australian sourced cars, but I guess if you have a rot box with good trim it would be worth doing .
None of those scenarios address the cooling system and fuel system, which will do more long term damage to the engine than UV rays will every do to the sheet metal. Between coolant leaking into the cylinder bores and gasoline turning into varnish, a car that is simply parked will eventually require a complete engine rebuild regardless of body and interior condition.
That said, parking it in an closed space (on pavement, please), would always be my preference. There’s a reason they call them “Barn finds.”
My experience with this topic is limited, but has proven to be a fertile ground for learning.
Inside is best in my mind. After that, a car cover is wise to keep dust from collecting – plus whatever else it might be exposed to. I made the mistake of cutting three rooms worth of laminate flooring about 6′ away from my uncovered Galaxie. It did nothing to help the paint.
If storing it inside on concrete, I have had it recommended to me to put cardboard or carpet underneath the car to absorb any moisture that may happen due to sweating of the concrete.
My Galaxie was in a pole barn from 1995 to 2008. The first year or so it was on a dirt floor. Even after the floor was poured, there was still a varmint problem. I would put bait block or any rodent repellant around the car. I’ve also wondered about how much of a rodent deterrent having the car on jack stands would provide as mice would have trouble climbing that as compared to tires and wheels. Yes, the Galaxie had a mouse problem.
The key element is how to treat the engine for storage. Mine was simply parked and was a mess when I got it back out. The fuel tank had rusted, the brake lines had dried out and were full of debris, and the carburetor was a solid mess of varnish. In my mind, getting the engine prepped for storage is just as critical – if not moreso – than the rest of the car.
Most rodents can jump far higher/longer than you could ever imagine.
Jack stands would provide absolutely no added protection.
The problem is rats in my neighborhood. They love to sit on the warm intake plenum at night, eating maple tree seeds and doing their business. The battery also is slightly warm from charging, so they often sit on top of that as well.
Jack stands at least slow them down; harder for rodents to climb up a stand than it is for them to hook their little claws on a tire . . ..
I’d want to think in a garage or barn enclosure but put on jack stands OFF THE GROUND. Avoids tire rot, critters getting into the exhaust pipes, or less apt to crawl into the engine compartment from the tires and chewing up wires, setting up house in the interior, etc. Covered is nice . . . . . and of course, California and the arid Southwest is kind to body panels (but not to paint and plastics unless taken care of).
I remember reading stories of people who’d bought cars new, put them up on jack stands and from time to time (great idea), running them; spinning the differential throwing oil up on the gears, pumping the brakes, and so on just to get the juices flowing and avoid sediment build up.
On the sad side, I have a brother in law who has in his garage (albeit covered up), his 2007 Mustang Cobra GT 500. Hardly ever starts it up, much less drives it (700 miles to date). I told him at least put a bottle of Sta-bil in it and jack up the four wheels and set them on stands. Without pumping the brakes and getting fluid through the lines and sitting idle (Ewa, Hawaii), things like gaskets will shrink and rot and brake lines will start to deteriorate.
My grandparent’s garage is rough on vehicles because for one thing it is rather moisture ridden in there and coupled with the New York climate really wrecks havoc on a vehicle’s under carriage.
I grew up in Northwestern Ohio, lots of moisture and temperature extremes. My best friend in high school, his father worked for the local Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac dealer (slightly strange amalgamation I know). They had a budget lot with all the used vehicles being priced under $5000 dollars. Just as my friend was getting his license (1992) the dealership accepted a trade of a 1983 Chevy Malibu sedan with a 305 V8 and slapped the price of $2500 on it. It was from an estate and had sat in a concrete floored garage but with no climate control. The elderly owner had put less than 100,000 miles on it and according to the family that was trading it in the car had often sat for weeks at a time. But having sat inside, visually the car was gorgeous.
My friend was madly in love and desperately wanted to have the Malibu as his first car. His Dad had the guys in the service bays pull the car in and put it up on the lift. You could literally poke holes in the frame it was so soft and rusty. Needless to say, it did not end up being my friends first car.
These cars were infamous for frame rusting as it was. The frames were none to stout to begin with and made of cheap steel. There weren’t a lot of Malibus in the eastern parts of the GWN after a decade or so.
Too bad because especially the two door was a very nice car. With F-41 and the 305-4V they were very nice rides, probably one of the best Detroit values of
the time. My buddy did ones up, a ’79, with a Holley, Edelbrock and cam and it was a very nice driving little car.
Sometimes a mechanic around here will look at the frame or unibody before putting a vehicle on a lift because occasionally a vehicle will break on the ground or break and fall off the lift.
This is my guess, I am breaking it down to:
Body
So, rust and paint. Guess the best way to slow down the deterioration would be to find a moderately temperate climate and store indoor on concrete or other hard surface. A good cleaning and waxing before storage?
Interior
Rat and other pest? not sure how to prevent that. But a thorough cleaning probably helps, perhaps cover with painters’ plastic sheets?
Tire and suspension
To prevent flat spot by sitting on jacks? Should the tires be somewhat over inflated prior to storage?
Engine and tranny
An oil change prior to storage will probably help, there may even be additives that would designed to help in this area. Same for auto-tranny?
Fuel and electric system
Is full tank of gas still recommended in view of our “new” fuel??? Not sure how to preserve the delicate computer and other electric and electronic system either. Any car post ’80s will have tones of microprocessors etc.,
This topic is of particular interest to me. Inputs please?
Body
Resist the temptation to wash the car before storing it. Water will find all kinds places to hide, and may never dry out if the car is stored in an enclosed space. Better to wash it a week or two in advance, and give it plenty of air and sun to completely dry out.
Engine
Fresh oil is a must. Used oil is acidic, and the acid will attack metal, especially at the ‘water mark’ in the presence of oxygen.
Electrical system
Remove the battery, and store it in a cool dry place.
This is my checklist for storing my Miata for the winter. Longer storage would require additional precautions (fuel, tires, etc.).
A big problem with post 80s cars is backup batteries in the electronics dying, and there isn’t much you can do about that . All I can recommend is putting the car on a trickle charger and running it once a week.
A really important thing is to do is flush the cooling system and put in fresh coolant before storage, especially if the motor has alloy heads or block as old coolant will cause internal corrosion.
Remember though, what ever you do, any car in long term storage will deteriorate without use- window winders will seize, seals will perish, bearings will develop flat spot. All you can do is slow the decay.
I have heard that the best thing to do fuel wise, is to fill it up (less chance of condensation breaking down the fuel and forming rust in the gas tank, fuel lines, etc.) and, since I have had small engine items, Sta-Bil or similar fuel treatment prior to long term storage. Fresh oil and fluids help, too.
FWIW I heard the most effective thing for dealing with mice in a country setting is having feral cats.
Feral or a few “friendly” cats who live outdoors – “barn cats.”
place the car on cinder blocks anywhere covered in a shady part of the Mojave desert.
I parked my chevy for over 30 years inside a garage. It looked good but it was dry rotted (tires and upholstery). Have had it outside for the past 10 in the Houston area. It doesn’t look as good but it doesn’t seem to be deteriorating.
However, Dave Skinner is right. Parking any car reeks if you have not prepped it. I did rebuild the engine and don’t think its that far gone again.
I’m no expert in this. I’d definitely say climate controlled garage is best. I remember Pat Goss on Motorweek giving tips on this for extended garage storage. One I remember is taking the wheels off and placing the car up on blocks. He also recommended a car cover despite being already inside.
I’d advise against places that get occasional tornados…
Ugh, sorry, Ed!
If outdoors gravel is the best surface not concrete the wind will dry internal box sexctions and prevent rust starting, Covers sweat and create rust and electrical problems.
I disagree. Gravel traps moisture and releases it upwards into the underside of the car. My friend’s Austin Healey 3000, when brought over to my house for a restart, had frame parts and iron oxide falling onto my driveway. Another acquaintance, with a fairly new Ford F-150, had suffered a rusted out oil pan, of all things. What a pain in the ass that was to change out, even on a lift in my friend’s professional garage. Both were parked on gravel under trees.
Surely salt rusted the oilpan from the outside in I would guess storing a car used on salt would need a real good water blast first
Not all areas of the US use salt on the roads. Where I am, we never use salt the few times every couple years it snows/ices, and I’ve got a car with minor rust behind trim where dirt collected and rusted through the rocker trim.
What sort of engine prep do people recommend before storage? The boat sits in a concrete-floor pole barn every November, with weight off the front end, no battery, fresh oil, and “Sta-bil” in less than half a tank. Starts right up every spring and I immediately put fresh gas in it.
Reliance on old tires worries me. At a car show last week I’d say at least half the cars with whitewalls could have used new ones, just going by brands that I know have been out of production for many years.
Put a fresh charge of Mobil 1 in it, run it for a day or two in addition to your other precautions, and that should take care of it.
Or fresh conventional with one quart Marvel Mystery Oil . . . .
Make sure the sump is full. Otherwise you get condensation build up inside the sump.
One word. California.
Not just anyplace in California.
“One of only 5,844 Bonneville 9-passenger Safaris built in 1964. Abandoned vehicle on Morro Bay, CA Sand Spit – uncovered by winter storms, reported to have been stalled here in 1973.” Photo by Michael “Mike” L. Baird.
That’ll buff right out… NOT! 😉
I find it interesting that the rear door panels are still bright and cheerful!
I knew someone that kept their SVT Mustang and Porsche 928 in some type of inflatable plastic bubble.
https://www.google.com/search?q=car+bubble&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=VQ3rUe7SDrGujALzEQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=632
Yeah it is supposed to keep rodents and moisture out. Anyone know the truth to the old wives tale about putting either moth balls or dryer sheets in a car to keep the rodents out?
Interesting and not too costly, wondering how effective?
When I was on vacation the field mice had their way with my truck. They returned because I don’t drive it every day. The smell of mothballs is the same as the animal repellant that you can buy. I dropped in some mothballs and they haven’t been back. Put some in the insulation of my house when the mice decided to invade. They left quickly. I don’t think it is an old wives tale but it could be attributed to an old guy in this case.
I actually found some signs of mice under the hood of my cube. The oil change guy fixed that by leaving the cap off when he did my last change. He cleaned it up but the mice have not been back. I think those two things are related.
There’s a ’77 Hornet AMX that shows up regularly at a cruise-in near my house. Every time I walk by it I am whacked in the nose by the odor of moth balls. Interior is beautiful; I just don’t know how the guy can stand to drive it.
A good tip for long-term car preservation would be to not bring it to Wisconsin.
I have stored cars seasonal for many years. A dry garage is the best storage spot for a car in my experience. Insulated garages are better even if unheated as they reduce the condensation and temperature swings. Heated is the best, and I am lucky enough to store my old car in a heated garage. I’ve never had issue with concrete floors causing rust or moisture problems, but all the garages I have used have been dry. All the vehicles I have owned and stored have always been virtually rust free in the undercarriage.
I usually wash and wax the car sometime in the week before I pull it off the road.I change the oil, take the car on a good run to get the oil hot, fill the fuel tank and add stabilizer, and then disconnect/remove the battery. I also fog the engine with fogging oil. I cover the car with a car cover. I used to change the tires to an old set to prevent flat spots, but now I have car “roller skates” that keep the tires round. I have parked on modern tires all winter and haven’t had flat spots, it seemd to be more of a problem with bias-plys. I have also stored the car on jack stands, but I keep the suspension loaded when I do this so it the suspension sits at proper height.
I did a long term storage for a couple of years when I had no garage. I’d take the car out for a week and brun the old gas. I’d then repeat the storage process. This seem to have no ill effects.
I’ve stored lots of cars for people over the years and a dry, heated garage is really the only way to go. Through the cost may be higher but when you take it out fifteen years later you’ll more than save it back. I’ve even made little mini-garages within an unheated, out of 1X2 and heavy plastic. With a small electric heater, vents and a small fan, it works great.
We store the 2WD Ranger every November, and bring it back out when the ice is gone from the garage’s apron. The garage is unheated, polebarn construction, with a rock/gravel floor.
Critters are a problem, but one tip that helps is to open the hood and leave it open. We do this for the trucks and the Forester, and it reduces problems (I did have a critter eat my 4WD engage wire on the Chevy’s transfer case…). If the engine is high (like a tractor) or aircooled (lawn tractor), no problems. (I made chipmunk screens for the airboxes in both trucks. 1/4″ hardware cloth prevents nesting in the box–keeping the hood open keeps them from setting up shop just outside the box. No screen on the Subaru–no problems yet. I did the screens before learning the hood trick.
I try(!) to do an oil change before putting the Ranger to bed, and I run the gas tank as low as possible, then fill completely with non-oxy gas. I keep a stash for emergencies, and have not had any problems, even without stabilizer. I’ll run the engine once a month. If the weather is good enough, I’ll take it for a drive, but if getting it back in the garage is iffy, I’ll settle for a long idle. Top-off as necessary, always with non-oxy.
I’m in Oregon, but east of the Cascades, and we are semi-arid. The garage gets a damp floor in fall and spring (occasionally in winter if we get a thaw), but this helps. No trickle charger yet, but I’m considering a solar one (no power in the garage).
What’s non oxy?
Non-oxygenated gas, as in non-winterized gas.
Non-alcohol gas is even better and it will stay ‘good’ for a long time. I used to have a number of cars that sat for years back in the 1980s-1990s (before ethanol fuel). These cars had the same gasoline in them for years, and they always started up (every few months).
check out http://www.pure-gas.org
Some stations in some locales carry it. I know of “two” on Oahu (Hawaii); the Aloha Station at the 7-11 in Waianae (on the way to the Marina) and the Unocal in Pearl City. Both advertise “Ethanol Free” gasoline. Aloha calls theirs, “Unleaded Classic.” 89 octane.
As far as I know, it’s either 10% ethanol or “pure” gasoline in Oregon. Other oxygenates like MTBE got banned several years ago up here.
All the pump gas sold at gas stations in Oregon is 10% ethanol. You could get pure stuff up to a few years back for a premium, but the brain trust in the state capitol made it illegal to pump non-oxy directly into newer cars (maybe mid ’50s, not sure). However, since small engines hate oxygenated gas, you can find non-oxy at marinas and fuel depots. If you put gas in a can and use it for your car, it’s no problem for the sellers. (They don’t color code gasoline like as done for diesel–state taxes are the same for both types of gasoline.) I pay about $0.40 a gallon to skip the ethanol at the fuel depot.
I learned about the problems of ethanol-gas the hard way. We had a 2HP Honda outboard that we’d use once a year. At the end of the run, I’d turn off the fuel valve and run the carb dry. Worked OK for a few years, then one year it ran like crap. Tried in-gas carb cleaner to no avail, so it cost me $100 to have it rebuilt and the varnish removed from the passages. (Thought about DIY, but it was tiny and very well hidden. Cheaper to farm it out for a one-time fix.) So, now we keep our emergency stash of gasoline as non-oxygenated. We live in the country, and there are circumstances where a non-starting small engine could be disastrous. (Generators, fire pump…)
Too many guys wrecked Jet-ski and boat engines (fuel lines, mostly) from the 10% Ethanol gasoline, hence the Unocal and Aloha selling Ethanol Free. I’d mentioned two places I knew of that sell it, but something tells me on the windward sides of the islands near marinas they probably sell it too. Nice little extra “oomph” when put in the Ranger truck and Mustang. Pricey – last fill up at Unocal in Pearl City was $4.55 per gallon for the 89 Ethanol Free Unocal . . .
After a discussion here a while back you guys got me worrying about keeping my new old Cadillac outside. I live about 1.5 miles from the ocean and you played into my worst fears about a “salty dew” on the car at night.
So I took a taste one evening and it wasn’t salty. Hmmm what to do? Then the sun angle changed and I began to worry about sunload (I got the car in winter when that side of the house was in shade).
To address the sun and the question mark on the dew into the garage it went, with about a foot of tail hanging out (garage is old and small). I close the garage door 7/8s of the way and it rests on a plastic chair which isn’t as bad as it sounds since the angle of the door matches the angle of the fins. The car doesn’t get any dew on it and no I’m not worried about salt vapors getting in there! I do miss the power garage door opener and it would be nice to be able to lock the garage…
Personally I think sun is very bad for an old car. It bleaches everything so quickly. As for close to the ocean I think right across the street with a spray from the water would be horrible, not so sure about a few blocks away but as they say why take chances.
Back when I had a smaller old car and was able to close the door I would worry about it on hot days because the inside temp could top 120. Yes better than out in the sun but probably not as good as a climate controlled garage.
Out of curiosity what is the main benefit of a climate controlled garage? I guess what I’m asking is what’s worse for a car extreme heat, cold or humidity?
Like Principal Dan, I came of age in Northeast Ohio. At the time, having lived in Snow Country of New York State…I was obsessed with what salt would do to a car; especially since I couldn’t afford to get one as solid as the Texas creampuff I had.
I opted for storage in an unheated garage. No cover; no dehumidifying equipment. Just close the door; get the four-cylinder on to TDC, and pull the battery terminals.
No problem the first winter. Or the second winter. Third spring, taking it out, the brake master-cylinder blew…I think it was from sitting unused so much; it aided in decomposition.
Anyway. A roof overhead prevents UV paint/interior damage. No heat, keeps rust from accelerating…rust speeds up in higher temperature. In an attached garage, there will be SOME heat off the house…temperature would be warmer in the garage than outside; this would have a drying effect.
Leaving a car outside doesn’t work so well in snow country. UV damage is not so heavy or extensive; but water/corrosion from snow laying on the car and the melt/thaw cycles, takes its toll
And…WRAPPING A CAR? NO!! A car wrapped, outdoors…the wind will make the tarp or wrapping flap; and in weeks or months, the paint will be worn off in friction points. And ruined generally. And rain will get in, and STAY in – the air won’t get in as easily to blow-dry things. That’s not a wrap; that’s compost preparation!
Inside it’s of no use; and the tendency for a wrapped car inside, is to use it as a table. Next you know half your garden tools are on the hood…on the wrap, of course, so it’s all good. You think.
There are worse things than just parking it near the road; but I don’t recommend it. Especially in salt country…road salt, when the roads dry on warmer days…the salt goes airborne. In Ohoho, it’s not uncommon to see transformer fires on utility poles in the spring…they get salt dust, sticks to wires and poles with the dew, and then a good rain makes everything conductive. A transformer fire up 50 feet in the air on a creosote-soaked wooden pole…is a thing to behold.
But, no. Do not park it near where road spray or dust can gather. Backyard, if possible, at the very least.
My pet car lives in a carport when I bought it the storage had been an open sided shed HB sun perished the sceen seals and let water in so it rusted out in the floor it was on a dirt floor but the underside was fine, The car i wrecked for seals had been stored in a shipping container but when removed virtually disolved but the rubbers were fine. My spare power train has had the bores oiled and turns fine despite having lived in the open for decades the body on that one is rotten but it wasnt kept for the bodywork just the running gear
As crazy as it sounds, I usually remove the carpet from old cars when I know I’m not going to drive them for awhile. It takes a long time but you’d be surprised how many months moisture from the smallest leak stays in there. Sometimes I think the rusted out floorboards are not from the gravel, concrete, dirt, etc…but the soggy jute padding that you cannot feel by rubbing the carpet.
It also gives the mice less nesting material like carpet and possibly valuable hidden documentation:
Look what I found when I removed the carpet in one of my ’73 Oldsmobiles a few days after I got it home.. The car had been kept covered but there was a leak and the carpet underlayment was soaked. In a few more years this build sheet would be unreadable and/or permanently stuck to the insulation and my floorpans would be rusted out.
Wow…great find.
The list is endless when it comes to steps you can take to ensure the longevity of a stored vehicle.
But as for the ideal climate, that’s a bit easier to figure out.
1) A reasonable temperature that is kept constant. (not too hot… not too cold).
2) Minimal moisture and humidity.
3) Smooth roads. The fewer impacts to the vehicle, the longer it will last and the fewer opportunities for moisture and pollution to take hold.
4) Speaking of which, make sure that no salt in the environment.
5) When it comes to surfaces, concrete and asphalt surfaces are usually better than gravel or dirt. However shag carpet and fake wood panels are ideal if you want a bit of retro in your garage.
In sum, I would opt for Santa Barbara, California. Keep it in a garage with white paint on the walls and a series of mousetraps, inside a bubble, under a car cover, and oh, don’t forget to cover all the interior adornments in hard plastic as well. Think of the plastic that has been used for patio furniture and OCD clean freaks who want to keep their houses free of everything, including people.
Get all that. Then when you are finished with the car, you need to focus on the kids. The smell of old pipe tobacco and the sounds of Lawrence Welk in a room adjoining the garage will do wonders. Also make sure that every boogeyman and cropsy is standing guard in this room as well. Or you could tell them in a thick Jersey accent that Barney’s head will be blown clear off if they open that door.
Finally, you have the wife. I have found that constant talk about your vehicles is the best medicine for keeping your wife away from them. You may also want to cover the doorknob to the garage with any substance that is either like the smegma from Ghostbusters, or good old green boogers.
Congratulations! Your car is now perfectly safe from all potential predators… except for the taxman. As for how to overcome that force of nature, I would suggest dying.
ROFL…Steve, there’s a distinct difference between magma and smegma.
Slight tangent, but the blue Buick looks fantastic.
How to determine if a kitty is a mouser?
Depends. Is the cat hungry? Then, yes. I’ve heard 6-toed cats are prized as mousers. Unfortunately, our dogs are (unsuccessful) catters. However, cats like to leave pawprints on car hoods.
Calicos are the best mousers . . . .
I really like the last question, where you choose someplace to park the car totally exposed to the elements and hope for the best.
The Southwest comes to mind right away as unmatched for preserving the metal parts, but what about some high-Rockies locale where the car might be covered in snow (meaning: out of the burning sun) for many months out of the year? I must be missing some obvious downside…
Sally I have no experience storing a car in snow but will share this. My car came from Arizona where it lived for 26 years garaged the whole time. You are right the metal is pristine.
The only thing it needed was a new front bumper filler so I did that. The rears were virgin originals and one morning, after the coldest night of the year (45 degrees), there was a crack at the top of the left rear filler!
Someone posted on CC that if you lean on a frozen door armrest in one of these it will crack too.
Snow melts. Given the right (wrong) circumstances, you could have an ice-encrusted car under that snow. Or, you could have a lot of water in the vent areas.
I’ve seen a fair number of car sheds with no garage doors around here. We usually get a foot or two of snow all winter. It would keep the worst of the sun and the weather off a car. (We’re far enough from the cities that smog doesn’t hurt the rubber as badly as it did in California.)
My biggest complaint, and the Southeast is full of them, are people who park cars in some field and leave them there as if they’re saving them. They’re exposed to rain, wind, and snow, while they rust from the ground up from being parked on wet grass or mud for most of the year.
Not to change the subject, but I’m thankful I reside in Oregon where we don’t salt the roads. I don’ t understand how folks in the Northeast and the Midwest can afford to replace their cars every few years. Besides, isn’t it an environmental hazard? Didn’t the Romans salt Carthage to keep them from growing crops? Are there any acceptable substitutes for salt?
The salt runs off with the snowmelt.
Salt is in the soil, too…but, being water soluble, it eventually winds up in the sea. Unless of course it’s trapped and dries into salt deposits.
The only issue I’ve ever seen, is a little town south of Cleveland…they wanted to get their drinking water out of a small river that flows north into Lake Erie. In the springtime, the water had a saline content; and eventually they arranged to tie their water system into Cleveland’s.
There are a few places where trees on the tree lawn have issues. Other than that…no real problems.
Hah! i live in that town… Berea. We still do have our own water system but boy did they spend beaucoup $$$ to upgrade it.
They still have it? Last I heard, they were taking steps to tie into Cleveland Water Department mains. Which would have made absolute sense, since Brook Park is part of the system.
I like to think locally, too – but sometimes it doesn’t make sense. Like North Olmsted’s Municipal Bus Line fighting to keep free of RTA – WHAT was the POINT of all that!
Anyway…enjoy your fresh Rocky River water, you.
Having had old cars all my life, I can attest cars will deteriorate in any environment. Time is the factor, just like old age in people. The degree of protection determines how time affects. In the 13 years I’ve owned my 78 Eldo, with less than 6,000 miles driven since then, it has needed work. This year alone, the back fillers disintegrated, exhaust needed work, fuel pump, right half shaft (boot replaced 500 (2 years ago) miles ago, split a couple weeks ago), and alternator. Tires are 13 years old, and the hoses are original. Add over $ 1,000 a year for a storage unit rental, and it becomes a costly situation for a car that will never be worth what I have invested (thrown away). But owning old cars has a fun factor second to none.
I really love my old “curbside Classics”, but sometimes I think I could be driving a new Mercedes or other exotic, if I just downsized to one car, instead of 4.
Store them in a salt mine.
I used to have an unheated garage with a brick floor – lots of moisture there.
I am planning to built a car barn (40’x60′) with concrete floor for up to 12 cars and start a vintage car hobby. I think the max that I will have would be about 8 including the daily drivers, so 6 collectibles, may be less.
The location picked is high elevation southern California mountain sort of west of Palm Springs and east of Irvine. 4000ft+ elevation with 9 months of very dry 15% humidity day, 60% night with max 85F day and 60F days. The other 3 months, 1 month may be a bit humid and 2 months in the winter with chance of snow.
I am not too worried about the body preservation but being dry, seals could be problematic? How to over come that?
Since all collectible would be the ’50-’90 varieties except one being pre-’30s. I am planning on driving them once every month or so except that oldie. Being driven once every 4 to 6 weeks, I thinking the mechanical stuff would be OK, right? even with the new alcohol diluted gas?
But I am worried about the electronics, ie leaving the battery in the car with a trickle charger? or taking them out? Would the super dry climate be harmful to those delicate microprocessor and sensors?
All inputs are welcome and appreciated.
As far as pest/vermin protection for the interior, a little trick passed on to me from a car storage yard. Use dryer sheets, like Bounce, or similar. Rodents hate it. Way more user friendly than moth balls.
Stuff a couple sheets in the trunk, 4 or 5 inside the interior, one in the fresh air vents. Done. Pest free.