Advice on Storing Your Antique Vehicle
Storing an antique vehicle can be a stressful, time consuming process for anyone who has no experience with storing vehicles. After investing a lot of time and money into purchasing and repairing an antique vehicle the last thing anyone wants to do is let the vehicle deteriorate in storage. Before you disregard the idea of storing your antique vehicle take some time to learn about the right ways to store a valuable vehicle safely. With a bit of patience and advice you will be able to safely store your antique vehicle for short, or long, periods of time.
The first, and probably the most important part of storing your antique vehicle is finding a safe, secure, storage facility. Spending a lot of time and effort preparing your vehicle for storage will mean nothing if it is left exposed to elements because of a poorly constructed building or it is stolen because of bad security. You must be sure that all of your hard work is protected properly and this will only be done if you find a good storage facility.
While most people prefer to store their antique vehicle in their own garage there is nothing wrong with paying a monthly fee to a reputable storage facility. There are many storage facilities that specialize in storing vehicles and these facilities often offer state of the art security and climate control. When available, climate control is one of the best ways to preserve your antique vehicle during the hottest summer months and coldest winter weather. Security features such as alarms, video surveillance, gates, and keypad controlled entry will help your vehicle remain safe from thieves and vandals while you are at work, home, or even away on vacation. To find a good vehicle storage facility in your area talk to other antique vehicle enthusiasts and even go to car shows and other vehicle events. Word of mouth is often one of the best ways to find a good antique vehicle storage facility.
Once you have found a good storage facility it is time to clean your antique vehicle. Even though it is tempting to wait until you take your vehicle out of storage to worry about cleaning it, your vehicle will get through its period of storage with greater ease if it is thoroughly cleaned before being placed in storage. Start by washing the exterior of the vehicle and waxing it if possible, also clean the undercarriage carefully to help get rid of any grime, dust, and dirt that might be building up. Letting your antique vehicle sit for a long periods of time without first cleaning it will lead to rusting and corrosion along with making the job of cleaning much harder when the time comes to taking the vehicle out of storage. The last thing most vehicle owners want to do when they take their vehicles out of storage is spend hours scrubbing layers of grime, dirt, and dust off of a car that has been allowed to sit for months wwithout first being cleaned.
After the exterior of the antique vehicle has been scrubbed and polished it is time to clean the interior. Vacuum the seats, floors, and every nook and cranny then carefully wipe the interior of the vehicle. Doing this will remove any crumbs or specks of dirt that might have found their way into your antique vehicle. Even though you might not ever eat in your vehicle all it takes is a few crumbs from the shirt of an auto mechanic to attract insects and rodents to your vehicle once it is in storage. Taking the time to vacuum and wipe the interior of your car will keep it safe from an invasion of vermin later.
Next you should perform a little maintenance on your antique vehicle. This will help prepare your vehicle for the shock of sitting still for a long period of time and it will help prevent problems that can occur when a vehicle is left sitting for a long time and then is suddenly used. Check and change all of your antique vehicles fluids including the brake fluid, the clutch fluid, and any coolant or washer fluid. When you have checked these fluids and replaced them all it is time to change your vehicles oil and oil filter. Changing the vehicles oil and filter will remove moisture that has accumulated and help prevent rusting in the engines interior parts. Always use synthetic oil since it will not break down quickly and will also help coat your engine preventing further deterioration during storage.
Once this is done you must do what you can to protect the tires of your antique vehicle. The best things to do are to coat the tires with lithium grease and over inflate the tires. This will help keep them tires from going flat over time and protect the tires from cracking or becoming worn over time. Some people even jack up their vehicles entirely to keep the tires off of the ground while the antique vehicle is in storage.
Lastly, be sure to remove the battery of the vehicle to avoid cracking which could lead to acid leakage. Place the battery in a charger in your garage or another safe location until you need to return it to your vehicle.
About the Author
Simply Self Storage – What Could be Easier than Simply?
Simply Self Storage is the largest privately owned self storage company in the United States and Puerto Rico. We own and/or operate over 228 facilities with over 16.1 million square feet of storage space.
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