Winter Storing the ZL1

[Mr.R]

Cold weather is here and I'm planning to store it over winter. It will be in my unheated garage. It doesn't usually get colder than 40 degrees F. I bought a cover and I've seen tire manufacturers/sellers recommend inflating the tires close to maximum pressure (probably 40-50PSI from 32).

What else should/would you do? Would you suspend the car? Would you turn it on every week and let it run for 10 min? etc....

Thanks!!

[Russell James]

Here is what I do every year and it works great.

Tires at about 42-45ish.

Full tank of premium with Stabil.

Battery Tender.

Wash car, then short drive to dry off the brakes. Another short drive a few hours later. The brakes really need to dry off or they will rust like crazy and stick.

Mouse traps around the floor.

Car cover on after detail spray/dedusting from last drive.

Once a month, start engine and drive up and down driveway a couple time, running engine for 20-30 minutes.


This is what all seems to work best for me. I've had a few LS engine vehicles in the past that I didn't start during the winter. Each of those had rear main seal leaks in the spring. On the cars that I start...no oil leaks in the spring. So I do what works for me. Moving the car a bit once a month will also help prevent tire flat spots and rusted brakes.

[Mr.R]

AWESOME. thanks a lot. I'll print this right now!
brakes might be a big problem so that's very good advice. I bet the Brembos are very expensive to replace....

I just hope I won't get stuck in the snow driving up and down the driveway :o)

[Kmax]

I will be storing my Z in a car jacket. I used one for my vette and they are great. Google it as I don't want to break any rules endorsing a product.

[HDRDTD]

If you ask 25 people how they store their car, you end up getting 30 different responses each one swearing on their method.

What I've heard (just my opinion of course) is that if the car is being stored for just s few moths, that's one thing. If you're going to store it for a year or more, that's a whole different story.

For just a few months at a time.......

(for my 2011 Vert)
I stored mine in a un-heated 10x30 storage locker.
I buy a jar of dessicant from the main office of the Storage Locker complex I use and put it inside the interior.
I attach a battery tender to the battery itself
I cover the car with a nice soft GM car cover.

And that's it.

Liek I say, if it's just for a couple of months, I don't feel the need to overinflate the tires or put the car on jackstands, nor do I use Stabil.

When it comes to the subject of starting the car once in a while? I don't, but once again that's an on-going debate that will never end. Some do it, some don't. Both sides have their reasons.

Now with my ZL1, the only other thing I needc to address is the issue of the tires. Goodyear will tell you that at 20F or below, then they need to come inside and get stored where it's warm. Liek I said my car gets put in an un-heated storage locker where I don't really know just what the inside temp drops down to if it's 20F outdoors.

I did keep an extra set of wheels/tires I had with the 2011 Vert, so I plan on putting THOSE on the ZL1 in storage and taking the ZL1 tires/wheels and putting them in my basement for the winter.

[ZEDL1]

In addition to the great input thusfar, I'm very interested to learn what people think of raising the car and supporting it with jackstands (or whatever) so that the load is removed from the front and rear springs, allowing them to essentially "hang"

I bought my /76 Camaro new, have never driven it in our Canadian winters, and from the outset was advised by a very skilled mechanic to raise it and let the springs hang so that they don't take a "set".
Our storage period here is roughly late October to April (mine anyway).

I'm looking forward to hearing from anyone and thanks for your ideas.

[HDRDTD]

Originally Posted by ZEDL1

In addition to the great input thusfar, I'm very interested to learn what people think of raising the car and supporting it with jackstands (or whatever) so that the load is removed from the front and rear springs, allowing them to essentially "hang"

I bought my /76 Camaro new, have never driven it in our Canadian winters, and from the outset was advised by a very skilled mechanic to raise it and let the springs hang so that they don't take a "set".
Our storage period here is roughly late October to April (mine anyway).

I'm looking forward to hearing from anyone and thanks for your ideas.

Again, it a matter of how long the car will be stored.

If you were to put it away for a year or more, then maybe it's time to put it on blocks or jackstands for a whole varity of reasons, but not for just a few months.

[OldScoolCamaro]

I had a a 2002 35th Anniversary Camaro SS, traded it in on my 2012 Camaro ZL1. The car sat flat on the garage floor, and was covered. The fuel was used from time to time, with refillings whenever necessary. The battery died after 9 years. I did nothing else to store it or protect it fom long term garage storage. Nothing ever changed on it. It ran great with no issues. It had 2,807 miles on it when I traded it in. I know, I did nothing according to the book to store it...but...

[Faulkner]

I do a couple of things. My car sits from the end of October until April. I'm lucky it sits in a heated garage. I wash and wax it, fresh oil change, full tank of fuel with stabil. I push it on to 1 inch foam insulation. This keeps the tires from flat spotting. I put a trickle charger on it, along with a car cover. Then I wait until winter is over.

[hairtrigger]

I think it's good to get the weight off of the tires but getting the weight off the suspension is less critical because coil springs dont wear out or take a set from static weight on them.

[Wolty]

How about a battery tender that connects through the cig. lighter? Any risks to the electrical system with that?

[mikeSS]

i would run the car long than 10 mins, more like 30 mins and thats with driving.

[DZ28]

Carjacket plus battery tender plus desiccant plus about four covers under the carjacket including a dusttop. I don't start the car at all during the storage. Never had a problem with leakage with any LS1, LS2, or LS3 engine. Tires have a bit of a flat spot come spring that goes away with one heat cycle. I do use Stabil and run it in prior to putting the car in the bag. Never had a problem with rust on the brake rotors once the car is in the bag and fresh desiccant is in place. I do bump the tire pressure about five lbs as that seems to be the loss over the winter.