Storing Camaro for two years due to military orders, How to do it properly? Help! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Fentito5thgen · 12-22-2014, 08:00 AM

Storing Camaro for two years due to military orders, How to do it properly? Help!

I need to store my Camaro for two years while overseas. How can I accomplish this without harming the vehicle? This is what I know so far:
Car cover
Fresh Oil change (MOBIL 1)
5 pounds over in tires or lift off the floor
Battery tender
Also, here are my options financially wise. (Need Advice)
I owe around $16,500 on it, I can probably sale it for just over that amount now and get a used one when I return. IF I keep it, it will be paid off by the time I come back.
This vehicle is intended as my son’s graduation gift from HS if he completes what is required from him by ME. This will give me an excellent excuse for an upgrade (Used SS or New SS).
I still have time for my decision but I really need your advice on this one.
Just in case you are wondering what I drive, here it is:
2013 AGM 2LT/RS
Auto
Sunroof
Beige leather interior
GM Installed body kit
K&N CAI
LED Sequential tail lights from Phastek
Thank you in advance.

Spartan01 · 12-22-2014, 08:06 AM

OK, you live in VA Beach.
This is a very easy fix, drop it off at my house, in Northern Va,
I will take very good care of your baby for you, I won't even charge you for this service.

turboguy327 · 12-22-2014, 08:09 AM

Park it on carpet, battery tender, dryer sheets in the exhaust and interior. Full tank of E0 fuel and your favorite stabilizer. And leave it alone. Don't start it, just leave it be.

ron10 · 12-22-2014, 08:11 AM

if it were me,i would have someone you trust, drive it about once a month.

Fentito5thgen · 12-22-2014, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan01

OK, you live in VA Beach.
This is a very easy fix, drop it off at my house, in Northern Va,
I will take very good care of your baby for you, I won't even charge you for this service.

Nice try.

Fentito5thgen · 12-22-2014, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turboguy327

Park it on carpet, battery tender, dryer sheets in the exhaust and interior. Full tank of E0 fuel and your favorite stabilizer. And leave it alone. Don't start it, just leave it be.

Thank you.

Fentito5thgen · 12-22-2014, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron10

if it were me,i would have someone you trust, drive it about once a month.

I'm actually working on this one. I hope my friend says yes.

turboguy327 · 12-22-2014, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fentito5thgen

Thank you.

No problem at all make sure you have ethanol free fuel!!!!! Most important part of all that.

Spartan01 · 12-22-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fentito5thgen

I'm actually working on this one. I hope my friend says yes.

I ALREADY said yes.

trashmanssd · 12-22-2014, 08:28 AM

I would try selling it at price a little above its value if you can get near retail value for I would sell if there is near 0% chance you will have your deployment changed. 2 years is a long time to store a car while you are away and it will loose value every day even just sitting there.

If you cant get very good value selling my second choice would be what ron10 said. If you have anyone you trust to take her out for a spin every 2-6 weeks then put it back in the garage on a battery tender and when it gets under 3/4 of tank to fill it back up and re add stabill thats what I would do.

3rd would be long term storage which I am unfamiliar with looks like you have the right ideas on that other more familiar with it will be more help than I. If you cover it make sure its a breathable cover that wont trap to much moisture. I have seen boats that are covered for a long time with very nice breathable water proof covers and they end up with mold on them sometimes covers can do more harm than good. If you can find any where local (maybe marina) that sells gasoline with out ethanol in it that would be a big help for long term storage (that stuff attracts water and will stratify in the tank). Also can any one answer about starting a car after long term storage some say just fire it up other say go through some huge procedure.

Pace · 12-22-2014, 09:30 AM

My car sat for almost 1.5 years while going through a divorce. She actually did me a favor keeping it in the garage, lol.

The only thing I needed was a fully charged portable battery booster. She started right up and then I brought her up to temperature driving for about 250 miles. The tires were flat spotted and took about anther 250 miles to round out. The battery went dead a week later again and could not be revived, so I got a new one. Other than that all fine. I would probably not recommend a battery tender on it for so long...just remove the battery.

Amanofdragons · 12-22-2014, 12:02 PM

How many miles on it? If you were closer I'd probably buy it for that price. Good luck and thank you for your service.

John Deere Boy · 12-22-2014, 04:08 PM

Pull the battery out of the car if it won't be started for 2 years. If VA is as humid as SC, i would ask someone to put a fresh bucket of DampRid in the cabin every couple months in the summer. Never had a car cover, but i would be worried about it blowing in the wind and rubbing off paint.

fz4k98 · 12-22-2014, 08:41 PM

If it is going to sit for that long you will need to plan on also bringing it back to life.

Pull the battery and don't bother trying to save it. Maybe donate it to someone.
Topped off with straight gas hopefully run a tank of straight gas through and then top off. You may need to drain the gas when bringing it out of storage.
Try to store it with no weight on the suspension so the springs can stay relaxed.
Use as many techniques as you can to keep rodents out.
Use the moisture buckets mentioned earlier.

This is all assuming it is important to keep THIS car as mentioned. If not that important it will be cheaper in the long run to sell and rebuy later.

12-22-2014, 08:00 AM	#1
Fentito5thgen Sombra Drives: 2019 Satin Steel Gray 2SS Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 232 View My Garage	Storing Camaro for two years due to military orders, How to do it properly? Help! Storing Camaro for two years due to military orders, How to do it properly? Help! I need to store my Camaro for two years while overseas. How can I accomplish this without harming the vehicle? This is what I know so far: Car cover Fresh Oil change (MOBIL 1) 5 pounds over in tires or lift off the floor Battery tender Also, here are my options financially wise. (Need Advice) I owe around $16,500 on it, I can probably sale it for just over that amount now and get a used one when I return. IF I keep it, it will be paid off by the time I come back. This vehicle is intended as my son’s graduation gift from HS if he completes what is required from him by ME. This will give me an excellent excuse for an upgrade (Used SS or New SS). I still have time for my decision but I really need your advice on this one. Just in case you are wondering what I drive, here it is: 2013 AGM 2LT/RS Auto Sunroof Beige leather interior GM Installed body kit K&N CAI LED Sequential tail lights from Phastek Thank you in advance. __________________ "Hey, you want to lay the fate of the world on the kid's Camaro? That's cool." Agent Simmons (S7) TF 1

12-22-2014, 08:06 AM	#2
Spartan01 Drives: Evil Eva, 2010 2SS LS3 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Falls Church, Virginia Posts: 3,600	OK, you live in VA Beach. This is a very easy fix, drop it off at my house, in Northern Va, I will take very good care of your baby for you, I won't even charge you for this service. __________________ "You simply cannot trust quotes found on the internet." -Abraham Lincoln

12-22-2014, 09:30 AM	#11
Pace Lifestyle = Deathstyle Drives: 11 SIM 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 686	My car sat for almost 1.5 years while going through a divorce. She actually did me a favor keeping it in the garage, lol. The only thing I needed was a fully charged portable battery booster. She started right up and then I brought her up to temperature driving for about 250 miles. The tires were flat spotted and took about anther 250 miles to round out. The battery went dead a week later again and could not be revived, so I got a new one. Other than that all fine. I would probably not recommend a battery tender on it for so long...just remove the battery. __________________ 11 2SS/RS

12-22-2014, 04:08 PM	#13
John Deere Boy I bleed green Drives: '11 2SS/RS LS3 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Centerville, Indiana Posts: 462 View My Garage	Pull the battery out of the car if it won't be started for 2 years. If VA is as humid as SC, i would ask someone to put a fresh bucket of DampRid in the cabin every couple months in the summer. Never had a car cover, but i would be worried about it blowing in the wind and rubbing off paint. __________________ 2011 2SS/RS LS3. Delivered 4/18/11. Solo Axle-back with J-pipes and quads, 35% tint, Yellow trim kit, Showstopper sidemarkers, babied garage queen. 2006 Silverado 3500 6.0, 1993 Pontiac Bonneville SSE

12-22-2014, 08:09 AM	#3
turboguy327 Banned Drives: 2011 Chevy Camaro Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: USA Posts: 704	Park it on carpet, battery tender, dryer sheets in the exhaust and interior. Full tank of E0 fuel and your favorite stabilizer. And leave it alone. Don't start it, just leave it be.

12-22-2014, 08:11 AM	#4
ron10 Drives: 2010 2SS IOM L99 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: LOUISVILLE,KY.. Posts: 7,545	if it were me,i would have someone you trust, drive it about once a month.

12-22-2014, 08:28 AM	#10
trashmanssd Drives: Black 14 2SS/1LE/RS 14 Tundra Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Plymouth, Ma Posts: 2,414	I would try selling it at price a little above its value if you can get near retail value for I would sell if there is near 0% chance you will have your deployment changed. 2 years is a long time to store a car while you are away and it will loose value every day even just sitting there. If you cant get very good value selling my second choice would be what ron10 said. If you have anyone you trust to take her out for a spin every 2-6 weeks then put it back in the garage on a battery tender and when it gets under 3/4 of tank to fill it back up and re add stabill thats what I would do. 3rd would be long term storage which I am unfamiliar with looks like you have the right ideas on that other more familiar with it will be more help than I. If you cover it make sure its a breathable cover that wont trap to much moisture. I have seen boats that are covered for a long time with very nice breathable water proof covers and they end up with mold on them sometimes covers can do more harm than good. If you can find any where local (maybe marina) that sells gasoline with out ethanol in it that would be a big help for long term storage (that stuff attracts water and will stratify in the tank). Also can any one answer about starting a car after long term storage some say just fire it up other say go through some huge procedure.

12-22-2014, 12:02 PM	#12
Amanofdragons Drives: none(yet) Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: northport, washington Posts: 56	How many miles on it? If you were closer I'd probably buy it for that price. Good luck and thank you for your service.

12-22-2014, 08:41 PM	#14
fz4k98 Drives: 2013 1ss Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: WI. Posts: 518	If it is going to sit for that long you will need to plan on also bringing it back to life. Pull the battery and don't bother trying to save it. Maybe donate it to someone. Topped off with straight gas hopefully run a tank of straight gas through and then top off. You may need to drain the gas when bringing it out of storage. Try to store it with no weight on the suspension so the springs can stay relaxed. Use as many techniques as you can to keep rodents out. Use the moisture buckets mentioned earlier. This is all assuming it is important to keep THIS car as mentioned. If not that important it will be cheaper in the long run to sell and rebuy later.