Fishguy

When I head off to college, I dont want to have to take my car with me because the winter will be far too mean to it, and I dont think i'll really need a car up there (and if i do, i know a few people who are bringing their cars)

so, what are all the steps necessary to get this thing in shape to sit for 8 months or so?

SoCal Driver

Ah... Ship it to Southern California!!!

Be sure to send me the shipping tracking number!

SoCal Driver

Really you need to drain all of the coolent out of it and store the battery in a heated area. Preferably have a battery charger on a timer give the battery a short charge once a week. Doesn't hurt to raise the tires off of the ground an inch. If a tire goes flat it doesn't get damaged from buckling.

ewainwright

Actually, they are very good winter cars (it gets very cool in Germany). Its the heat that they don't like. I'd start with taking the tires off the pavement and off the car (flat spots and rubber degrading), and put in some gas stabilizer with a full tank (run it to make sure that its totally throughout the system). Change the oil. Flush the cooling system and replace antifreeze. Remove the spark plugs and place some oil in the cylinders. Turn over (with injectors and coil disconnected) then replace the spark plugs. Remove battery and cover. Leave your address on the board. We'll drive by to check on it occasionally :-)

Kurt

When I disconnected the battery, I left it in the car, but with a tennis ball cut in half protecting the 2 "sockets" of the battery, with the plugs resting on top of the tennis *****.

Come spring-time, I hooked the battery back up and it fired up instantly. Of course, it was a fairly new battery so that had to help.

brrt50cal

Get some of those things that stop mold from growing in your interior.

Fishguy

ok... so far i have this list of things to do:

1. Wash and Wax thoroughly and then have some fun cruisin with it before i put it away
2. change oil and filter (time for some mobil 1, i keep hearing so many good things about it! and a K&N performance oil filter... or is that just uneccesary?)
3. Flush the cooling system and replace with fresh new anitfreeze mix
4. add gas stabilizer - make sure its mixed thoroughly
5. get it positioned and blocked up so the tires are off the ground - make sure tires are at the right pressure
6. Remove the spark plugs and place some oil in the cylinders. Turn over (with injectors and coil disconnected) then replace the spark plugs
7. remove battery and set it up to be charged every so often to keep it fresh
8. cover and build enclosure to keep snow off it (like a tarp set up like a tent over it... my brother can help me out


so that sound good?

thanks for the help, guys!

hoffman912

some places sell a car cacoon. its like making youre porsche into a bubble boy! its a big bubble filled with air that circulates (has air pump to keep it inflated etc), and it keeps all of the elements away from your car. will work inside or outside. i would deffinitly get one if i could afford the $300 for it, but mine is garaged anyways.

as someone mentioned somthing to keep mold out of the interior. check tweeks or performance products, they sell big *** bags of silica gel (like you find in your pants pockets when you buy them, but really huge!) 3 or 4 will do, one on each seat or floor (front and back).

having an old porsche thats very prone to rust if not protected right, i highly suggest those to keep it very fresh.

btw.. as far as storing a car and oil.. i hear very bad things about leaving synthetics in it while not running for long periods of time. somthing about rust or decay or somthing bad inside the engine. i cant remember what it was exactly, when i heared it 8 mos ago, but i suggest you do some research on that to be safe (not to give you more **** to worry about but i thought id mention it to be safe).

Kurt

I'm going to throw out another conflict of ideas here, one I'm not sure about, but if clarification can solve it, then so be it.

Not sure what the proper method of "raising" the car to keep its full load off of the tires is, but if you didn't properly do this, the suspension has the potential of sagging. Now if someone out there knows the proper way of raising the car to avoid this risk, then let's hear it (cause I'm curious too).

SoCal Driver

Some use 4 x 4's in a built up pillar at each corner of the car and take the wheels completely off. Also could use some wide base jack stands but put a 6 inch piece of 2 x 4 between the car and the jack stand. In any case the suspension is allowed to relax -- extend.

Been stories of mice and other critters making nests in the engine area. Moth ***** are supposed to keep them away.

Fishguy

ok, so anybody have a verdict on raising the car?

just block it up?

the manual shows the proper points to raise the car from, and nothing bad will happen to let the suspension be without a load (ie the car) for the 8 months?


thanks for the help guys, i think i mostly got this figured out

Fishguy

also, is it drain or replace coolant? like would it be bad to leave the tank and radiator empty?

and yeah, got the oil changed today (go valvoline Durablend, kinda cheap pretty good stuff) though i couldnt change the oil filter, as its in a tight spot and only the slim metal strip filter wrenchs fit, when the one i was using was a big thick 3 piece toothed one


oh well

needa get the filter changed tomorrow, coolant drained, flushed, and replaced (unless someone saws otherwise) then the other things, like battery removal... and buy a nice water proof tarp to go over the car cover i have... after blocking it up...

oh man, i had fun today (probably for the last time this summer) with the car

took it out after the oil change with my buddy Don and we cruised, bought $3.25 of gas and almost raced this Dodge Van,
well, i started trying to pass him, and he got a little faster, so i picked up a little speed, then he got going a little faster, then i was like "is this guy racing me?" and so i stomped and started gaining (just a little), but he already had a good lead, and a light came up, and i had to turn, so i slowed, he slowed, and let me get by him for the left turn.... Don was like "you got owned by a van!" and im like "shut up don! I didnt know i was racing!"
ah... good times...
and then we took it to a parking lot next to a school and i proceeded to demo the car's renowned handling capacilities and squealed around the light poles (I'm not a very good driver, I'm sure a pro could've taken them a bunch faster)
then i let him drive, and he didnt stall it! and he didnt drive it all that jerky, either, and he kinda slowly slalomed around the lot for a few min, and then we agreed we had enough fun and went home

buckshot

by the advise of a porsche service manager, do not jack up the car, it will
affect the suspension. his recommendation is to over inflate the tires
(put in approx 50 psi), this will prevent flat spotting of the tires, change the oil, stabilize the gas, and run it a bit so the stabilizer gets into the fuel system, wash and wax, either disconnect the battery or put it on an automatic trickle charger (a good one that can switch on and off as needed)
also treat the leather with a good leather conditoner (lexol)
here in wisconsin, my storage time is from early to mid november until the
beginning of april.
good luck
buckshot wi

Fishguy

ok, then thats what i needed to know, Dont jack it up!

though i will still but some bricks under there incase it gets a ton of snow, so that it wont sink down for prolonged amounts of time... or is that just ****?


ok so overinflation is the key


thanks!

Fishey

I drove my S2 all winter. (on proformance tires) but I think normal tires on it it would be a great winter car... I loved driving mine in snow (around 2-3" max) no traction with LSD.. If I had traction it would be a alsome alsome car...