Tips for Storing a Classic Car
Lock Box Self Storage
April 10th, 2023
Storing a classic vehicle can be expensive and challenging if you're a car enthusiast. The last thing you want to do is leave your sports car out in the elements causing years of damage.
Storing your classic car inside can protect it from sunlight and oxidation, but it can create an issue of its own with high humidity. However, some simple guidelines to follow when storing your classic car can ensure its value remains intact.
What to Know about Classic Car Storage
1. Determine the Storage Period of Your Classic Car
Before you store your classic car, you must determine how long you plan to store it.
Storing a classic car for a short period—a few months or less—will require less preparation than storing it for an extended period.
If you plan to store your classic car for just a few months, then all you will need is a place where you can protect it from the elements and animals.
You can keep it indoors or outdoors, but ensure it is protected from moisture and other elements that could damage the paint, upholstery, or other parts of your classic car.
If you plan to store your classic car for several years at once, then you should take some supplementary steps to ensure that it will survive the long-term storage process with minimal damage.
2. Find the Right Storage Facility
After determining the storage length, you should find the right storage facility to store your classic car. Unfortunately, finding the right storage facility for your classic car can be difficult.
You want to ensure that it is safe and secure, but you also want it to be accessible when needed. If you have a classic car, here are some tips to help you find the right storage facility:
Find a facility that has climate-controlled spaces. It will help keep your car cool in the summer and warm in the winter, preventing damage from extreme weather conditions.
Find out what type of security system they have in place. You want to ensure your car is safe while being stored at their facility.
You may also want to see if they have cameras around their perimeter to see who enters and goes at all times so that no one steals anything from inside the building itself.
Ask about insurance policies before signing up for any contract or agreement. That way, if something does happen while your car is there, they'll cover everything as far as repairs go.
3. Prepare the Car
After finding the perfect storage space, the next thing you'll have to do is prepare the car for storage. Before you set out to store your classic car, make sure it's in the best condition possible. After ensuring this is done, you can follow the next steps.
4. Thoroughly Clean the Car
The first significant step in storing your classic car is thoroughly cleaning it. One thing you don't want is to store a dirty car and then spend time cleaning it when you get it out of storage.
If you're storing it for an extended period, consider taking the time to clean both the interior and the exterior. When you're storing a classic car, it's essential to thoroughly clean the car before storage.
The reason is simple: you don't want anything to grow or mold in your car over time, and you want to ensure that any gunk built up over the years comes off your vehicle before it goes into storage.
You can use a special spray cleaner and some high-quality paper towels or microfiber cloths to ensure that your classic car looks new when it comes out of storage.
5. Remove the Weight Off the Tires
When storing a classic car, it's essential to ensure the tires don't go flat. You risk damaging the rims or having them rust over time if they do. To avoid this, remove the weight off of the tire.
This simple tip will help you avoid problems with your classic car's tires. The tires carry the car's weight, and if you do not remove them, they may burst when placed under strain or pressure.
To avoid bursts of your tires, gently remove the nuts, take off the tire, and put it in your trunk or backseat—you can even leave it on its side if you're only storing it for a short time.
6. Fuel and Oil the Car
Fuel and check the oil levels before storing your car. If possible, fill up the tank with premium fuel. Doing this will help keep your engine as clean as possible while in storage. If you don't have premium fuel available while storing your car, add some fuel stabilizer to the tank before leaving it.
Examining the oil levels on your car is very important as well. You want to ensure that there isn't too much oil in the engine but not too little oil.
Suppose there's more oil in the engine. In that case, it can cause issues with corrosion inside of it while sitting idle for months without being driven regularly, as regular use would require daily. So, check these things off before leaving it somewhere new is always recommended.
7. Check Batteries and Wipers
The battery is a key part of your classic car, and it's essential to ensure it's functioning properly before storing your vehicle. If the battery is weak or has gone out entirely, you could risk losing all of your electrical systems if you don't take care of it first.
Similarly, checking your wiper blades is essential to keep your car in good shape while it's stored. Put some newspaper under them so they don't cause damage to the windscreen of your classic car before you put it back on the road.
8. Get A Good Car Cover
A good car cover is the most important and final part of your storage process. It has to be made from a durable material that will protect your paint job from environmental damage and keep out moisture, dirt, and dust.
You should get one that will last for years, so you don't have to keep buying new covers every time yours gets too old or damaged by the elements.
Classic Car Storage in Mount Juliet, Tennessee
When you store a classic car, there is a checklist it is negligent to overlook. These tips are crucial to remember even if you consider yourself a storage expert. If you do not know where to begin when organizing your classic auto, you can use the information we've provided you as a guide.
Lockbox Self Storage can provide climate-controlled storage units to maintain the integrity of your classic car in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Book with us online or give us a call today!