long term storage

[ls67]

I need suggestions on putting a car up for long term storage it is a 92 stealth that has been in my barn for about 7 years now it belonged to my brother in law and he was recently killed in an accident but he has a boy on the way that will be here in a couple weeks so I think since his dad wont be around I will put this thing up and when he gets of age to start thinking about cars I want to drag it out and restore it with him. he was proud of the car, he bought it at a collector car auction in dallas when he was 17 so I want to do this right. So if anyone has suggestions I would like to here them.

Also we live in west texas and mice and rats may be an issue. It has leather interior that is in very good shape and I would like to preserve it as best as possible.

[dropit69]

sorry to hear about your loss..i read places that they sell stuff to put inside the car to prevent the moisture from settling..kinda like a dehumidifier does in your house..then get a good cover that is breathable..are you going to be able to start it time to time?..if not definatley pull the battery.,im sure othre will chime in with there help

[sunkistcamaro]

Im sorry to hear about your brother in-law. It's really nice of you to do that for his son.
As far as storage goes, I used to park my car on top of a tarp to keep the moisture down from the under carriage. Be careful choosing a car cover, you don’t want to trap the moisture. I know everyone hates mothballs but they work to keep out mice. My friend parked his Dart for years with no signs of the pests.

[69 chevelle 468]

Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. Try dryer sheets inside to keep mice out, put steel wool in the exhaust to keep the mice out of the mufflers, sta-bil and sea foam in the gas, try some mouse traps at each tire, the idea of poly under the car is a good idea too. Pull the battery, have the cylinders fogged since it will be sitting for at least 12 yrs. I've heard some good things about the air bag storage. My .02.

[bookends]

consider buying a used shipping container if you have the room. locksmiths sell large bags of dessicant to remove moisture from safes. keep rat poison around the car and use a leather conditioner every few months to keep the leather from drying out, more often if it's very hot where you live. Start the car periodically to keep the engine running well.

[shmoov69]

Sorry to hear about the loss. Good idea on what you are wanting to do though. If you have the space, a used container would be the best as was said before. I am sure it would be alot cheaper in the long run than paying for storage. On a bright sunny day, go inside and close it up to look for any source of holes in it and fix them. Keep a good coat of the brightest white paint on it that you can get to help keep the TX sun from turning it into an oven. If you could buy a dehumidifier and leave in it with a cord hanging out to plug in every week or to and run for a little while, it may help. But that is pretty unrealistic for over a decade. So maybe just lots of the dessicant. LOTS of sta-bil, in a low tank and run thru the lines and jack stands under the frame for when the tires go flat.
Good luck!

[mikey]

I've seen bags advetised that you roll your car onto then zip them up like a cocoon. They reccomend them for long term storage I will see if I can find some info for you.