What to do??? LONG term storage or sell off the parts that wont last??

[carguykeith]

So no project car is ever "done" but lets just say mine was pretty close (see signature for build thread) and anything more would have been a pretty major overhaul, with a new motor, trans, sups, brakes etc.

Now the dilemma, I just accepted a 2-5 year job in Japan and the car can't go... Chances are we will be staying the whole 5 years so I have to plan for that, which means I can't just change fluids and throw a car cover over her or really anything even remotely close to that.

My best two options as I see them are as follows:

1. Sell off everything that can't make the extended storage, i.e. Motor, trans, tires. Then seal the passenger compartment up good so no bugs or critters can get it, buy a NICE car cover and put it in long term outdoor storage .

2. Ship it down to seattle where I have a friend and/or relative park it in their backyard, start it up, and drive it for an hour every 3-4 months until I get back.

The hardest part of all this is the location, being in Alaska there isn't exactly a huge market for 600hp Olds turnkey motors or even Nitto racing tires for that matter... The TH475 with a high stall converter should be easy enough to sell but doesn't do me any good if I can't sell the rest. Then what do I do when I get back? Or conversely, if I ship it down to seattle I'm looking at a set of tires and valve springs at the very least but really to me the motor and trans should get a tear down even with some occasional driving.

So what do you all think? Anyone else had to store a car for multiple years? We thought about renting our house and using the shop as a warm storage but decided against it and are going to sell the place so any storage option is going to be outside unfortunately.

[barraza]

I definitely wouldn't store outdoors, if thats the only good option for you, sell everything. Five years of sitting outside will depreciate it way more than the hit you will take selling it and starting over when you get back.

The reality is that plenty of people have cars with more than 5 years on tires, and 5 years storage for an engine or trans is easy.

Ship it where you have a friend, and rent a storage unit to put it in.

[silvermonte]

When I was in the military I got stuck doing a 2 year tour over in England and didnt take my car, 5 years is alot longer then 2 years but if I was in your shoes again I would rent a long term storage down by your buddy so he can check on it every now and again. I would empty the gas tank the best you can so your fuel lines dont rust and unhook the battery and go from there. When you get back you can tear the motor back down and hope that a light hone job will clean the bores up if they are needed and i dont think the tranny will have any problems. Would prolly be cheaper in the long run doing this route and having to fix a few minor issues when you get back instead of having to build an entire new car.

[vintageracer]

I would SELL the whole project. Car, parts and everything else.

The last thing you need is a car in pieces 3000 miles away for 5 years. I don't care how good the car is stored the condition will degrade and parts always seem to turn up missing.

Let's not forget the fact that in 5 years the hobby, the cars, the parts and more importantly YOU and your desires will also have changed.

Buying is easy! Buy the car you really want when you return to the States with ALL that money you made by accepting this great opportunity.

Given the scenario you have outlined in your initial post SELLING IT ALL (Car & Parts) is your best decision in my opinion.

After all that's what you asked for OPINIONS!!!

[carguykeith]

Thanks for the replys guys I do appreciate hearing your perspectives, heck even the suggestion to sell the whole car is worth considering. It would be a hard sell though, I didn't exactly build this thing with resale in mind...

Heated storage in Alaska is out of this world expensive, and even in washington I'm looking at least $75/ month plus the $1k trip down there, so really don't know if I can swing for heated storage. I bet I could probably get it under a carport in Washinton or Oregon maybe. That would cut back on a lot of the wear and tear, boy it sure is hard to think about parting it out or selling her outright...

[Rod]

keep it and store it, how many HERE have regreted selling there project cars, only later to cry about it, so keep it, store it and come back to it and if your friend will help store it even better, how do you think all these car collectors have big collections? they never sell any of them and pay for storage till they have room to build and display

[my79f]

if anything i would look at pulling the motor and trans, and sticking the car in an un climate controlled storage. 4 or 5 yrs in Japan will give you plenty of time to think about a new combo you want to put in. LS? maybe the new LT1? I know i regret selling my first truck, in fact that is the biggest regret of my life.

[CarlC]

What about buying a shipping container? They are not that expensive if you can store it for free somewhere.

[130fe]

I was in your spot a couple of years ago. I have been living in Chile (wife is in the AF) for 2.5 years now with only 7 more months to go. I couldn't (and wouldn't ship my car down here) so I decided to put in a reputable indoor storage (with another car) close to where I am originally from (Orlando). I decided to keep mine because I have some sentimental value with it (had it since 93). I am paying about $70 a month for storage a month for the entire time and to me it is worth it, not saying that is the case for everyone. If you are only planning on staying 2-3 years, I would consider selling off stuff and keeping the car. Anything beyond that I would look at selling it. Like others have said, cars are easily replaced.

[SShep71]

Shipping container all the way if you can find one and find a yard that will babysit it. Or send it down to oregon, you friend may be able to help just have a backup plan. Im in the same situation kind of, I have cars on both sides of the country and tools and equipment in several garages.

[jprewitt]

Top off the fuel tank and add fuel stablizer and let the motor run for a few minutes to let it work its way through. If the car is going to sit for a while overfill all of your fluids motor oil, rear, trans, etc. Disconnect the battery then pull the plugs and put trans fluid in every piston. Then spray a light oil like WD40 on any surface you don't want to rust like the brakes. If metal is covered in oil or gas it will first keep the moisture out and second prevent rust.

When you get back drain all of the fluids including the gas, pull the plugs and slowly turn the motor over by hand to get the oil out. Then you can spray a little brake cleaner into each piston an crank to remove any excess oil. My dad did this and after 13 years of sitting it fired right up.

[ace_xp2]

My car sat fifteen years and the ancient 289 I expected to be a throwaway is still being used to this day. Just mist the cylinders, pickle everything that holds oil with a lot of it, and dump it when you get back.
I mean come on, you've had this car since college, do you really think you can sell it? Even if it rusts, based on your build thread, you can deal with that.

[71RS/SS396]

There's no way I'd store a car I cared about outside for 5 years, especially in the wet Pacific Northwest. If you decide to keep it, oil the cylinders down and loosen all the rocker arms so the valves are all closed and it will save your valve springs, and expect to have to rebuild the entire brake system.

[carguykeith]

Ok you guys have me sold on a conex, should be able to pick one up for $1,500 it looks like. If I can get someone to do it, wouldn't it be better to have someone go out and start her up every 3 months and run it through the gears than put it in non running condition for the whole time? I thought you had to run an auto tranny every once in a while to keep the seals oiled?

[XLexusTech]

Buy a recycled shipping container safe secure and indestructible

[68sixspeed]

I'm not a fan of shipping containers... They are giant sweat boxes. I have seen a challenger go into one fine and be totally rusted a few years later. There is no airflow and condensation just lingers and you have rust. Maybe if you added some ventilation they would be ok but I wouldn't do it. If you could find a ventilated, secure self-storage place maybe you could get a good rate on a multi-year lease? Some require that any gas be drained but you would want to do that anyway. Then have a friend or someone keep changing decon or mouse poison in the storage area a few times a year.

[WILWAXU]

I'm currently in Japan and have lived outside the states since January 2009.

Although it's not Alaska.. My Nova, misc parts and tools are in a rental storage unit in SoCal. When I get a chance, I stop by to check on things.

[XLexusTech]

good call on the ventilation... it could defiantly be a problem.

[carguykeith]

Hmmm hadn't even thought about condensation and such in the conex, that would definitely be a problem in the pacific NW there is lots of that sort of weather there.

[rallystyle]

i had some tools stored in a conex up here and got some rust on them now. and that was for just a year. if your going to store it in ak there are places you can store them that are heated. but it will not be cheap.

[daytonayellaz]

Dont store it in a shipping container....as mentioned above, they sweat really bad.

Maybe look into a large warehouse type building... I have seen these where many cars, trucks, boats etc are all stored in the same building. The fee is much less this way and your car is stored inside. It has some disadvantages....as far as many people in and out. I would cover it with a car cover and try to get it in a corner or off the beaten path.

[vintageracer]

After ALL this great discussion & storage suggestions there is still no real good and/or economical method suggested of storing your car (dream) for 5 years in Alaska or anywhere else.

Sell it!