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 Post subject: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 6:54 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:57 pm
Posts: 18
Location: Sandy Hook, CT
I’m interested in your personal methods or tips for mothballing your Zs for the winter.

Adam

93 300zx NA

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Adam R.

93 300ZX NA


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:01 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:16 pm
Posts: 1181
Location: Ansonia, CT
Hello Adam!

There are lots of suggestions on the internet on how to prepare your car for winter storage and my suggestions will certainly include many I took from those sources. Since I have owned my '71 Z for all of it's 50+ years and it still runs and looks good with 190K miles on the clock, I figure at least my methods must be working. I would first suggest though, if you can, try to run and "move" your car at least once a month if you can, even if it's just up and down your driveway to avoid the salt and sand. This gets all those working parts like bearings, universal joints, seals, etc., re-coated with grease or oil. Other suggestions:

1) Put her away clean, inside and out. Washed and waxed
2) Cover the car with a good soft fabric cover if garaged.
3) Over inflate the tires by about 5 PSI to help keep the tires from flat-spotting or place the car on stands.
4) Change the oil and filter before storage
5) Battery - Either disconnect your negative battery terminal (my method) or use a "battery tender" if you don't want to have to reset any electronics in your car (my old Z has none). Don't use a battery charger though for this as it can overcharge your battery and cause an acid mess under the hood.
6) Very Important - Fill the gas tank with fresh gas along with a gas stabilizer, especially if you know your car may be laid up for more than 3-4 months. Run the engine with stabilized gas" for about 5 minutes to make sure it enters the entire fuel management system.
7) Make sure your engine coolant is in good condition.
8) Protect your car from dings and dents if storage is in a crowded "busy" garage. I use large pieces of cardboard placed on one vulnerable side of my car against the car cover.

Some people even place their car over a layer of plywood or plastic to keep moisture from their concrete garage floor attacking the bottom of their cars. Hopefully you have your car garaged over the winter which, in itself, is a big help in preserving your precious Z car.

Good luck and I hope to ZEE you this coming CTZCC season!

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John Kish
1971 240Z - original owner


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:26 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm
Posts: 14779
Location: CT
What John said. :thumbs_up:

I addition to his common sense suggestions, another reason for running your Z every few weeks is to keep it "wet" in case you have to start it in an emergency. If you have anything in your garage which might catch fire, being able to start your
Z and drive it out of the garage in a hurry might be your only chance to save it. I used to put my car up on jacks but some suspension systems don't like that for extended periods, and I had a rough time getting the rear shocks to sit back down when it was time. Flat spots are a concern for sure, but rolling the car back and forth every few weeks seems to avoid them.

What did you decide to do with yours?

Frank T

PS: We have numerous members in this Club (all with life-long Z experience) who stone me half to death each year when I say I store my Z with carbs "wet". They have long practiced making sure they are run dry before storage. Their cars run as well as mine (if not better) so there is good reason to listen to all opinions on this subject.

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1970 240Z


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:47 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm
Posts: 14779
Location: CT
Over the winter of '79-'80 when I had to go overseas for a year, I put the car on jacks, removed the wheels and slid them under the car, drained the oil and replaced the filter, dry. I smeared a light coat of vaseline on each of the mag wheels to keep them from corroding over the year.

I removed the spark plugs and squirted about 1/2 shot glass of 5-weight sewing machine oil into each cylinder to prevent the rings from seizing to the cylinder walls during the year. I don't remember whether I drained the radiator or not. I removed the battery and actually gave it to someone to use in another car. I locked the car and covered it and all parts with a large plastic sheet.

When I came home in 1980 I put a new battery in and poured 5qts of good oil into it. Inspecting each cylinder I found that the lightweight oil had seeped past the rings as I had expected it to, so the cylinders were empty.....there was no danger of trying to compress oil in the combustion chambers ("hydrolock").

Turning the engine over in short bursts to get oil into everything, it only took a minute to get the fuel back up to the carbs and the engine caught without problem. I remounted the tires and drove it away.

That was a lot of work which I would not do for the sake of a few weeks of winter storage, but I'm confident it precluded a number of problems I might have had if I hadn't done all that.

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1970 240Z


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:36 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:21 am
Posts: 973
Location: Somers CT
I treat the fuel, put on my battery maintainer, pull on the cover and put custard cups with pure spearmint oil in them in both of the cars. Mice hate the smell enough to stay away and in the spring it still smells faintly of the mint.

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W.Karl Walton
Somers CT



75' - 280Z - HLS30203249 - #304 Gold Metallic (stockish)
96' - 300zx TT - JN1CZ24d3TX960293 - Black on Black (enhanced)


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Z Storage
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:03 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:16 pm
Posts: 1181
Location: Ansonia, CT
Karl, you may even find these two mint lovers in your car this spring! :P
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=wr ... &FORM=VIRE

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John Kish
1971 240Z - original owner


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