Celica Forums General Discussion General storing car outside?

hey guys

im thinking of parking my car and playing aroudn with the idea to store it in my back yard...where i live theres quite a bit of snow and it gets pretty cold during the winters about -30 celcius (not to sure what that would be in farenheight) would there be ne harm in storing the car for a full winter outside in the backyard...would this cause any damage to my paint, body engine etc.. if i do this i plan on getting one of those outdoor storage covers and wrap it up tightly?? what precautions should i take?
ne input would be apreciated..
thanks

umm if your going to store it for a bit, just make sure and start it up once in a while. And/or take it for a spin around town if you can, you know to keep the car decent and ready for when the time comes to let her loose!

Thats exactly what I am doing. I was going to build a little garage for it, but ran out of money (bought mods instead). Now I am just going to put a car cover and a tarp over that. Stake the tarp in the ground so no snow can get under or on it. I am going to start it at least once a week, so nothing freezes. Wash probaly once a month, depends on how my idea works. Goodluck to you. This is a first for me, Came to michigan from hawaii, What a difference

here's something on car cover advice

https://celicahobby.com/ubbthreads/thread.f_57068_0_collapsed_5__1.html


also the water in your washer fluid might.. be of a concern if you just have water in there as that will expand when frozen.. not sure if they make special washer fluids that don't freeze though.. just a thought

Poor Celi

BTW Move from Hawaii?? Are you nuts...lol

Erick: for sure there's washer fluid that doesn't freeze.. Up here in Canada you'd have to look around to find some that doesn't have antifreeze in it. We use it all year round so we don't have to worry about changing it in the fall

Usually it's rated to -40C

I had to. Was in the military, met a girl had a kid, etc,
But hawaii aint as great as everyone thinks, I lived there my whole life and got tired of the same shit day after day.
I p[lan to move back after college.

I see, poor you not sure if I feel worse for you or Celi LOL just playin' Going to Hawaii in December it is nice to visit but not sure that I'd want to be there forever either. Good Luck!

I love living in Miami

Well, when I was in the mountains temporarily for the long weekend, I parked my car outside the cabin. When I started it up in the morning, I noted that it would take a hella long time to hit lift. At least 15 minutes of warming up and driving around. Revvs would just not hit that high.

-30C = approx -22F...friggin cold on any thermometer. Seems to me that such insanely low temps have to have some long-term effect on your Celi. Engine metals shrink and swell with temp extremes, and there's condensation issues as well. Given that, I'm not sure a car cover is going to present any mechanical advantages in the long run, but at least it'll stay clean. Looks like you don't have a choice, so best of luck!!

well theres gonna be snow...so itll be parked without me driving/touching it for about 6 months or so...i got one of those out door covers...another question i have is should i fill up the gas tank..or leave it empty??..i heard somthing that condensation can get into the tank...??
thanks

id drain all the fluids, just remember to put them back in... put some baking soda inside the car so it doesnt smell when you open it back up... and leave a crack in the window for air to get out/in, the tarp should be plenty, though a parachute would be even better...

no need to tie it really tight, you can always just throw snow on it to hold it down...

you might want to put wood boards under the wheels so it doesnt sink into the ground... you may want to also deflate the tires some... so expanding/despanding wont hurt them

You should start it up every now and then. If you have the
possibility, drive it back and forth a bit. If you can't take it down the road, just back and forth a couple of meters in your back yard is way better than nothing. If you
have any decent size rims (18's or 19's) change them to the stock tires before storing it!

Do not rev the engine up high to try and compensate for an irregular idle or whatever. If your car sits outside for a long time with temperatures going up/down, you'll have some condensation basically everywhere. That'll make your car idle irregular. Just let it sit tight and do its thing. A friend of mine had is volkswagen golf stored outside for 6 months without starting it even once. It took the car 15 minutes to regain normal idle after the winter. patience grasshopper.

And good luck. I know how bad winter sucks, living in norway. I'm about to buy a second car, which I basically can't afford -- but have to try so my celica can stay locked inside a garage this winter. Road salt corroding the chassis, and women sliding all over the place like total dumb ass'es 'cause they can't drive when its slippery just isn't good for my baby

I'd add moisture remover to the gas, and run it some before shutting it down for the winter, to distribute it through the fuel system. I wonder if it can get cold enough to freeze the anti-freeze. A block heater is a good way to go if you can get one. Be sure the windshield washer stuff is 100% undiluted (no water added).

What kinda washer fluid