Putting a classic away for winter is one of those jobs that is easy to do badly and surprisingly satisfying to do properly. A car that has been laid up correctly comes out of storage in spring ready to go with minimal fuss. A car that was just parked up and forgotten about tends to emerge with flat tyres, a dead battery, varnished carburettors and a lingering smell of damp. Twenty years of doing this teaches you which approach is worth the extra hour of effort in October.
When to lay up
There is no fixed rule, but the logic is simple. Once the roads are being regularly salted, the risk to your classic outweighs the pleasure of driving it. Road salt accelerates corrosion dramatically, gets into places that are almost impossible to flush out properly, and does lasting damage to sills, floor pans and brake components. Most UK classic owners put their cars away sometime in November and bring them back out in March or April, depending on the weather and their tolerance for willpower testing.
Before you park it up for the last time, give it a proper run to get everything fully up to operating temperature. This helps drive off any moisture that has accumulated in the engine, exhaust and transmission, and gives you one last chance to notice anything that needs attention before it sits for months.
Cleaning before storage
This is the step most people skip and it is arguably the most important one. Any mud, salt, road grime or organic matter left on the car over winter will hold moisture against the metal and accelerate corrosion. Give the car a thorough wash including the underside, wheel arches and behind the front wheels. Pay particular attention to the sills, the area around the jacking points and anywhere mud tends to accumulate.
Once clean and dry, apply a good coat of wax to the bodywork. This gives the paint a protective barrier against condensation and any moisture that gets into the storage space over winter. Apply a rust inhibitor or cavity wax to any exposed metal areas and touch in any stone chips before storing, since bare metal left over winter will start to corrode almost immediately.
The fuel system
Modern petrol with ethanol content degrades faster than the old leaded fuels classics were designed for. Left in the tank over winter it can varnish the fuel system, block jets and leave deposits that causes starting problems in spring. There are two schools of thought on how to deal with this.
Full tank method
Fill the tank completely before storage. A full tank leaves less space for air and moisture, which reduces condensation inside the tank and slows the degradation process. Add a fuel stabiliser such as Sta-Bil or similar to the tank before the last run, which helps prevent the petrol from varnishing over the storage period. This is the simpler approach and works well for a standard six month lay-up.
Empty tank method
For longer storage or for carburettors that are known to be sensitive to varnishing, drain the float chambers and run the carburettors dry after the last drive. This means there is no fuel left to degrade in the jets and galleries. The disadvantage is that bare metal inside the carburettor and tank is exposed to condensation over winter, so this approach requires more thorough preparation of the rest of the fuel system to compensate.
For most owners doing a standard winter lay-up, the full tank plus stabiliser method is the better choice. Its simpler, less disruptive, and sufficient for the timescales involved.
The battery
A standard lead acid battery left unattended over winter will self-discharge and, if it discharges completely, will sulfate and be significantly reduced in capacity or ruined entirely. You have three options.
The best option is to connect the battery to a trickle charger or smart conditioner for the duration of storage. A CTEK or similar smart charger will maintain the battery at full charge without overcharging it, and you will start spring with a battery that is in exactly the same condition it was in the autumn. These chargers are designed to be left connected indefinitely and are well worth having for any classic owner.
If you cannot leave a charger connected, disconnect the battery and store it somewhere frost-free. Check and charge it every six to eight weeks over the storage period. A battery left completely unattended without a charger for six months is unlikely to survive in good condition.
The third option is to remove the battery entirely and charge it fully before reinstalling in spring. This works but means you lose any radio presets, clocks and other settings that depend on a permanent live feed, which on some cars can be more of an irritation than expected.
Engine protection
If the car is going to be stored for six months or more, fogging the cylinders is worth doing. This involves removing the spark plugs and spraying a light coating of fogging oil or ordinary engine oil into each cylinder before replacing the plugs. The oil coats the cylinder walls and prevents the surface rust that can form when bare metal is exposed to moisture over a long storage period.
Change the engine oil before storage rather than after. Used oil contains acids and combustion byproducts that continue to attack engine internals even when the engine is not running. Fresh oil going into storage means fresh oil coming out in spring, and the engine sits over winter in a cleaner environment. This is one of the most beneficial things you can do for long term engine health on a stored classic.
Brakes and handbrake
Do not leave the handbrake applied over winter storage. Brake shoes and pads can bond to drums and discs over a long lay-up, particularly in damp conditions, and freeing a seized brake is considerably more unpleasant than you might expect. Leave the car in gear instead, or chock the wheels if it is on flat ground. If the car is on a slight slope, chock the wheels and leave it in gear for belt and braces security.
Apply a thin coat of copper grease or dedicated brake disc protector to the face of the discs if the car has disc brakes. This slows the surface rust that forms on stored discs and clears more quickly on the first use in spring. It is a small job that makes a noticeable difference to how the brakes feel on that first drive.
Tyres and suspension
If possible, raise the car on axle stands for storage. This takes the weight off the tyres completely, prevents flat spotting, removes the load from the suspension bushes and springs, and makes it much easier to inspect the underside properly before putting the car back on the road. Position the stands under proper jacking points and make sure the car is stable before walking away from it.
If axle stands are not practical, inflate the tyres slightly above the recommended pressure before storage, perhaps five PSI above normal. This partially compensates for the load on one contact patch and reduces the chance of flat spotting. Check the pressures again in spring before driving, since cold weather will have reduced them from wherever you left them.
The storage environment
A dry garage is the ideal storage environment. Damp is the enemy of stored classics, both for the bodywork and the interior. If your garage is prone to condensation, a dehumidifier running on a timer can make a significant difference over winter. Avoid covering the car with a non-breathable cover inside a garage as this can trap moisture against the bodywork. A breathable cotton or specialist indoor car cover is much better, it protects against dust and light abrasion while allowing the car to breathe.
If outdoor storage is unavoidable, a good quality outdoor cover designed for the purpose is essential. Cheap covers that let in moisture or flap against the bodywork in the wind do more damage than no cover at all. Weight the hem down securely and check it periodically over winter to make sure it has not shifted.
Interior and hood
Clean the interior thoroughly before storage. Any food crumbs, damp mats or organic material left in the car over winter will encourage mildew and attract unwanted visitors of the four-legged variety. Lift the mats and check the floor for any dampness before putting the car away, since a wet floor left sealed under a cover for six months creates serious problems with both rust and mould.
Leave a window very slightly open if the car is stored in a garage, just a few millimetres is enough, to allow air circulation and prevent the interior from becoming completely sealed and stagnant. On convertibles, make sure the hood is properly latched and dry before storage. A hood put away damp will develop mildew and potentially stick to the bodywork where it contacts the screen and rear body.
A note to leave yourself
Before you walk away, write down or photograph anything that needs attention in spring. The oil pressure light that has been flickering, the clutch that is getting heavy, the slight knock from the nearside front that you have been meaning to investigate. It is remarkably easy to forget these things over six months, then get caught out by them on the first drive of the season when you are far from home and the weather is too good to care about anything except enjoying the car.
A classic properly put away for winter is a pleasure to bring back out. Do it right once, and it becomes a routine that takes less than an afternoon and pays dividends every spring for as long as you own the car.