Winter Storage Help

[ARizzle]

Hey guys, so I recently just put my 2013 Subaru STi away for storage and did not consider a car cover as I am nervous of anything touching the paint. But due to possible dust issues, I felt I needed to get a car cover. I went with the Covercraft Dustop Custom Fit cover (which claims to be the best cover on the market for indoor use). My car is in my personal garage now (all waxed and sealed), but due to the fact that the cover is custom and needs to be made (will arrive in 4 weeks) dust may be a problem for my car in those 4 weeks.
What should I do to prevent the dust from sitting on my car for too long? I am a bit nervous that if I keep giving it waterless washes, it may rust the car, especially since my garage is not heated.

Help please!

[Chris's FX4]

Well I would just wait until you get the cover and then wash it right before you put the cover on, but that's just me. I just can't imagine that much dust covering your car in a garage to a point where you would need to be concerned.

Why are you so worried about waterless washes rusting the car?

Many people don't realize this, but heated garages actually speed up the rusting process on cars in the winter. Cars that have snow/salt/ice caked on them though that melts in the garage.

[davey g-force]

I put dust seals all the way around my garage door and I reckon I've stopped about 98% of all dust from entering my garage.

The amount of dust I get now is negligible - best money I ever spent! :)

[BillE]

I do the same with my truck in the winter...put it to sleep.

I picked up a couple of flannel sheets some years back, stitched them together to make them close to 'big enough' to cover the top surfaces. Didn't (don't) worry too much about the lower couple of feet. Just drape them over the truck.

Here's the tricky part, how to keep them (the sheets) from getting underway when the garage door is open. I had a 12 feet or of magnetic tape (like what is use on shower doors). Cut them to 6 inch or so in length and just put them on top of the sheets.

Been doing this for 8 years or so, and no surface marring or scratches.

Just my 2¢.

Bill

[ARizzle]

Another thing guys is regarding mice from entering the vehicle. I have plastered the inside of my car with Bounce Dryer sheets so I am not worried at all about the interior, but I am nervous about the engine bay. Would putting Bounce Dryer sheets on the tires damage the tires? (Only reason for me asking is because the sheets seem oily, and by leaving them on the tires, would that affect their performance later on?

[FUNX650]

Another thing guys is regarding mice from entering the vehicle.
I have plastered the inside of my car with Bounce Dryer sheets so I am not
worried at all about the interior, but I am nervous about the engine bay.

Would putting Bounce Dryer sheets on the tires damage the tires?
(Only reason for me asking is because the sheets seem oily, and by leaving them on the tires,
would that affect their performance later on?
If the dryer sheets could possibly damage tires; and even affect their future performance...Then:
What are those seem-to-be-oily dryer sheets going to be doing to the interior's materials...All Winter Long?!?!

:)

Bob

[07gtcs]

Waterless washing your car won't make it rust, the water doesn't stay on the car long enough. I would only worry about mice if you have them in your house. I store my car under a cover all winter in my garage and don't worry about it. I do go out about once a month to six weeks and start it and let it run for a bit. I even run it up and down the driveway a few times to keep the tires from flat spotting.

[oldmodman]

I have stored cars for up to twelve years and this is what I did to keep the finis (and car) in perfect condition.

I am only going to mention what I did to the finish and cover.

Wash car. Make sure it is completely dry. Put cover on car. I used a tan flannel cover. It's extremely soft and light. The one thing I do want to mention is that I remove the battery, pop the trunk, pop the hood, roll the windows down an inch, and I leave the doors open. Some people will worry about the weight of the door not being supported by the latch so all the weight will be on the hinges but I have never encountered any door closing or panel line problems after leaving them slightly open. I do this so that the seals are not stored compressed.

Then I cover the entire car, with the cover on it, with a thin plastic drop sheet. This will keep airborne dust from settling on the cover and possibly making it's way down to the finish. The plastic is just draped over the car so that it can breathe.

Then I place about a dozen cakes of mouse bait around the car. So far I have never seen another living mouse near my garages.

But after all this typing I still have to say that a car capsule is the very best way to protect a car in long term storage.