Protecting low mileage car tips wanted

[Scott-N-GA]

Not looking for the whole nine yards just some basic products and techniques. I just picked a fairly low mileage car and wondering what would be best to protect and preserve the OEM hoses, belts and tires. I am not sure if the tires are the original tires are an exact replacement. The are correct but show very minor cracks. Looking to keep the car together and original as possible.

First thing i thought of is Armour All, but heard mixed reviews.

Scott

[earlbrown]

Yamaha silicone spray.

[Ttype83]

Shoot all loose cats in the neighorhood

[SlowBlackCar]

how long are we talkin?

pull the stocky stuff off.... put replacemnts on, and save it all...

[Turbonics]

Any car entering storage should be pro-level detailed inside and out just before storage!! Ditto w/fresh oil, fresh coolant & a full-chassis lube. We use RMI-25, & a sacrificial anode in the rad.

We'd always put 4-6 extra qts in on longggggggg storage situations, & still do occasionally, but prefer now to crank & circulate fluids at regular intervals whenever feasible.

First, park the car on a double-layer of 3-5mil tarp. This helps slow/stop moisture-creep coming up from the concrete underneath, & also protects the floor from some of the products to be used.

Use 3M Products (labeled for MARINE/BOAT use) to wipe down all exterior plastics, rubber, hoses, etc. Do this step last. Available at any quality boat shop or buy online.

Shut your doors just to their first "Click", never fully shut. Trunk also closed, but not shut.

Take the battery out...not just disconnect cables...o-u-t.

Disconnect & lube all bulb sockets & other electrical connections w/ dielectric grease wherever possible, and covering the externals of their connections/terminals otherwise. This includes the injector harness.

Add Sta-Bil, & top off your tank to where it's visible in the fill-tube.

Off with the tires or place the car upon jackstands, to avoid flat spots
& decompress the suspension, if we're talking longgggg-term.

Bathe the frame, undercarriage & engine compartment (at least 3-4 lg. cans) with your favorite penetrant. We use at least 2 cans of aerosol SeaFoam & 2 cans of WD-40, completely soaking everything underneath, leaving it dripping wet from the front bumper to the rear. Don't forget door/trunk hinges,door interiors/drainholes, lock mechanisms, inner fenders, etc.

We pull the old plugs & squirt all the plug holes with a healthy dousing of SeaFoam, coat the new plug electrodes & threads with dielectric lube,
and ditto the plug/coil terminals.

We stock-up on small, medium & large bags of anti-moisture dessicant at
the large gunshows. Try to find the renewable brands that you can stick in the microwave & use again. One car can easily use 10-15 pounds/6 bags.

Tape the exhaust exits shut with HD duct tape, or use a piece of porch screen with a rad clamp to stop rodent & reptile traffic. We use the screen method these days, as it does not trap ambient condensation in the system.

Even inside, use a quality car cover & uncover the car at regular intervals or as often as convenient, change out the dessicant bags, shoot it with a "Quick-Detailer" product, wipe it off, & put it back to sleep.

We've had to learn what works best & what doesn't, over a longggggg
time, with many, many, many kinds of vehicles. The above basic
list are our mandatory minimums, & in no way presented as the
"complete" or "ultimate" list. It's late, & I bet I've left off a few of even the minimums...but you get the idea. Do what suits your needs best.

At the end of the vehicle's storage, there is yet another "post-storage"
and "pre-crank" checklist we go through...that's for another day.


Here's to eternal vigilance & preventive maintenance!

[Scott-N-GA]

Thanks for some tips everyone. It is like this the car has just under 30,000 miles on it. I noticed nothing has been changed under the hood other than sparkplug wires. All the hoses and lines are OEM. I plan on parking the car but keeping started and driven once a month for a couple miles maybe. I just hate to pull off everything and replacing it with aftermarket stuff. My man concern is something to keep the tires from drying out and the hoses and maybe some door weatherstripping.

The car needs some work actually on the interior but under the hood needs just detailing and protecting.

Scott