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American's Creed!

Est. 2002

Storing your Hornet

When winter is coming and you don't want to use your Hornet in the snow where it will be subjected to road salt and chemicals that will, literally, eat it alive. You'll want to store it for the winter and have it ready for spring.

Indoor storage is, of course, the best way to go. And it’s really your only option if you are going to be away for a couple of years or longer. If you don’t have a garage, indoor storage facilities are plentiful. Most "mini-storage" type places will gladly rent storage spaces big enough for vehicles. Additionally, try to find someone who can "exercise" the vehicle every month or two. Although it’s an additional expense in your vehicle budget, proper long term storage will save you money on restoration when you're ready to drive your Hornet again.

You can never be too clean for storage, so the first thing you want to do is clean the vehicle. Wait for a dry warm day and give your Hornet a complete wash and wax. Be sure to get the underbody as clean as possible too- particularly wheel well areas. Any dirt will hold moisture and combine with air, causing rust propagation.

Here's a tip I got from my brother. If you have an air compressor, get a trigger nozzle with a rubber tip and use it to dry off the car. It gets all the water out from behind emblems, moldings, and other hard to get areas including the engine compartment.

A thorough cleaning is in order for the interior, also. Use a shop vacuum or household vacuum cleaner, getting into all the little nooks and crannies. All crumbs, pizza crusts, French fries etc. must go. Otherwise small creatures will be drawn to it and make their home inside your vehicle. To go the extra mile, a good carpet cleaning will help discourage them. Do all this early in the day to allow time to dry before putting the car in storage.

Take the spark plugs out and put some oil into the cylinders. This prevents cylinder walls, pistons and valves from rusting. Regular motor oil is fine or get a spray can of fogging oil from a marine supply store. Turn over the engine by hand half a dozen times to ensure the oil coats everything. Next apply a little anti-seize on the spark plugs and reinstall them. Make sure the gas tank is full. This will decrease the amount of water available to be absorbed by the gasoline.

For the electrical system, remove the battery cables (negative cable first) and lift out the battery. Wipe the battery with battery cleaner to take away any moisture-holding dirt or grease. Place the battery on a clean, dry surface, like a block of wood or a stack of bricks.

Now hook up a trickle charger. These are designed to preserve the battery’s charge over a long period of time. While the battery is out, inspect the battery rack for rust or corrosion. Clean and repair any damage as necessary.

Get a tub of white lithium grease and lubricate the hood latch and hinges and the door hinges to keep air and moisture out. Don't use the spray white grease; it does not work very well. Also don't use any type of rust penetrant such as WD-40 or Liquid Wrench; they will dry out.

Have a look at the brake fluid. Brake fluid will soak up moisture from the air, causing your brake system to rust and corrode. Get it flushed and filled with clean, fresh fluid if it hasn't been done in two years or more.

Check the coolant level and ensure it is topped off to the proper level. Also check the coolant’s protection level. It should be low enough to protect the cooling system from winter temperatures.

Because rodents and other small animals like to chew ignition wires and wiring harnesses, stuff clean rags into the engine air intake, fresh air intake under the windshield and tail pipe. A neat trick a mechanic told me about is to get a big box of mothballs and spread them out around and under the car. For some reason the smell works wonders at keeping undesirable creatures away.

Tires are prone to developing flat spots if the vehicle will be sitting for longer than five or six months. To prevent this you should get a set of four jack stands. Jack up the vehicle and place the jack stands under the lift points of the vehicle (usually the lower control arms or under the frame) If you have a dirt floor, place pieces of 1" plywood under the jack stands to prevent them sinking into the dirt.

Remove the wiper blades from the wiper arms to prevent them from becoming glued to the windshield and leaving marks.

You have to use something to cover the vehicle in order to protect it. The most important concern is fit, even if the cover is just porous enough to allow air through but keep moisture out. Of course as the quality of the cover goes up fit will be better and materials will be friendlier to your vehicle. Naturally good quality comes with a price, but isn't your baby worth it?

Outdoor Storage
If Outdoor Storage is your only choice, the best thing to do is park the vehicle on plywood over a heavy gauge plastic vapor barrier. This won't keep all the wind blown moisture, rain and snow from getting to the underbody of your vehicle, but it will help quite a bit.

You can take it a step further by getting an over sized piece of heavy gauge plastic and tuck it inside the vehicle and close the doors to hold it in place. You can tape it with duct tape to the unpainted surfaces of the vehicle in front and back, basically a vehicle diaper. Be very careful to avoid having the plastic sheet touch painted surfaces where moisture can get trapped and cause rust and paint discoloration.

As with indoor storage preparations, out door storage begins with a clean, clean vehicle.

Make five fairly large trays from aluminum foil and fill them with mothballs. Place four, one in each foot well back and front and one in the trunk.

Open each window about a ½" or ¾" to allow the interior to breathe. Get some metal window screen to cover the openings. Tuck the topside of the screen inside the window channel and duct tape the bottom to the glass. Don't use tape on any painted surface.

Now do all the indoor preparations, varmint and insect proofing, removing and cleaning the battery and bringing it inside and putting the trickle charger on it. Make sure you pay particular attention to rust and corrosion proofing as well.

As with indoor covers you will need to spend a little more for a really good quality cover. Make sure the fit is good. The wind will blow a loose fitting cover against the painted surfaces of your vehicle and when you uncover it, it will look like it's been sand blasted.

In areas that get a lot of sun, look for a car cover that offers protection from ultraviolet radiation to protect your vehicles finish. Also use a good quality protectant on the interior surfaces such as a good leather conditioner and plastic treatment.

If you are in an area that is very wet and windy you can cover the vehicles paint with a couple of soft blankets attached with bungee cords. The blankets will provide an additional protective layer and absorb any moisture that may get through. A top quality breathable custom fit car cover that goes down below the wheel wells is the ideal choice for an outdoor car cover.

Exercising your Hornet
If you could not find anyone to drive your vehicle while you were away, you'll need to take your baby for a serious drive. Starting the engine and letting it run until it reaches normal operating temperature is not good enough, and could actually harm the engine. The best thing is a 40 mile drive every two months with the air conditioner on to keep things loose and limber. If this was done it will feel like the same Hornet you've come to know and love.

Back on the Road Again!
This is it! The moment you worked so hard to enjoy. When it's time to get your Hornet back on the road so try to contain your excitement. Take your time to remove everything. Install your battery, change the engine oil and filter, and check your brake rotors and drums for rust. Especially, if your are storing your Hornet outside. If rust exist, use sandpaper to remove.

Some times sanding is all you need to do and your ready to go. However, there are times when they can become warped from the oxidation. I've seen this happen a lot with brake rotors. You'll know if they are warped as soon as you apply the brakes when stopping. You'll feel a vibration through the brake pedal when it is applied. If this is the case remove the rotors and drums and have them machined (cut) smoothed. Most auto parts stores provide this service.

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