Winter Storage

[DaedalusFB]

I'm about to buy a 2004 Camry SE. What I would like to do is keep my current car (92 Corolla) and use it as my winter car. I live in the Canadian prairies and I'm not about to spend 30K on a new car, only to drive it through snow, ice and salt for 6 months of the year, not to mention the -30 weather. Since I would only get about $2000 for my current car, it only seems to make sense to drive my new car in the summer, which will also make it last longer. My 92 Corolla runs just fine and is a good winter car.

Does anyone else have any experience or suggestions about owning 2 cars at the same time and does this sound like a good idea or a foolish one? As for insurance, I would simply insure each car for 6 months at a time.

If I do decide to keep 2 cars, what's involved in storing a car for the winter? My new Camry would rest in an insulated (but not heated) garage over the winter. What sort of fluids do I have to drain or top up and what sort of maintenance do I have to do before letting it sit for 6 months? Will this do more damage to car as opposed to driving it?

[Brian R.]

I don't think it's a bad idea. Here's what I would do:

Before winter storage, clean and wax the car exterior and clean interior. Top off all fluids. Particularly the gas tank.

Attach a battery conditioner and keep it attached all winter. Check the car for leaks as often as you can (daily?). Keep it covered with a cotton cover.

Start the car once a month, warm up the engine, and drive it for 20 miles or so, keeping an eye on the gauges. Getting the engine hot for 15-20 min is a second-best alternative if weather doesn't permit driving on a salt-free road. Run the tranmission through all the gears. If you really can't drive it all winter, put it on blocks against the suspension to keep the tires happy.