Winter and Cold Garages

[rgnbull1227]

I was wondering if there are any issues with keeping a Superformance or any Glass car for that matter, in an unheated garage. Garage never gets below freezing but it does get into the 40's.
Thanks.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by rgnbull1227

I was wondering if there are any issues with keeping a Superformance or any Glass car for that matter, in an unheated garage. Garage never gets below freezing but it does get into the 40's.
Thanks.

I have never even heard of an issue with a glass car and chilly temps -- or even COLD temps, for that matter.

[ox_ford_guy]

Fiberglass likely not the issue. Watch for mold/mildew inside the car on leather, soft top and other natural fabrics due to temp changes.

[TN Shelby Cobra]

Luckily my garage I keep the Cobra in is heated and air conditioned. I agree about the mildew in the interior. I get that in my boat when it is stored.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I have never even heard of an issue with a glass car and chilly temps -- or even COLD temps, for that matter.

I think boats do nicely in all weather conditions.

So do Corvettes.

[mdross1]

Our car like all our other hobby investments sit out the sub zero conditions in a shop year after year without any issues other than the horrible fuel we are forced to use.The Cobra has a lightweight cover for dust control and is always meticulously maintained,the battery tended.

[dwathencars]

I needed to store one of our collector cars in an unheated garage for two years when I was working outside the US for a while. I used this storage bag that you pull the car into (a little cumbersome to do), put some big bags of desiccant in the car, extract all the air from the bag with a vacuum cleaner, then seal the bag with this huge twisty clamp. It worked remarkable well. I recall the kit costing maybe $200, and it's reusable.

I think the damage to a car in a unheated garage occurs when the temperature passes thru the dew point, and condensation forms inside cavities and on unprotected surfaces. That, and varmints. We've all seen nests and cobwebs....

[55312]

Stabil in the fuel, 35 pounds in the tires, pull the battery and put it in a warm place with a tender, throw a cover on it and kiss it good night for the winter.

My shop is not heated unless I'm in it and it does get below freezing in there.



Meanwhile, I'm in Florida.......................messing with motorcycles and flats boats.

[rgnbull1227]

Thanks. I thought I saw somewhere on this forum that the glass cars had an issue with temp changes and glass material "shrinking" due to cold temp swings creating blemishes in the finish.
I thought that sounded odd with the amount of Vettes and other glass cars out there and never hearing of this issue before.
Thanks again.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by rgnbull1227

Thanks. I thought I saw somewhere on this forum that the glass cars had an issue with temp changes and glass material "shrinking" due to cold temp swings creating blemishes in the finish.

Yes, I have seen that before, but only with really crappy "backyard" paint and body work. When we were youngsters, and did absolutely everything ourselves, and often times not that well (even if it initially looked good), paint and body work would crack and blemish under harsh weather conditions. We're a lot older now, and the quality of the paint and body work is just a wee bit better.

[olddog]

I have a large (36x50) finished garage, with a furnace. I normally keep it set @ 35 F. At Christmas time, I have a large family dinner, with lots of children. So I heat and clean the garage up for the dinner.

I am a bit careful on heating the garage up. I make sure the Cobra is not placed in an air stream. I heat it up 10 deg and let it stay there a couple hours then step up another 10 until I get to the desired temp. I have to clean anyway and prefer to work in the cooler temp.

I have heard of people cracking paint on Corvettes by cranking a furnace up full blast on a cold day. Don't know if it is true, but thermal expansion is real. Too fast may be a problem.

[GBowman]

I just started using Flatstoppers under each tire for long storage periods, they are cheap and keep tires from developing flat spots.