How To Store Your Classic Car For The Winter

This may come as a shock, but storing your classic car for the winter isn’t nearly as fun as driving your classic car in the summer! Despite that, knowing how to store your classic car is important if you want it to comfortably survive Ontario’s unrelenting winter.

In this blog, we provide you with all the steps you need to take to ensure that your car is properly stored this winter.

Step 1: Before storing your car

Your classic vehicle is going to need some TLC before getting put away for the winter. The winter prep is almost as important as the storage itself. Take the time to be thorough and it’ll pay off in the form of a long life for your vehicle.

Wash & Wax

Spend some quality time with your ride. Give it a good wash and wax to remove unwanted dirt and grime, as well as protect against scratches when putting on or removing your car cover.

Fill the fuel tank

Make sure you top up your fuel and choose premium if you can! Then, add fuel stabilizer and turn on your engine. This will allow the stabilizer can run through the carburetor, fuel rails, injectors, etc.

Change the oil

Changing the oil and filter before storing your vehicle for the winter will reduce the risk of contaminants working their way to your engine during hibernation.

Check the antifreeze

The antifreeze will prevent your cooling system from freezing.

Fill the tires

Filling (or even slightly over-inflating) your tires before winter storage will protect against flat spotting.

Call your insurance company

If you are storing your vehicle in an offsite location, your insurance company needs to know! If something were to happen to the vehicle while it’s stored offsite, and your insurance company was never notified, your vehicle may not be adequately insured.

Step 2: When storing your car

Baking Soda

Place new, opened boxes of baking soda in your interior and trunk to avoid unwanted odours and must.

Keep out pests and bugs

Discourage insects, rats, mice, and other unwanted pests by putting a plastic bag over the air cleaner/inlet and exhaust pipe(s). It’s also advisable to put mothballs in the tailpipe.

Jack stands

Putting your vehicle on jack stands can further mitigate against flat spotting.

Prepare your battery

If your car is being stored in a temperature-controlled space (ideally around 15 degrees Celsius), the battery can remain in the vehicle. Storing your battery in temperatures that are too low or too high can result in corrosion or sulfation, both of which significantly reduce the battery’s life.

If the storage conditions aren’t ideal, remove the battery from your vehicle and store in a dry, temperature-controlled environment.

Close all the windows

It doesn’t hurt to be extra safe.

Cover the car

Every car, no matter where it’s stored or how clean the space is, needs to have a car cover over top of it. This will protect the paint and help prevent scratches.

Pro Tip: If you must store your car in an open air port, avoid parking it on dirt or grass because both surfaces trap humidity and allow it to circulate under the car.

Step 3: Make sure your ride is properly insured

We know that your classic car means a lot to you. Many drivers have spent endless hours restoring their favourite car or saving up enough money to purchase the car of their dreams. This is why you’ll want to make sure you don’t only store your classic car properly but that it’s properly insured.

We’ve teamed up with Hagerty — insurance providers for people who love cars — to provide our customers with the best coverage for their ride.

If you’d like to speak to one of our classic car insurance specialists, get in touch!