Insights · 4-minute read
Classic car winter storage: how to prepare the seasonal stop
How to prepare a classic car for the winter stop: environment, battery, tyres and checks to agree before storage.
Before leaving a classic car standing for several months you have to decide how it will be kept and who will check its condition. A cover and a place under cover are only the starting point: environment, tyres and battery each need choices suited to the individual car.
This guide covers the seasonal storage of a car that is running. A car that has stood for years instead needs an assessment before it is started again.
Tell us about your car and when you plan to store it.
Agree the storage before preparing the car
To compare two storage options, ask what is included: custody alone, periodic checks or preparation for collection. Put in writing the indicative duration, the access arrangements, who is authorised to move the car and the work that needs your consent. These are questions to settle before handover, not services to assume are included.
A dry environment with air exchange helps manage humidity. Before covering the car, clean and dry it carefully, including the areas where water can stay trapped. For indoor storage, choose a breathable cover suited to the car. These points are also covered by the Hagerty winter storage guide.
Battery: identify the system before connecting a maintainer
During a long stop the battery gradually discharges; any consumers left powered increase the drain. A suitable maintainer can manage the charge while the car is idle, as explained in CTEK’s winter storage documentation.
The choice must match the voltage, technology and capacity of the battery fitted and the instructions for the device. On classic cars the system cannot be assumed to work like a modern car’s. Have the connections and the battery’s condition checked too: a maintainer is no substitute for diagnosing a damaged battery. Agree as well who will check the system while you are away.
Tyres: also consider the load during the stop
Check for damage and uneven wear before storage. Michelin recommends a clean, dry place protected from sunlight, solvents and ozone sources; for long stops it also flags the problem of permanent load on the tyres.
How to take the weight off has to be agreed with a professional, considering the support points and the condition of the shell. Do not improvise supports or inflation pressures meant to suit every car. Storage criteria for tyres taken off the car, with or without rims, differ from those for the complete car: see Michelin’s storage guidance.
Fuel and fluids: no universal recipe
Even the advice on fuel level during storage differs: the Hagerty guide describes different approaches. How long the car will stand, the tank, the fuel system and the product used all belong in the assessment. Before adding additives or draining the system, agree a procedure that suits the car.
Take the maintenance history to the workshop: it lets you decide which checks and work are needed before storage and which at collection, without replacing components out of habit.
A handover sheet that is useful at collection too
Prepare a short document, with dated photographs. It can include:
- model, mileage and the indicative storage period;
- exterior and interior condition, existing marks and known faults;
- number of keys, accessories and documents handed over;
- agreed handling of battery and tyres;
- planned checks and how work is authorised;
- date and the checks to schedule before collection.
This checklist is an organisational proposal: the final content has to be agreed with whoever takes charge of the car.
Frequently asked questions about storage
Is a closed garage enough?
Being under cover does not describe every storage condition. Humidity, ventilation and the chance to check the car periodically all have to be assessed.
Do the same points apply after years off the road?
No. This guide prepares a seasonal stop; it is not a restart procedure for a car whose condition and maintenance are unknown. In that case, start from a technical assessment.
Preparing storage with SC Classic
For a classic car of any make, contact SC Classic in Cambiago, in the Milan area, stating the model, its condition and how long you expect to store it. We can then discuss availability and terms of classic car storage and any transport of the car.
If the aim is to protect a freshly finished surface, see the Porsche 912 Targa polishing project: it documents the finish, not a storage service. To tell care apart from more extensive work, also read preservation or full restoration.