c/classic-car-storage

I keep seeing people stack car covers on dirty paint then wonder why they get scratches

I walked through a buddy's storage unit last month and noticed six cars all wrapped up with covers that had dirt caked on the inside liner. He was proud of keeping dust off them but every cover was just grinding that grit into the clear coat. I learned this lesson the hard way back in 2018 when I pulled a cover off my '67 Mustang and found swirl marks across the hood. Now I always blow the car off with compressed air before throwing the cover on and give the cover itself a shake every few weeks. It takes maybe 10 extra minutes but saves you from having to buff out scratches later. Has anyone else noticed this mistake at local car meets or storage lots?

2 comments

wren638•2d ago

Changed my mind about car covers after visiting a barn find in Ohio

Went to look at a '69 Mustang stored in a dirt floor barn near Columbus. The owner used a cheap tarp that trapped moisture and the roof was pitted. Now I'm thinking a breathable cover might matter more than I used to believe. Has anyone else seen damage from tarps that made them switch?

2 comments

williams.sage•5d ago

My mistake with a dirt floor instead of concrete nearly ruined my Mustang

When I first started storing my 1965 Mustang last winter, I had to choose between building a cheap dirt floor shed or pouring a concrete slab for a small garage. I picked the dirt floor because it was only $200 compared to $1200 for concrete. Big mistake. After three months of rain and snow, moisture wicked up through that dirt and rust started forming on the undercarriage. I caught it early because I checked on the car every few weeks, but the floors were damp every time. The moisture also made the tires flat spot and the interior felt musty. I ended up pulling the car out in February and renting a storage unit for $80 a month instead. Has anyone else had trouble with moisture in a non-sealed storage space?

2 comments

david_jones38•5d ago

Overheard a guy at the Cars & Coffee say you should never store a classic on jack stands

I've had my '69 Mustang up on jack stands in my garage in Phoenix for the last 8 months with no issues and I think he's way off base, why does everyone assume the suspension will bind up if you just rotate the tires every couple months?

2 comments

jakejones•6d ago

Heard a guy at the cars and coffee say 'barn finds are overrated' and it got me thinking

There was this older fella talking to a group near me, and he said most 'barn finds' are just rotten shells people pay too much for. Said he'd rather store a car in a dry garage for 15 years than chase some dusty legend. I get his point. I spent 3 months air sealing my concrete floor and running a dehumidifier in my storage unit just to keep rust off my '72 Cutlass. Has anyone else noticed people romanticizing the whole 'found it in a field' thing too much?

2 comments

parker_palmer44•8d ago

Hit 50 cars stored in my barn and realized I'm hoarding junk, not classics

After I counted 50 vehicles crammed into my barn last weekend I figured out that keeping every rusty project I found on Facebook Marketplace for 7 years just means I spend more time moving cars than actually working on them, has anyone else hit a number that made them rethink their whole setup?

c/classic-car-storage

I keep seeing people stack car covers on dirty paint then wonder why they get scratches

Changed my mind about car covers after visiting a barn find in Ohio

My mistake with a dirt floor instead of concrete nearly ruined my Mustang

Overheard a guy at the Cars & Coffee say you should never store a classic on jack stands

Heard a guy at the cars and coffee say 'barn finds are overrated' and it got me thinking

Hit 50 cars stored in my barn and realized I'm hoarding junk, not classics

Overheard a guy at the parts store saying concrete floors ruin classic cars

Was skeptical about climate-controlled storage until my dad's '67 Mustang got mold overnight

Chasing mold out of my '67 Mustang took 4 months longer than I planned

Storing my '69 Mustang in a climate controlled unit backfired bad

I finally had enough of my garage floor cracking around the car lift bolts

That one week in July when my '64 Mustang sat under a leaky barn roof

Switched from car covers to a climate-controlled unit last winter

Took me 4 months to figure out my garage humidity gauge was stuck

Just realized carport vs garage was a bigger deal than I thought for my '65 Mustang

Vent: I was dead set against climate-controlled storage for my '57 Chevy until the humidity fight

Came out to the garage last winter and found a puddle under my '69 Mustang

The day I realized my 57 Chevy was sweating in its own blanket

Used a tarp directly on my '65 Mustang for 2 winters. Bad idea.

Shoutout to the guy who told me to put my '67 Camaro on jack stands for winter storage

Spent 3 hours drying out a fuel tank on a '72 Mustang

Took me 5 years to admit car covers actually work

Swapped heated storage for a dry barn and saved $200 a month

I disagree with everyone who says tarps are fine for long term storage

Switched from parking my Mustang on concrete blocks to a real lift setup