How to Store your Classic Chevy Truck for Winter
Meet Jake
Jake is a founder of 8020 Media and has been creating automotive content online since 2017. He has been the lead writer for Chevy Trucks and has transformed it from the old and outdated site it was into what it is today. Jake creates a ton of GM related content for the 8020 Media YouTube channel and specializes in Duramax and Vortec information but has a wealth of knowledge across all GM cars and engines. Jake believes the L5P is the best diesel on the market today.
How to Store your Classic Chevy Truck for Winter
1. Purge the tank of oxygenated gasoline. This stuff has a shelf life of only weeks. In Minnesota we can get non-oxygenated 91 octane premium at some stations for collector cars, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, etc. Holiday and Amoco seem the most likely to have this.
2. Fill the tank full and use Sta-Bil or some other gasoline stabilizer in the proper dosage.
3. Change the oil and filter and lube the chassis as close as possible to putting the truck to bed. Some people also recommend changing the tranny and differential fluid for long term storage to make sure there is no water in there.
4. Check the anti-freeze for enough strength.
5. Wash and wax the truck and clean out the interior.
6. Pump the tires up so they don’t develop a flat spot. For long term storage, put the truck up on jacks to get the weight off the tires and springs.
7. Find a dry covered place with a floor. Storing over bare ground or, worse yet. grass is surprisingly hard on the underbody.
8. Some people recommend putting oil like Marvel Mystery Oil down the carb throat and running the carburetor dry for long term storage. I’ve never had trouble with this.
9. Remove the battery. Keep it on a wood shelf, not on a concrete floor. Cold won’t hurt it, but condensation moisture will. Trickle charge it from time to time over the winter.
10. I have no comments on covers. I don’t use one for a winter, but others do. Others even go to the expense of a plastic air supported “bubble” with a desiccant inside to keep things dry. My truck doesn’t rate that treatment.