Well, a sad time of the year is coming up for me. It's time to start thinking about storing my S-type for the winter season.

My S-type has never been oiled or rust proofed in any way and I think the only winter she's seen is this past winter when I bought her.

I'm thinking about possibly taking her into the local Krown shop to have her rust proofed prior to storage. I've searched the forum and only found a few threads on Krown, but none in the S type section.

So my questions to everyone are - should I be taking the car in to Krown prior to storage? I hear Krown is probably the best protection out there - is it? Is there anywhere on the car they typically spray that they shouldn't spray on the S type?

Thanks for any insight you can lend.

Rob
PS - I'll leave the winter storage questions for a later thread...

 

Rob,

Don't know 'Krown', but I'm wondering why you would want to rust proof the car if it's going to be stored away from salt and moisture anyway?

 

Mikey,

Although I can't see any rust, I'm sure it's lurking in the dark. My understanding is that rust proofing isn't just beneficial in the winter time. I've been wanting to get it rust proofed just to keep rain water etc off the car. I believe even in storage with the warming and cooling during the winter, condensation can form and sit on/in your body panels and undercarriage. Maybe it's a bit of overkill, but that why I'm making some inquiries with all my learned colleagues here Lol!

Rob

 

Well, considering that I just went through having Jag fix a rusting door, I'd say go for it....If they have a proven process and track record..

Just an FYI... bought an 83 Olds Delta 88 back in 01 or 02 as a beater that didn't have a speck of rust on it.. But the underside was covered in this real thick grease like stuff.. It's the only time I've ever seen anything like it, but it sure did work...

 

If you store it in a garage you'll be keepiing it from the salt. My friends dad has been storing a 70 Boss mustang for years in a garage in Michigan. What he does is puts down a bunch of old blankets and whatever else he can get to insulate the floor. That is what is gonna cause the condensation on the undercarriage. Also he keeps it on jackstands but put them so the suspention isnt sagging. If you do the blanket thing with it up a little so you dont get flat spots you should be good for the winter. Also fill the tank all the way with some sta-bil and fuel. If you dont have it full you can get condensation in your tank and it will start becoming a water fuel mix (common thing with stored boats). If I think of some others things Ill let you know. I'm from Michigan and used to have a boat so so dealt with storing alot.

 

Also make sure where you store it is rodent proof. I don't think you want to find unwanted critters nests inside your car when you bring it out of hibernation.
To confirm, a blanket under your car will help a lot in that regard, but keeping the area moisture free (as much as you can) goes a long ways.

 

If we're going to turn this into a storage thread, 'the blankets on the floor' idea is a popular idea but is just bad science. Moisture (if any) wicking up through a concrete floor will simply be absorbed by the blankets until they themselves are saturated. Not much sense parking a car on wet blankets if condensation is a concern. Plastic sheeting is a much more effective moisture barrier

Also, insulation value of blankets is minimal- and irrelevant anyway as it will not affect the temperature of the storage facility one way or the other.

Letting a cars suspension hang while the frame is on blocks or jack stands is not a good idea. This act puts the suspension bushings in a constant state of torsion, something they were not designed to do. I've never understood where the idea of jacking cars up for the winter came from, other than bias ply tires used to get a temporary flat spot. the suspension it self certainly doesn't benefit.

Rob-

Consistency of temperature and humidity in the storage facility are the prime considerations more than the absolute values. My other car gets stored in my own garage over the winter. The temperature is controlled to a minimum of +2 degrees and the outside door is never opened. Absolute humidity is extremely low at the temperature, the temperature never drops below the dew point so condensation/corrosion even on bare steel is a non-issue. I do put carpets on the floor temporarily but that's for my own comfort while working on it.

 

Does anyone know about Krown? Sorry Rob, but I don't.

From a 4x4 background ie always in the wet stuff, I have had good results with Waxoil type products which I'm guessing is something similar to your Krown.

And way back when.... we also used to regularly spray and fill chassis with old engine oil. Don't recommend it for your beautiful S though

 

Sorry guys - I wasn't even thinking that Krown is principally a Canadian company at http://www.krown.com

 

I actually said dont let it sag. I totally agree with you about this. My friends dad has his Boss on jackstand but they are put where the car is sitting just like it would be if it was on the ground with the suspension not sagging. The point of having it up is exactly what you said to prevent flat spots. He keeps it stored alot longer then the winter its stored pretty much the whole year. The blanket thing works for him since this car is stored in an attached garage to his house so its not exposed to as much of the elements as a free standing garage would be. He doesnt get the moisture you would if it was free standing since it gets some of the heat from the house so he never has the issue of soaking the blankets. If your in a free standing garage do the plastic sheeting.
Getting back to your original question I guess go for it. I've never heard of Krown but I wish I would of got my last car undercoated cause then it probably wouldnt of had rusted out doors after 7 years with constant detailing and barely ever being dirty.

 

Rob, interesting stuff. I just read through the very nice website and from what I gather for $120.00 (sorry no Canadian conversion) I think I would have it done. Although I would ask if they are willing to remove all the undercarriage plastic rather than drill a few holes to get their applicator wand up in there. Since the vehicle did see atleast one winter, if indeed they would remove the undercarriage plastic(s) would they be willing to give it a quick wash down before applying their coating.

 

Thanks for the extra info Rob, interesting site. $120/year could be money well spent.

 

Love this thread.... I would get it done. Can't hurt to be safe.. As for storage... BRUTAL clued me in to a dealer trick... Since I can't put my Dodge in the air I am constantly getting flat spots on the tires since she only goes out a couple times a year.. Can't tell ya how many sets of tires I've tossed due to flat spots that wouldn't go away yet they only had less than 1,000 miles on them... Uggggg.....

Anyway... The dealer trick with new cars that sit for a long time is to air up the tires to about 65lbs. This makes them hard enough to not develop flat spots.. His words... Nothing worse than taking a prospective customer out on a test drive and have the car shake...
I've been doing that, and Wow... The couple of ice cream trips this year with the rag top has been great! No flat spots...

I don't lift it up because of what it is... Any time I take and try to lift it at a different point than the tires themselves it flexes in a different way...But then again, the converted K car convertibles aren't exactly known for chassis stiffness.. LOL

Oh, just remember to not run it at that 65lbs.. Air them down before taking it out, then air them back up when you park it...Having a compressor in the garage helps a lot with that...

 

Look for the Max Pressure stated on the tire. Mine are 60 psi, not 65. (Might still be OK at 65 but not a good idea to exceed any max.)

 

Good point... My Firestones say the same, but knowing that I won't drive on them like that, it is still safe to hover around that number..Mine have been fine.

 

Excellent idea on inflating the tires to avoid flat spots. I wasn't relishing the idea of putting the Jag on jack stands to be honest.

Well I'm going to give Krown a try and report back to everyone. I have to get on it really soon because I'm hoping to have her put away before Halloween. Last thing I need is for some idiot teenager to think it's funny on Halloween to run a set of keys down her in my driveway.