by Ray Ilich
Essential
- Change the oil
- Change the brake fluid
- If two years or older, change the antifreeze
- Empty the gas tank, and run the engine dry of gas; Or put stabilizing compound in the gas and run the car until you are sure it has reached the carburetor(s).
- Remove the plugs and squirt less than a teaspoon of medium weight engine oil into each cylinder. Turn over the engine over a few times without starting it to spread the oil. Re-install the plugs.
- Put the car on jack stands to get the weight off the tires, so they won't get flat spots
- Remove the battery from the car, put a trickle charger on it
- Put mothballs in key points in the car (passenger compartment, under the hood, behind the heater intake, trunk) to help keep out mice and moths
- Plug the tail pipe and carburetor air intake sufficiently to keep out mice and moisture
- Empty windshield washer reservoir, or add windshield fluid antifreeze to prevent freezing
- Keep the car in a dry place, out of the sun. At the very least, cover it with a thick, breathable cover. It would be best to keep it in a dry garage. Either way, make sure the car can breath, to avoid condensation.
Optional
- Change the transmission fluid
- Change differential fluid
- Clean interior and treat surfaces with leather, vinyl, or wood protectant as appropriate
- Open the windows about a half an inch, to facilitate breathing