Dan91

Hey guys, I'm most likely going to Canada on a 1 year work Visa, I had originally planned to take my XJ since there's tons of epic off-road places up in the British Columbia area where I'm going. Long story short, the 2200 mile drive has me worried (the XJ has never been driven more than 35 miles one way, or 100 miles total in a day before) and the strict vehicle inspection laws there: rust holes on the uni-body sub-frame and your vehicle is branded as permanently unsafe, rendering it junk. I've got a couple frame holes, nothing I can't manage to fix, but fixing it and making the repair look invisible would be a lot of work (welding/repairs to frame and suspension also renders a vehicle permanently un-registrable.) Also must have mudflaps, flares *must* cover width of tire, can be *no* rust holes in exhaust. So in lieu of all this crap I am considering taking my ZJ instead. It's tried and true, my dad has driven it out to Jackson Wyoming and back numerous times (1800 miles one way) heck, he even towed my 89 Cherokee all the way back from Jackson with it. Since it's a western car rust is no issue at all, the underside looks beautiful. Anyways, getting to the point. I just friggin bought my 33s for my XJ, and as much as I hate letting them sit unused for a year it's a better thought than potentially losing my Cherokee (and the countless hours of work put into it) all together. So... I'll leave it with my parents, it'll be outside (no room in garage) my concerns:

Vandalism of course, nothing I can do about that, just hope for the best...
Battery, probably just gonna take it out and set it inside the garage
Tires, brand friggin new so I obviously want to keep them nice, I can toss the old bald 235s on and put the 33s in the garage...if they fit lol.
Coolant, make sure it's got a good ratio of coolant to water so no freezing

So...what else should be done to an XJ that will sit unused for one year?

96rokee

swapping the tires back to the old ones is deff not a bad idea.
if not possible then just make sure there at a good solid tire pressure 35psi id say?

that way there not bulging for long period of time.
maybe have a friend check em every month or so cuz if they get low and bulge out in the wether they will start to crack

as far as the battery you dont need to pull it out? just disconnect it.. if you do pull it set it on wood not the ground.. it will drain itself thru the ground.

maybe invest 100$ in a car cover?
or 30$ in a tarp and some bricks. just to further protect from weather and the vandalism you say your worried about.

and id say you either wanna drain the gas as much as possible?
or when you do go to start it ina year maybe siphon out that old nasty gas.
cuz itll probly have gotten a litttle rotten in there.

77olds

I used to have a 77 Cutlass that was stored winters, so I'm pretty well versed in how to store a vehicle, for whatever that is worth to you.

Here's what you should do.

1. Avoid a car cover when outdoors as they can and usually do trap moisture, which is actually WORSE for your paint than having no cover at all. If you're able to park it in an area with no tree cover, it'll be fine sitting out there with no cover. If there are trees, then yes, you'll probably want some sort of protection, but if possible, a lean-to or a cheap carport set up would be ideal. Car cover would be the last option I would choose unless the car was stored indoors.

2. Swapping to old tires is a good idea, they'll develop flat spots and dry-rot. For your GOOD tires, slather them in some form of tire dressing before storing them.

3. Remove the battery and store it inside where it's warm and dry. Put it on a trickle charger.

4. Fill the gas tank and put in some Stabil fuel stabilizer. Some people think emptying the tank is the way to go so that the gas doesn't go bad, but this is false - condensation can form on the inside of an empty tank and ruin your fuel pump as well as cause problems when you fill it back up and try to start it.

5. Tennis ***** under your wiper arms will keep your wiper blades from flattening out.

6. Dryer sheets (you know, the static cling sheets you throw in with a load of laundry) scattered around your interior will ward away rodents like mothballs, but unlike mothballs, they don't smell bad and when you open your door after a year, your interior smells like a fresh load of laundry. Toss a few in your engine bay near any wiring, too. Just remember to take them back out before your start it back up.

7. If you're worried about the condition of your paint job, WAX. Wash thoroughly and use several coats of wax before parking it.

8. There's not much you're going to be able to do to prevent the undercarriage from rusting away from the moisture of the ground (even classic cars parked in garages can have rusted out underbodies from the moisture in the concrete), but getting a few cans of rubberized undercoating and going to town should provide enough protection.

9. Use anti-seize on your caliper slides and brake hardware to prevent rusting and lock up. Coating your wheel studs in a rust inhibitor is a good idea, too.

10. Don't change the oil, keep the current oil in it. Oil doesn't just degrade on it's own, it gets dirty with use - when you first start it, you'll want that thinner, used oil because it'll recirculate through the engine faster than brand new oil.

When you go to start it back up....

1. Check the oil level

2. Pull the plugs and shoot a bit of WD40 in each cylinder, as the oil lining the cylinder walls will probably have drained off after a year.

3. After starting, let run until engine reaches operating temp, carefully watch for coolant leaks, check transmission fluid, etc.

4. Take out for a 20 minute drive to burn off the condensation in the exhaust. Don't beat in it right away, but don't be afraid to bring up the RPM's.

5. Change the oil