Now that cruz season is about over, going to put the 36 in the shop for the winter. Going to put it up on jack stands, and cover it up with a car cover. Spent over $400.00 on new injectors because the ones in the engine were gummed up this year. Don't want to do it again next spring. Any tips on putting a car up for the winter?
TOM
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That's my story and I'm stickn to it

Tom- if you go down to the link "winter storage" the guys have a lot of ideas on this including rat proofing your car etc.-good luck!

Caught 2 mice already. My mouser( the wife) caught one by hand. She is a gooooood women.
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Mike J

If mice are a problem, here's how I made a trap for my cabin that works really good. My cabin is a log cabin that I made myself and in spite of my efforts to seal it up, mice can get in pretty easily. I made a trap using a 5 gallon drywall mud bucket, a beer can, a piece of 1/4" threaded rod & 4 nuts, some used anti-freeze, a board, and some peanut butter.

Drill two holes near the top of the bucket, across from each other for the threaded rod to go thru. Drill a hole in each end of an unopened beer can (catch the beer in a glass or your mouth) then put the beer can on the rod centered over the bucket. I put the nuts on the rod to keep the can centered over the bucket and the rod from coming out of the bucket. The object is to keep everything loose enough where the can spins easily on the rod, then spread peanut butter on the can and put the board up as a ramp for the mice to walk up. If you keep the board a couple of inches away from the can the mice have to jump onto the can which spins and they fall into the anti-freeze. Since we started using this there haven't been anymore nests built in the cupboards and there are usually 5 or 10 mice in the bucket each time we go to the cabin.

The only thing you need to worry about is that you have to keep it out of earshot since the squeaky little "help me...help me" cries in the middle of the night are hard to listen to. At least that's what my wife says :-) And by the way, mikej, you have quite a wife there.....mine would NEVER, EVER try to catch a mouse by hand. I was gonna ask if I could borrow yours for a while, but the bucket works pretty good ;-)

I`m definitly gonna try that, Purp, I just wanna here the little buggers scream. I havent seen any in years but I`m sure there has to be at least one or two hiding somewhere.

That's an awesome idea. We just closed out camp for the winter, and put out poison. Then, they go die somewhere and die. But this, this HRPT is a true jem!!

Hey purple,
I think the world will beat a path to your door. Think that is how the saying goes
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That's my story and I'm stickn to it

What a boobie trap! I gotta try that myself! Thanks Purp!

Slammin
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Hold your ears folks...ITS SHOWTIME!!!

If the world is going to beat a path to my door, I'd better get a bigger bucket and put it in front of my door cuz there's a lot of vermin in this world I don't WANT at my door.

Besides, if I put these into production, the guy in charge of putting the holes in the beer cans would prolly only be productive for about half a day. Doubt if I'd have to pay him much tho.

On another point, in the thread "winter storage", JT37 said that he puts a dish of shaved Irish Spring soap in his car to repel the mice. I've heard this before and maybe it works for some people, but we had a bar of Irish Spring up at the cabin and the mice ate about half of it.

Musta been Irish mice...
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One man's treasure is another man's trash.

I was having a heck of a time with mice this summer.
I bought one of those electric rodent repellers, and I haven't seen one since. The Decon I put out hasn't been touched since I got it.
I put Bounce dryer sheets in the trunk, interior and engine compartment. The little buggers don't seem to like them!
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Charlie

Repellers dont kill the buggers, they just go somewhere else to destroy things....something like terrorists.
Death To Mice!
Im going to build that 5 gal bucket killer tomorrow.
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Carl
Automotive gold is everywhere; you just have to learn how to dig for it

I put repellers in both garages, and my house is nice and tight. If they've gone elsewhere, it's to the neigbors, which is a long way away here in the sticks!

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Charlie

We get fairly mild winters here in South Jersey, so the only hibernation the cars driven by Mrs. Graybeard and I get are waiting for rain to wash salt off the roads, or teardown time! Of course the Jag rear installation might have me down for a bit. But to hear about that rear, you'll need to read the "anti-peeves" thread! Relax, it ain't what ya think... ;-)

As for that bucket mouse trap, I'd suggest using boiling water and bullion cubes instead of anti-freeze. No sense wasting the meat...

(8^P)=
Bud "Graybeard" Terry
gearhead and HO slotcar collector

So I guess boiled is preferred to fried?

I put mine in a CarJacket and seal the gastank/carb and zip it up. The desicants keep the thing moisture free.

I do put Stabil in the gas and get them out every four weeks or so. I will have them both in my upper garage for winter projects from time to time. The Camaro gets a new 700R4 and the 57 will get a 383 to boot! Some small stuff left on the Camaro like the truck to upholster etc. The 55 will get all new glass all the way around and new wiring.

Sounds like a fun winter to me!
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Steve Jack
SOUTHEASTERN GOODGUYS REP

Steve, I use the carbags too. It completely eliminates condensation and its cheaper than heated storage. Did you know that you can use that crystal kitty litter for desiccant. It's silica gel which is much better than the desicant that comes with the bag and only $10 for 8 lbs, on sale.

Hey Steve, A little advise for ya, You say you put your cars in the upper garage, well I put mine on the eighth floor of my garage and have experianced way too much heat for storing cars, use the middle floors for the best results. This goes for all of us with ten story garages... Just my poor cents. And if it`s winter fun you seek, come to my shop...I`ll keep ya busy...LOL

Ha, I just dropped one of mine off at Ed's shop....I gave him some lame excuse about needing it worked on and he fell for it. Now he can take care of it for me over the winter!!!

Seriously, I just keep mine dry and running. I start them every few weeks, run up to normal operating temp and idle them for awhile (yeah, a few revs too). I keep the gas tanks topped off and put fresh oil in them when I put them away.

Keeping them dry is critical..........at least in my opinion.
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William Lye

Where do you get them carjackets and how much are they, and what is the brand name of that kitty litter silca stuff?
TOM
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That's my story and I'm stickn to it

I got mine here: http://www.carbag.com/ and it comes with desicant bags. They aren't silica gel but they work fine. They are sealed in a zip lock bag and ready to use (take them out of the bag).

There is different brands of kitty litter that is silica gel. One kind is Tidy Cats Crystals. It looks like almost clear crystals, not like regular litter. After using it for a year it can be baked in the oven to dry it out and reuse it. You can do that with the ones that come with the bag too. I'm going to use the cat litter this year because silica gel holds more moisture than any other kind of dessicant. Its probably overkill since the only moisture in the bag is whatever was in the air on the day you zip it up. Don't put a wet or coolant leaking car in one.

Around here, heated storage is about $300 for a season and the biggest bag is about that much but you can use it over and over. It has to be used indoors tho. I bought a couple of the largest ones and can fit a car and a motorcycle in each one. They come out in the spring perfectly clean and dry, just like when you put them in. Here in southern Michigan the temperature varies a lot and I get LOTS of condensation on some days if the car is just parked without the bag. I've tried all kinds of ways of keeping a car dry and its just a simple fact that whenever warm humid air hits a cold car, condensation will form. With the bag I don't even worry about it.

I haven't had a mouse eat a hole in one yet but the guy that sells them says that if it happens just duct tape the hole. Kill the little buggers and they won't eat holes!

Can't let you borrow her. She loves the car but I can't get her to sleep in the garage. hehe ( she says thats my spot)
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Mike J

your bucket trap sounds like so much fun that it might be worth importing a couple of mice (if you don't have any), just to catch them.
rick :-)
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project...39 ford pickup

Mice?
big deal...
I saw a possum waddle into my garage a couple weeks ago and have no idea if he/she wandered back out again....

Dr J- I've been thinkin' about your possum in your garage problem and the closest solution I can come up with is a similar design to purp's design (but MUCH BIGGER!!!)> Start with a 55 gallon drum and the rest will come naturally! Just be sure to use a LOT of peanut butter(Ha HA!) Good luck catching (!?!) that bugger.

Don't let the possums (?) stay in and die!!! They start stinking in a hurry....and that comes from experience..
Maybe some lye sprinkled in might help.. btw, it might be more fitting to replace the 5 gal can with an old commode with water in the bottom...they die and get flushed just like we (I) like to do. I wish them Bon Voyage as they dissappear out of sight to that great cesspool in the sky..er...in the ground.. Fred P
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Fred P.

Found mouseterds on the floorboard carpet today and a sparkplug wire chewed up when I pulled the car out for a quick cruise, (just can't seem to put 'er up yet). It's time for sweet revenge! I like your trap idea!
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Lance B.