Winterizing Your C3 Corvette

We all have fun taking care of our Vettes during the summer. We wash, shine, and polish, upgrade parts and even do restoration work. But if you live in a climate with cold winters, you need to make sure you Corvette is taken care of during the wintertime as well. A customer who bought a car from us over the summer recently sent me this picture of him enjoying his Corvette in the warm weather. He also asked if I have any recommendations for preparing it for storage through the winter. Winterization for classic corvettes is a topic that should probably be addressed more often, so I would like to share my suggestions for all of you C3 owners out there.

There are several opinions on how to best prepare a classic Corvette for storage. Some might be over the top, while others might not be nearly enough. I have bought Corvettes that had been in storage for many many years with no preparations for storage. Usually, with a new battery and fresh gas, they fire right up. After a brake job and the usual tune-up, they typically come back to life just fine. However, in this case, it’s better to be prepared than risk major damage due to sitting.

When preparing to store your Corvette, you have to first determine the length of time and where you will be storing it. If you’re storing your Corvette in a climate-controlled building like I do, it takes a lot less work compared to letting your Corvette sit outside all winter long. I always charge the battery up and unhook it. Some people like the battery tenders, which are a good option if you only have one or two vehicles to store, but with the number I have, it gets to be impossible to plug them all in. Adding a good fuel stabilizer to the gas tank before storage is a good idea, especially with today’s ethanol fuels blends. Also, topping off all the fluids and over-inflating the tires a bit will help you prepare to get your car back on the road in the spring.

If your only option for storage is a non-heated garage or outdoor storage, you’ll need to do a little more preparation. The first thing to do is make sure your anti-freeze is rated cold enough for your climate. The last thing you want to happen is the engine block or radiator to freeze and crack over the winter. Next, change the battery and remove it. It should be stored in a warm part of your house. A dead battery will freeze and crack in the winter time if left in the cold. If your Corvette is going to be outside, you will need to determine if jacking it up on blocks is a good option to keep moisture away from the undercarriage. You also need to decide how many car covers and tarps you want to wrap around it to protect it from ice and snow. It’s also a good idea to add dryer sheets to the car interior and mouse poison around your Corvette to keep pests away from it.

If you’re preparing your Corvette for long-term storage, not just over-winter, it’s a good idea to drain all the gas out of the tank. You should also with jack the Vette up off the tires, remove the battery, and top off the other fluids. When you do finally bring it out of storage, be prepared to redo the brakes and other maintenance.

I hope this helps to give you some basic tips on proper storage. Here’s hoping for a short, mild winter!