There are two kinds of Mustangs, daily drivers and fair weather drivers. Both need to be prepped for winter. Just in different ways. Unless you live in the tropics, desert or southern warmer states. This tip is for the stouter and heartier individuals who live in the vast arctic wastelands that get snow. Now if you are an Alaska native. there is a good chance you can’t drive your Mustang except indoors. Use your snowmobile.
If you have a fair weather driver, you should take preventative measures to ensure your car survives in storage over the winter.
1. Put a vapor barrier under the vehicle. Even if it is stored on concrete. Concrete breathes and releases moisture.
2. Raise the tires off the ground by elevating the car and removing the pressure from the tires.
3. Disconnect the battery cables, now is a good time to put some protective electrical paste on the terminals and clamps.
4. Put fuel additive in the tank to stabilize the fuel for the winter. If you are going to store it longer, drain the tank.
5. Drain the carburetor.
6. Change the oil
7. Oh heck, while you are at it change the filters and make it ready for spring.
8. Check your antifreeze mixture and make sure it will survive the coldest temperatures your are receives.
9. I have a sealed garage, but I still put plastic down on the floors and set mouse traps. (check them often) Don’t bother to use the sticky kind. They are a waste of money sitting out in a freezing garage. The mice use them for square dancing and picnics.
10. I also set mouse traps in the garage around the vehicles.
11. Add winter windshield washer fluid and run it through your squirting system.
If you use your Mustang as a daily driver and and will be driving it all winter, here are some steps you can follow to prep your car and yourself for winter survival.
Check your fluids, especially your anti freeze and washer fluids.
Change your oil, use the recommended winter blend for your vehicle.
Check your belts and noses
Change your gas filter if it is even close to time to change it.
Check your tires, and perform tire maintenance as needed.
Be prepared. In case something doe happen to you and you are on the road, some water, an extra blanket, matches & a good sized candle can help keep a vehicle from freezing inside. Remember if you light the candle for warmth, open a window a crack. Put an ice scraper, emergency light, pair of gloves, small tarp to kneel on if you have to change a tire and check your spare tire and jack. In these days and times, you should have a cell phone as well. But they don’t work every where, so don’t just depend on that one item. If you do have a cell phone, keep the emergency numbers programmed into the phone.
