Winter storage question ( don't laugh)

[GKman]

Its almost time to pack the Mustang convertible away for the cold , snowy Minnesota winter. I could leave it covered in the the driveway or let it sit in the unheated garage.. If I keep my truck in the garage, I wouldn't have to clear snow off the truck and it worry about a dead battery. Probably the chance of mice and squirrels taking up residence is less outside in the cold, also. Of course I would broom snow off the ragtop.
Think it makes any real difference where its stored?

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[Combinepilot]

Its almost time to pack the Mustang convertible away for the cold , snowy Minnesota winter. I could leave it covered in the the driveway or let it sit in the unheated garage.. If I keep my truck in the garage, I wouldn't have to clear snow off the truck and it worry about a dead battery. Probably the chance of mice and squirrels taking up residence is less outside in the cold, also. Of course I would broom snow off the ragtop.
Think it makes any real difference where its stored?

Garage for me if I was in the same situation.

 

[Zig]

Sorry truck but mustang gets the garage.

 

[agreywolfe]

if you could afford the space/cost id say get a carport for whatever cant go in the garage

 

[DukeCLR]

Mustang in truck out, I have been doing that since I got my first Mustang in 2018. Some things that make having the truck outside in the winter that make it easier are a hard tonneau cover and remote start, you still to brush off the windows but keeping the mustang protected is worth it IMHO.

 

[DevilDog]

I'm with everyone else. Mustang in the garage, truck out. Fortunately, I have a place to store mine. My wife's car goes in our garage and my daily driver sits outside. It is a bit of a pain having to clean my car off in the winter, but I'm retired and don't have to worry about going out every day. You might want to check on some cheap storage in your area. Good luck.

 

[Vaporized]

I Definitely drive them all winter so they don’t sit long enough for normal hibernation. Got block heaters and trickle chargers on so they are ready to fire up and hit the road as soon as they are cleared which luckily doesn’t take long with the rain vs snow we usually get now..

 

[Dena]

A company called Tomcat make rodent bait system that you should investigate. Rats moved into our yard and ate the wiring in one of or tenants trucks. As we have 30 acres, we are starting with 10 bait traps and may add to that. For us it's a double risk. We are located next to the Salt River and while it rarely has water in it, Rattle Snakes call it home. Mice or Rats would draw the snakes and as there are plenty of places to hide, it's not the type of company we want to keep.
We had an exterminator look at our property and because of the size, he indicated this would be a better solution than having him do it.
We have cats in the yard but the rats are a bit more than the cats want to deal with.
We got our stations and bait from Amazon however I saw a display in Home Depot today.

 

[Zig]

A company called Tomcat make rodent bait system that you should investigate. Rats moved into our yard and ate the wiring in one of or tenants trucks. As we have 30 acres, we are starting with 10 bait traps and may add to that. For us it's a double risk. We are located next to the Salt River and while it rarely has water in it, Rattle Snakes call it home. Mice or Rats would draw the snakes and as there are plenty of places to hide, it's not the type of company we want to keep.
We had an exterminator look at our property and because of the size, he indicated this would be a better solution than having him do it.
We have cats in the yard but the rats are a bit more than the cats want to deal with.
We got our stations and bait from Amazon however I saw a display in Home Depot today.

My son once had a critter chew the wiring from the msd box at the box talk about frustration causing critters. I wanna say I once heard a story about a mouse that ended with an elephant

 

[samson]

Have to go with the others and say garage it. Just seems better if you're going to have it sitting all winter to do it in a nice protected garage. As for mice, we had them in the engine compartment of our Acura MDX. Chewed through the wiring. Had to get it towed. We had no idea what was going on until the dealership figured it out. Those little effers are drawn to the wiring for some reason. Heard the same story from others.

 

[TheShockMaster]

Even though the cold garage isn’t heated, it’s still probably better than being outside where snow and ice can settle on it. I’ve had a similar dilemma with my own car, and while it’s a bit of a hassle, storing it indoors definitely helps with avoiding those freezing temperatures and moisture buildup. You could even use some ramps to help keep the tires off the ground and give a little more space underneath. I also had to deal with a couple of mice making a home in my engine bay one year, so keeping it in the garage definitely reduces that risk.

 

[NH_woodser]

We have had convertibles for 35 years. Inside storage is better, less moisture. In the past I found someone who stored 4-5 cars for people in their barn. It was a modern barn with a concrete floor. It cost just a few hundred dollars for the winter. Here in New Hampshire, we typically have a few days each winter month when the roads are dry and salt free - take your car out for a 30-40 mile romp to warm it up good. The worst thing you can do to a vehicle is to just park it for extended periods.

 

[msquad]

I have a jeep and my stang. Stang is getting the garage for the winter, Jeep will be in the driveway.

 

[RLE55]

If so inclined....check out Storage places, many have private garages, heated w/electric. The cost ain't cheap, but for a few months, possibly affordable?

 

[Stonehauler]

Garage for me if I was in the same situation.

If you are concerned, garage kept is better.
Why?
Less ice, less freeze/thaw cycles, less problems with charging the battery, less UV damage to the paint/ragtop.

I get that the car will get just as cold in the garage. Having lived in Northern IL for 30 years, plus visiting wonderful places like Watertown SD and MSP in January and February where hitting 50 is a bad thing (usually means -50 for those in warmer climates who might not understand), I am well aware of your challenges.
That said, I think that even with the cold, the biggest danger to your vehicle will be battery and the freeze thaw cycle. Put it in the garage, put a trickle charger on it, and maybe even put it up on stands to prevent your tires from getting a flat spot would be the better way to store it.

Btw, to deter mice and squirrels, there are some very good packets that help repel rodents. They are essentially packets of mint scent, which repels mice, squirrels, etc. You can also use audio repellers as well.

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