Follow these tips to make seasonal car storage a breeze

For those who love driving their classic car, each year you’ll come to that most painful of moments (aside from April 15, of course): the time when you store your car at the end of the driving season. Hagerty Drivers Club members enjoy a long list of discounts from a wide range of partners that offer the goods and services to make storing your vehicle a breeze.

Follow these guidelines to ensure your car emerges from hibernation in the same condition as when you stored it:

Just before you put your vehicle away, give it a good wash and wax job to protect the paint. Protect the chrome with wax or paint sealant. Griot’s Garage is an excellent source for car-detailing products as well as other must-have garage items. HDC members receive a 15% discount on liquid products such as wash/wax and detailing sprays and receive a 10% discount off other items.

Make your final drive of the season to a gas station, preferably right after you wash and wax it to make sure it’s dry. Before you head out, add a bottle of fuel preservative; BG Products sells a long list of supplies including fuel treatments and offers HDC members a 10% discount. The drive to the gas station will help run the preservative through your car’s fuel system. Once at the gas station, top off the gas tank. The full tank will prevent condensation from forming, and the preservative will keep the gas from breaking down.

Change the oil before putting your vehicle in storage. You don’t want to see nasty sludge in the spring; fresh oil means your vehicle will be ready to roll when driving season returns.

If you’re in a climate where temperatures drop below freezing, make sure your antifreeze is fresh and topped off. To avoid having to change your antifreeze every 2-3 years, consider switching to Evans Waterless Coolant. Waterless Coolant eliminates many problems associated with water in conventional water-based cooling systems, while increasing reliability and engine life. HDC members receive a 20% discount on all Evans Waterless Coolant purchases.

If you’re storing your car for longer than a month, put a battery manager on it. Our partners at Antigravity Batteries offer 25% off purchases and sell a battery tracker with a Bluetooth monitoring system that can send alerts to your phone whenever your vehicle battery’s state of charge drops below a set level.

Falling objects damaging vehicles are major causes of filed insurance claims. Make sure there is nothing within the perimeter of your vehicle or stored above it. Move items such as rakes, shovels, or bikes that could fall against your vehicle and cause damage. A car cover can help protect against such scenarios. Our friends at California Car Cover Co. sell a wide range of car covers as well as accessories such as bike racks, detailing supplies, and other essential items for your garage and home. HDC members receive a 10% discount on purchases.

Over-inflate your tires to avoid flat spotting. When the time comes to replace your tires, HDC members get 10% off at Coker Tires and $100 Visa Rewards cards from Michelin and BFGoodrich when you purchase four new tires.

Plan to tackle a few maintenance or restoration projects while your vehicle is in storage? Eastwood Restoration Supplies sells a wide range of tools and equipment, including lifts, dollies, welders, and more. HDC members enjoy a 10% discount.

Don’t have a place to store your vehicle? No problem—Hagerty can help with that, too! Consider joining Hagerty Garage + Social. Each Garage + Social location features climate-controlled, dust-free garages with 24/7 security, plus premium social space where you can gather with fellow automotive enthusiasts. Members can rely on experienced staff to handle scheduling and logistics for all vehicle maintenance. Hagerty Garage + Social has locations in Chicago; Delray Beach, Florida; Bedford Hills, New York; Miami Beach, Florida; and Toronto, Ontario.

Not a Hagerty Drivers Club member? Sign up here. At just $70/year, the cost of membership easily pays for itself when you take advantage of the many discounts noted above!