C5 Glass Top Storage

[Chick B.]

Recently purchased my first Corvette. A C5, 1998 with only 6K miles on it.

We live in Central Illinois and my plan is to store my Corvette for the winter months. The vehicle will be stored indoors but not in a climate controlled environment. My question is, will the glass top be OK stored inside the car or should I consider storing it at home where it will not be exposed to the cold conditions?

I, also, plan to remove the negative battery cable. Is it better to connect a trickle charge? Should I remove the battery entirely? I had good luck with the trickle charge when I owned motorcycles, but not sure it would be a good idea with my Corvette.

I do have plans to get the car detailed this week and I plan to purchase a cover to prevent dust from settling on it.

Any other recommendations I should consider before I store my car? Please, advise.


In advance, thank you, for you help.

 

[timfitz63]

Welcome!

... will the glass top be OK stored inside the car or should I consider storing it at home where it will not be exposed to the cold conditions...?

My guess is the top won't be harmed by temperatures if stored in the back of the vehicle; the targa tops are pretty rigid, and the temperatures won't change rapidly. There are some aftermarket products that can be mounted to your garage wall, allowing you to hang the top on that (see this one). And I'd thought I'd picked up a protective storage pouch from the same vendor when I'd bought my wall hanger, but I don't see it on their web site any longer...?

... I, also, plan to remove the negative battery cable. Is it better to connect a trickle charge? Should I remove the battery entirely? I had good luck with the trickle charge when I owned motorcycles, but not sure it would be a good idea with my Corvette...

You can certainly remove the negative battery terminal -- or the entire battery; probably your call either way.

My personal choice is to use a trickle charger (BatteryMINDer); there are many people on the forum that successfully use a charger/maintainer of some kind on their C5.

... I plan to purchase a cover to prevent dust from settling on it...

Car covers are your call; some people recommend against them, but if you're careful about not putting them on dirty vehicles, I've found they work fine. This is the one I use (although I can't remember the merchant from whom I purchased mine), and I think it's an excellent cover; the C5 version fits the car very well and seem to be soft against the finish.

... Any other recommendations I should consider before I store my car...?

Some recommend changing the oil immediately before long-term storage. I'm not one of them, but it certainly doesn't hurt -- particularly if you're close to the recommended interval anyway.

 

[XLR8]

Hi Chick and welcome to the

Congrats on your first Corvette - a 98 with 6k miles! I see Tim is well on the way to helping you get setup for winter storage, so I'll just say howdy and suggest this post/thread for C5 orientation:

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com.../100848-new-world-c5-corvette.html#post864016

There's also an article by Site owner Rob Loszewski in the Tech Center regarding Long-Term / Winter Storage:

Corvette Action Center | Tech Center | Practical Corvette Care 101 | Corvette Long-Term / Winter Storage

Stay with us through the Winter months and we'll try to help you cope with the Winter Blues til Spring arrives and you can drive it like you stole it.

Enjoy!
Jane Ann