[Nelly]

I have to take my PT off the road for a couple months (financial woes)

So I was wondering what you all think is the best way to put him up until then?

No garage and I can see it and start it, if that's recommended. Last oil change was synthetic so I don't think I'll need one of those now, maybe one right after he's back on the road?

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[TWX]

In your shoes I'd see about getting the wheels off of the ground, but probably without totally unloading the suspension. So, cheap jackstands placed on the suspension right inside of the wheels if possible. Cover the wheels to reduce the likelihood of the sun damaging the tires. I'm unsure if you should somewhat depressurize the tires from full pressure or not. Obviously you don't want to break the bead, and you don't want to have pressure lead to cracking.

Cardboard cut to fit in the windows snugly would be helpful to protect the interior. A car cover would be better, but you'd need to take it off from time to time to clean both it and the car.

Give it an oil change with synthetic right before starting it to move it to its storage place.

If there are any grease fittings on the suspension, lube them and wipe off the excess.

My Stratus had a drain plug on the fuel tank, you might want to see if you can drain out the fuel tank.

If you have a fixed-mast antenna, take it off and store it inside the car so that it doesn't get damaged.

Unhook the battery, possibly remove it from the vehicle entirely. If there are any radio security reset codes, be sure that you know where they are in advance.

Put a checklist on the driver's seat for when you want to put it back on the road again for any other fluids that you may choose to drain, and to check all levels and the belts and hoses and tire pressure and the like. Also, if it sits a particularly long time, consider changing out the brake fluid and coolant when putting it back into service. It's also possible that the liftgate hydraulics could have problems, be careful with that.

 

[TWX]

I mis-read the topic a bit, thinking in a couple of months it was going in for somewhat deep storage.

For just a couple of months, take off the antenna, air up the tires, top off the fluids, and unhook the battery. Half-way through, hook the battery up, turn the vehicle around 180 degrees in its parking spot, air up the tires again, and unhook the battery again. Put sunshades up in the windows when it's sitting.

My beater pickup sometimes sits for a couple of months straight without being used, out on the curved side area of the driveway, under the fig tree. If it wasn't for the @^&% birds tearing up the figs and leaving the truck COVERED in fig guts I wouldn't have a care in the world for it sitting there.

 

[dana44]

That's about it. A couple months won't do any harm, so consider simple weathering of the interior protection, dressing on the tires, disconnection of the battery, start her up every couple months, move it around if you want. I have routinely had my cars sit for 6-7 months without any major problems with the battery disconnected, never a hose break, but I did have a float stick open, which isn't something you would have happen.

 

[Doug D]

In addition to the above, I'd add Sta-Bil to the fuel. As mentioned, the battery needs to be disconnected (unless you'll be running it on occasion). Even short term, it would not hurt to put it up on jack stands.