Plus some pro tips on getting your baby ready for sleep-away camp.
If you’ve even seen a “barn find,” you know that it’s very easy to do more damage to your car storing it than driving it. Sure, it’s tempting to take your buddy up on his offer of a prime spot in his workshop, but how much do you really know about the conditions? What happens when our Indiana winter dips into prolonged freezing territory? What other activity will be happening around your vehicle? Will it be cleaned? Will the tire pressure be monitored? Maybe storing your vehicle at home is a better solution. Except your garage is not a controlled environment. And you’re likely taking up valuable space during the time of year no one wants to be parking outside. There are countless reasons to select a storage facility that specializes in collector, classic, exotic and luxury cars. Here, we’ve outlined five reasons it really matters where you store your car.
#1 Security Matters
Whatever the monetary value of your vehicle, to you, it’s an investment: of time, of energy, and yes, of hard-earned dollars. You wouldn’t throw your retirement savings in an old barn, and you wouldn’t put a delicate piece of heirloom furniture in a damp, unheated garage. Why would you treat your investment vehicle this way? Specialty storage facilities protect this investment and ensure that your car is monitored at all times. At SILO, we offer 24/7 camera surveillance on your vehicle, plus on-site security personnel, so you can rest assured your prized possession is always safe.
#2 Temperature Matters
When storing a collector car, the temperature should never rise above 70 degrees, and humidity should remain between 40-50%. Can you be sure that’s the case in your own garage, or in any storage facility that isn’t designed for investment vehicles? By storing your car at SILO, you’re ensuring that it will always be in a climate-controlled, ideal setting, safe from the elements, and safe from temperature and moisture swings that could cause damage.
#3 Care Matters
Before storing your vehicle, it’s likely that you’ll want to have it detailed and thoroughly cleaned, and make sure fluids and tire pressure are at the appropriate levels. However, even in a controlled environment, dust can accumulate, and depletions of fluids and air will happen. When you store your vehicle with the experts, these issues can be easily avoided. At SILO, we’re happy to detail your car, not only when you drop it off, but any time you want to take it out for a show, a rally, a vacation, or any other reason you can think of. We’ll also top off the fluids and put air in the tires. We care for your car the same way you care for your car, and it shows.
#4 Position Matters
Let’s say you store your vehicle in a private barn or garage, even your home garage. Are you going out to start it on occasion? Is it up on jacks? Can you move the vehicle? Storage like you’ll find at SILO includes monthly maintenance to prevent flatspotting. This is what happens, especially during cold weather, when your car is sitting on its tires in the same location. Beyond expecting a bumpy ride when you get back behind the wheel, you can pretty much guarantee you’re going to need to invest in new tires right away. Here at SILO, we not only start up your car on a monthly basis, we also drive it to a new location to ensure the tires aren’t resting in the same spot. This will give you the smoothest ride when you’re ready to take your car out, and prevents other issues like tire cracking.
#5 People Matter
We all love our cars, but one of the best thing about being a car person is having a community of car people to talk shop with. Specialty storage facilities may offer a safe place for your car, but very few come with a built-in society of gearheads like SILO. With us, your storage fees include membership to our auto club, plus exclusive access to our lounge and invites to members-only events. We’re car lovers, and we created SILO for other car lovers, just like you.
A couple tips if you’re new to storing your collector car: leave an open box of baking soda inside your car. This will absorb any excess moisture that gets trapped inside, and will also help eliminate odors. Notify your insurance that your vehicle is being stored in a specialized facility. There might be better rates available for those who properly store their cars. Crack your windows to maintain air flow and prevent mildew and mustiness.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of specialized car storage with SILO, please contact us here. We’d love to answer your questions and tell you about our service!