Deck the Cars!

The ultimate gift guide for gearheads of every type.

From Santa Baby’s ‘54 convertible (blue) to Little Saint Nick’s four speed stick, the holiday season is a thrilling time to be a car lover. You never know what you might find under the tree… or in the driveway. But if you’re searching for the perfect gift for your gearhead and their dream car is out of your budget, stop stressing! We’ve got a veritable toy catalogue of goodies at plenty of price points, so you can find the gift that will put a smile on their face… and some vroom in their engine.

First thing’s first: determine exactly which kind of gearhead you’re buying for. Does he long for a high-speed cruise down the Autobahn? Does she relish the wind in her hair behind the wheel of her ‘67 GTO convertible? From European style to American horsepower (or reindeer-power?), we’ve got the perfect gift for all their four-wheeled fantasies.

The Exotic

Combine the elegance of Cary Grant with the sophistication of James Bond, and you’ve got The Exotic. The Exotic enjoys anything that is out of the ordinary, and doesn’t mind turning heads.

• Though they may seem outdated, fine leather driving gloves are making a comeback in a big way. These stylish deerskin gloves from Fratelli Orsini make for an upscale but unpretentious gift. If you’re on a budget or prefer vegan options, Amazon has a broad and attractive offering.
• Similar to driving gloves, driving shoes have been out of vogue for a while, but are resurfacing in classically elegant styles. These Cole Haan loafers are more than just a pretty leather upper — they’re flexible and functional when you’re behind the wheel.

The Luxury

Impeccably appointed interior. Polished, flawless exterior. The Lux knows what he/she likes, and isn’t often intimidated by price tag. You, on the other hand, might need to give your wallet a break, so here are a few gifts sure to impress… at a price that will help you keep your holiday cheer.

• With a name like Un Air De Diptyque, you know it’s fancy! This auto fragrance diffuser is a classy and attractive new take on old-school pine tree air fresheners. With art deco styling and a selection of on-trend scents, it looks and smells like a million bucks… but it sure doesn’t cost that!
• Your Lux car lover is likely to dress as sharp as his dream vehicle. Make sure he can keep his duds dry with this inverted umbrella, designed to close conveniently backwards when getting behind the wheel.
• What says fine living more than sipping a handcrafted, rich, dark roast espresso in the driver’s seat of your luxury car? You don’t even need a Starbucks drive-thru! The Handpresso Auto Espresso Maker allows you to brew a perfect shot of espresso using your car’s charging outlet.

The Muscle

If your gearhead loves the growl of a V8 and enjoys the smell of engine grease, you probably have a Muscle on your hands. The Muscle craves the power, strength and brutal style that accompanied an iconic period in American automotive history.

• Muscles like to get their hands dirty, so make sure they’ve got the gold standard of repair guides. Haynes Guides come in almost every make and model, and offer in-depth tutorials on a wide range of repairs.
• The best part of living in or near Indianapolis is having the Indianapolis Motor Speedway right in our backyard. Treat your car lover to the experience of a lifetime and put them on the track and over the yard of bricks with one of these Indy Racing Experiences.
• Practice makes perfect, and in this case, practice makes power. Help them learn how to build a V8 by giving them the opportunity for hands-on practice with this Build Your Own V8 kit.

The Classic

A true Classic never goes out of style. But older vehicles do present unique issues that require ingenuity, innovation, and the latest tech.

• Driver picks the tunes, and with this handy Bluetooth Steering Wheel Control, you can make sure they’re able to set the mood with a touch of a button.
• The reality of older vehicles is that they can sometimes by fussy. Ensure you’ll never get stuck with a run-down battery with this handy jump starter.
• Vintage vehicles were known for their expansive size, which can be hard to squeeze into today’s compact car parking spots. If your car lover is actually behind the wheel of a boat, help them navigate any close call with this inexpensive but useful parking assistant.

The Ultimate

The Ultimate Car Lover deserves the ultimate gift this year: a storage and/or membership package to SILO Auto Club & Conservancy. If your gearhead already has their dreamcar, purchase a long or short-term package that will give them access to our 24/7 monitored, secure storage facility, event space and garage-away-from-home. Even if they don’t yet have their vehicle, they can still be a part of our exclusive and engaging social club, which allows like-minded car lovers to escape to a space that’s just for them, with people just like them.

Learn more about storage packages and pricing here. Get your Santa hat on, crank up Little Saint Nick and find the gift that will make their season merry and bright. Contact us today for more information.

Winter is Coming. Is Your Car Ready?

Autumn is the time for football games and apple cider. It’s the time the air smells like bonfires and sounds like the crackle of dry leaves. And if you’re the owner of a classic, exotic, luxury or muscle car, it’s the time you start to think about winter storage.

Like a sleepy bear, your car needs a place to hibernate for the cold months. It needs a place it can be kept safe, warm and dry… and your home garage or carport likely isn’t going to cut it. Read on to learn more about the pitfalls of exposing your vehicle to winter weather… and what you can do to be proactive as we head through the fall.

Winter Pitfall #1: The “Maple Syrup” Effect

The fluids in your car keep it running smoothly, but once it’s exposed to consistent cold temperatures, those fluids become more viscous. Like syrup, these liquids will gunk up your car’s inner workings pretty quickly. Starting the car and warming it up (which comes with its own host of issues) will help thin the fluids, but by then, it might be too late. Cold-thickened liquids can tear seals and cause big problems internally.

How to Avoid: Top off the fluids in your car before storage and be sure each is at the proper level. Ideally, storing your vehicle in a temperature-controlled facility is the best way to keep fluids at the right consistency.

Winter Pitfall #2: Rodent Hotel

Mice and other furry critters will soon be looking for a dry, warm place to spend the winter months. And if that place has a bunch of wires, upholstery and other expensive items to gnaw on, even better. In the winter, your sitting car becomes a sitting duck for rodent infestations. Neither barns nor garages are mice-proof, so don’t fool yourself into believing that putting a door between your car and nature is going to prevent an invasion.

How to Avoid: A fully-staffed, 24/7 storage facility is best for keeping critters at bay. However, if you have to have your car in a garage or outbuilding, make sure it’s prepped and ready to repel. Place steel wool in the exhaust pipe or intake valve, and consider placing moth balls or rodent repellent near the exterior of the vehicle (but only if you don’t have curious pets or children in the area).

Winter Pitfall #3: Unstable Gas

When you fill up your car, it’s typically because you plan to drive it in the near future. With a classic or luxury car, you may not get behind the wheel for months at a time, especially in the winter. However, fuel only remains stable for a period of one to three months. After that, the fuel breaks down and can cause major damage with the fuel injection or the carburetor.

How to Avoid: Wherever your car is stored, be sure to fill it up before you park it. Then, add a fuel stabilizer, which can often preserve the gas for as long as a year. Be sure to drive the car briefly before storing, so the stabilizer can mix with the fuel.

Winter Pitfall #4: Deflated Tires

Temperature can have a significant impact on tire pressure, especially during the winter, when the cold weather can often lead to a decrease in pressure. Sagging, deflated tires can cause some big problems, including a greater risk for flatspotting and wear on the tire.

How to Avoid: When preparing to store your car, inflate all tires to the maximum PSI indicated on the sidewall. If you’re in a temperature-controlled facility, your car can be regularly moved to help prevent flatspotting. If not, you can store the car on jacks or overinflate to help protect the tires.

Winter Pitfall #5: Moisture Troubles

Wind, salt and precipitation can all wreak havoc on your car, even if it’s inside a garage. Unless you’re willing to park it in your living room (or in, say, a secure storage facility), you can’t completely protect it from the elements. That means moisture may build up inside or outside the car, leading to mold or rust. If you think a cover is the answer to your problems, think again. Covers can trap moisture against the body of your car, causing surface damage. Wind can blow a cover around the car, leaving scratches and other body issues.

How to Avoid: Place baking soda inside your car to absorb moisture. Avoid covers, and be sure to wash and thoroughly dry your car before parking. Ideally, a storage facility with the appropriate humidity levels is best for preventing moisture damage.

At SILO Auto Club & Conservancy, we can help you address and avoid all of these pitfalls. Whether you’re interested in storing long-term, or only for the winter months, we can design a storage plan that’s just right for your needs! Contact us today at (317) 220-8373 or info@siloautoclub.com 

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!