Pullstart 62,795 #26 Posted October 26, 2019 1 hour ago, tom2p said: mouse chewed partway through the wires on our battery minder You need the (electrical) handyman’s secret weapon! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #27 Posted October 26, 2019 On 10/25/2019 at 10:21 AM, PeacemakerJack said: We have such a wide range of folks that enjoy a cross section of different hobbies associated with machines that I am starting a thread that is dedicated to how you store those and when you store them. There is a large contingent of us that live in the north where it is impossible to drive a vintage car or truck all winter unless you want the salt to kill it! Boating on the ice? Not so much! Motorcycling can be done through the winter on select days if you are crazy enough but still most of us park them for the winter. I have owned my Goat for just over 21 years or more than half my life (just realized that—cool)! I was watching the news this morning and they said that we could wake up to some snow accumulation on Tuesday morning of next week and so I don’t want to run the risk of not getting it winterized. Took my favorite people to school this morning in it... You should have saw Caleb’s expression when I told him that he could be driving us to school the next time if he keeps his grades up over the winter!!! Claudia instantly looks like, “I’m gonna be sick!” For winterizing, I pull the battery and put it in the basement on the fender, run Sea-Foam in the FULL tank of premium fuel, put a mouse trap (if you can’t scare them away, kill ‘em) in the car and trunk with a note to remember to check periodically. Clean it good and cover—good night! My 1996 Vulcan is similar. With it, I make sure the chrome is polished well, SeaFoam in FULL tank, run carb dry, and hook up battery tender. Gonna miss seeing this! Judge (pictured in his new Punisher helmet) asked me for a ride this afternoon or tomorrow! I must oblige, after all it is my kiddo asking😉 I can’t wait to see what you guys have and how you do it! This could be a great informative thread while still being lots of fun. Remember—if it is a machine of any sort and it gets stored through the winter months—IT IS ON TOPIC!!! btw - great looking GTO and even better looking family ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,738 #28 Posted October 26, 2019 Thanks Tom. The car and motorcycle were purchased within months of each other back in 1998. The bike was brand new and the GTO was really tired. I also met my future wife in between the two purchases and so that was a big year for me. We restored the GTO in 2000 and got married that summer. The car missed being in our wedding by about 3 months but we used the bike as a get away vehicle. Lots of time spent on both until we had kids. Then the bike ended up being more “garage art” than anything for about a decade. The GTO however got used throughout the summers. Caleb,Kelli, and I took it to GTO Nationals in 2005 in St. Louis when Caleb was just a year old. To say that our family has a lot of memories with the car is a huge understatement. However, I have no misgivings about what is really important and that sir is my family as you have stated. I love the fact that I have been able to keep the car all these years as a time capsule and each of my kids have been growing up around it. My favorite way to enjoy the car is with them and their friends. My youngest, Zach (6yrs) was asked to predict his future the other day. Here was his quote... I wonder where he got that from🤔 This is what he would like to drive! I could see that at a car show with my ‘69 and grandpa’s ‘67! But it is the family that is far more important than that which can’t love you back! The Stertz family says, “Thank you for the compliment!” 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,373 #29 Posted October 26, 2019 20 hours ago, Achto said: - Yep!! Could grab some Turbo Blue at Quent's in Oshkosh for big $$/gal.You could also stop out to Wittman Field & grab some AV gas. In my experience non-ethanol premium gas treated with Sea Foam will keep for better than 8 months, maybe longer. 8 months is as long as I have left anything of mine sit. $9.50/gal for my 110 this last time, but by the time you add Seafoam for $11/pt is it really any cheaper... And the car is the only thing that gets this "royal" treatment, $7-8k just in the engine plus the $1k just in the fuel system I'm not taking any chances with it getting gummed up. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,738 #30 Posted October 29, 2019 Don’t know if it will come in tonight but they are predicting a couple of inches of snow. That is my cue to put the “winter blanket” on the Goat until next May... Drove it in to the local fuel station and topped it off with premium and a can of SeaFoam. Zach and judge went with me so that they could ride it in one more time for 2019. Always a sad night but gives me something to look forward to for next spring... 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #31 Posted October 29, 2019 Is that a 455 HO in the GTO ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #32 Posted October 29, 2019 On 10/26/2019 at 2:19 PM, pullstart said: You need the (electrical) handyman’s secret weapon! I need something for sure what is the handyman's secret weapon ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 48,782 #33 Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) I have no clue Tom but here's what I do know... now let it be known I am not a huge cat lover but I tolerate and feed them. They go in my gravel floored warehouse and think it's their personal very large cat box BUT I don't like mice even worst. My house was/has been infested with them but since the invention of the barn cat I have no mice. Just the other day putting tractors to bed I saw a mouse eyeballing a tractor tin and left the door open for the cats to get in. Day later mouse carcass on the front sidewalk. 'Nother down side is I like to feed birds so sometimes that does not have a happy ending. Most of the females get fixed and feral males go on a lead diet. I do have a older larger fixed male who sneaks in the house once in awhile for a treat... his name is Tom! As far as putting tractors away for the winter pretty much the same as Dan @Achto but I pull the batts, tag them as to which tractor they came off of, bring them into the heated shop and rotate them on tenders. Edited October 29, 2019 by WHX24 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #34 Posted October 29, 2019 I can't speak for this specific car but the 400 ci was the only option for this year GTO. In 70 one could finally get a 455 but it was just a d-port engine not the HO round port engine.. I can not add anything to the storage of one of these because my 70 GTO has been apart for years. Think that is going to be remedied soon. Peacemaker Jack I was at the GTOAA show in St Louis. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,795 #35 Posted October 29, 2019 1 hour ago, tom2p said: I need something for sure what is the handyman's secret weapon ? Duct tape 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #36 Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) ( yes - I know 68/69 GTO had 400 CI ; GM cars were limited to 400 CI until 1970 ) thought I spotted 455 emblem on the air cleaner lid I thought 455 HO was avail on 70 GTO ? guess not number of my friends had GTOs when I was a kid ; most had 68 and 69 one friend had 69 orange Judge with Ram Air III ; same kid also had Ram Air IV parts (including heads and exhaust manifolds) he acquired/had a bunch of parts - including extra factory stripes, hidden headlight assemblies, hood tachs, and complete ram air assemblies this was back in late 70's / early 80's - no internet / no craigslist parts were much more difficult to locate Edited October 29, 2019 by tom2p 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom2p 2,394 #37 Posted October 29, 2019 4 minutes ago, pullstart said: Duct tape thumbs up ! if you cant fix it with WD-40 or duct tape you in trouble ! 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,738 #38 Posted October 29, 2019 Tom—very observant Eye! This car was sold brand new with a YS code 350hp 400CI motor backed by a TH400 tranny and a 3.23 10bolt posi. Other than A/C, it was a pretty spartan GTO. Apparently it lived a very rough life and by 1976 the original mill was blown and it was shoved into a barn near Wausau, WI. It was that alone that kept it from accumulating the stereotypical salt belt lower body rust. Along about 1992 a guy discovers the car and installs a WT block 400 out of a 1970 Manual Tranny Goat, slapped some Maaco paint on it and then it changed hands several times before I found it September of 1998. We began the restoration on it January 2000 and I pulled the 400 in favor of a built 455. It was only a D-port motor but made north of 450hp on the crank and about 525ft-lbs of torque. 20 years ago, that seemed pretty powerful...today—not so much! Anyway, I thought the HO decal was cool and installed it on my air cleaner during the resto. Howie—did you have a car at Nats in St. Louis? @Coulter Caleb is gonna kill me but I just dug through Kelli’s scrapbook and found this page... Dad and I in the top right corner with Arnie Beswick. The rest of the pics are of Caleb. I guess I’d have to find that other album to see the pics we took of the cars in attendance🤔 I count it a real blessing to have kept that car all these years and to have so many memories with my family in it... Hard to believe this guy will be able to drive this car legally next spring when we bring it out of storage!!!! Where does the time go? 2 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,277 #39 Posted October 29, 2019 5 hours ago, tom2p said: thumbs up ! if you cant fix it with WD-40 or duct tape you in trouble ! if you cant fix it with WD-40 or duct tape..... Just throw it out and get a new one... Love the pics in this thread. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,373 #40 Posted October 29, 2019 6 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: Hard to believe this guy will be able to drive this car legally next spring when we bring it out of storage!!!! Where does the time go? I have 2 boys that's technically old enough to drive the BU ,but with what's mostly under the hood and their notion to find the firewall under the loud pedal that probably won't happen till a few more years... Seems like I raised a brood of speed demons including the step daughter 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,080 #41 Posted October 29, 2019 7 hours ago, tom2p said: if you cant fix it with WD-40 or duct tape you in trouble You left out Baling Wire! Been around forever and has saved the day many times! 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,738 #42 Posted October 29, 2019 9 hours ago, WHX24 said: ...BUT I don't like mice even worst. My house was/has been infested with them but since the invention of the barn cat I have no mice... As far as putting tractors away for the winter pretty much the same as Dan @Achto but I pull the batts, tag them as to which tractor they came off of, bring them into the heated shop and rotate them on tenders. Great natural solution to keeping the rodent population at bay for those of us who live in a rural area like us. Speaking of tenders, what types/brands have you guys been using and what do you recommend? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,505 #43 Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: Speaking of tenders, what types/brands have you guys been using and what do you recommend? For price & reliability it's hard to go wrong with any battery charger that has the Schumacher name on it. Edited October 29, 2019 by Achto 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,373 #44 Posted October 29, 2019 3 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: Speaking of tenders, what types/brands have you guys been using and what do you recommend? 2 hours ago, Achto said: For price & reliability it's hard to go wrong with any battery charger that has the Schumacher on it. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schumacher-Electric-Battery-Maintainer/50256403. ... This is the one I've had the best luck out of. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,373 #45 Posted October 29, 2019 17 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schumacher-Electric-Battery-Maintainer/50256403. ... This is the one I've had the best luck out of. https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1343-Automatic-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B07895CFTR ... Seems this one has taken its place now. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 48,782 #46 Posted October 29, 2019 I have a half dozen maybe more of these … made by Schumacher https://www.amazon.com/DieHard-71219-Battery-Charger-Maintainer/dp/B077742Y1H/ref=sr_1_11?crid=7QWEFZD8DCVW&keywords=battery+charger+12v&qid=1572364257&s=automotive&sprefix=battery+charger%2Cautomotive%2C185&sr=1-11 or these https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1319-Automatic-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B0756Q88J5/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=schumacher+battery+charger+12v&qid=1572364356&s=automotive&sr=1-11 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #47 Posted October 30, 2019 Tom, was not trying to be a smart alceck with my comments on the GTO. I completely missed the under hood picture. The 455 in 1970 was not called HO, In 1971 it was. They had two versions of the 455 available. That HO engine had the RA IV style heads, just a lot bigger chamber. Back in the day a lot of these were run hard and put away wet! I know engines came and went quite frequently. Something I have done with some of these battery tenders was to put a diode in-line to reduce the voltage they produce. Think i got that from Save Old iron who used to be on here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
