Winter storage (Sweden) of fiat coupe

Hi!

I live in the south part of Sweden. During winter we have some snow and on the roads there are salt. The car is rust free and I dont want to drive it during the winter in Sweden as I think the salt might be bad for it.

I have two options, either "warm storage" building or a friend of a friends barn. In the barn I will have to remove the battery as there might be rats and birds. In the warm storage I figure I would at least disconnect the battery.

I will get a cover that "breaths" for the car.

Anything else that is important to think of? If I disconnect the battery for a long time, will it loose the key's or something like that? I swapped the battery this summer which meant half an hour or so without electricity. That worked fine.

Maybe barn storage is a bad idea for a car like this that is hard to find parts?

Edit: I dont know the english term for it, bad the car is "wrapped" in some plastic material to preserve it. It is professionally done, but it has some wear and tear at some places (like one side mirror).

Check this out:

https://www.hunker.com/12583637/how-can-the-weather-affect-the-rate-of-metal-rusting

Moral: either clean, warm, dry AND low humidity, or clean, dry and cold.

Plastic wrap is quite common these days. I don't know anything about it, but it looks interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4RxyiPfsXk

I removed the negative from the battery before I left it for storage yesterday. However, just came to think of it... might this cause any problem with keys and codes etc? I have a "master" key code card.

I swapped the battery 3 months ago as the old one had discharged (I still have it). The central locking mechanism and display still worked with the old battery, then I swapped to the new one and maybe had the car without a battery for half an hour or so. It started perfectly without issues.

Do you have any ideas? Maybe I should go connect the negative again? It will be like that until.... march something.

Best regards
Sebastian

Anyone?

No problem with disconnecting the negative. I do the same every winter and leave it for several months like that. The car always starts no problem.

The problem I have had with barn stored vehicles is mice; I stored a motorcycle for 15 years in my barn, when I finally got it out to sell it a mouse had eaten all the insulation off a low tension ignition impulse wire. Its not unknown for them to turn car air filters to confetti - you can imagine what that would do if you did not check it first. I know for a fact from someone they like to consume the black foam rubber bits at the back of the bonnet on the Coupe

I purchased a repellent spray specifically for vehicles that you spray over the wiring harness and all other parts that are susceptible, it was not cheap. The active ingredient is listed as Lavender, in future I will make my own with some lavender oil and alcohol mixed into a pump spray bottle. So if you barn store her, make her engine bay smell like an old lady

I do jack mine up and put it on axle stands. I worry about mice but never had a problem. Owl shit has been my only issue but a car cover takes care of that.
You could use poison around the car but lavender sounds good. Keeps insects away for sure.

They are prodigious producers for sure, I have the same problem in my hanger, they cover everything they sit above. On the plus side I guess that's why you don't have a mouse problem in your barn

I have a bit of wood (a section of branch) that I put in the entrance to the air filter box on the right of the engine bay.
Something took up residence in there a few years ago and chewed at some of the insulating tape, the steering rack gaiter and the bonnet lining.
Haven't had any problems since.
Another vote for disconnecting the battery earth as well.

With some experience I can tell you if you have a rat or mice in your storage area - they will happily chew through every bit of rubber insulation off of the electrical connectors, the rubber trim protecting the edge of the front wings/hood, rubber bump stops for the hood and there absolute favourite - the red plastic edge of the air filter!

Poisoning didn't work - only a heavy and strong mouse trap sorted out the problem!

Regards

MM

Oh and leave handbrake OFF - I have had the pads stick to discs that were wet after washing the car down - easily rectified but worrying when I experienced it.

Personal decision to put on jacks to avoid tyres taking "a set".

I have the ability to run mine Coop with the garage doors open (weather permitting) and move her a few yards - I prefer to keep mine in usable condition, rather they storage, as I have found more goes wrong with a car not being run/moved about.

I'm likely putting a light cotton cover over the car this year- to stop the dust that falls on to the car from being in the garage. And if I can't run for any reason - then the trickle charge goes on the battery.

Hope that is of use.

MM