insulated heated garage for ferrari

hey guys i live in toronto and its my first season with an exotic happens to be a ferrari 360 spider i wanted to know what do you guys do to your garage in the winter do you insulate and heat it or maintain a warm temperature in winter months? what are your thoughts

 

The garage keeps around 10C To 15C, under the car I purchased from Costco the 8'*16' very thick vinyl floor mat that keeps moisture from coming through the concrete floor, I also use a fiited car cover and over that I have a very large SUV car cover from Canadian Tire that drapes over the car to the floor thats about it.

 

^

i have done very similar -


i have layed down some wood , then a large piece of hard plastic - and then large area 60 oz carpeting to keep the moisture down underneath. i have an insulated garage door - and i very rarely open during the winter. I have 3 base board heaters in there to keep the temperature at 50 degress - that run on auto - same thing with 2 car covers -

BUT - on warmer sunny days during the winter, i do fire up the cars at least every 5 weeks max - just to pump the brakes abit, run it up and down the driveway just a little - use the a/c and the heater, and let it run for 2 - 3 cycles for the fans to come on - plus a full tank of gas before storage.

my goal is to use almost all that gas by april when the cars are ready to come out for spring - now keep in mind - i dont have cats on my cars, which you do on the 360, so make sure, you burn off any of the excess water that build up when you fire it up.

 

guys what do you think if i put some electric heaters in the garage and insulate my garage doors would that be good enough i have a car cover. I wasnt planning on starting it as i will put a ctek trickle charger and use fuel stabilizer anything else i need to do or know i dont want any surprises in the spring when i try to start it up for the season

 

I do just that - trickle charger, fill up gas tank + stabilizer ,let it run for 15mins to circulate the stabilizer, park it on rubber mats to avoid flat spotting, put a few mouse traps on the floors, and cover it. I never turn it on until its ready in spring. Unless your planning to drive it for 20-30 mins to get everything warmed up, your doing more harm than good. Leave it alone until your ready to take it out in Spring.

 

Tried placing heaters in the garage one winter until the Hydro bill came............$1400.00 later, I made the decision that the Ferrari was going to be cold for a few months.

 

buddy which rubber mats do you park on in order to avoid getting the wheels from going flat where did you buy it from and how much
thanks

 

Princess Auto has gas heaters that you mount to the ceiling. Very cheap and effective, just like a furnace. The only problem is you have to run a gas line in and a 4" vent straight out the wall but short work for a HVAC guy.

Rob

 

do you think gas heaters are better than infrared heater? is that what you have done?

 

I just use rubber utiliity mats. I stack three thick under each tire so that its nice and spongy and the car sinks in.

Some at Canadian Tire:

http://tinyurl.com/4yg9s7s

 

50lbs of pressure for the tires helps as well, and then in spring bring them back down to avoid flat spots.

 

During the winter months, I remove the wheels and place the car up on stands. No flat spots as a result!

 

Maybe if you put 50lbs of diapers under each tire that would help to

 

I put 50PSI in my tires & 50lbs. of cardboard under the tires

 

Here is a copy of a Technical Service Bulletin on Vehicle Storage. It is somewhat generic but covers all the bases.

WARRANTY STATUS: INFORMATION ONLY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


ISSUE: New vehicles that are stored for extended periods and not put into service shortly after they are built require special maintenance to make sure that the vehicle stays in "like new" condition.

ACTION: If a vehicle is expected to remain in dealer stock for an extended time period, refer to the following maintenance procedures.

The dealer is responsible for storing new vehicles and maintaining them in new condition.

General
Store all vehicles in a dry, ventilated place; protect from sunlight if possible.
If vehicles are stored outside, they require regular maintenance against rust and damage.

Body
Wash vehicle thoroughly to remove dirt, grease, oil, tar, or mud from exterior surfaces, rear wheel housing, and underside of front fenders.
Periodically wash cars and trucks stored in exposed locations.
Touch-up exposed raw or primed metal to prevent rust.
Cover chrome and stainless steel parts with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent discoloration. Re-wax as necessary when the vehicle is washed.
Lubricate all hood, door, and trunk lid hinges and latches with a light grade oil.
CAUTION: KEEP ALL RUBBER PARTS FREE FROM OIL AND SOLVENTS.
Cover interior soft trim to prevent fading.

Engine
Start engine every fifteen (15) days. Run at fast idle until it reaches normal operating temperature.
Shift the transmission into all gears while engine is running.

Fuel System
Regularly move vehicles short distances to mix fuel anti-oxidation agents.
NOTE: DURING EXTENDED PERIODS OF VEHICLE STORAGE (60 DAYS OR MORE), GASOLINE MAY DETERIORATE DUE TO OXIDATION. THIS CAN DAMAGE RUBBER AND OTHER POLYMERS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM SUCH AS CARBURETOR ACCELERATOR PUMP, DIAPHRAGMS, AND CARBURETOR INLET VALVES. IT MAY ALSO CLOG SMALL ORIFICES. DIESEL FUEL DETERIORATION IN THE FORM OF FUEL SEPARATION, SLUDGE FORMATION, AND BACTERIAL GROWTH CAN CAUSE RESTRICTIONS IN FUEL SUPPLY LINES, FILTERS, AND STICKING OF FUEL INJECTION COMPONENTS.
A commercially available gasoline fuel stabilizer ("STA-BIL" or equivalent) should be added to gasoline-powered vehicles or a diesel fuel stabilizer ("Fire Prep 1000" or equivalent) to diesel-powered vehicles whenever actual or expected storage periods exceed 60 days. The manufacturer's instructions packaged with the product should be followed. The vehicle should then be operated at an idle speed to circulate the additive throughout the fuel system.
A volatile, corrosion inhibitor ("NOX Rust VCI 105" or equivalent) added to the fuel will protect the fuel tank inner surface from corrosion. Follow instructions packaged with product.

Cooling System
Protect against freezing temperatures. Replace coolant every 2 years regardless of mileage or run-time.

Battery
Check and recharge as necessary. Keep connections clean and covered with a light coat of grease.

Brakes
Make sure brakes and parking brake are fully released.

Tires
Maintain recommended air pressure.

Miscellaneous
Make sure all linkages, cables, levers, and clevis pins under vehicle are covered with grease to prevent rust.
Move trucks at least 25 feet every fifteen (15) days to lubricate working parts to prevent corrosion.

 

I wanted to stay away from electric, too expensive to run in a non insulated environment and not sure how long it would take to come up to temp. Furnace style blower was inexpensive both for the initial outlay and through operation.

Very satisfied with the result. If you want to see a pic I'll post one.

My second choice was the long tube heater but the only problem with that was the size and clearances, not to mention they cook your head when your under them but just as effective and efficient.

 

I thought the best method to prevent "flat spotting" tires in storage is to raised the psi to 50 before you stored your car thru the winter? It's in the owners manual isn't it?

 

bro please post a picture would like to see how your garage looks better yet post a few
thanks

 

Any type of heater will keep an insulated garage that is attached to the house well above freezing and it will keep it dry too. I never let my car go more than a month without starting it. I start it, let it warm up and take it around the block once or twice. Even in the winter the roads are dry at least once a month. When sitting for that 3 to 4 weeks, I have the trickle charger on it and 2 floor jacks both at the back to take about half the weight off the rear wheels. Lifting the car totally of the ground and leaving it there is really bad for the shocks. No car is made to sit for 4 to 5 months without starting and moving. There are all sorts of seals in the engine that are not ment to dry out. When they dryout, they crack and leak whatever fluid they were designed to seal in. As for rubber on the floor, good idea for older homes whos foundations are not so water tight and whos concrete floors lay directly on the soil. But newer homes have a lot of clear stone under the concrete and that keeps the moisture away.