Phx89Iroc

i live in phx az, and in the summer it avgs 110+ and some times gets upto 115 or so. I don't drive my car that much lately, so it sits in my garage, which im sure pushed 10 degrees hotter then the outside. It has new tires, new paint, new convertible top. Has anyone done this in similar conditions and had any issues with damaging the interior or exterior at all?

toomany

Usually it's not the heat or cold that effects cars...it's the moisture. My cars are stored inside a pole barn that ranges from -20* to 115* without any problems. As long as you have proper ventilation you should be fine. I'll usually leave the windows up and toss a dryer sheet or two in the car to keep it fresh smelling (under the front seats works well).

xjcamaro89

Im in the same boat as you. I dont drive it much, and my garage gets pretty hot inside. Ive been doing this for the past 4 years and havent noticed anything. But i usually have the doors open at least sometime during the day.

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

I would leave the window's down if it were me. the dryer sheet idea is a good idea.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

have you ever tried leaving your garage door up a few inches? you would be shocked what a difference it makes

puma1552

iTrader: (1)

It's fine, especially if it's your house and you are opening/shutting it all the time.

As was mentioned, moisture is the enemy. If it's a garage that never gets opened/gone in, then you should put thick plastic down on the concrete floor.

My storage garage while I'm out of the country is a non-climate controlled one, and I put two thick sheets of plastic down on the entire floor. When I went back to the car last summer after two years, the car was flawless, and under the plastic was absolutely soaked where water had come up through the concrete.

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

yes I forgot about that. thats good advice!

wow. that's cool. I wish I had a garage!

jharrison5

BTW Bounce dryer sheets will repel mice and since you live in a dry climate put lubricant on your rubber seals so they don't dry out.

FueledSoul

iTrader: (18)

Dehumidifier, enough said.

maroman88

better off leaving it sit in a hot garage then in the HOT sun!

evilemokid94

iTrader: (6)

+1

KMK454

Direct sunlight and moisture (or a complete lack of) are the biggest enemies. If it's in a dark, windowless garage, the constant high temperatures shouldn't cause much harm; the worst thing that will happen is your rubber and seals will dry out, but they'll do so at a slower rate than they would sitting in the sun and elements.

I'd check your garage and just make sure you have no light coming in, no random leaks, drips, etc., and no animals. A rats nest in the engine bay would be a nasty discovery...

scottmoyer

I question the plastic on the concrete scenario. Many years ago, I did this in Minnesota during the winter and decided to never do it again. The temperature swings from daytime highs to nighttime lows made the moisture content in the garage very high. The concrete was dark grey throughout except where I pulled up the plastic. The concrete was light grey under the plastic . All of the moisture in the air was absorbed into the concrete elsewhere, but sat on top of the plastic! The car was dry and everything else felt dry, but the amount of water on top of the plastic only made me think that this was a worse option.

The best thing you can do is build a wooden platform if you want it off the concrete and have a fan blowing. This will keep the air moving around and under the car.

Stevolwevol

iTrader: (1)

I was gonna say something like this also. The sun will decay everything from paint to rubber and vinyl.

puma1552

iTrader: (1)

This is an interesting result, and one I haven't heard of; my car, coincidentally, is in the Minneapolis suburbs. Every drop of water was under the plastic when I went back to my car.

It does nothing though if you just put plastic under the car itself. The plastic has to cover 100% of the concrete floor or it's completely self-defeating.

My guess is that in your case, moisture came up through the concrete, got into the air, and then settled on top of the plastic and unexposed concrete, turning the exposed concrete dark gray, and leaving water on top of the plastic. As for why the concrete was dry underneath the plastic, it could've just been that all of the water that would otherwise have been underneath the plastic and soaking the concrete underneath it would've escaped into the surrounding air via the unexposed portions of concrete, leaving the underneath side of the plastic and the concrete bone dry when the water finally settled back down.

So far, IME, as long as the entire garage floor is covered adequately in at least two layers of thick mil plastic, the car has stayed bone dry. When I went back last year, I actually was surprised at how much water was under the plastic, I couldn't believe concrete could sweat that much. To my knowledge it won't work if only a portion of the floor is covered.