My Focus is just about to cease being my daily driver (has about a week left,) I'll be getting my '08 Malibu "Classic" (basically, an '07 made in 2008) company car next Tuesday. So as a result I'll be turning my Focus into a track/hobby car and it'll be sitting most of the time. In the short term I'm going to get a car cover and park it in my friend's dad's warehouse parking lot (maybe a month or two.) For the long term, I'll either be renting a self-storage unit or get a garage unit at my girlfriend's apartment complex (whichever is cheaper.)

So, I have two questions...does anyone have experience with storing a car outside with a cover on it, and how frequently should I move it around to avoid getting flat spots on the tires? I figure I'll start it up and drive it twenty or so miles once a week to keep it in a ready-to-drive condition in addition to any actual driving I do in it, but it'll most likely stay parked over the winter (end of November through mid-March.) Would there be any point in putting it on jackstands during this period?

Any input is appreciated [thumb]

For the winter I'd definetly put it on jack stands and check the tire pressure regularly just to be safe. Keeping them properly inflated should help a bit to prevent flat spots.

At our old house my pickup (before it was mine) used to be parked behind the side gate to our back yard on a concrete area. We never put it on jacks or anything but it would sit there for quite a while sometimes without being started up or moved. I don't remember ever putting it on stands but I remember checking the tire pressure every now and then and I think that went a long way to preventing any big flat spots, but I honestly don't know how long it takes to make a flat spot on a tire.

Also, consider additives to keep the fuel from going bad. I dont know how long it takes engine oil to go bad, but sometimes we had to change the oil in our pickup before we could start it because It'd get water in it from sitting for so long and going through temperature changes.

I plan on either draining the tank or putting some Sta-bil in the tank when it goes into hibernation, as well as putting a trickle charger on the battery. Part of why I plan on driving it once a week is to prevent water from building up in the oil. Even during the winter I'll try to get it out and run it from time to time, but that'll only be when the weather is agreeable.