Winter storage for a rust free s14?

[budgetkiller]

Hello everyone, I just picked up a rust free 1996 240sx Se. The body and paint aren't immaculate by any means, okay honestly my dad was not happy when I told him what I paid. That was, until he looked underneath it. Arizona car. I'm very pleased with the find. Unfortunately, my garage is currently in no shape to store this thing. The way I see it, I have two options.

1. Lay plywood on my gravel driveway, cover it in plastic and put the 240 on blocks on the plastic covered boards. Perhaps even put a car cover on her before the first snow; possibly on some swimming pool noodles to keep it off the body and leave her for the winter with the occasional start.
2. Rent a storage unit or see if I can find someone willing to rent me barn space and leave the car on blocks there.

I'm open to ideas. Money is getting low because I need to buy a daily and I'm a student, but I really don't want to let a car like this even start to rust. How bad would one winter outside affect it? It sits away from the road so it should not see salt, just the elements of the Midwest. The [stock] exhaust is still shiny on this thing. Thanks in advance for the help.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The boards & plastic (or even just plastic) should work. Do you have room to buy a car port? They are pretty cheap now a days.

[budgetkiller]

Awesome. Yes, a car port should be an option assuming my mom is okay with the eyesore. I'm still going to look into locker units as well. I guess it all comes down to the budget.

[GearGrind]

I feel your pain on winter storage, one car needs to live outside ;/

[RickBlaine]

Winter won't rust your car- road salt will.

Prep it by filling up with 100% gasoline- none of that 10% ethanol stuff...check www.pure-gas.org for a location near you (you don't have a location listed).

Wash and wax it real well.

Know that a car cover CAN ruin the finish. If there is any dirt in there, a car cover flapping about can act as sandpaper....

Lube the hinges, "over wax" the car and change all fluids.

My 1991 Nissan was bought new by my buddy Chris here in Chicago in August of 1991. I was his ride to the dealer for him to pick it up. Two months later he moved to Seattle (no road salt) to get married and open a dental practice. 19 years later (in 2010), he gives me his rust-free car with 98,000 miles on her. All records since new- including the window sticker. Black car....

I don't have a garage right now- so every winter, I store it properly and start it up once a week, charge the battery, over wax the body, change fluids, and move it a few feet to keep from flat spotting the tires. I've done this for 5 years....no problems.

After new fuel injectors a couple weeks ago (thanks to advice from members like PapaSmurf here), she idles and runs like new. No rust.

Conclusion: Clean it like it has never been cleaned, and wax it- not for showroom shine, but real thick for protection. And use real gas so nothing gets gummed up. Good luck new owner!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The only things I'd be worried about with that plan is moisture coming up from the ground, getting to the underbody, which isn't treated, and if you live in an area where it rains and freezes, water can get into tiny cracks, freeze, and make them big cracks, leading to rust.

If you can't store it though, the above plan is as good as you can do. Wax the hell out of the rocker panels and strut towers. They like to go first.

[asoomal]

Apply liberally.