If your kitten is sleeping through a long/cold winter do NOT start up the motor, it worked before you parked it, it will work when it leaves 😉 ! The sudden change/increase in temperatures from the combustion heat passing into a frigid block causes Sweating inside of the engine, and unnecessary wear. This is why Quality engine builders will paint the inside of bare cast blocks. 😆 Short engine runs also contribute to pre-mature exhaust failure.
The earlier tip on putting a tarp UNDERNEATH the car is Excellent. Although those who skipped their science class in elementary school will put a cover over their car 😳 . The damage that occurs to these cars have often arisen from the moisture escaping the earth, trapped underneath by their new nylon tarp ontop of the car.
A few winters back I proved this point to a few sceptics. I had two rolling cars stored in a friends barn. It had a steel roof but a questionable cement floor with cracks. Over the holidays I went to visit and share some cheer 😛 with friends and uncovered a sheet of frozen/frosted earth. There was a considerable amount of moisture that could not escape the nylon and therefore never made it to the bottom side of my cars. This was just a one winter deal, a longer term storage would see alot more moisture trying to escape. 🙄
As a side note, I am located in Canada’s Rust-Belt (South/Central Ontario) but this applies to many locations that experience humid climates, often around lakes and swamps you will find cars rotting(metal and chrome)from improper storage. 😳
A nice clean tarp is a great place to spread snacks(warfarin) around for little mickey and friends 😈
Tigger