After surviving one of the most horrendous summers for car cruising that saw hobbyists paying record-high gas prices while watching the value of their collector cars sink, it’s now time to pull the cover on the cool car season.

To help preserve a special vehicle you have to invest a few hours and dollars to do it right. Simply pulling your cherished vehicle into the garage, or worse, just parking it outside in the driveway, can mean death to your vehicle. You have to prep it for winter hibernation.

When storing a hot-rod, muscle or collector vehicle during off-season months, it is essential to take some precautions to ensure that it will stay looking and running good when the season starts again.

The key to owning a well-preserved specialty vehicle is constant attention. Before parking it for the winter, take it on a final shakedown run. This is especially important if it hasn’t been driven for a while. Note any noises, smells, smoke, steam, leaks or ill-performing components. Get those fixed before putting the vehicle away as they will only get worse over the winter.

Make sure you fill the tank with fresh gas. Don’t leave old gas in your vehicle over the winter; it will break down and could lead to gum and varnish accumulating in carburetors, fuel lines or injectors. Mix in a fuel stabilizer to allow the gas to keep over the winter.

I’ve found STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer works best. It will keep fuel from breaking down for up to 12 months – after that you’re on borrowed time. Follow the directions for proper mixture rate.

It’s also a best practice (and cheap insurance) to change the oil before the winter nap. And while you’ve got the hood up lubricate the latches and hit the doors, too. Many late-model cars come with a factory lube – don’t remove this or put lubrication on top of it as it can create terrible squeaking problems.

Also, top off the transmission, power steering and brake fluids if needed. If you’re not sure how to do this, take the car for a quick service check.

Now that things are squared away under the hood it’s time to assess the exterior. You can’t (shouldn’t) put your vehicle away if it’s dirty. Clean the vehicle thoroughly. Start when the engine is cool and carefully remove all road grime, grease, tar, stains and bugs from all painted surfaces, chromed parts and wheels with a bug and tar gel. Never, ever use household detergent for washing a vehicle because it strips away the wax and leaves your paint dull and unprotected.

I like Eagle One’s NanoWash & Wax because it’s a quality product that does two jobs at once. Apply a coat of a polish or wax like Eagle One Nanowax Spray. It penetrates the surface to fill scratches and helps to bring out the paint’s color and shine. Give the wheels a good cleaning and the tires a hard scrubbing and follow up with a nonsilicone-based protector.

I like to give the interior a good scrubbing and vacuuming. I also wipe down the surface panels with a nonsilicone-based protector.

Now it’s time to roll the vehicle into the garage. Once the vehicle is positioned properly disconnect the battery cables or attach a battery trickle charger to the battery. You should be able to find a quality trickle charger for less than $75. Next, use a floor jack to lift the vehicle and put it on jack stands to take the weight off the tires and prevent flat spotting. Make sure the tires are properly inflated. Never use the tire jack that came with the vehicle to perform this chore because they usually aren’t strong enough or able to lift the vehicle high enough to get the jack stands under the vehicle. You can pick up jack stands and a floor jack for less than $300.

The final task is to put the right car cover on it. You can actually harm your vehicle by putting the wrong cover or material on it. Forget those $29.99 universal covers and don’t use a green or blue plastic tarp. Those products will allow dust, dirt and moisture to get under the cover and onto the vehicle. The abrasive materials can rub or scratch the paint.

“The key is to use a nonwoven cover as it keeps dust out and make sure the cover is constructed of multiple layers to create a bulkiness that promotes breathability,” said Sean Doyle, product manager of Global Accessories Inc., the parent company of Wolf Automotive Co. The layers prevent the dust, dirt and moisture from reaching the vehicle, he said.

“Make sure you use a cover custom tailored for each vehicle application constructed of non-molded materials, use covers constructed of soft, spun bond materials,” Doyle added.

Wolf offers five vehicle cover options for protecting a car from everything from dirt/dust, dents/scratches, water and Mother Nature. They are: Noah (water resistant), Dustop (self-explanatory), Evolution (ultraviolet ray protection), 350F (all-around protection) and 200 Series (strength, airflow) vehicle covers.

Robert Castle, executive vice president Global Accessories, said, “If you are looking for an outdoor cover, select one with a UV UPF180 rating or better because anything less will leave the paint and interior unprotected.”

Castle said Wolf covers on average range in cost from $110 to $300 depending on vehicle and product category/protection. The company claims that each cover uses handcrafted patterns that include side mirror pockets, reinforced side grommets and minimal single-direction seams for a sleek, exact-fitting appearance.

Most covers can be washed outside with simple nonabrasive soap, but Castle cautioned that you should not put a cover in a clothes dryer – just let it hang dry.