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MG TD TF 1500 - Mouse proofing

My cars have always been a heated/a.c. environment since restoration, but now they are located a short distance away in an unheated detached garage. I'm now concerned a rodent family might take up residence and wonder what might be the best deterent. Moth balls seems out as I have smelled them in other cars and heard that dryer softener towels is the newest thing. I remember years ago when starting up my Healey I sprayed a family out the exhaust (mouse) against the back wall. Should plug them from experience.
RAF
R.AF. Robert Finucane

Robert,

A good way to seal the exhaust pipe is two layers of tin foil formed around the outer circumfrence of the pipe, spreading back about four inches. If you forget to remove it, the contraption will blow off like a sanitary sleeve off a straw.

Dryer sheets do work well, as does shaved Irish Spring soap, on paper plates in the interior and under the engine compartment. For good measure, place some Irish Spring and dryer sheets around the car on the floor. Install the side curtains and hood, and cover with your favorite car cover.

Just for fun, I run the carbs dry by disconnecting the fuel pump and disconnect the feed side of the battery (I have a screw style switch on the negative terminal- it's positive ground car) rather than place a battery tender on it.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Bob,
You are correct about moth balls not working. I had a problem with mice in a storage shed where I kept an older Bolens tractor. They built a nest in the air intake shroud at the front of the engine,,, a mear 3 inches from a mesh bag of moth balls !!!! I used to see the traces of mice as they scampered along the polished intake of the TD,, last year I left the bonnet opened, and no sign of mice. They like closed darker places,,, so leave the car uncovered, and the bonnet opened.....

SPW
Steve Wincze

That's interesting Steve. Now I hope my covered car is OK in its new (to me) home for the winter. On the other hand, I've always covered it in the past with no ill effects, but your comment about closed dark places makes a lot of sense.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Robert
Another thing you might want to check is the air relief holes on the seat bottoms; I put aluminum screen wire mesh over these before I recovered the seats during restoration. Mine are under the cushions and are not visible if you flip up the seat bottom. I have restored three TD’s and never failed to find acorns and nuts inside the seat bottoms. On my Jeep they ate the rubber insulation off some of the wires in the wiring harness. After that I put d-Con covered black plastic mouse traps in the Jeep and the TD. If you use these (available at Lowe’s), when you catch one their little tails stick out the entrance hole. They are easy to use and re-usable. John
John Hambleton

Dryer sheets in the car and (if you can get your hands on it)"Big-Wiz" sprayed around the outside of the foundation. I have a friend that raises big cats & wolfs. He mixes up a concockshun of couger & timber wolf wiz for me. Freaks the neighbors dogs out ...but I haven't seen a mouse anywhere near my garage for years! Maybe a zoo nearby could help?
David Sheward

Sprinkling 'bloodmeal' around the car (not in it) I'm told works....
If you use dryer sheets, make sure the smell is something you can live with in the spring...the Wols had generic dollar store sheets and it took me forever to get the smell out....
gblawson(gordon)

Irish Spring soap should do the trick, as humans also hate the smell! IMO!
Len Fanelli

Try pepperment oil from your local health food store, just put a few drops on a couple of cotton balls and place them your car...works like a charm. Rodents can't stand the smell and they leave. You can use them in your shop, house,garage,etc. Spearment oil works too. Good idea to plant mint around your house and garage,but remember it spreads like weed.Good in mint julups too.
Best regards,Daniel
D Desmond

The seat backs and cushions are sufficiently easy to remove that I store them in the house.

The lid of an old 35 mm film plastic canister snaps over my chrome exhaust tip.

I often put my TD on jack stands for the winter, which keeps it out of the reach of mice (I suspect). Whether modern tires are subject to getting flat spots or not, having the weight off the tires certainly prevents this from happening. Some don't like storing the car in a way that it cannot be easily rolled, preventing the MG from being easily rescued in the event of a garage or house fire.

Larry
Larry Shoer

I've resorted to D-Con stashed under the hood. Thanks for the reminder!
Those rascals have chewed off insulation and wire from many of my vehicles; for some reason, they chew wires off O2 sensors (and one right at the sensor requiring replacement). Some of my diesel Mercedes will not shut off because they've chewed through the hoses.
jrn Northrup

"which keeps it out of the reach of mice" Not a chance in Hades!!! Mouse can climb a piece of smooth steel wire, never mind a rough and painted jackstand. A great treat is when they eat the air lines to the brakes on a big truck, or the buggers that ate an entire roll of silicone plug lead wire back when that was trick new and very expensive - ate every turn to the bare core only on the side we couldn't see as it sat on the shop shelf = $100 worth of wire when a new MGB could be bought for $2500. We had an excess of 3-6" plug leads!
Mouse evil!

FRM
FR Millmore

if you think they are coming in anyway, why not sentence the buggers to death..trap them. which reminds me, i better go out and bait the trap line...the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese..regards, tom
tom peterson

John Hambleton,
Just courious,,,, what type of JEEP is stored with the TD ???

SPW
Steve Wincze

Steve W.
We have a two car garage, TD in one bay, the wife's Volvo in the other. The Jeep 1996 is in the driveway. I want to do another project, probably a 65 to 67 Austin Healy 3000, but I cant get the wife to put the XC90 Volvo in the driveway behind the Jeep. She dosen't love my projects like I do? John
John Hambleton

RAF

I keep mine on jackstands and bait the garage. So far no mice in the car.

I also have a carcaccoon that I used to use when I kept it in my main garage. These run about $300 but really work well and keeping the car nice and snug. I just put a small screen over the fan that keeps it inflated to keep the critters out.
BEC Cunha

Boy I have to disagree...I've had to store my TD in unheated detached garages/barns for 10 years...moth balls in both footwells...mothballs behind the seats...mothballs scattered arond the outside...never any problems with critters...yes, the car smells like my Grandmother the first time i drive it in the spring but I'd rather taht then mice!!!
Bob Dougherty

Rodents do not like ammonia. You want to get rid of skunks, ground hogs, racoons, pest control guys use AMMONIA. Cheap and effective. I leave one small bottle of concentrated ammonia, top off inside the car and one under the engine. never seen a mouse yet and my garage is warm and fuzzy all winter.
I use a solar cell battery charger to keep power topped up.
colin stafford

This thread was discussed between 01/12/2009 and 03/12/2009

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