Need help preventing mice from entering the vehicle

[wetminkey]

Having owned my '79 Pininfarina 2000cc Spider for over fourteen years, I know it's mechanics pretty well, but that's not where my problem lies at this point.
The car needs to be stored over the winter, and sometimes for extended periods. The best building I have for this vehicle is an old migrant worker's house and it is surrounded by fields. Consequently, there is a real problem with mice occupying the building. I need to prevent them from occupying my Spider! I am searching for access points throughout the car.
I find two tubes that communicate from the engine compartment to the cowl, one on each side of the firewall. I can also tell that the mice have been having quite a party inside the cowl and have fouled the floor of it. Any opening of 1/2” or greater can allow a field mouse entry.
My first question is, can I plug these two tubes? Can mice access the interior of the car through the cowl and heater box despite the heat/vent controls being in the closed position?
Secondly, can mice enter the car through any other normal openings in the firewall, or the tranny hump? During my search, I have not found any body plugs missing, so far.
You folks that have had the firewall/cowl area torn apart have been into areas that I have never gone and have a tremendous amount of information I'd like to tap.
Thirdly, could mice access the interior through other normal openings, such as through the fenders?
I believe that the drains for the pockets on either side of the vehicle in the rear (that the convertible top windows fold into when it is opened) might be an access point. I'm going to see if there's a way I can address them (although I think they have valved ends), but I don't feel that there are any other access points toward the rear of the vehicle. If they can access the trunk, they're in for sure, but I don't think they can go through the rear shock towers or fenders. Please correct me if I'm wrong!
I can't think of any other possibilities other than these (my canvas top is new, and quite intact, as is the rest of the vehicle). I highly value ANY information that the forum members can give me and look forward to your responses.
Thank you very much in advance!
Todd.

[76was124]

I don't think it is possible to mouse proof all the holes. Outside of a barn cat, only thing I can think of is to build a plywood box with removable sides and a top and put it around the whole car. You can control the gaps that way.

[wengr]

I have seen some type of a plastic that you layout on the floor, position the car on it, and then unfold and seal it up and around the car. Should be pest proof unless they chew threw it. Makes me wonder about condensation though.

[4uall]

Mice can & will get in That being said, when I was younger I would store my motorcycles at my parents farm. The best deterrents are bounce dryer sheets and moth balls just my 2 cents

http://www.hagerty.ca/articles-videos/A ... tored-Cars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKcCEMVh7Rc

[chrisfiat]

find a local storage business, you will never keep the rodents out they will destroy your seats from the under side and you will NEVER get out the mouse urine/ shit smell after wards

[spiderdan]

I agree with Jay on the Bounce dryer sheets. No problem storing the car but the mice love my log cabin. Over the years I've tried different type traps and the electronic high frequency devices. The Bounce sheets have worked well keeping the mice out. Get the ones that have the most smell. Bonus is that the cottage smells great.
If mice don't like it, I wonder what's it doing to me and my clothes...

[wetminkey]

My '72 VW Superbeetle has been stored in the same building for years without ANY mice entering it, and I never had any problems with my '68 Mustang, or the '66 that I owned and had stored in this building either. In fact, this is the only car I've ever had mice enter, and reside in, over the past 29 years of storing cars in this building. I guess it's just a problem with the way the Spider was engineered. I'll have to move it to a different building for storage.
Does anyone know the function of the two tubes that penetrate the cowl from the engine compartment? They just seem to be of poor design for obvious reasons.
Todd.

[wetminkey]

Oh, and I just wanted to inform you all that soaping and pressure washing of all of the carpet and floors has done a pretty good job of removing the mouse smell. The mice did not do any damage, which surprised me, but they certainly tried to leave their mark, as it were! I would not like to clean up after them again.
Todd.

[azruss]

Those 2 holes are fresh air vents. It seems to me that with a little research, you could build a high volt screen perimeter that would shock the mice as they cross. kind of like a bug zapper.

[wetminkey]

Fresh air vents from the engine compartment to the cowl?
The cowl has open venting in front of the windshield. And I would think that fuel vapors, exhaust, or smoke off the engine would have direct entry into the cowl and interior of the car through these tubes.
I've worked on all kinds of vehicles, for years, and never seen any communication between the engine compartment and cowl through the firewall for the reasons I list here.
Any other ideas?
Thanks, Todd.

[spidernut]

I stored mine for 3 years while stationed in Japan. I put the green mouse poison blocks in key areas under the hood, in the trunk, under the dash and inside the car. If the mice are dead they can't hurt anything (though they can get pretty stinky if the die in your car. None died in mine thankfully.

[aj81spider]

I believe those two openings are the drains for the cowl. If you plug them then rain will have no place to go and the cowl will eventually rust out.

I bought one of those giant plastic bubbles for mine. It has a fan that keeps it inflated and the bottom and top zipper together. I put the Fiat in there on jack stands for the winter (jack stands under the axel and A-arms to keep the suspension under load) and have never had a mouse problem ... knock on wood.

[BEEK]

install a cat

[4uall]

Make sure to also buy enough Diet Coke Cats loooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee Diet Coke

[spiderdan]

Ya need a cat. My "Coontache" practices catch and release...sometimes!
He drinks original Coke!