There’s nothing quite as stimulating as the rumbling of a classic car engine. If you have been bitten by the bug lately, you might be wondering how to keep your new acquisition in top condition over the coming years.
Robert Bassam has been a lover of classic cars ever since he was young. Fortunate enough to have enjoyed a successful career selling automobiles, he has been able to amass quite the collection over the years, and he cares for each of them as they were his own children.
Below, we’ll go over the steps you’ll need to follow if you want to keep your ride as mint as Robert’s rides are.
1) Wash it frequently
This might seem like a mundane step to follow, but if you fail to keep up with cleanliness, a number of things will happen.
First, your car will lose the lustre and shine the top show cars out there attract. Second, corrosive debris like leftover road salt from the winter can introduce your worst enemy – rust – into the body of your classic vehicle.
It may seem like a lot of work, but the effort you make to keep your ride shining will create a bond that will make future washings and other preventative measures easier to accomplish.
2) Apply wax once per six months
Washed your car countless times, but just can’t seem to get the shine ‘best in show’ winners consistently get? You are missing a crucial step – the application of wax.
It doesn’t have to be done every time – once every six months should do the trick. Don’t forget the chrome polish either, as nothing draws crowds quite like blinging rims.
3) Take care of the interior as well
While the exterior draws most of the attention from people on the street, many also gaze longingly at a classic car’s interior.
You don’t want a dashboard that is dusty and falling back, and ripped up/stained upholstery – pay the same amount of TLC to interior surfaces as you would to the exterior body.
Apply leather creams to the dashboard surface, and vinyl cleaner to vinyl seats to protect them against long-term damage the sun can dish out. This way, you’ll be proud to give friends rides around town in your classic car.
4) Perform regular maintenance as needed
With all the work you’ll be pouring into the appearance of your classic car, be sure not to neglect its inner workings.
Take it into a mechanic for oil changes when the sticker on the window advises you to do so. Nothing is more embarrassing (or pricey) than a classic car that seizes up on the expressway.
When the squealer strips on your brake pads begin to emit a slight sound, take your car in to get the pads swapped out – there are few things that are worse than applying the brakes at a stop light and deafening everybody with a loud screech as your non-existent brake pads grind metal.
When the engine light comes on, don’t ignore it – modern engine work is expensive enough as it is, trying to get a mechanic to fix an engine whose parts are in short supply could cost you dearly.