Owning a classic car is something different. There’s a certain longevity to old-school steel and bucket seats. The shape of a Thunderbird or 300SL is alluring and special. Maintaining a classic car might require a little more than the average automobile, but that’s part of the experience.
These ten suggestions will ensure that you can enjoy your classic and protect its value.
1. Keep it Clean
Simple? Yes, but many classic cars spend years collecting dirt and grime. Letting contaminants sit on your car’s paint will degrade it. So wash it regularly using car wash, not dish soap and use wax or paint sealant to help it retain value and look as good as you know it should.
If you can’t wash in your driveway, find a local self car wash or use foaming cleaners that save water and don’t create runoff.
2. Drive It
Cars run well when they’re driven. All that transmission fluid, grease and oil you pay for can’t protect and lubricate your car’s drivetrain if it never moves. Not to mention the engine internals like valves and fuel pumps, and the car’s springs and suspension.
All of these things work better when driven regularly, so get out and drive!
3. Use Your Brakes
Did you know that in 2013, 81% of fatal car-truck accidents were caused by car drivers? Despite trucks being the larger, heavier vehicles, there are just more cars on the road. The older braking systems on classic cars need love to help you avoid contributing to this statistic.
Try your brakes regularly, service them and have them adjusted if your car has drums. It’s worth your safety.
4. Update Your Lights
Similarly to the brakes on your classic car, your car’s lights play a major role in keeping you safe. Old cars just don’t have lights nearly as powerful as those on modern cars.
You can, if you are able to foot the bill, upgrade your lights to a more powerful standard. That’s a wise upgrade, but if you’re on a budget, make sure that you are using good bulbs and that the housings of your classic car’s lights are polished and unblemished.
5. Run Good Tires
Only one part of your car touches the road. Having quality rubber under you is critical to a safe and enjoyable driving experience. Make sure that you check the life left in any tires that come on a newly-purchased classic. If they’re old and dried out, they’re not safe. If you live in the snow, get snow tires!
6. Care for your Glass
You spend the majority of the time you’re in your car looking at the glass. If it’s not clean, your car will feel dirty. Get some quality ammonia-free glass cleaner and shine up those windows and mirrors. Your car will feel new again.
7. Store it Indoors
Weather is hard on cars. Those cream-puff examples you see at Barret-Jackson auctions didn’t spend their life parking on the sidewalk. If you own a classic, it’s worth the effort to make space for it. Temperature changes and moisture can ruin a car’s finish and interior.
8. Understand your Interior
Classic cars aren’t just valuable because they look cool from the outside. Allowing your car’s interior to disintegrate will have negative effects on its value and your ability to enjoy it.
Consult your owner’s club or do some online research using other resources to identify the best way to care for your model’s interior. For example, some vintage models require special products to treat the leather or vinyl.
9. Insure It
Classic car insurance isn’t the same as car insurance. Yes, you can purchase regular car insurance for your classic, but you’ll likely be paying for miles that you won’t drive.
A classic policy might not seem much different from any old car insurance policy. However, standard insurance doesn’t consider the additional value your car has as a classic. So you can imagine why it’s a bad idea if your ride is timeless.
10. Find Your Mechanic
Yes, this is an article about ways you can maintain the car, and this is still good advice. There will always be scenarios where you feel overwhelmed. When they come, you want your car in the hands of someone you trust.
There’s probably someone in the area who specializes in your make or even model. Ask around and find someone you feel good leaving your car with.
Maintaining a Classic Car
Classic cars exist because people have identified value in hanging onto them. There’s something timeless, a personality that classics have. A quality you don’t find in a cell phone.
If you’re lucky to own a classic car, know that it is there to be enjoyed and not stay parked all the time. It will need the occasional TLC, perhaps more than your neighbor’s Camry, but it will also deliver a different feeling when you drive it. That’s the pride that comes with owning a classic, follow these ten tips, and yours should last you quite a while!
Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.
