Owning a classic car means a lot of things to many different people. Maybe they’ve been able to reacquire the same model (or exact same car) that they drove in their youths, or maybe they just like to evoke the feelings of a certain era. If all you’ve ever driven are sensible and cost-efficient station wagons, it can be quite a feeling to get behind the wheel of a car from the heyday of Detroit muscle, for instance.
With all that said, people who own classic cars also take on a piece of responsibility as well when they sign the papers. They are now keepers of what is, by definition, an ever-decreasing number of these rides on the road. Taking care of them becomes both a sound financial investment as well as the responsible move for someone hoping to ensure that the next generation can enjoy the same beauty and power that they did.
There are a number of ways that you can protect your classic car. Learning common repairs (frequently much different than modern cars) is one way, as is keeping up with regularly scheduled maintenance. Another way is through proper storage techniques—vehicle wraps are becoming an increasingly popular way to accomplish this and can really help your classic maintain its sheen no matter how many miles it has on it from decades on the road.
Keep Your Engine Running Clean
A quick and easy no brainer tip to preserve your classic car’s “health” is to run it regularly. This is a fun tip, first and foremost—who doesn’t want to spend more time behind the wheel of their exciting car? On top of this benefit, though, there’s also the advantages of your engine regularly running. It helps burn off any contaminants or debris that can wreak havoc over time, it helps to flush any moisture out of your exhaust system, and it also helps to prevent any nastiness like corrosion or blockages.
All in all, you should be making sure that you’re taking your car out (or at least firing up the engine) roughly once every few weeks or so as a basic preventive maintenance measure.
Learn the Maintenance Techniques
The old adage for medicine is “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure,” and this rings true for classic cars too. Working on your car before there’s a problem should always be your goal, and while learning regular maintenance might seem like a pain now it can certainly help save you a lot of heartache down the road. The advent of smartphones has also never made it easier—not only can you look up any technique questions that you might have, but your calendar functions help ensure that you can easily and quickly set reminders to pop up for scheduled maintenance.
One quick maintenance tip is to always keep the car clean, both inside and out. Regular washes and waxings help preserve that classic paint job and clean off any nasty salts and grime, while keeping the interior clean means that any leather or vinyl parts can stay protected and shielded from the sun’s rays.
You should also be keeping a close eye on all fluids and lubricants. Regular oil changes are your best friend as always, but you should also be keeping a close eye on the transmission fluid (make sure you’re only using the recommended brand and type) and the drive-line (this needs to be lubricated on a regular basis). All in all, learning your car’s requirements is a vital task, so don’t skimp on your research and tracking procedures.
Using a Vehicle Wrap
Finally, a vehicle wrap can be one of the best things to utilize if your car is going to be in storage for any extended period of time. These are a step above traditional car covers because they form to the shape of your car rather than just resting over it, which gives you that extra degree of protection against the dirt and grime that can work their way in on loose covers.
Before you wrap your car, you should take some precautions. It’s best to change the oil and grease any moving parts and then add fuel stabilizer to a full tank. Next, make sure that the tires are raised to prevent flat spots or dry rotting. Race Ramp’s Flatstoppers Car Storage Ramps are a great choice.
Finally, it’s time to protect the tires with some of the top quality covers from Race Ramps before you finally shrink-wrap your car. This usually entails from wrapping it with a durable material that you then go over with a heat gun, which pulls it tight and removes any slack, offering your car an unparalleled degree of protection.
No matter how you choose to protect your classic car, Race Ramps has the tools you need to keep it looking fresh and clean. Give our team a call today for car care tips and maintenance tricks!
