5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Classic Car

As the cold of winter is melted away by the coming of spring, classic car enthusiasts have one thing on their minds: cruising season is finally here. But there are a few things you need to take care of before you take your vehicle out of its hiding place and expose it to the world. Classic cars are for showing off, so they take a bit more attention and care to prep and preserve.

Even if you aren’t driving your car for the allotted amount of miles typically granted between oil changes, you still need to switch out your oil consistently and frequently. Oil breaks down over time, even when your vehicle hasn’t been driven, making it a secret “killer” for your classic car’s system. Also, make sure to check for leaks potentially caused by the past winter’s cold weather.

As you take your classic car for a cruise when the weather heats up, dust, dirt, and grime will cling to the paint. Obviously, you’ll want to clean your baby. However, one of the worst things you could do is take it to a machine-operated car wash. When the time comes to make your car sparkling clean again, either wash it gently and thoroughly yourself or have a professional clean it to avoid damage to the paint or underside.

Waxing your car is more important than often given credit for. Everyone loves a supremely shiny, glossy paint job, and a good wax will give you exactly that. But waxing is also a protective and preventative measure to keep your paint job from receiving scratches, scuffs, and other types of damage. Waxing can be done as a DIY job or by an expert, but it takes an extended period of time to be done correctly. With a little research, you can learn to complete a perfect wax job yourself.

Although most of the advice you’ll receive about prepping a classic car is about the paint job and exterior, the interior needs love as well. You have to actually get into the car to take it for a cruise, and you don’t want to be sitting in any level of mess or filth. Interior care is integral to the “vibe” of the spring cruise, so to maintain it, take your car into a shop for a professional detailing job.

Of course, your classic car is going to deal with some of the same ailments as “normal” vehicles do, so it’s of utmost importance that you take care of the mechanics. One of the most forgotten car care tips is to protect your brake system. This system is easier to replace than sensors, hoses, and calipers, and much less expensive. Save yourself money and be safe by consistently monitoring the functions of your classic car.

Prepping your classic car can be an arduous and time-consuming task, but it’s well worth the wait. Just remember that there are some jobs better done by professionals than at home by yourself. For those jobs, look to a shop you trust with expert mechanics who are passionate about car care, like the specialists at Wrecktify Collision . Take a look to see what a trustworthy shop looks like.