Classic Car Maintenance
Your old car needs your help in order to perform it's best and hold it's value. Classic car maintenance includes proper oil changes, engine tune-up, correct coolant and coolant level, and tire maintenance.
Exterior and Interior
Washing and waxing the outside of your car protects paint as well as hold a shine. The leather, vinyl, and plastic inside your car should also be cleaned and protected.
Keep Your Engine In Tune
Along with clean oil and proper coolant, classic car maintenance includes keeping your engine well-tuned. A "tune-up" refers to engine wear items, such as spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor. Air and gas filters are usually changed at this time as well.
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Check and Change Engine Oil Regularly
Inside a car's engine, there's metal parts moving against other metal parts. Without good lubrication, they'll quickly wear out. This is why all internal combustion engines need to be kept well-lubricated.
Read: Best Oil For Classic Cars
Engine oil deteriorates over time and use. After a certain point, it loses certain lubricating qualities. This causes friction, which increases mechanical wear, and allows carbon deposits and sludge to build up.
If you don't know when the engine oil was changed last, check the dipstick, and note the color of the oil. New oil is almost clear. Black oil needs to be changed.
Engine Cooling
Cooling is required to remove excessive heat, and heat is the enemy of internal combustion engines. Plain and simple, overheating can cause engine failure.
By nature, the air/fuel mixture igniting inside your engine produces a lot of heat. It is the function of the cooling system to keep the engine temperature at a safe level.
The two most common types of engine cooling in classic cars are air-cooled and water-cooled. Some engines (air or water cooled) may also have an oil cooler.
Check Engine Coolant
Coolant is a mix of anti-freeze and water that's used in the radiator. Coolant and anti-freeze are one and the same.
Any problem with a cooling system can cause the engine to overheat, which could result in engine damage. One common problem is lack of coolant, usually caused by leaks. Since leaks are common in old car engines, it's important to keep your engine coolant level full.
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If you notice your car's engine temperature rising above normal, have your car checked out before the engine overheats. Remember never to open your coolant system when the engine is hot. Engine coolant is under pressure!
Under-Hood Rubber
Engine compartments get hot, causing rubber hoses to get hard and brittle over time, which can lead to breakage. If the radiator hoses or heater hoses show any signs of cracking, replace them before they become a problem.
Battery Care
Check the connections, and check fluid level if it's a non-sealed battery. Top off with water if necessary, and allow to stand awhile before charging.
Constant-Current Battery Chargers
Constant-current chargers are often called smart-chargers, because they can vary the charging voltage to keep current constant.
The phrase 'battery tender' is a brand name, and they are one of the more popular battery maintenance devices.
Tire Maintenance
Tires on a car that sits may develop flat spots in as little as 30 days. After several months of sitting in the same place, those flat spots may not go away after driving.
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For the those who drive their classic car just a few times a year, here's an easy way to keep your tires from flat-spotting. Every couple of weeks, put the transmission in neutral and roll the car a forward (or backward) a foot or two.
Tires That Sit For A Long Time
If keeping the tires off the ground is impractical, roll the car forward or back every few weeks. Doing this on a regular basis will not only keep your tires from flat-spotting, it will keep brake calipers from developing problems.
Cleaning Your Tires and Wheels
Spraying shiny dressing compounds on your sidewalls is not recommended by tire manufacturers. Many tire and wheel cleaners contain harsh acids, alkalis and/or detergents that can damage wheels and paint.
Cleaning car tires should be done with a brush and soapy water. Use non-petroleum based products that are safe for tires (as well as environmentally friendly).
Read: Classic Car Tires
Tire Inflation
Tire inflation affects ride, handling, braking and fuel economy. Every car manufacturer designs the handling characteristics of their vehicles around the weight of the vehicle, so the load range, height and aspect ratio of the tires all factor into the performance and stability of the vehicle.
The maximum pressure stamped on the side of the tire is not what you inflate it to (that's what the tire is capable of safely handling). Check the owners manual or driver's door-jamb sticker for the correct air pressure you should inflate your classic car tires to.
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Tires naturally lose one or two pounds of air every month or so. Air pressure should be checked when tires are cold. When tires are warm, readings are at least 2-3 pounds higher. After a long trip in hot weather, cold inflation readings may be taken after a minimum of three hours.
Do I Need To Rotate My Tires?
On your daily driver, tires need to be rotated regularly (unless you enjoy buying tires sooner than you need to). Tire rotation helps extend the life of your tires, and tire manufacturers recommend rotating every six to eight thousand miles. However, in a classic car's life, that could be three or four years!
Storing Tires
If the tires are mounted on rims, stack them horizontally and cover them. Loose tires should be stored upright and then covered. If your tires have whitewall or raised-white letters, store them with the whitewalls or letters facing each other. Otherwise, black rubber could stain them.
Outdoor Car Storage
Keeping your classic car outside subjects them to sun damage, bird droppings, tree sap, dirt and dust. Without a car cover, your paint can get damaged quickly. Sometimes when I'm working on a project in the garage, one of my old cars may stay outside for several weeks. But when it is outside, it's always under a cover.
Read: Best Outdoor Car Cover
Long-Term Storage
When an old car is placed in long-term storage (over a year), it should be jacked up and blocked (either jack stands or cinder blocks will work here) so the weight of the vehicle is not sitting on the tires. Covering the tires from sunlight will also help.
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Articles of Interest:
How To Rotate Tires At Home
Best Oil for Classic Cars
Best Oil For Daily Drivers
