Almost the end of the Classic Car season
October 24th, 2008 by Alex Jeffery
It’s that time of the year to put our beloved classics to bed until March. Here’s a few tips from our team here at Sureterm -
* Give the car a very thorough wash (don’t forget underneath!) and valet. Make sure you get rid of all the old sweet wrappers and bits of rubbish collected in the nooks and crannies.
* Give it a good vacuuming, don’t forget the boot either!
* Clean any leather trim, neglect to look after leather seats and door panels can lead to premature cracking and splitting.
* If the car will be getting direct sunlight into its interior via a garage window, its wise to throw a sheet over the trim too. In fact throwing a blanket or two over the entire car is a wise move, but only after you’ve washed it and waxed your classic car properly, protecting any chromework with a thin layer of wax or, alternatively, a quick wipe over with an oily rag, although the latter can attract dust in a dusty environment.
* Pump up the types to 5-10 psi higher than normal, to prevent the tyres getting any flat spots.
* Use a quality antifreeze, mixed up to a percentage strength depending on the climate you are in.
* A few drops of oil into each bore, should prevent the pistons seizing in the cylinder bores too.
* Make sure the handbrake isn’t left on, as that can seize easily.
* Turn the engine over manually, ensures that nothing seizes in that department.
* Replace the oil and filter – old oil, if left for a long time, can be more prone to gunging up than the new stuff.
* Cycle your battery through charge ups, and gradual discharge (say with a test lamp strapped to it), or buy a trickle charger to keep it on the boil.
* Advise your classic car insurers that the car is laid up, it could result in a reduction in premium for the months of the policy that the car is out of use for, needing as it will Laid Up cover only .. check with your insurers to find out what they can do in this respect!
For fantastic classic car insurance with the most benefits, give our team at Sureterm Direct a call on 0800 999 2030. They won’t charge you for the phone call but they will save you money on your classic car insurance.