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Ad Rates / Articles / Classified Ads / Editorial / Home / Links / Showtime   Wayback Wheels - Vintage Car Talk   Wayback Wheels By Aaron Neilly The snow is melting (again) and the Leafs are out . . . it must be spring! This is a time when some of us uncover our beloved “summer cars” and take them out of storage for a great season of trouble-free motoring.Well, maybe that second part was a bit far fetched since most of these old cars do have their issues. I keep telling myself that's half the fun of owning one. What should be done to your car after it's been sitting since the fall? Here are some preventative steps to ensure happiness, for you and for your car. First, you need to get it out of the garage. If you're like me, and save absolutely everything, this alone could take an entire weekend. (I'm sure there's a Volkswagen in my garage somewhere.)   Once you get your car outside (and it has stopped squinting because it hasn't seen daylight in five months,) give it a good wash. Use a premium quality auto wash (no dish soap, please,) and a soft wash mitt. This will prevent any dust or dirt from getting ground into the paint, and will also remove those “custom graphics” your car has going up the hood, along the windshield, across the roof, and down the back window that look remarkably like cat paw prints. Use a chamois to dry your car and to prevent water spots, then wax your car using a reputable car wax. Carnauba wax works very well, and also cleans the car’s finish as it waxes. Now that your car is looking beautiful again, you might be tempted to start on the interior, but leave that until later when everything else is done. Right now it's time to change the oil and filter. "Why?" you ask, since you changed it when you put the car into storage. The reason for this is because your motor oil reacts with the metal in your engine when it sits and eventually becomes acidic, which greatly reduces the life of internal pieces. So, change it again. Keep this in mind for your lawn mower too. While the oil is draining, check all your belts and hoses for cracks. If your vehicle has a radiator, check your coolant level and make sure it isn't discoloured or dirty. Check the fluid level in your battery. (Many newer batteries are maintenance free, and you can't check the level, as well as gel batteries like Optimax). Apply some grease to the battery terminals to prevent corrosion. Also check and or replace your fuel filter. Get out the grease gun and lube any fittings on the suspension, driveshaft, or anything else that has a fitting on it. Lube up the door hinges, all the latches, etc. Also check your air filter, even if you replaced it in the fall. Air filter housings and carburetors are a fantastic place for mice to nest in, and a Weber carb is no fun to tune when there's half a cubic foot of pink insulation and wood shavings jammed in it.   Check your transmission lubricant, even if it's a manual. This usually means crawling underneath, pulling the filler bolt out of the side of the transmission, poking your finger in and seeing if there's oil on it. If it's low, and you don't remember when you last changed the fluid, just drain it all out and start fresh. Use manufacturer specified gear oil. If the fluid is up to the correct level, and it looks dark, change it. This is usually a pain, but it's a lot easier than replacing the transmission. Do the same with the rear differential, if your car has one.   If your oil filter sits with the threaded portion facing slightly up, fill it up with oil before reinstalling it. This provides a bit of an extra prime for your oil pump, and is much easier on your engine when you first re-start it after changing the oil. Restart the car, make sure there is oil pressure, shut it down and double check the level, and for leaks. Jack the car up, using the specified jacking points, support it on jack stands, and pull the wheels. Check out your brakes, adjust the shoes if necessary, as well as your parking brake.   Put it all back together, and torque the wheel nuts or studs to specified settings. Check your tires for weather cracking, and for correct pressures. A lot of people run the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire; this isn't the correct way. Check your cards door sticker, in the glove box, or the owners manual for tire pressures. Lots of cars have different pressures in the front and rear, namely VW, BMW and Porsche.   While the car is up in the air, check the underside for rust, exhaust leaks, and anything else that may look out of place. Give the front wheels a shake, side to side, and top to bottom, to check for worn steering and suspension components.   Bring the car back down to earth and check for proper operation of your horn, lights, wipers (and wiper blades), washer and anything else you feel is important. If they don't work, it could be anything from a bad bulb, to a blown fuse, to dirty electrical connections. Those of us with German cars that use the ceramic “Bullet” fuses are pretty much used to pulling out each individual fuse, cleaning it, and cleaning the contacts on the car to make everything work. A total headache, but we love our cars, right? Right?   Please ensure that if you do replace a bulb or a fuse, you use the same one, especially with fuses.You wouldn't want to have your pride and joy burn to the ground because of a short in your dome light circuit, now would you?       Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2009 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster