Classic cars aren’t the same as regular cars. Unlike a brand-new vehicle, this one will likely hold or increase its value with time – it’ll also be extremely rare and old. When you buy any other type of car, you can usually drive it home right away without any issues. If you’re buying a completely new one, then you don’t have to do anything else and can get on with your life.
On the contrary, buying a classic car demands a bit more care and attention. Here are four key things to do immediately after making your purchase to ensure your classic vehicle remains in excellent condition.
1. Tow It Home, Don’t Drive
As tempting as it is to drive your classic car home, you shouldn’t do this. There’s too big a risk that something will go wrong and you end up damaging the vehicle in one way or another. Schedule a towing service that will pick up your car, load it on the back of a trailer, and take it to your chosen destination. You don’t risk damaging the car this way, and it’ll be ready for the next three steps.
2. Give It A Thorough Inspection
After towing your classic vehicle home – or to a garage – you can start with the second step: an inspection.
Get your car on a ramp so you can look underneath and assess its condition. You’re highly unlikely to see under the car before buying it, so this is where some big shocks may occur. Keep an eye out for common issues like rust, any filler, rotten bolts, etc.
All the while, inspect the rest of the car to be sure everything is up to scratch. It probably won’t be – but you’ll need to make a list of things wrong with your classic car before moving on to step three.
3. Fix All The Issues
Your inspection created a list of issues; now you have to fix them. If you’re a DIY mechanic who does this sort of thing all the time, then get started right away. Otherwise, look around for classic car experts who will take care of your vehicle for you.
It might need a bit of welding to deal with rusty parts, some replacements here and there, and so on. Make sure you go through the list of issues and fix them all. This can take a couple of days or a few months, depending on how severe the problems are.
4. Give It A Proper Service
With all the issues fixed, your classic car is almost ready for action. All that’s left is a good old-fashioned car service. Get your vehicle and perform the following:
- Oil and filter changes
- Air filter changes
- Topping up or draining old fluids
- Tyre pressure check
- Screenwash top-up
You should already check and replace the brakes and tyre tread during step three, if necessary, which means a full-on service is the last thing to do. It gets your car in good working order, meaning you can see how she drives!
Classic cars aren’t meant to be driven all the time, but you should still take them out now and then. The key thing is to avoid driving yours immediately after buying it. Always pass through these four steps so your first drive will be a successful one without any unwanted issues.
