HANDS-ON HELP
With less than a month to go until Drive-It Day we look at what you need to do revive a laid-up classic beforehand and get it running beautifully with these ten top tips
Spring has arrived and better weather is just around the corner. Probably. If your classic’s been tucked away over the winter, now’s the time to put it back where it belongs – on the road. Better still Drive-It Day – a nationwide celebration of your classics – gets underway on Sunday, 21 April.
The first stage is to awaken it gently from hibernation. It might be tempting to just whack on a jump pack, crank it over and see what happens but taking a more sensitive and systematic approach is more likely to ensure the success of the operation and help to increase the longevity of the components that you’re dragging back to life.
The second stage is to give the car a service and general going-over. This will ensure that everything functions beautifully and reduce the likelihood of embarrassing teething problems. It’ll give you additional peace of mind that it’s safe to drive, too.
Our advice applies to all models though older cars may have a few additional quirks and places to anoint with grease – and modern classics might have more electrical connections to canoodle. In all cases, a manual or manufacturer’s handbook for your specific model will be essential and furnish you with servicing data such as lubricant types and valve clearances.
Don’t forget about MoT and road tax, either, something that’s annoyingly easy to do since the departure of the tax disc. You can check tax and MoT status at online at: vehicleenquiry.service. gov.uk if you can’t find the relevant bits of paper.
1 CHARGING AHEAD
Unless you keep your car’s battery on a trickle charger remove it from the car, clean the top and charge it overnight. If it’s not a sealed unit, check the electrolyte level in each cell and top them up to suit. A healthy battery should read 12-12.5v across the terminals when charged. Clean both battery clamps with wet-and-dry paper and give them a smear of petroleum jelly or silicone grease before re-fitting and tightening. Check the battery-to-body and engine-to-body earths and the starter solenoid connections, and clean if necessary.
2 THE BLACK STUFF
Change the engine oil and filter before you turn the engine over if this hasn’t been done in the past year or 3000 miles; it’ll be cold and gloopy so leave it to drain for a while after removing the sump plug. Replace the sump plug sealing washer if necessary, too. Clean or renew the oil filler’s gauze filter (if applicable and ensure that any crankcase breathers are clean and unobstructed. Look for oil stains on your garage floor and where discovered investigate the sources of any leaks, not forgetting to schedule replacement of an
