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Caring for a vintage car takes a bit more time and effort than maintaining and looking after a modern-day car. Materials like leather, rubber and even the metal parts need extra tender loving care to keep them from wearing out and cracking from age and sunlight damage.
Listed below are a number of tips and suggestions to help keep your old cherished car looking good and ageing with grace and style.
Storage
Keep it out of the elements and under cover. Freezing temperatures and sunlight do the most damage. While in the garage, it helps to keep it covered and closed up to reduce the dust build up and to keep out any insect life who may want to set up home in the seat cushions and dashboard or wood panelling. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to connect it to an engine warmer.
Leather rubber care
Like skin, all soft materials need moisturising now and again. Vintage cars leather interiors need special care and cleaning as does the rubber, and not just the tyres. Hoses and all rubber parts need lubricants and moisturisers to keep them supple, strong and in good condition.
Finding the right parts
Replacing vintage parts is not as easy as it sounds. While you may think finding any new replacement part may work, keep in mind that original equipment that's used to replace damaged or missing pieces will keep the car's value higher than if you replace parts with dissimilar, sub-standard or wrong parts.
Protect the engine
The new levels of ethanol in petrol may have adverse effects on the metals in your car's original engine. Older engines were designed to run on straight petrol and using ethanol without protection may cause corrosion of some metals in the engine. It may also damage natural rubber and cork parts in the carburettor.
