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Spring has arrived and it has quite possibly been six months since your classic car has been started. Hopefully before the snow hit last year you took proper steps to secure your vehicle to get it ready for its winter slumber. But even with proper preparation, there are important steps necessary to check your vehicle over before you turn the key for that first drive of the spring.VISUAL INSPECTIONStart with a visual inspection of the entire vehicle.Begin with the body, work your way around and get under the vehicle to look for leaks or any areas a critter may have nested. You can usually find nest particles that have dropped down on the floor or on top of engine. If you are lucky, no critters have nested. If they have, try to use a shop vac to suck out the debris instead of using your bare hands. Throughout the inspection you have probably noticed all of the dust and grime that has built up and you may feel inclined to wipe a few spots while you are overlooking the car. Stop right there. Do not do this until you can wash the car properly so as not to scratch or dull the finish.UNDER THE HOODBefore attaching the battery, test it and/or give it a charge. While it is charging you can check belts, hoses and wiring to make sure everything looks good. Pump the brake pedal a few times to make sure it has a good pedal and no leaks. Change your oil and filter; moisture has had time to gather and pool inside the block. The same can be said about all lubricants and fluids, but use your discretion; the longer the vehicle has been sitting the more crucial this becomes. Remove the spark plugs and check for moisture and measure the gap. While the plugs are out you may choose to add a small amount of oil to the cylinder walls to lessen damage on initial start. With oil in the motor, turn the vehicle over by hand to get the lubrication process started. Disconnect the “+” coil wire and attach the battery. I would recommend turning the key to the run position and inspect the cars wiring. Look, feel and smell for shorts. Once the wiring appears to be o.k. go ahead and crank the engine over and check your fluid levels again. With the plugs out it will turn easily and hopefully clear out any junk in the combustion chamber. Check your fuel lines, carburetor, clutch and shifter for proper movement and operation.BRAKES AND SUSPENSIONWith the weight of the wheels, wiggle the tires back and forth and up and down. This will make sure that the wheel bearings and suspension links are ready to roll. Remove the tires and check the brakes for rust, leaks, frayed hoses and adjustment. A wire wheel can be used on rotors and drums to remove rust without damage. With correct air pressure in the tires, torque the lug nuts back and roll the car out a few feet. This will assure everything is free and ready to go.INITIAL START UPGo easy on the cranking and do not be worried if the engine does not fire up right away. Never use starting fluid to help speed this process (it can crack your heads). If you have a mechanical fuel pump, it may take a few cranks to build pressure. It may be necessary to squirt a small amount of fresh gas in the carburetor and then try starting it (never squirt while cranking or running. This will start a fire). When the car starts, hold the throttle around 2200rpm to insure proper lubrication. This should be done for about 60 seconds. Let the car idle down and shut off and take another general inspection for any surprises that may have slipped past or occurred while running. If no problems exist, restart the car following the previous procedure. Run all the controls, lights and accessories and move the car back and forth a couple of times in the driveway. Once the temp gets close to operating range you are ready for a short trip around the block.No one knows your car better than you, so pay attention on the first drive and take it easy. After a couple of laps around the block, shut the car down and recheck everything again. Most failures will occur in these first few moments, so stay close to home. If everything is humming along great, put about 40 miles on the odometer (half city/ half highway) and you should be good to go.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am and is filed under General Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.