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Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer has warned classic car owners must carry out four essential checks this November.
The TV star stressed historic vehicle owners need to regularly start up their cars, at least once a month, over autumn and winter to avoid issues in the spring.
The expert insisted owners should never leave their cars in the garage unattended all autumn and winter as this can cause costly damage.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mike said: “If I don’t drive them frequently and regularly they don’t like it, they start to leak, they start to decay, the rubbers don’t like it. It’s simple things.
“If you’ve got a classic car, now’s the time to talk about this coming into winter.
“Lots of people will take their classic cars and tuck them away in the garage and forget about them until the spring.
“You should regularly go down to your car once a month and sit in it and start it up and just let the engine get up to temperature and let it cool down again.
“You should open and shut all the doors so the rubbers compress because rubbers need to compress for them to stay supple, otherwise they will dry out and they decay.
“Roll the car forwards five inches and then roll it backwards ten inches just so you roll the tyres around, you don’t square the tyres. Put your foot on the brake pedal, put your boot on the clutch pedal, switch the lights on and off.”
Experts at insurance firm Carole Nash have revealed classic cars can “suffer” in the winter temperatures without regular maintenance.
Car fluids such as oil and antifreeze can thicken in the cold which could lead to ”multiple internal issues”.
Batteries may also seize as temperatures fall while tyre pressures can fluctuate when they are not being used.
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has previously warned that petrol-ethanol mixtures such as E10 fuel should also be drained and replaced as the solution may cause corrosion.
However, regular maintenance can limit the risks associated with the winter garage hibernation.
Mr Brewer added: “It may sound ridiculous sitting in your garage doing this
“But if you do it once a month you will realise that when you come around to the spring there is nothing wrong, your car is ready to go. And it’s a really simple practice to do.
“Every single person has a phone in their packet that has a calendar reminder on it, so just set a reminder date.”
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Source: NewsFinale
