How To Prepare Your Classic Car for a Long Road Trip

If you and your classic car are planning to travel wherever the road takes you, then you have a lot of prep work to do before setting off on your adventure. You have to pack the essentials: clothes, toiletries, and the like. You also have to make sure your classic car is in prime condition and can handle the long road ahead. Packing is easy enough but performing a full-blown inspection of your car poses more difficulty.

There’s nothing more liberating than venturing the world in your classic car, but your travels will quickly go from freeing to frustrating if your car breaks down on the road. Use these tips on how to prepare your classic car for a long road trip so you can enjoy your long road trip without incident. Once you check off every mark on this checklist, you’re ready to hit the road!

Schedule a Car Checkup

To start, you’ll want to bring your car to your local auto shop for a checkup. Ask for a basic inspection and fluid replacement. A simple tune-up can do wonders!

Check for Worn Rubber

How do the gaskets, seals, and belts in your car look? If they look worn or cracked, you need to replace them before your trip. Otherwise, your car could break down in the middle of the road—and doing repairs on the shoulder of a busy highway is no fun.

Inspect the Tires

The next step for prepping your classic car is inspecting the tires. Shine a flashlight on your tires and search for cuts, breaks, and other forms of damage. Then, look for leaking, breakage, or rotting on the valve stems. You can use a tire pressure gauge to check for proper inflation and a tread depth gauge to check for wear and tear. Finally, examine the wheels. Look for bends and rust, then make sure the spokes and lug nuts look fastened.

The Brake

You want to ensure you can stop quickly and safely. Knowing that you can stop on a dime means you need a braking system in working order. Start by cracking open the hood of your car and checking the master cylinder’s fluid level. Then, close the hood and climb under your car to check for leaking brake fluid. Lastly, hop in the car and step on the brake pedal. It should be firm; you don’t want it to give under the slightest amount of pressure. If your brake gives too easily, you need to replace it.

The Foundation

Just like a home is only as strong as its foundation, your car is only as strong as its chassis and frame. Your vehicle should sit relatively level. If it’s leaning to one side, you’ve got a problem! Common causes of a leaning vehicle are issues with the chassis, shocks, springs, struts, or suspension, so check for any components that are rusty, damaged, bent, or broken.

Front Inspection

Now you’ll want to perform a front-to-back inspection. In the front, check the headlights for exposed wires. You also want to inspect the battery and the electrical and vacuum hose connections in the engine bay for cleanliness and secureness.

The Sides and Rear

Next, move on to the sides. Adjust the mirrors and make sure the door hardware is secure. All windows should be clean and undamaged. At the back, check the taillights. Ensure that all lights are working before you hit the road.

Look Inside

You’ll also want to peek inside your car. Ensure the seats securely attach to the floor and that the seat adjuster works as intended. Inspect the accelerator pedal for signs of wear and tear, which can cause unwanted sticking. The lights inside your car should work and shine bright enough for driving in the dark. Your dashboard and gauges should also provide accurate readings.

Keep It Cool

If you’re expecting sweltering weather on a summer road trip, you’ll want to keep your car cool with coolant. Flush the cooling system and replace it with fresh coolant to keep the engine bay cool, even in the heat. For extra protection against the sun, you should also inspect the radiator fins for debris and radiator cap to ensure a snug fit.

Lots of Lubrication

Lubrication is an essential component that keeps the engine’s moving parts running smoothly. Check lubricant levels in the power steering pump, rear axle, steering gearbox, and transmission. For older cars, you may also need to check levels in the U-joints, clutch release bearing, distributor cam, speedometer cable, springs, steering linkage, and vacuum wiper motor. If levels are low, consult your local shop or owner’s manual for the correct kind of lubricant to use in your car.

Test Performance

Now that you’ve examined your car and prepared it for the road, it’s time to take it on a test run. This quick trip is just to ensure everything is in working order. The Classic Car Club of America recommends setting aside a day to test drive. You’ll want to drive 100 miles minimum, maintaining a speed of 55 mph at least 30 percent of the time.

Why so far and so speedy? Most parts won’t act up until the engine gets hot enough to push them to the limit. If your test drive goes smoothly, you’re good to go! If something goes wrong, it’s back to the drawing board—find the issue and fix it before you head on your trip.

Wash Your Car

Our final tip on how to prepare your classic car for a long road trip is to give it a wash. OK, this one isn’t a necessity. Still, don’t you want your car to look its best as it cruises down the road? A quick hand wash or a trip to the car wash will get your classic car sparkling.

Are you looking for a new classic car to accompany you on your next road trip? Ideal Classic Car has a fleet of custom classic cars for sale. From sleek Chevy Corvettes to robust Ford Mustangs, we have a wide range of classic cars to choose from. Come and see what we have in our inventory; you might just find the car you’ve been dreaming of.