AAHHH! It's Springtime...

It's officially springtime, so the opportunity is now upon us to properly prepare our old cars for the "driving season." Sure, you can just go out and charge the battery, crank the old starter and get going, but that's a short-sighted approach.

A better course of action, I think, is to put the charger on the battery and take some time to go over the car for a pre-drive assessment of condition. Take a look at the tires. They can't possibly still have the correct air pressure, so check them and fill to the right pressure. Look at the tread patterns while you're at it, to see if any tell-tale wear is present.

Get under the old girl and take your grease gun with you. Those fittings could use a little topping off, no doubt. Grab the tie rods and check for too much play in the joints. Look for oil leaks while you're under there too.

Since you're dirty by this stage, open the radiator and check the coolant level and specific gravity. When is the last time you changed it? If it's been more than two years, why not do so now? The same goes for the oil and automatic transmission fluid.

Can you see any corrosion on the battery posts or wiring connectors? If so, attend to it now to avoid breakdowns later. Check all the lights to make sure they are working. Remember those license plate lights. Make sure also that the headlights are aimed reasonably well. Put a horizontal piece of masking tape on the garage door (or wall) at about 30 inches height and aim them to that line.

I know all this sounds like I'm harping on an old theme, but I've practiced this every year for decades. None of the cars I've restored have ever broken down as a result, and there hasn't been a spring-cleaning yet where I didn't find something major wrong with a car.

We believe these great old cars are meant to be driven, so be sure to get your pride and joy on the road as often as you can. Happy driving.