Old car maintenance and upkeep

[wmsue]

Since my Buick driving is about done for the season, I decided to change the AC compressor and do a bit of maintenance to get ready for next year.

I was thinking about posts that I've read on this site concerning tires and decided to take a better look at the belts, hoses, tires etc. on the car. I installed the convertible top and painted the car in 2012.

It's been 7 years of driving the Buick but not a lot of miles. I guess I enjoy working on them more then I do driving them. Time sure flies.

 

I found my radial tires are dated 4910 - December 2010 -They should have been replaced a few years ago for sure. The Buick isn't moving out of the garage till I get a new set.

Rubber fuel lines dated 2004 - Yikes, the end near the fuel filter is crisp to say the least.

Heater hoses dated 2012 - Times up for them.

Radiator hoses aren't dated but they are still soft and pliable. Not a bad idea to replace them too, along with a radiator flush.

 

I'll keep looking for other signs of age for sure. I've always checked the fluids before each drive and checked the brake and exhaust system a few times a year. I learned to never go cheap with brakes and exhaust because they can kill you fast. Breaking down on the side of the road isn't fun, but loosing your brakes or CO poisoning is serious business.

 

Hope everyone else looks over their cars and they are not as shocked (embarrassed)  as I was. How did I not check the tire dates earlier.

Our Boy Scout leader was killed 2 years ago when a tire blew out on the way to Canada with a van load of scouts.

None of the boys were seriously injured.

 

So, be sure to look your cars over.

 

Thanks

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by wmsue (see edit history)

[Terry Bond]

Yes, maintenance is a big responsibility when owning a collector vehicle.  I have often seen people who acquire a nice older vehicle, even perhaps one that's been fully restored, then they begin driving it to death never doing anything. They ALL require maintenance, even those that just sit.

 

I guess having newer cars that don't even need regular oil changes (according to manufacturers info!) has changed everyone's way of thinking. 

 

This winter will see new hoses, belts, tires and a good once-over including suspension bushings, speedo cable replacement and a long list of cleaning grounds, electrical connections, etc on our LBCs (Little British Sports Cars).  Our maroon MGBGT has about 40K miles on it since we finished a total restoration, and aside from what we found necessary to keep going, we've not paid much attention to some of those areas. The MGTC needs steering and brake adjustment.   My Pontiac GTO gets driven much less and now needs a new water pump, Harmonic balancer, hoses, belts, tires and a brake job.  Giving it a once-over I just discovered a leaky brake cylinder and the heater core will need to be replaced soon too.   It's a never-ending project, even on restored cars.  I dont know how people with dozens of cars handle it, other than perhaps hiring a full time maintenance staff!  Next year we'll be touring with the TC and taking the GTO out more frequently.  I just gave the Model T a good once-over this summer prior to our last tour, but even that will need a pair of rear wheels done in the coming year or so.  I don't have time to restore any more cars, but there are three in line waiting their turn.

Terry

[Frantz]

I'll never forget the time my friend let me drive his 1993 Viper with less than 10,000 miles. He let me have some fun with it, which I did... but at some point I realized it only had 10,000 miles on it. When I got back I looked at the tires... sadly they were originals with the old 3 digit date code, and this occurred within the past 5 years.

[zepher]

Any fuel lines older than 2007 should be changed immediately.

That is when the US really started to spread E10 as the standard fuel in all stations.

Older fuel lines will rapidly deteriorate if used with modern ethanol laced fuel.

 

I would really inspect hydraulic brake lines and wheel cylinders as well.

 

Old cars are a constant maintenance chore.

But most times it's all part of the fun because the more you drive them and work on them, the more reliable they become.

[keithb7]

I remember the day I bought my 1953 Chrysler. No seat belts. Bias ply tires of unknown age. I drove it home on the hiway. I pushed it to see how it would do. I drove a lot of the way home at 7o mph. My son was following, driving behind me. That may have been one of the stupidest things I have ever done. Imagine had I blown a tire? Failed a tie rod?  Whatever else. I had little knowledge of the car at that time. My son would have had to witness the event, had it unfolded.  

 

Tires. Brakes. Brake fluid. Brake flex lines. Hoses. Seat belts. Parking brake. W/Wipers. Horn. Lights. And more. Yes, pay very close attention. Your loved ones are counting on you. 

[3macboys]

On 11/5/2019 at 12:14 AM, zepher said:

Any fuel lines older than 2007 should be changed immediately.

 

I was filling up yesterday and this Corvair was on the lot - it's the second car that I've seen in town here in the last year and a half that burnt from a carb / fuel line fire.  The other was a 78 or so T/A that had a corroded fuel line break while idling that reportedly had looked good on the outside.  Can't say for sure if the Corvair was the same thing but sure looks like it.  Both cars were very nice before this happened.  I don't know the owner but my condolences to them.  

[TerryB]

Pennsylvania has no formal safety inspections for cars registered as antiques.  It’s up to the owner to insure it’s roadworthy.  I bring this up because that was an issue in an accident I had on my 3 month old motorcycle.  The insurance company asked for proof that the motorcycle was safe to be operating on the road even though it had less than 2k miles on it.  If anything needs fixing be sure to get it done.