If you fancy getting your old motor out of storage and joining in one of our Slow Car Club race days, here are some basic checks that you can carry out to make sure that your vehicle is race-worthy.
No matter how long your car has been off the road and out of action, one of the best ways to check for damage is to take a good look at the floor beneath where the vehicle has been stored. Most commonly you'll find oil leaks, or leakage from the coolant system.
If you spot coolant leakage, check for corroded radiator fittings, hose or water-pump seals or a damaged gasket. Any other type of leakage could be a sign of a leaking engine, transmission, rear axle, brake or power-steering system.
The length of time that your car has been in storage will generally determine the level of fluid change required. If it's only been a matter of months then it's advisable to drain, flush and replace your coolant, drain any petrol from the tank and carburettor float bowls and carry out an oil change too. If your car's been off road for a year or more, it's best to drain and replace all fluids in the system.
A car that's been stored for several months or more may experience some piston ring problems. To loosen these up, remove the spark plugs and add some lubricant into the cylinders. This is a good time to give your spark plugs the once-over, replacing them if they look corroded, oily or white.
While the spark plugs are removed, turn the engine over several times to allow the lubricant you added to the cylinders to coat the cylinder walls and get the oil and fuel pumps ready for action. Keep turning the engine over until the oil pressure gauge reads normal, then you can replace your spark plugs.
With your petrol tank drained, you'll need to take off your air filter cover and give the mouths of your carburettors a generous spray of engine starter fluid to get your engine up and running with the first turn of the key.
Don't rev up your engine once you've started the car, just let it warm through. Now replace your air filter cover, check your transmission fluid levels and take a good look underneath the car for signs of leakage.
Then it's time to for some basic checks, looking out for damage to hoses and belts, lubing up the suspension, and testing out your lights, wipers, car horn and airing up the tyres to the recommended tyre pressure level. Your brakes will need a thorough check, jacking up the car and spinning each wheel by hand with someone else to operate the pedals. Each wheel should brake and release in a clean and solid manner.
Now you're ready to take her for a spin. A twenty minute drive will be enough to loosen her up, help any moisture to evaporate from the engine and exhaust, as well as giving you enough time to test her out, listening for any unusual rattles and looking out for any unusual gauge readings and leaks.
One last thing to remember before you take her back out onto the roads is to make sure that your car insurance is up to date. Before putting a car into storage, most car owners let their insurers know as this means cheaper insurance premiums. If this is the case, make sure that you let your insurer know that she's out of storage again.
And if it's time to renew your policy, you can search online and take advantage
of a whole range of discounts and incentives offered to new policyholders.
One for online shoppers is Kwik Fit Insurance who offer their customers
20% off any car insurance
product purchased from their website.