Have you got an old car hanging around your home that you never use? If so, you might be wondering what to do with it. One option is to sell it, either to a car buyer or for scrap metal. But, what if you don’t want to get rid of your car?
Well, the other option is to do something with it! You could always turn your sorry-looking car into a restored classic, of course! So, how do you go about reviving such a vehicle? Especially if it’s been sitting around for a few years?
Today’s handy guide will give you a primer into the essential things you should do. Here is what you need to know:
Get the fuel system drained
You might have a temptation to try and “fire up” your car. Doing so is a bad idea with old, stale fuel. Instead, you will need to have the tank and fuel system drained – even if there is no fuel in the tank!
The easiest thing to do is call a mobile fuel recovery service. They can purge the system of any fuel and dispose of it for you. It’s cheaper to do that than have a mechanic tow the car, do the same job and then tow it back to your home.
Perform a full service
Next, you will need to carry out a full or “major” service on the car. That means renewing the following components:
- Oil and filter;
- Air and fuel filters;
- Spark plugs and wires;
- Distributor cap or ignition module;
- Drive belts;
- Coolant;
- Water pump and cam belt tensioners;
- Vacuum hoses; and
- The battery.
If you’ve got the right tools, you can do all that work yourself at home and at your own pace.
Add some fresh petrol to the tank
Your car’s engine is almost ready to get started! Before you can do so, you will need to add some fresh petrol to the tank. Because you had the old fuel drained, there will be no risk of contamination from the old petrol.
Because it hasn’t started in a while, you might need to first crank the engine over by hand with a wrench. In fact, I’d recommend you do that anyway so that you lubricate the internal parts with oil.
After you’ve done that, you need to “prime” the fuel pump. You can do that by just turning the ignition on and waiting a few seconds. You’ll know the fuel pump is getting primed because of an audible “hum” coming from the back of the car.
Once that noise is gone, you can then fire your engine up!
Make the car roadworthy
With the engine running for a few minutes, check for any fluid or air leaks. Once you’ve confirmed everything is OK, it’s time to make the car roadworthy.
For a start, you will need to replace the tires and brakes with brand new items. Next, check for any blown bulbs and change them too. You’ll also need to check the exhaust and suspension systems are still good.
Once everything can get ticked off your list, all you need to do is have it inspected, taxed and insured. When you’ve got those tasks completed, you can drive it on the road!