Once you finally get to add your dream car to your stable, you’re likely left wondering, “How often should I drive my classic car?” Should you let it serve as your daily driver and get to zoom around town in style each and every day? Or is it better to leave it a Sunday cruiser and keep your baby in storage when the weather takes a nasty turn? Believe it or not, there’s no one right answer. Instead, you have to reflect on your own preferences and weigh the facts to decide how often to drive your classic.
Regular Drives Keep Classic Cars Healthy
Cars don’t like to just sit around. Without regular drives, seals start to dry out, parts seize, and fluids go bad. So, to avoid all that, you absolutely need to start up and drive your collector car at least once a month.
Beyond that, it’s simply up to you to decide how often you’d like to take it for a spin. There’s always a chance of something happening to it while you’re out, of course, so start by assessing just how risk adverse you are. From there, reflect on what you love about the car and how much seat time you’d like to get out of owning such a fine automobile. Finally, reflect on the rarity, value, and ease of getting parts if something does go awry.
In the end, the type of collector car you own will likely come into play more than anything else. If you have an ultra-rare 1964 Ford GT40, then you might balk at putting it on the road more often than not. But if you have a true driver’s car, like a BMW E30 or Mk1 GTI, then keeping it locked up in storage might feel downright criminal.
Considerations for Daily Driving Your Classic
As you decide if daily driving your classic is the right move, mull over the following items:
- Wear: When you drive your car often, parts wear out fast. Are you able to get replacement parts at a fair price and in a timely manner? If not, then daily driving your car might not work out.
- Value: As daily driving your car adds to the wear and tear on its frame, its value will decrease. Is getting behind the wheel on the daily worth the hit to your collector car’s value?
- Safety: There’s no doubt about it: Automobile safety has improved by leaps and bounds in the last 50 years. Would driving your collector car put you at increased risk of injury during a crash?
If you do decide to daily drive your collector, you can reduce the impact on its overall condition and value by having a skilled mechanic on your side. With that move, you just need to zip into the shop for regular inspections and fix developing issues before they cause major problems.
Proper Vehicle Storage Matters
Even if you daily drive your classic car, there are times when you’re going to want to tuck it safely away in storage, like the icy cold winter months. To keep it in prime condition, you cannot just roll it into a covered area and hope for the best.
You need to pick somewhere safe and dry with a concrete floor, and then properly prepare your car by:
- Changing all the fluids
- Putting gas stabilizer in the fuel tank
- Washing and cleaning it inside and out
- Disconnecting the battery or using a trickle charger
- Cracking the windows to promote good air circulation
- Covering your collector car with a well-fitting cover
After that, plan to visit at least once a month to check on its condition and take a leisurely drive around the block. Better yet, take it out for a long cruise to get all the fluids circulated through each system.
Whether you choose to daily your classic or want your collector car to remain a Sunday cruiser, it’s important to have the right level of insurance. With a call to 1-844-929-4768, you can speak to our team at Wayfarer Insurance Group about collector car insurance. We’re happy to help you create your perfect plan, so you can keep your classic well-protected on all your drives.
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