If you own a classic car, then you’ll know the joys of finding any excuse to take it out for a drive in the middle of summer. You’ve got the sun beaming down on you, the world is your oyster, and you get to drive your dream car at a leisurely pace – what more could you want?

However, if you do want to make the most of owning a classic car this summer, you’ve also got to know how to look after it. Perhaps you’re planning on selling it at some point, or you hope that it will last long enough to be handed down to the next generation. Whatever your plans, let’s take a look at how to take care of your classic car in the summertime.

1.   Protect it From Salt

Did you know that salt is one of the most common causes of corrosion and rust? While more modern cars have been brought up to speed when it comes to the protectiveness of their exterior, classic cars have been left in the dust to a certain extent.

This means that the majority of classic cars won’t have a protective coating to make sure that they can endure those salty seaside rides. What’s more, when you’re riding around in your classic car during summer, humidity, and sunlight alone is enough to get the corrosion process going. You need to make sure that you can protect your vehicle from salt. To do this, wax and wash it often, preferably after every time it’s been at the beach all day.

One major reason why you will want to protect your classic car from salt is that you might want to photograph it professionally one day. You might want to invest in car stock photos, either to make money from them or to get your car noticed online. Either way, photographing your car for stock photos is going to require it to be looking its best.

2.   Drive it When it’s Dry

If you live somewhere where it’s mostly sunny during summertime, and you don’t have to contend with a lot of rain, this won’t be an issue. However, if you don’t, then it’s important to remember not to drive on wet roads too much if you have a classic car.

Why? Because wet roads can lead to corrosion and rust. The more you can keep your classic vehicle away from any type of moisture, the better off you’ll be.

3.   Park it in the Shade

You’ve just arrived at the beach or the park, and you’re struggling to find a good parking spot for your classic car. While you might be hoping to find something that’s within walking distance of your destination, there’s another thing that you have to consider, too – shade.

Keep your classic car parked in the shade as much as possible. Exposing it to too much sunlight directly can wreak havoc on the exterior, as well as the tires. While you might not be able to prevent putting it in the sun all the time, have this in the back of your mind when you know it’s going to be sitting somewhere for a while.

4.   Put it Away for Winter

While you might be tempted to drive around in your classic car as often as possible, to really make the most of it in the summertime, you’ve got to give it a break during those cooler winter months. Again, remember that you need to keep it away from moisture, and the best way to do this is to put it away into hibernation for a bit.

If you’ve got a garage where you can control the climate pretty easily, this is ideal. Otherwise, you might want to look into finding a storage facility that can keep it nice and dry. This is one of the best ways to keep your classic car looking great so that you can enjoy it when next summer rolls around.

Taking care of your car during the summer and throughout the rest of the year is more work than you think. However, it can be done, and years down the track, you’ll be glad that you did.