Tips on Preserving Classic Cars

In the world of vintage and classic cars, preserving an automobile is a different ball game than restoring one. Preserving vintage cars is not in any way a means of restoring them. That means preserving vintage and classic wheels and rides does not entail rigging and fitting them with customized brand new car seat covers and what not. In the simplest of terms, preserving a classic car is basically letting it hang on to its old colors body frame and floor mats.

While most car enthusiasts prefer shiny chrome plates and hoods, vintage and classic cars that are untouched still emanate a certain archaic aura, sometimes to the point of sacredness and worship. Beneath the decades of rust, grime, dust, and dents, preserved vintage cars, even with their tattered seat covers are still considered works of beauty.

This seems to be the trend that a growing number of auto collectors prefer; preferring their vintage and classic jalopies to stay the way they are --- steering wheel, stick shifts, floor mats and all.

Many motor and auto enthusiasts want to keep the vehicles as they are because of their historical merit and authenticity. They want to keep the images --- and the stories --- of these classic cars to fresh and real, despite years of inactivity. The torn seat covers, moldy stick shifts and chipped paint --- all tell of the vehicles’ individual histories.

While vintage car preservation is an unsound investment compared to collectors who restore their vintage autos, (especially when considering the amount of money spent to get their hands on a classic ride and letting them rust away) car preservationists say that the sense of history motivates them to do what they do – buy vintage cars and let them be.

Preserving vintage cars and their battered bumpers and dilapidated wheels, is, for car purists, is like owning a piece of history. That feeling of elation is something a car with fully-loaded modifications such as custom seat covers and modern high-revving engine, cannot give to its owner.

However, replacing other parts and accessories, such as rubber linings and car seat covers can still be done for the sake of preservation. Whether or not this crosses the line between car preservation and restoration is still a hot topic for debate. While vintage car purists maintain that everything should be untouched to keep a classic automobile’s authenticity, contemporary car collectors say little changes in floor mats and seat coverings and linings won’t hurt.

Several vintage car preservationists admit that when a car is too far gone, giving it a minor overhaul is not a bad way to go. Popular TV show host and a famous car collector Jay Leno says that he bought a 1934 Duesenberg that had been rotting in a Manhattan parking garage for 34 years and decided to do some restoration because it was way beyond mere preservation. He has also successfully kept intact a 1927 Duesenberg he bought --- tires, spark plugs, and all.