Written by: Emily Joswiak • September 15, 2021• Lifestyle

How Car Museums Can Maintain Their Vintage Vehicles

Car museums are excellent places to learn about history. Look at how car museums maintain their vehicles and see how this fascinating process happens.

Museums are great places to visit; we can learn about art, history—and even cars. Each car you put on display must be high quality and historically enriching. And vintage automobiles are no exception to this rule. Read about how car museums can maintain their vintage vehicles and learn a little more about how you can make sure your pieces are always display-ready.

Assess the Extent and Type of Cleaning Needed

Before you can maintain your vintage vehicles on the floor, you have to get them ready to be put on display. This process can entail many different things, but it’s mostly about evaluating the individual cleaning needs of each vehicle. People who are selling or loaning vintage cars will often leave curators with clear, specific instructions on how to care for them and keep them in the best condition possible. It’s essential to follow those instructions to the letter.

For instance, some owners prefer that curators only use safe, micro-fiber wash mitts and gentle soap to clean the car’s exterior. Others will suggest that nothing be done to their car to stay true to its genuine condition. Of course, once the vehicles are ready for display, their new home becomes the museum floor, where they’ll receive weekly detailing and upkeep according to their individual needs.

Evaluate Maintenance Accurately

Displaying vintage vehicles in your museum also requires you to understand the particular maintenance each of them needs. For instance, some cars are referred to as “short-term loans,” which means but the owner will come back for it after its been on display for a couple of months. When handling these types of loans, curators must take the time to top off fluids, make sure everything under the hood is in working order, and account for everything else regular car maintenance entails.

Some vehicles are “long-term loans.” These cars are usually on the display floor for indefinite periods; as such, curators remove their remaining fluids or chemicals. This helps maintain the vehicle’s current condition and ensures that it won’t wear or corrode from leftover chemicals or fluids sitting stagnant within the pipes.

Be Discerning About the Selections You Make

Not every car you’re offered is going to constitute a winner. It’s essential to know the distinctions between an excellent find and ones you should pass on, so you can ensure your display has top-quality vehicles people will pay to see.

For example, perhaps someone offers you a 1991 mint-condition Sedan for an excellent price. But there’s also an offer for a 1945 model pick-up truck in similar condition and a slightly higher price. In this case, the better selection would be the pick-up truck; it’s more than twice the age of the Sedan, it has more historical value, and it’s in excellent condition.

Remember that as a curator, your job is to choose pieces that have historical significance and beauty. So, it’s imperative to be very discerning about each one of your selections.

We hope our quick guide on how car museums can maintain their vintage vehicles provides new insight into how you can ensure your display cars are always top-tier and display-ready.

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