Is Your Custom Ride Ready for Winter?

Snow is flying, the birds have headed south, and your custom ride is snugly packed away under her cover for the year. The problem is you're missing out on a perfect opportunity to make certain that your custom is ready for the upcoming show season.

If you can manage to keep up with the trends, great, but if you're like most of us, you have to work a job to pay the bills. Pick up some car magazines next and get an idea for what you want to do with your ride for the next season. The great part of owning a custom car is that they really aren't ever done. Remember that for the most part many customs take styling cues from hot rods, so be sure to check out what the hot trends are for that set. Chances are you'll be seeing at least some of it at the next car show you attend. Another great publication to check out for ideas is Lowrider. You won't see more highly detailed customs anywhere, as well as some truly forward thinking metalwork.

Now you'll also have the time to detail your custom front to back. You'll have time to polish up all your chrome, clean up your billet, and make your interior shine. Watch what chemicals you use, though, because some won't last through the winter, and you'll end up cleaning the same part again later. Polish your custom's paint, and then when all the road grime and fingerprints are gone, put a good coat of wax on the finish. Don't be afraid to really glob it on, you'll be more likely to get wax into places you might otherwise miss. After you've got your wax applied, start polishing it off slowly, being sure to get all the streaks.

Use a fuel stabilizer in your gas tank and change out your fluids, if necessary. Whenever you put your car up for the winter, it's best to give it an oil change, even if you haven't gotten to three thousand miles yet. If the car's going to sit all winter, follow your usual winterization routine, including the full detailing and fuel system treatment.