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When maintaining and storing vintage vehicles -- like this 283-horsepower 1957 Chevy -- collectors go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the vehicle is preserved in mint, showroom condition.
Floyd Garrett, owner of the Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum, talks about how classic vehicles are prepared and maintained for display.
Figure A
Figure B
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
Muscle car, noun, an American-built vehicle made during the 1950s, '60s or '70s, and characterized by a large engine, copious amounts of horsepower, plenty of engine-torque and a tendency to induce adrenaline rush in drivers and white knuckles in passengers. (Pictured: 1970 Chevelle SS, 454 cubic-inch engine, 450 horsepower)
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When it comes to classic vehicles, some models have attained the status of museum pieces. Just like other museums, a car museum must have curators and specialists who know how to restore, maintain and care for vintage vehicles so that they are preserved for posterity. Floyd Garrett operates a 35,000 square-foot facility that displays showroom-condition specimens of some of the rarest and most spectacular muscle cars from the 1950s through the 1970s. The Muscle Car Museum is dedicated to an era of automotive engineering in which the concept of a car was expanded, in certain instances, beyond a mere mode of transportation to an object of passion. Floyd Garrett talked to DIY Car Care about the planning that went into the construction of the museum in order to house these vintage vehicles in a climatically controlled environment, as well as some of the techniques that he and his staff use to prepare and maintain these automotive legends for display. The museum building was constructed with a layer of polyurethane beneath the concrete base to provide insulation and guard against moisture-penetration. The concrete itself is at least 6 inches in depth and is sealed on top with a moisture barrier. The walls and doors of the building are super-insulated, and temperature is kept within a 15-degree range. Humidity is also controlled to within narrow parameters. When a vehicle arrives at the museum, it is cleaned inside and out, then given a thorough wax job, exterior finish and application of a protective dressing for the interior. Engines are completely cleaned and detailed (figure A) in a specialized clean-up area.
The battery is removed from the vehicle and replaced with a dummy battery (figure B), so there is no risk of a leaking battery-acid damaging the interior of an engine compartment.
Desiccant tubes (figure C) are placed and left inside the vehicle interior and trunk to absorb moisture from the air and guard against deterioration from rust.
Once on the show floor, the vehicle exteriors are periodically cleaned with a soft duster (figure D) to remove any dust or other airborne particles that may settle on them.
Interiors are also periodically cleaned with a soft cloth (figure E).
Tire pressure is checked (figure F)about every two weeks on each vehicle, and tires are dusted off as well.
The brake pedal on each vehicle is pumped to lubricate the wheel cylinders and master cylinder.
Vehicles are started occasionally, and allowed to warm up to operating temperature, to ensure that seals, such as in the transmission, stay lubricated and do not become hardened.
According to Floyd, one of the main sources for deterioration and damage to show-quality vehicles is the introduction of moisture by ordinary washing. Water left in tiny crevices and pockets may stay trapped and begin to initiate rust.
RESOURCES :
Ultimate Auto Detailing
Model: 0879389419
Author: David H. Jacobs
(1995)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International
Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum
Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum
320 Winfield Dunn Parkway (Hwy. 66)
Sevierville, TN 37876
Phone: 865-908-0882
Fax: 865-908-9997
Web site: www.musclecarmuseum.com
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