Top 5 Old Car Tricks

In some ways, cars are like humans: more maintenance is required as they age, especially if proper care wasn't taken in their younger days. Also, either can be completely worn out even if they've not gone very far or done very much. And both vehicles and humans live a lot longer now.


If you have an older or high-mileage car, ignoring problems and skipping maintenance will only make current problems more expensive to correct. The good news for cars: It's a lot easier to install new parts in vehicles than in humans.


Here are five maintenance tips for older and high-mileage vehicles.

5. Say "No!" to Cracks
While off-roading in my friend's 14-year-old pickup, we got stuck in a very creative manner: The rubber bushings between body and frame collapsed. That bound up the driveline and the truck wouldn't move. ("We're not stuck," he said when calling his father for help, "we just can't get out.") Rubber lasts nowhere close to forever and the frame bushings had hardened, cracked and broken.


Ask those who restore vintage cars: Sooner or later you'll have to replace EVERY rubber piece. If you see hairline cracks or other signs of brittleness on tires, hoses, bushings, belts, and seals, it's time for replacement.